We are still trying to remove this invasive plant from our area. For those who are not familiar with it, beach vitex (Vitex rotundifolia) is a category I invasive plant in Florida. It is current listed as “invasive, not recommended”. This means you can still purchase it but recommend you do not.
Vitex growing at Gulf Islands National Seashore that has been removed. Photo credit: Rick O’Connor
Why is that?
Well, being an invasive species, it reproduces at a high rate, has few consumers, and causes an environmental issue wherever it grows. It has the potential to cause economic issues as well. Beach vitex is from Asia and was brought to the United States as an ornamental plant. In upland landscapes, it does not seem to be a problem. However, when first used in coastal dunes it began to show its ugly head. Vitex begins as a low growing vine and becomes a shrub over time. It produced a beautiful lavender blossom in spring but then produces millions of seeds in late summer and fall. The seeds are spread by birds and are viable in seawater for several months. Dispersed in this way, the plant spreads across coastal beaches of our barrier islands.
Once established it forms a taproot with above ground rhizomes extending as far as 20 feet. It is allelopathic, meaning it produces chemical compounds that kill nearby plants and spreads to cover this new territory. This includes the common sea oat. Sea oats have a fibrous root system which are good at trapping sand and forming dunes. These dunes can protect properties during storm surge. Beach vitex, having a taproot system, are not as effective. Though we are not aware of any beach vitex growing on the fore dune in the panhandle, if it does it could impact sea turtle nesting. We are also not sure whether the local beach mice will eat these seeds. Thus, displacing sea oats could impact beach mice.
Beach Vitex Blossom. Photo credit: Rick O’Connor
We currently know of one site in Ft. Pickens, two properties in Gulf Breeze, two in Navarre, four on Perdido Key and Perdido Bay, 24 within Naval Live Oaks in Gulf Breeze, and 38 on Pensacola Beach; 70 properties total in the Pensacola Bay area. One of the properties in Gulf Breeze, and nine on Pensacola Beach (14%) have been removed or treated and have not returned. One property in Gulf Breeze, one in Ft. Pickens, two on Perdido Key and Perdido Bay, 20 on Pensacola Beach, and 24 in Naval Live Oaks (68%) have been removed or treated but have returned; re-treatments are required and are being conducted. And one property in Gulf Breeze, two in Navarre, two on Perdido Key or Perdido Bay, and nine on Pensacola Bay (20%) have not been removed or treated at all. In each of these cases, the plants are on private property. We hope that these property owners would consider removing the plant and replacing with native dune plants from this area.
Elsewhere in the panhandle we are aware of only two locations, one in Okaloosa County and one in Franklin. We believe the property in Okaloosa has been treated and are not sure of the status in Franklin. If is very possible that this plant is in the coastal areas of other counties in the panhandle.
Recently, volunteers from the Pensacola Beach Advocates and Americorp removed 315 m2 of beach vitex from public land on Pensacola Beach. That now means all beach vitex on public lands in Escambia County have been removed or treated. Research shows that repeated treatments may be required for up to five years to completely eradicate the plant from that property, but PBA and Americorp plan to assist Sea Grant with removing this plant from the area.
If you believe you have this plant and would like to learn how to manage it. Contact Rick O’Connor at the Escambia County Extension Office. (850) 475-5230 ext.111.
Vitex beginning to take over bike path on Pensacola Beach. Photo credit: Rick O’Connor
This week’s article is a bit different… it is about nature we hope you DO NOT see – but hope you let us know if you do. Most of you know that Florida, along with many other states, continually battle invasive species. From Burmese pythons, to lionfish, to monitor lizards, we have problems with them all. Many of our invasive species are plants, which grow aggressively and take over habitats. They have few, if any, predators to control their populations and can cause environmental or economic problems for us.
The pretty, but invasive, beach vitex. Photo: Rick O’Connor
The best way to tackle an invasive species is to detect it when it first arrives and remove it as quickly as possible – this provides you the best chance of actually eradicating it from an area at the lowest cost. One such invasive plant that has recently invaded Escambia and Santa Rosa county beaches is Beach Vitex (Vitex rotundifolia).
