Gardeners, whether new to gardening or long-time practitioners, should be knowledgeable about invasive and exotic plants. Because some invasive and exotic plants displace other, more beneficial ones, the Florida-Friendly Landscape (FFL) program educates on the benefits of the nine principles of FFL. One of the nine principles is using the right plant for the right place and having no invasive exotic plants within the landscape.
One of the home gardens featured this year on the Tour of Gardens planned for Saturday, May 17, is a Florida-Friendly Landscape garden. If you want to view a garden that is Florida-Friendly, the annual tour is an opportunity to do just that.
What are some of the more common North Florida invasive exotic plants? There are three classes as defined by conclusions from UF/IFAS Assessment of Non-Native Plants in Florida's Natural Areas. They are classified as prohibited, invasive (not recommended) and caution.
Prohibited species include, but are not limited to catclaw mimosa, mimosa pigra, Japanese climbing fern, lygodium japonicum and air potato. Invasive exotic plants that are not recommended include coral ardisia, ardisia crenata, nandina, nandina domestica, Chinese wisteria, wisteria sinensis, Japanese honeysuckle, lonicera japonica and Chinese privet. A recent addition, which is seen in many yards, is border grass, Liriope spicata, which is spread by berries and runners. The best approach for homeowners who have any of the "not recommended" plants is to either remove or manage them by containing them to prevent their spread into natural and other areas.
Having a Florida-Friendly yard is more than preventing or eliminating invasive exotics. The nine principles emphasize sustainable landscape choices and practices. Thoughtful and creative plant selection and placement is the first step toward efficient maintenance for an attractive home landscape which uses minimal water, fertilizer and pesticides while also creating wildlife habitats and yards that attract birds and butterflies.
Marilyn Larson is a Master Gardener volunteer.. For more information, visit leon.ifas.ufl.edu. For gardening questions, email Ask-A-Mastergardener@leoncountyfl.gov.
Begins at 9 a.m. with a breakfast at Maclay Gardens, 3540 Thomasville Road. At 10 a.m., the program identifying the eight featured gardens is distributed to tour participants, who can map out self-paced visits to each of the gardens.
Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 the day of the event. Advance tickets can be purchased at Maclay Gardens, Esposito Gardening Center, Native Nurseries, Purple Martin Outpost, Tallahassee Nurseries, Wild Birds Unlimited or www.friendsofmaclaygardens.com.