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Scaevola taccada

A Cat I invasive in South Florida, disregard this negative if elsewhere.

There is no reason to grow this plant in Florida when we have a very similar native species, the Scaevola plumeri which is threatened. This invasive Scaevola is, instead, destroying what's left of our beach dunes and the threatened and endangered species living on them--it spreads like crazy, and is very difficult to pull out. It took a group of 15 people several hours to clear out an acre of this invasive in Miami Beach, when any other plant growing in the same sand will come out easily.

The native Scaevola plumeri is hard to tell apart from the invasive without a side-by-side comparison or some experience. The easiest way to tell is when the plant is in fruit--the good native has black fruits, and the bad invasive has white fruits.

Because the comments and "this plant is in my area" things are all from Florida, it makes sense to me to leave this comment as negative. But, again, the negative only applies to Florida... I'm sure the plant is otherwise great or something.

The Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council listed it as a Category I invasive. In some areas, it is a prohibited plant; it must be removed prior to obtaining a development permit.

This really is a great shrub and extrmely easy to grow. It grows like crazy here in the Florida Keys (U.S.)