Work to Eradicate Brazilian Pepper Threat

PONTE VEDRA BEACH – The Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve (GTM Research Reserve) is partnering with St. Johns County Environmental Division, the Friends of GTM Reserve, members of the South Anastasia Community Association (SACA) and the northeast Florida Student Conservation Association (SCA) to eradicate Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolia) and other invasive plants that are beginning to displace native vegetation on barrier islands in St. Johns County.

“The GTM Research Reserve and St. Johns County Environmental Division are working aggressively to prevent the spread of the Brazilian pepper plant within the ecosystems of St. Johns County,” said GTM Research Reserve Stewardship Coordinator Forrest Penny. “By partnering with the Friends of GTM Reserve, the SACA and the northeast Florida SCA we are able to work as a team and take the appropriate actions to control the invasive plant by cutting it down and spraying the stump with herbicide.”

Brazilian pepper was previously only found in central and southern Florida where it has caused ecosystem damage, occupying more than 700,000 acres of previous natural plant communities such as mangrove stands and hardwood hammocks.

“The plant is able to create monocultures (environments where one plant dominates) by secreting chemicals unfavorable to many native plants and creating dense strands impenetrable by other plants,” said Penny.

Facts about Brazilian pepper:

• Ornamental tree imported to Florida from South America in the 1840’s.

• Member of the sumac/cashew family (Anacardiaceae).

• Closely related to poison ivy and poison oak and can cause skin and eye irritation.

• Easily identified by the clusters of round red berries in winter and its peppery, turpentine-like smell from crushed leaves.

• May grow as a shrub up to 30 feet tall with a short trunk and tangled branches.

• It is prohibited by law to sell or purposefully plant.

• Effective eradication includes cutting down the plant and spraying the stump with herbicide.

The GTM Research Reserve was established as a partnership between the state of Florida and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The reserve is one of 27 research reserves operating across the nation and one of three in the state. Coastal and Aquatic Managed Areas (CAMA) manages the GTM Research Reserve along with aquatic preserves, the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and the Coral Reef Conservation Program. CAMA’s programs and activities are designed to help Floridians better understand and conserve the state’s resources through research, education and preservation.

For more information on the GTM Research Reserve visit www.dep.state.fl.us/coastal/sites/gtm/guana.htm or www.gtmnerr.org.

To learn more about Brazilian pepper visit http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/schinus.html and http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=SCTE.