Skip to main content

Alternatives to Invasive Plants Commonly Found in North Florida Landscapes

Sandra Wilson, , Zhanao Deng, , andLeynar Leyton Naranjo


Release Date: 8/30/2026

DOI: 10.32473/EDIS-EP467-2013

Urban Horticulture

Abstract

Based on years of UF/IFAS research producing and trialing cultivars, this fact sheet lists native and non-native ornamentals as alternatives to invasive plants commonly used in Florida landscapes. Only plants considered to be generally available in the nursery trade are listed. Alternative plants are similar to respective invasive plants as much as possible in terms of size, habit, texture, and flower color. 

About this Publication

This document is ENH1206, one of a series of the UF/IFAS Department of Environmental Horticulture. Original publication date August 2013. Revised August 2018 and August 2026. Visit the Ask IFAS website at https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/ for the currently supported version of this publication.

How to Cite

Knox, G. W., Wilson, S. B., Deng, Z., & Freyre, R. (2013). Alternatives to Invasive Plants Commonly Found in North Florida Landscapes. EDIS, 2013(6). https://doi.org/10.32473/edis-ep467-2013

Authors

Sandra Wilson
Sandra Wilson
Specialist
University of Florida

professor, UF/IFAS Department of Horticultural Sciences

Gary Knox
Gary Knox

nursery crops Extension specialist and professor emeritus, Department of Environmental Horticulture, UF/IFAS North Florida Research and Education Center, Quincy, FL

Zhanao Deng
Zhanao Deng
Specialist
University of Florida

professor, breeding and floriculture, Department of Horticultural Sciences, UF/IFAS Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, Wimauma, FL

Alexandria Bowen
Alexandria Bowen

graduate student, plant science, and communications assistant, UF/IFAS Center for Landscape Ecology and Conservation, Gainesville, FL

Leynar Leyton Naranjo
Leynar Leyton Naranjo
Specialist
University of Florida

assistant professor, ornamental plant breeding, Department of Horticultural Sciences, UF/IFAS North Florida Research and Education Center, Quincy, FL

Publication #ENH1206

Homeowner

Albizia julibrissin

Ardisia crenata

Cinnamomum camphora

Colocasia esculenta

Dioscorea bulbifera

Lantana strigocamara

Ligustrum sinense

Lonicera japonica

Melaleuca viminalis

Nandina domestica

Ruellia simplex