Melaleuca is a highly invasive tree choking the Everglades and other areas of South Florida. Sea level rise threatens homes and real estate. In Florida, this plant quickly invaded natural areas. In South Florida, where the Everglades meet the bays, environmental challenges abound. Everglades Invasive Plants. Invasive species imperil native plants and animals. Weeds and Invasive Plants; Weather; Tools and Equipment; Florida-Friendly Landscape Care ; Melaleuca. The Everglades Dirty Dozen. Melaleuca trees were brought to the United States from Australia in the late 1800s. One such invasive species is the Brazilian Pepper plant. This is mainly because they are coming into areas like the Everglades, a biodiversity hotspot, and thriving. It was introduced to Hernando County from Asia sometime around 1897 and labeled a Category 1 species on the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council’s List of Invasive Species in 1993. The 5 Worst Invasive Species in the Florida Everglades By Corey Protin and Bryan Walsh July 19, 2014 8:30 AM EDT In touring the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, Everglades National Park, canals and storm-water treatment areas, participants saw a proliferation of invasive plants that are degrading the region’s ecosystems and water supply. Through being released by their owner or escaping, tegus have been introduced into the Southern wild and have become a hazardous invasive species. The District manages invasive exotic plants in canals and on levees of the primary water control system (Central and Southern Florida Project). These animals and plants are established and spreading in South Florida, are easy to identify, and are causing or likely to cause environmental harm. Species from the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council List of Invasive Species 2007 There are a total of 61 species of invasive plants, 4 species of amphibians, 32 species of fish, 12 species of birds, 46 species of reptiles, 17 species of mammals, and 79 species of invertebrates currently taking residence in the south Florida area. Invasive species in the Everglades are exotic plants and animals that are not native to the area and have aggressively adapted to conditions in wilderness areas in southern Florida.The Everglades are a massive watershed in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Florida that drains overflow from the vast shallow Lake Okeechobee that is in turn fed by the Kissimmee River. Invasive plants are a significant threat to the Everglades. Currently, the cost to control invasive species is $500 million a year, but there is still 1.7 million acres of land in South Florida, including the Everglades, that is still infested with these invasive species. 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