Beach vitex is a vine that grows along the surface of sandy areas, like dunes. It has a main taproot from which the runners (stolons) extend in a radiating pattern, like a skinny-legged starfish. The stolons will develop secondary roots, which can form smaller deep root systems, and the entire maze of vines grows very quickly in the summer. The leaves are ovate, more round than elongated, and have a grayish-blue-green color to them – they tend to stand out from other plants. The plant can grow vertically to about three feet, giving it a bush appearance.
Another key characteristic for identification are the lavender flowers it produces, few other plants in our dunes do – so this is a good thing to look for. The flowers appear in late spring and summer. They are actually quite pretty. In the fall, the flowers are replaced by numerous large seeds, which form in clusters where the flowers were. These seeds are problematic in that they can remain viable for up to six months if they fall into the water – increasing their chance for dispersal.
So what is the problem?
In the Carolina’s this species was planted intentionally. They quickly learned of its aggressive nature and have had a state task force to battle it. The plant is allopathic – it can release toxins that kill neighboring plants allowing them to move into that space – this includes sea oats. Beach vitex has a taproot system, unlike the fibrous one of the sea oat, and cannot stabilize a dune as well – which is a problem during storms. In the Carolina’s there are numerous beach fronts where this is the only plant growing, a problem waiting to happen. Though there are no reports of it happening, it also has the potential to affect sea turtle nesting.
Beach Vitex Blossom. Photo credit: Rick O’Connor
So what do I do if I see it?
Contact us… You can contact me at roc1@ufl.edu, or call (850) 475-5230. Try to give us the best description of where the location is as you can. Many phones now come with an app that has a compass. This app also gives you your latitude and longitude. If your phone does not have this, again, give us the best description of the location you can. If you can include a photograph, that would be great. There are numerous other invasive species roaming our area, and you are welcome to report any you find to us. We hope to stay on top of these early arrivals and keep them under control.
This yard on Pensacola Beach has become over run by vitex. Photo courtesy of Rick O’Connor.
In 2013 we began writing about a potential invasive plant in the Florida panhandle called Beach Vitex (Vitex rotundifolia). The first record we knew of was reported from Pensacola Beach and was posted on EDDmaps.org. According to this website only two other records had been found in Florida, both in the Jacksonville area. It did not seem like a real problem and was not listed as an invasive species in the state. But I decided to survey Pensacola Beach and see if the plant might be growing in other places – it was – in 22 other places!
Based on the severe problems they have had with this plant in coastal communities of North and South Carolina, and the fact that more records were coming in of the plant in northeast Florida, both the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council and the University of Florida / IFAS Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants listed the plant as “invasive – not recommended”.
So is the plant a problem?
In the Carolina’s it certainly is. Used in dune restoration projects it quickly became a monoculture and displaced many species of native dune plants – including sea oats. It grows aggressively in the summer months, crossing bike paths and driveways and can extend towards the water impeding sea turtle nesting. One fear is that the plant will grow fast enough that a turtle nest will become overwhelmed by the plant before the eggs hatch, in a sense entrapping them. The plant produces a large tap root and extends above ground stolon in all directions. I have measured stolon over 20 feet in length and many secondary roots extending from these. Stolon extending from nearby vitex can form an intermingle mess of vines that can be very difficult to remove.
Another issue is the taproot. Most are small and manageable but we have measured some 3-4” in diameter and one, on Pensacola Beach, was about 10” in diameter. Once they reach this size removing becomes very difficult, if not impossible. The key is to identify and remove the plant early. It has become such a problem in the Carolina’s that a state task force has been created to address it.
So where does this plant stand in the Florida Panhandle?
Since the initial survey conducted on Pensacola Beach the plant has been found on 21 properties on Pensacola Beach itself and 1 property on Perdido Bay (both in Escambia County). It has been verified at two locations within the Naval Live Oaks Reservation within Gulf Islands National Seashore in Santa Rosa County. A survey of Perdido Key in 2015 found no evidence of the plant – but the Key will be surveyed again in 2016. As for coastal counties to the east – we are not sure.
This maybe one invasive plant we may be able to manage before it gets too far out of control.
(If you live in a coastal county between Pensacola and Aucilla River, and believe you may have the plant, please contact your local Extension Office to let them know. We would like to log the occurrence on EDDmaps and can provide advice to the property owner on how to safely remove it).
