Urena lobata (Caesar weed) is a shrub that can grow up to 10 feet tall. It was imported to Florida in the late 1800s and is thought to be native to Southeast Asia. The plant is quite distinctive with dark green leaves that are palmately lobed (3 points on a single leaf). The seeds this plant produces are known to stick to all clothing and animals, making it extremely easy to disperse the seeds. Caesar weed can grow extremely fast in most areas, particularly disturbed locations. However, the plant is resistant to some herbicides and can tolerate many different environmental conditions. Since the seeds stick to most things, it is difficult to control this plant. It is important to remove all seeds from clothing and dispose of them properly so they do not disperse to new areas. Finding Caesar weed when it is young is ideal to be able to remove effectively.
Caesar weed can be removed when it is young through the hand-pulling technique. This is the most time consuming and is labor intensive. However, it is also very effective if you make sure to remove the root as well. When the plant is more mature, it is better to cut the shrub down and possibly spray the stumps with herbicide, or try to dig out the stump and the roots. Burmese pythons are a snake native to Burma that are capable of growing up to 20 feet long. These large constrictors are mainly intruding in the Florida Everglades. While some of these Burmese pythons were released from private pet owners, the main group that were released occurred when Hurricane Andrew hit Florida and destroyed a breeding center releasing baby burmese pythons who found a new home in the Everglades. The pythons main impact has been on the mammal populations in the Everglades. Any and all mid sized mammals have become the food source for these reptiles and with no natural predators, the pythons are then left to duke it out with the other big animals in the park. Including alligators, depending on the size of the alligator or the snake, either one can come out as the victor.
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AuthorsHello! We are three students trying to inform the public on the invasive species of South Florida. |