To let everyone know how the battle against this invasive plant in the panhandle is going
To encourage everyone along the coast to keep searching, reporting, and removing it.
Can you actually eradicate an invasive species?
MAYBE
But… you must find and begin to manage it early. What many call Early Detection Rapid Response (EDRR) – and beach vitex is just that in the state of Florida.
For those not familiar with the plant, it is called beach vitex (Vitex rotundifolia). It is native to the Pacific coast of Asia, extending from North Korea to Australia. This suggest that it can tolerate cold weather, something that has kept many south Florida invasive species at bay in the Florida panhandle, but not this one.
Vitex beginning to take over bike path on Pensacola Beach. Photo credit: Rick O’Connor
It likes dry sandy soils and open sunny areas – our beaches are perfect. It begins with a taproot and forms runners that cross the surface of the sand in all directions, ALMOST 360°, but not quite. The runners are herbaceous at first and form blueish-green ovate shaped leaves and a cluster of beautiful lavender flowers in the spring and early summer. As the plant grows it becomes more woody and can form a shrub growing between three and four feet high. In the fall, after the cold fronts begin, the flowers become small gray seed pods. Each pod contains four seeds, and the plant can produce up to one million seeds/m2. These are viable for several months and can tolerate salt water for that period as well.
The plant may have been introduced as early as 1955 but was certainly here by the 1980s. During that period the state of South Carolina decide to try it in dune restoration after a series of strong hurricanes. That is when it raised its ugly head and let us know that it is not a plant we want on our coast.
Beach Vitex Blossom. Photo credit: Rick O’Connor
It grows aggressively forming large monocultures within the dunes. It is allelopathic, meaning it releases chemical compounds that can cause the decline of plants around it, this would include our beloved sea oats. Being a taproot plant, not a fibrous one like the sea oat, the integrity of the dunes to protect from storms is weakened. Becoming a shrub, it can also shade the sand keeping other native plants from sprouting and could impact both the survival of sea turtle hatchings and the listed beach mice around the Gulf.
The plant was first reported to us in Pensacola around 2014 by a birding couple we know in Gulf Breeze, Florida. It was growing on Fair Point near their home. They told us they had it under control on their property but that it was most likely coming from Pensacola Beach on Santa Rosa Island – so, we took a look – and we found it.
Since that time, we have found it in other coastal counties along the Florida panhandle and are trying hard to (1) remove it as fast as we find it and (2) educate others so they can help.
We just completed our annual survey event we call HALLOWEED. We only surveyed Pensacola Beach and the portion of the Gulf Islands National Seashore called Naval Live Oaks in Gulf Breeze. Here are the results from the 2022 HALLOWEED…
12 volunteers worked between 2-4 hours logging 41 total hours last Friday.
We have updates on the Pensacola Beach Survey – Naval Live Oaks results coming soon!!
95 sites of beach vitex in the bay area
57 of those (60%) are on Pensacola Beach (surveyed)
25 (26%) are at Naval Live Oaks (will need to be updated)
6 (6%) are on Navarre Beach (were not surveyed)
3 (3%) are in Gulf Breeze (not surveyed)
2 (2%) are on Perdido Bay (not surveyed)
2 (2%) are on Perdido Key (not surveyed)
Of the 57 sites on Pensacola Beach…
30 (32% of the total; 52% of sites on Pensacola Beach) are on NE Pensacola Beach – north of Via DeLuna Drive – and east of Casino Beach
24 (25% of the total; 42% of sites on Pensacola Beach) are on SE Pensacola Beach
2 (2% of the total; 4% of sites on Pensacola Beach) are on NW Pensacola Beach
1 (1% of the total; 2% of the sites on Pensacola Beach) are on SW Pensacola Beach
All 3 sites on WEST Pensacola Beach are GREEN – have been removed and have not returned; no survey of the west end of the island was conducted today – but based on current log – there is no beach vitex on west end of Pensacola Beach.
Of the 54 sites on the east end –
34 (63%) are on private property
20 (21%) are on public lands
Of the private properties –
24 (71%) have been either completely removed or have been treated and in the process.
10 (29%) have not been removed or treated – it is not illegal to have beach vitex and is up to the homeowner whether they want to manage it or not.
Of the public lands –
15 (75%) have either been completely removed and have not returned; or have been treated.
5 (25%) have not been removed or treated – it is up to us to make this change – and we will next spring.
We do hope to get a survey of Perdido Key completed by the end of the year.
We are also planning another annual removal event we call WEED WRANGLE for early spring 2023. We will need volunteers help to do this. If interested in helping, contact Rick O’Connor (roc1@ufl.edu; 850-475-5230 ext.1111).
As for the rest of the panhandle here are the records in EDDMapS as of October 2022.