March 1st: Coral Ardisia (Ardisia crenata), Beach Vitex (Vitex rotundifolia), Crazy Ant (Nylanderia pubens)
Early Detection Rapid Response (EDRR): All of the species featured in today’s article are ones that we need to keep an eye on as they move closer to the Florida panhandle. If new invasive species are caught early, then eradication of that species from the area becomes easier.
Coral Ardisia (Ardisia crenata):
Coral ardisia is also known as coral berry, spice berry, and scratchthroat. It was introduced into Florida in the early 1900’s for ornamental purposes.
In the ensuing years, it has since it escaped cultivation and has become established in hardwood hammocks and other moist woods of natural areas and grazing lands. Populations can currently found in Florida, Louisiana and Georgia.
photo courtesy of Les Harrison
This evergreen sub-shrub reaches a height of 1.5 to 6 feet and tends to grow in multi-stemmed clumps. Leaves are alternate, 8 inches long, dark green above, waxy, without hairs, and have scalloped margins and calluses in the margin notches. Flowers are typically pink to white in stalked axillary clusters, usually drooping below the foliage. The fruit is a bright red, globose, single-seeded berry, measuring approximately 0.25 inches in diameter. White-berried populations are also known to exist.
Coral ardisia is classified a Category I weed on the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council Invasive Plant List. Control of coral ardisia may be accomplished by two methods. A low-volume foliar application of Garlon 4 or Remedy provides suppression of this plant. Complete foliar coverage is essential to success and retreatment will be necessary for complete control. Basal bark applications with Garlon 4 or Remedy in an oil carrier can also be utilized for suppressing this invasive weed. Do not apply more than 8 quarts of Remedy or Garlon 4 per acre and treat no more than ten percent of the total grazed area if applying greater than two quarts per acre.
For local assistance, contact your county UF IFAS Extension office.
For more information contact Les Harrison, Agriculture & Natural Resources Extension Agent by phone at 850-926-3931.
Beach Vitex (Vitex rotundifolia):
Click Image to Download Wanted Poster. Please circulate to area residents to provide visual identification of Beach Vitex. Contact your Extension Office for control options and help reduce it’s impact on native species.
Originally from the Pacific rim of Asia, Beach Vitex was brought to South Carolina to help restore dunes lost during storms. Also known as round-leaved chaste tree and pohinahina, this low-growing shrub does very well in coastal habitats. The plant is a small, deciduous shrub that can grow to a height of 3 feet and forms root and rhizome masses extending over 60 feet from the parent plant. The stems are fleshy when young but become woody with age. The leaves are simple and measure 1 – 2.5 inches in length, are ovate, and dark green on top while lower surface is light green to silver. Locally it flowers in the spring producing beautiful purple to light blue flowers. The fruit forms in mid-summer and are charcoal gray color.
Rapid growth and dense fruit production allows this plant to quickly dominate dune habitats, in some cases covering over 85% of the dune field and crowding out natives such as sea oats. The plant is also known to produce its own chemical weapons to help outcompete native species. Coverage is so thick in some areas the term “beach kudzu” is now being used. Conservation groups believe that this dense growth will negatively impact sea turtle nesting (both for egg laying adults and hatching young). In 2009 the plant was listed on North Carolina’s Noxious Weed List and there is now a statewide task force to combat this invasive. It was first reported in our area on Pensacola Beach. There are 13 known locations on Pensacola Beach and it could very well be found in other panhandle locations. If you suspect you have the plant you may contact your local Extension office for information on how to safely remove it. For more information visit www.beachvitex.org
For more information, contact the author Rick O’Connor, Sea Grant/Marine Sciences Agent 850-475-5230.
