What aquatic plants are prohibited in Florida?

Written by Rick Borstein

If you attend one of our meetings, we often have quite a variety of aquatic plants for sale.

As a responsible organization, we need to comply with applicable Florida laws. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDAC) regulates aquatic plants. The list of prohibited plants may be found here.

Florida bans aquatic plants that spread rapidly, choke out native species, or block water flow and recreation, especially if they are difficult to control or have caused damage in similar climates.

FDAC has two classes of prohibited plants, one of which allows some plants to be kept with a permit only in nurseries. Practically, however, they are all prohibited in the aquarium hobby.

Terrestrial Plants… huh?

Oddly, the list includes some terrestrial plants such as:

  • Australian Pine

  • Paper bark tea tree

  • Brazilian Pepper

We have removed those from the list below since we doubt anybody will be growing pine trees in their tanks!

We have included prohibited bog and marginal plants since some FMAS members maintain ponds.

List of Prohibited Aquatic Plants

The scientific name is listed first followed by common name, if any. All images Public Domain, Wikimedia unless otherwise noted.

Alternanthera philoxeroides (Alligatorweed, green lead plant)

National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Crassula helmsii (Swamp stone crop)

ashley BALSAM baz, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Eichhornia spp. (Water hyacinth)

Muhammad Mahdi Karim, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons

Hydrilla verticillata (Hydrilla, Florida elodea, stargrass, oxygen grass)

Hygrophila polysperma (Hygro)

Dennis Lamczak, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Ipomoea aquatica (Water spinach)

Eric Guinther, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Ipomoea fistulosa (Bush Morning Glory)

While not a true aquatic plant, this species does well in boggy conditions and pond margins. Photos Photograph by Allan Boatman, courtesy of Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants, DCAM Website

Lagarosiphon spp. (African elodea)

By Dr Mary Gillham Archive Project - Lagarasiphon major, Howardian, August 1992, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=86569966

Limnocharis flava (Sawah flowing rush)

Limnophila sessiliflora (Ambulia)

Lythrum salicaria (Purple loosestrife)

Mimosa pigra (Giant sensitive plant, cat's claw)

While not a true aquatic plant, this species thrives in marginal bog areas. It is listed as one of the Top 100 most invasive plants in the world.

Monochoria (Pontederia) hastata (Asian Water Lily)

This plant is now in the genue Pontederia, but we have kept the original FDAC nomenclature.
By Ronok - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32060542

Monochoria vaginalis

Vinayaraj, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Myriophyllum spicatum (Eurasian watermilfoil)

Donald Hobern from Copenhagen, Denmark, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Nechamandra alternifolia

Ito Y, Barfod A, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Oryza rufipogon (Wild Red rice)

Daderot, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Pistia stratiotes (Water lettuce)

Pontederia rotundifolia (Tropical pickerelweed)

Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Salvinia spp., (excluding S. minima)

Salvinia natans By Le.Loup.Gris - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16418453

Sparganium erectum (Exotic bur-reed)

Agnieszka Kwiecień, Nova, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Stratiotes aloides (Water-aloe, soldier plant)

Trapa spp. (Water Nut or Water chestnut)

Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Vossia cuspidata (Hippo grass)

Erwin Sieben, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Rick Borstein
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