Escambia County FL – 44 records
Santa Rosa County FL – 4 records
Okaloosa County FL – 31 records
Walton County FL – 0 records
Bay County FL – 0 records
Gulf County FL – 1 record
Franklin County FL – 4 records
Wakulla County FL – 0 records
Jefferson County FL – 0 records
We are SURE this is under reported and we need your help to update these records as well as remove these plants before we are out of the EDRR phase and eradication is no longer an option. Again, contact me (Rick O’Connor) at the contact above if you would like to help.
In the invasive species world, we talk of “Early Detection Rapid Response” (EDRR). These are invasive species that are currently not in our area, or are in very low numbers, but pose a potential threat. One of these is the Cuban treefrog.
As the name implies, Cuban treefrogs are from Cuba, and arrived in Florida around 1920 mostly likely in cargo ships. With the tropical climate of south Florida, the frogs did well and began to multiple and disperse north. At the beginning of 2022 there were 1,953 records of Cuban treefrogs in the U.S. Currently there are 2,462. There were few records in the Florida panhandle, now there 45 records from 11 of the 16 panhandle counties. They are spreading.
Photo by: Dr. Steve Johnson
In the past many of the invasive species that invade south Florida could not tolerate our winters. That is changing, and we are seeing more here than we have in the past. We have had one off records of Cuban treefrogs from our area over the years but recently there were reports of possible breeding pairs in Panama City, reports from the Crestview area, the Pensacola area, and several from the Milton-Pace area. Just recently they were found at one of the county buildings in Escambia County, in downtown Pensacola, and now near Gulf Breeze. Again… they are coming.
How would you know one when you see it?
First, they are treefrogs. Treefrogs differ in have toe pads at the end of each toe. Second, the adult Cuban treefrogs are much larger than the natives. Most of our native treefrogs are no more than two inches in length. Cuban treefrogs can reach six inches. The juveniles can be distinguished by looking at their belly. The skeleton appears blue through the skin. The skin between the eyes is fused to the skull (will not slide if rubbed with your thumb), and their eyes are reddish in color.
What do I do if I see one?
First, report it to the national database EDDMapS (www.EDDMapS.org). Second, if you are willing, humanely euthanize it. The most humane way to do this is to numb the nervous system first. This can be done by rubbing oral gel in the stomach or cooling them in a cooler with ice. Then they can be frozen.
Why are they a problem?
By definition invasive species DO cause problems. In this case Cuban treefrogs they are known to consume native frogs, wiping them out of many areas in the state. Like most invasive species, they reproduce at high rates and have few predators. One story came from a USGS biologist in Louisiana. He received a call from the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans stating they had ordered palm trees from a south Florida nursery for one of their exhibits. After a couple of days, the caretakers noticed numerous frogs they had not seen before. The biologist had an idea of what they might be and drove over. When he arrived, he decided to check the electric panel by the male restroom – Cuban treefrogs are known to reside here and sometimes short circuit systems. He opened the panel to find 30 Cuban treefrogs inside. Game on. New Orleans now has Cuban treefrogs.
By the way, this is a common method of dispersal – hitchhiking on plants from south Florida to nurseries and stores in our neck of the woods. Our winters are milder than they once were, and they seem to be overwintering and breeding. So, game on for us here in the panhandle as well.
If you think you may have a Cuban treefrog contact your county extension office to verify identification before you try to remove them. We certainly do not want harmless native species to get caught up in this management effort. If you have any questions, contact your county extension office.
The University of Florida/IFAS Extension faculty are reintroducing their acclaimed “Panhandle Outdoors LIVE!” series. Conservation lands and aquatic systems have vulnerabilities and face future threats to their ecological integrity. Come learn about the important role of these ecosystems.
The St. Joseph Bay and Buffer Preserve Ecosystems are home to some of the one richest concentrations of flora and fauna along the Northern Gulf Coast. This area supports an amazing diversity of fish, aquatic invertebrates, turtles, salt marshes and pine flatwoods uplands.
This one-day educational adventure is based at the St. Joseph Bay State Buffer Preserve near the coastal town of Port. St. Joe, Florida. It includes field tours of the unique coastal uplands and shoreline as well as presentations by area Extension Agents.
Details:
Registration fee is $45.
Meals: breakfast, lunch, drinks & snacks provided (you may bring your own)
Attire: outdoor wear, water shoes, bug spray and sun screen
*if afternoon rain is in forecast, outdoor activities may be switched to the morning schedule
Space is limited! Register now! See below.