Caribbean Crazy Ant (Nylanderia pubens):
Also known as the “Hairy Crazy” and the “Brown Crazy Ant,” the Caribbean Crazy Ant originated in the Caribbean Islands. The ants were most likely introduced by accident to Miami in the 1950’s. For 50 years very little was said about the ant until their numbers began to increase in the West Palm Beach area around the year 2000. They have now migrated as far north as the Jacksonville area. The name “crazy ant” describes their movement. This ant does not sting, but rather bites with its mandibles and is considered an annoying pest. These ants swarm in large numbers and are found mostly outside, but have infested homes and even caused shortages in electrical systems. They do not form mounds but rather nest in leaf litter,
debris, potted plants, garbage cans, and landscape features; quickly relocating when disturbed. This reddish-brown, medium sized (2.5-3.0mm), ant is sometimes mistaken for the fire ant, but differs in having stripes on its abdomen. Caribbean crazy ant workers are the same size; whereas the fire ant workers vary in size. They feed on protein (insects) and their diet may vary seasonally. They are rarely seen in large numbers during the winter months, which suggests they may form several nests and gather with increasing temperatures. They can be confused with the ant Prenolepis impairis, found in north Florida. However P. imparis has an hour-glass shaped alitrunk behind the head, which is not found on the Caribbean Crazy Ant. Scientists from Texas A&M University have determined that the “Raspberry Crazy Ant” of the Houston area is in fact the same species.
Eradication is not probable and the homeowner may need professional help to remove them. Pesticides have not been very effective and homeowners should be aware the pest control professionals are restricted in how they spray each year, so requesting more applications will not be an option. An integrated pest management plan will be needed. To reduce the chance of infestation homeowners should de-clutter their yards and homes, watch where you leave food, seal entry points into homes, and trim vegetation away from the house.
Beach vitex expands its woody rhizomes aggressively; it can actually grow over sidewalks and driveways.
It’s actually a pretty plant, this Beach Vitex (Vitex rotundifolia), and it is very good at stabilizing eroding dunes. In the 1990’s, the state of South Carolina planted this shrub to help restore dunes lost during hurricanes. It was selected because of salt tolerance, production of woody rhizomes (runners) that extend over 60 feet to trap sand, and the beautiful purple flowers that attract beneficial insects; it seemed perfect! However, folks along the Atlantic coast had no idea how invasive it would become a few years later. Residents discovered that it chokes out many of the native species such as sea rocket and sea oats producing an area of only this plant.
It is now causing problems for sea turtles. As you can see in some of these photos, the plant grows over the fore-dune, blocking access for nesting. Beach Vitex grows so aggressively that during the 60 day incubation time many turtle nests are overgrown, entrapping the hatchlings. Some have been found dead, entangled within the rhizome mats. The Beach Vitex “invasion” has become so bad that South Carolina developed a Vitex Task Force to deal with the problem.
This yard on Pensacola Beach has become overrun by vitex.
Is this a problem for Florida?
According to the records the Early Detection and Distribution Mapping System EDDmaps.com, Beach Vitex is distributed northward to the Chesapeake Bay area and south to Jacksonville. It is found in coastal Alabama and there is one record of the plant in Escambia County.
With so few records in Florida it is not currently listed as an invasive species in our state and there is no program set up to control it. However the Sea Grant Extension Agent in Escambia County, Rick O’Connor, was alerted in 2013 that vitex was in Gulf Breeze, Florida (Santa Rosa County) and possibly on Santa Rosa Island (Escambia County).
Please circulate to area residents to provide visual identification of Beach Vitex. Contact your Extension Office for control options and help reduce it’s impact on native species.
A “Wanted Poster” was developed by O’Connor to post in the coastal communities of Escambia and Santa Rosa counties to see if the plant was more common than the records indicated. At this time, six properties on Santa Rosa Island have confirmed records of Vitex and two more will be surveyed soon. The wanted poster program was published in the local newspaper which reached the east coast of Florida. Reports from that coast indicate that it has extended south into Volusia County. Okaloosa/Walton Sea Grant Agent Brooke Saari is posting the wanted poster in those counties to see if the plant has reached their coasts.
The owner of this yard mowed the vitex. However the woody rhizomes are still present. They will need to either dig this up or use multiple chemical applications to completely remove.
Anyone along the coast of the Florida Panhandle who feels they may have this plant can contact either Rick O’Connor (850-475-5230; roc1@ufl.edu) or Brooke Saari (850-689-5850; bsaari@ufl.edu) and we can confirm identification. The plant is not currently listed as invasive in our state and removal is not required. However, based on the experience in the Carolina’s and other invasive species, if you wish to eradicate this plant doing so early is important. It is much less labor intensive and less costly when there are few plants. If you do choose to remove it please contact your local Extension office first. We can provide methods of successful removal. We would also like to photograph and log the record on EDDmaps.
Editor’s note: Rick provided all the photos in this article.
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