What's in a Name? A Quick Guide to "Native" Plant Life on Sanibel

Often, the word "exotic" is used to describe something desirable. This is not the case when talking about exotic plants in the Florida Environment and on Sanibel in particular. In fact, these so-called exotic plants are capable of killing off native Florida plants that animals need in order to live.

The ones that have been removed and are still being removed from the Island are mostly from the horticultural industry, introduced about the turn of the century with the Brazilian Pepper the most prolific and "infamous" among these exotics.

Exotic plants were imported to Florida as a way to beautify the state, but nobody predicted the destruction they would bring.

They tend to take over a community and dominate it with one species of plant which reduces the diversity of the plants in the community and also the animals that can use it.

So, while Florida plants have insects and animals that keep their growth in check, these exotic plants are able to grow without threat as they are virtually viewed as "undesirable" by the native insects and animals.

While the list of undesirable exotics is short, the list of plants native to the Island quite extensive.

There are, according to the Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation, four different kinds of plant habitat on Sanibel Island, and an enormous variety of plants are growing readily in each. Though not "exotic" in species, the names of native plants often bring our senses to other places.

Upland Communities, one of the plant habitats, are defined as areas that rarely flood, get less rain than other parts of the island, and have extremely sandy soil. Examples of upland areas on Sanibel are: WestRocks, East Rocks, Gumbo Limbo & along West Gulf Drive. In upland communities, there are 16 kinds of large trees growing naturally which include the Gumbo Limbo, Jamaica Dogwood and Mahogany. Of the dozens of small trees and shrubs, there is the Bahama Cassia and Spanish Bayonet.

Low areas are defined as places that may have standing freshwater or “muck” during the rainy season but slowly drain, leaving very dry soil during the winter. A drainage ditch or swale may be considered a low area and some wild flowers and ground cover in this habit also wear some exotic handles such as Blue Eyed, Horsemint and Climbing Aster.

Freshwater Wetlands and the Mangrove Fringe, the two remaining habitats, have equally enticing native vegetation.

A visitor to the Island with an eye toward studying its native flora will not be disappointed with the large variety of trees, flowers, grasses and ground cover to be found in the four plant habitats!