Brazilian peppertree king of Florida's problem plants

 
Charlotte Sun
Aug. 28, 2008

By NEIL HUGHES
Staff Writer

In a long list of invasive exotic plants, the Brazilian peppertree is Florida’s No. 1 offender.

Brought in as an ornamental plant in the 1840s, locals loved their “Florida holly.” Now, as scientifically classified Category 1 invasive, Brazilian pepper has worn out its welcome.

And with good reason: As anyone who’s had the plant sprout up in their yard knows, it can be nearly impossible to get rid of.

It’s just as big of a problem for Florida’s native wildlife. Native plants can be crowded out by the rapidly-multiplying weed, and its thick brush can destroy animal habitats.

“They grow so densely that our native animals won’t even move in,” said Al Squires, president of the Mangrove chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society.

Just how much of a problem is the Brazilian pepper in Florida? It’s estimated the plant inhabits 700,000 acres of land from North Central to South Florida, according to the Tampa Bay Estuary Program.

Brazilian pepper no longer carries the stranglehold it once had on Caspersen Beach in Venice. Ed Freeman, director of land protection for Sarasota-based environmental group Wildlands Conservation, worked for Sarasota County in the late ‘90s when the major undertaking started.

“Except for the beach itself, that park used to be almost nothing but Brazilian pepper,” Freeman said.

Removing exotic plants is a costly and lengthy project. Because of that, Sarasota had to be creative in raising funds to clean up Caspersen Beach.

“We used money from fines from people illegally cutting down trees, and we got some grants,” he said. “We cobbled together funding to take out the Brazilian peppers at Caspersen.”

Today, a few of the pest plant still remain, though the problem is largely under control.

“It’s much better today,” Freeman said. “In fact, a number of threatened and endangered species showed up at the park and it hadn’t been documented previously.”

Just like with most invasive exotics, the Brazilian peppertree will never be completely removed from Florida, or Caspersen Beach. But with enough effort, it can be controlled.

But what if you have the plant in your yard — what’s the best way to remove Brazilian pepper?

The most effective way is to apply an herbicide at the plant’s stump.

For a homeowner with just a few in his yard, Freeman recommends a product called Ortho Brush-B-Gon. Land managers with Brazilian pepper trees on a larger scale tend to use a product called Garlon, he said.

Products that contain a herbicide called Triclopyr — a broadleaf plant killer that eradicates weeds while leaving grasses alive — are best, he said.

The best strategy is to apply the herbicide at low rates. Simply spray a narrow ring around the trunk, and the tree will absorb it through the bark. Eventually, you’ll be left with a dead standing Brazilian peppertree.