Plant Management in Florida Waters
Para grass
Quick Facts
- Scientific name: Urochloa mutica
- Origin: South & Africa
- Introduction: Late 1800s, forage grass
- Aquatic community: Emergent grass
- Habitat: Wet soils, shorelines, floating mats
- Distribution: Central and South Florida
- Management effort: Complaint management
- 2020 Acres Treated: 102
Environmental and Economic Concerns
- Sprawling grass up to 15 feet long that forms dense tufts on shorelines
- Provides little wildlife value and crowds out native plants
- Covers vast areas of wetlands and marshes, especially south Florida
- Fills ditches and shallow canals, impeding water movement
- Mats can break loose from shorelines forming floating islands
Management Options
- Biological: None available
- Chemical: Glyphosate, imazapyr;
- Mechanical: Mowing; harvest or shred floating mats
- Physical: Drawdown, desiccation, and burning