Weeds of Wednesday: Seeing Red

Even from a substantial distance the bright shiny red stood out. Upon closer inspection, I was stunned to see a fruit on the invasive arrowhead vine (Syngonium podophyllum) in a yard at Treasure Hammock Ranch. Fruiting is rare in Florida…

Weeds of Wednesday: Marlberry “Mimic”

Marylou Rethman (Class of 2009) brought a cutting of what she hoped was native marlberry (Ardisia escallonioides) but suspected that it might not be. Sure enough, it was shoebutton ardisia (Ardisia elliptica), a plant so invasive that it is on…

Weeds: Give Them an Inch & They’ll Take Mile

A visit to the Sebastian Stormwater Park on 8/8/2020 was opportunity to see an unfortunate array of invasive plants, mega-weeds.  Seeing the proverbial silver lining, Karen Schuster (Class of 2007) remarked that property could have "grown homes". This 163 acre…

Weeds of Wednesday: Honey Plant?

Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolia) is among Florida's worst invasive weeds, covering more than 700,000 acres.  Who would defend it?  Short-sighted beekeepers. Yes, European honeybees (Apis mellifera) and other pollinators visit Brazilian pepper when it blooms from August through October.  Honeybees…