Laws and Regulations
Florida Administrative Code:
- Florida Noxious Weeds: Rule 5B-57
- Prohibited Aquatic Plants: Rule 5B-64
Noxious Weeds
How Does Florida Define Noxious Weeds?
Florida defines a noxious weed as any plant that is a serious agricultural threat in Florida; has a negative impact on endangered, threatened or commercially exploited plant species; or is a naturalized plant that disrupts naturally occurring native plant communities.
Nursery sales of these weeds are prohibited and their movement is regulated by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services' Division of Plant Industry.
What Are Invasive Species?
The Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council (FLEPPC), a voluntary, nongovernmental organization that provides information about exotic, invasive species in natural areas, provides the following definitions:
- An exotic plant is a plant that has been introduced to Florida, either purposefully or accidentally, from outside of Florida.
- An invasive exotic plant is an exotic plant that sustains itself outside of cultivation and is expanding its range in Florida plant communities.
The plants on the FLEPPC list are not regulated by the state unless they also appear on the state list of noxious weeds.
Photo Gallery
See photos of Florida's noxious weeds.
Media
Permits
Forms
- Application for Inclusion to or Exclusion from the Noxious Weed List
- Application and Permit to Move Organisms Regulated by the State of Florida