Plant Management in Florida Waters
Wild taro
Quick Facts
- Scientific name: Colocasia esculenta
- Origin: India, Southeast Asia
- Introduction: Early 1900s, food crop
- Aquatic community: Emergent
- Habitat: Wet soils, shallow water, floating islands
- Distribution: Statewide
- Management effort: Eradicate new colonies
- 2020 Acres Treated: 2
Environmental and Economic Concerns
- Displaces native plants, especially along shaded shorelines and in wooded wetlands
- One of the most widely dispersed invasive aquatic plants in Florida’s public water bodies
- present in about 55% of Florida public waters
- Shoreline populations break loose, forming floating islands
- block access
- cover native plant habitat
- Roots in new areas, spreading the infestation
Management Options
- Biological: None available
- Chemical: Imazamox, 2,4-D + diquat + Kinetic, glyphosate
- Mechanical: Harvest floating mats; roots fragment into new plant
- Physical: Hand pulling; use caution due to oxalic acid irritant in plant. Need to remove entire rhizome or plant will regrow.