Tentative schedule:
All Times Eastern
8:00 – 8:30 am Welcome! Breakfast & Overview with Ray Bodrey, Gulf County Extension
8:30 – 9:35 am Diamondback Terrapin Ecology, with Rick O’Connor, Escambia County Extension
9:35 – 9:45 am Q&A
9:45- 10:20 am The Bay Scallop & Habitat, with Ray Bodrey, Gulf County Extension
10:20 – 10:30 am Q&A
10:30 – 10:45 am Break
10:45 – 11:20 am The Hard Structures: Artificial Reefs & Marine Debris, with Scott Jackson, Bay County Extension
11:20 – 11:30 am Q&A
11:30 – 12:05 am The Apalachicola Oyster, Then, Now and What’s Next, with Erik Lovestrand, Franklin County Extension
12:05 – 12:15 pm Q&A
12:15 – 1:00 pm Lunch
1:00 – 2:30 pm Tram Tour of the Buffer Preserve (St. Joseph Bay State Buffer Preserve Staff)
2:30 – 2:40 pm Break
2:40 – 3:20 pm A Walk Among the Black Mangroves (All Extension Agents)
3:20 – 3:30 pm Wrap Up
To attend, you must register for the event at this site:
The northwest Florida area has been identified as having the highest concentration of invasive lionfish in the world. Lionfish pose a significant threat to our native wildlife and habitat with spearfishing the primary means of control. Lionfish tournaments are one way to increase harvest of these invaders and help keep populations down. Not only that, but lionfish are a delicious tasting fish and tournaments help supply the local seafood markets with this unique offering.
Since 2019, Destin, Florida has been the site of the Emerald Coast Open (ECO), the largest lionfish tournament in the world. While the tournament was canceled in 2020, due to the pandemic, the 2021 tournament and the Lionfish Removal and Awareness Day festival returned to the Destin Harbor and led to the removal of over 10,000 invasive lionfish.
This weekend, May 14 and 15, 2022, the tournament and festival will be in back in full force at HarborWalk Village in Destin Harbor. A record number of teams will be on the water competing for cash prizes and other loot. Florida Sea Grant will be on hand to support the two-day festival that will include lionfish tasting and fillet demonstrations, conservation and art booths, interactive kids zone, shopping, and lionfish viewing! Bring your family and friends out to support this unique event and do your part to help fight invasive lionfish.
For more information on the tournament, visit EmeraldCoastOpen.com or Facebook.com/EmeraldCoastOpen.
For information about Lionfish Removal and Awareness Day, visit FWCReefRangers.com
Define Invasive Species: must have ALL of the following –
Is non-native to the area, in our case northwest Florida
Introduced by humans, whether intentional or accidental
Causing either an environmental or economic problem, possibly both
Define EDRR Species: Early Detection Rapid Response. These are species that are either –
Not currently in the area, in our case the Six Rivers CISMA, but a potential threat
In the area but in small numbers and could be eradicated
Native Range:
Guinea grass is native to Africa.
Introduction:
The plant was introduced as livestock fodder.
EDDMapS currently list 2,614 records of guinea grass. Most records come from Florida and Texas, but it has also been reported in Hawaii and Puerto Rico. In Florida it has been reported across the state. There are 17 records in the Florida panhandle, 15 of those within the Six Rivers CISMA, 12 of those within the CISMA were reported from the Yellow River Preserve area in Santa Rosa County and the remaining three were from Eglin AFB.
Description:
This is a large panicum grass reaching heights of up to seven feet and grows in dense mats. The strap-like blades and smooth and up to three feet long and two inches wide. The seed inflorescence is large as well, reach two feet in length.
Issues and Impacts:
Guinea grass is an aggressive growing plant that will quickly occupy disturbed open spaces and form thick monocultures decreasing native plant abundance and overall biodiversity.
Management:
The recommended management is foliar spraying with a 1% solution of glyphosate. Care should be taken not to overspray because this herbicide is non-selective and will kill other desirable plants.
Sellers, B., Smith, H., Ferrell J. 2018. Identification and Control of Johnsongrass, Vaseygrass, and Guinea Grass in Pastures. University of Florida Electronic Data Information System. SS-AGR-363. pdf\AG\AG372\AG372-16272415.pdf (ufl.edu)
Early Detection and Distribution Mapping System (EDDMapS)
A Pond Management Field Day will be held May 11, 2022, at the North Florida Research and Education Center, in Quincy, Florida. The field day will include pond demonstrations and classroom workshops on weed prevention, sprayer calibrations, and fish stocking and management. There will also be a trade show with vendors as well as pond water testing and weed identification. The field day will also provide Pesticide CEU’s for natural areas.Registration for the Field Day is through Eventbrite and the cost for the day is $10, which includes lunch. For questions or more information, contactRobbie Jones at the UF/FAS Extension- Gadsden County Office – 850-875-7255.
