DUNE SAVERS FIELD GUIDE
Learn what these plants look like, where they come from, and how their status varies in Florida. Use the photographs with the linked scientific references.
Schinus terebinthifolia
Origin: Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay.
An evergreen shrub or small tree with glossy, compound leaves and clusters of bright red berries. A documented invasive in Florida, it can form dense stands that crowd out native vegetation.
Scientific reference ↗Melinis repens
Origin: Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.
A clumping grass with fluffy pink to reddish seedheads that fade to silvery gray. Its windborne seeds help it spread into open sandy areas. UF/IFAS rates it invasive in Central and South Florida and Caution in North Florida.
Scientific reference ↗Plant profile ↗Native range ↗Sansevieria trifasciata
Origin: West and West Central Africa.
Recognized by stiff, upright, sword-shaped leaves, often patterned with green bands. Also called mother-in-law’s tongue; its accepted botanical name is Dracaena trifasciata. UF/IFAS predicts high invasion risk statewide, which differs from a documented invasive classification.
Scientific reference ↗Plant profile and range ↗Casuarina spp.
Origin: Australia, Southeast Asia, and Pacific islands; range varies by species.
A tall evergreen with fine, jointed branchlets resembling pine needles and small woody, cone-like fruits. Despite its name, it is not a true pine. The introduced Florida species are recognized invasives; the exact species in this photograph is unconfirmed.
Scientific reference ↗Megathyrsus maximus
Origin: Tropical and southern Africa, western Indian Ocean islands, and the Arabian Peninsula.
A tall, densely clumping grass with broad, flat blades and large, open, branching seedheads. UF/IFAS rates it Caution in Central and North Florida and invasive in South Florida.
Scientific reference ↗Plant profile ↗Native range ↗Kalanchoe species or hybrid
Origin: Species or hybrid not confirmed. Many Kalanchoe species are native to Madagascar and eastern Africa; hybrids may have a different cultivated origin.
A succulent that produces tiny new plantlets along its leaves. Common names overlap among Kalanchoe species and hybrids, so leaf shape and plantlet placement help distinguish them. Exact identity and invasive status for this photograph remain unconfirmed.
Scientific reference ↗Kalanchoe species or hybrid
Origin: Species or hybrid not confirmed. Many Kalanchoe species are native to Madagascar and eastern Africa; hybrids may have a different cultivated origin.
Look for fleshy, pointed leaves edged with rows of tiny plantlets. Several Kalanchoe species and hybrids share this name. The photograph’s exact identity is unconfirmed. Status varies: UF/IFAS currently rates Kalanchoe daigremontiana Not a problem species.
Scientific reference ↗Plant group profile ↗Common name: Crowfoot grass
Origin: Tropical and temperate Africa and Asia, if identified as Dactyloctenium aegyptium.
Look for fingerlike seedhead branches radiating from one point, resembling a bird’s foot. UF/IFAS rates Dactyloctenium aegyptium invasive in Central and South Florida and Caution in North Florida. The photograph’s species identity remains unconfirmed.
Scientific reference ↗Plant profile ↗No plants match. Try a different name.
Compare leaves, stems, flowers, and seedheads together. The linked botanical references provide more detail than a single photograph.