Water Spinach Regulations

Water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica) is listed both as a federal noxious weed and a Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) Class I prohibited aquatic plant.

As provided for in Section 581.145, Florida Statutes, water spinach may be cultured in a nursery regulated by FDACS for the purpose of export outside of Florida only. 

How to Obtain a Permit to Grow Water Spinach

1. You must be registered as a nursery with the FDACS Division of Plant Industry.
2. Obtain a federal permit for the interstate movement of noxious weeds.
3. Contact your local plant inspector. The inspector will ensure that you are in compliance with all conditions of a compliance agreement that you will complete and sign in the inspector's presence.

Water Spinach Compliance Agreement

Permit applicants must agree to abide by the following stipulations:

1. The grower will be registered with FDACS as a nursery and placed under no less than quarterly inspections.
2. Water spinach plants anywhere on the property must be maintained free of all flowers and seeds at all times.
3. Planting will only be permitted using propagated cuttings. Seeds are prohibited.
4. A buffer devoid of all vegetation must be maintained around the perimeter of all water spinach production and processing areas. The buffer must be 50 feet wide around all open field production areas and around all handling, packing, shipping and disposal areas. A buffer area a minimum of 10 feet wide must be maintained around any walled greenhouse cultivation area where the greenhouse has been approved to be of sufficient construction to prevent water spinach plants from escaping.
5. All equipment (tractors, plows, disks, mover, etc.) used in the cultivation of water spinach must be cleaned free of all vegetation prior to being moved to nonregulated areas.
6. It will be the responsibility of the grower to bear all costs associated with the control and eradication of any water spinach that escapes from any property approved for commercial water spinach production whether the property is leased or owned by the grower.
7. The grower must maintain all documents pertaining to the sale and/or distribution of water spinach from their farm and make them available to an FDACS representative on request.
8. All handling, packaging and disposal of water spinach must be done onsite. Transporting of water spinach will be allowed only from the cultivation site to the packaging/shipping point in such a manner as to prevent accidental dispersal. All shipping of water spinach must be done in closed containers.
9. Water spinach cultivation is allowed only for sale out of state. Water spinach is not to be sold, traded, or given away within the state. Transfer of water spinach from one licensed nursery to another may only occur under permit from FDACS.