Florida Oceanographic Society
Living Gift
Do you know somebody who is hard to shop for? Are they environmentally conscious? Do
they love this wonderful locale that is Florida? Then this gift is for them. For a $25 donation
we will plant an ecologically important native plant in their name.
The person receiving the living gift will be mailed a certificate in their name, with the name
and description of the native shrub or tree planted in their honor.
Invasive Exotic Plants
Many invasive exotic plants were brought to Florida as ornamental plants. Out of their
natural habitat and away from their predators these plants quickly spread. They crowd out
important native plants and reduce the health of the ecosystem. There are now over 1.6
million acres of these invasive exotic plants in Florida. Two of the worst offenders locally
are the Brazilian pepper and the Australian pine.
Brazilian Pepper
The Brazilian pepper was brought into Florida in 1892 as a decorative plant because of its
cluster of bright red berries in the winter. A relative of poison ivy the sap and berries are
toxic. The sap will cause a reaction worse than poison ivy. The peppers grow quickly with
many sprawling branches that choke out the native plants. Brazilian peppers are difficult to
kill. The peppers must be poisoned or else the stumps will just grow back.
Australian Pine
The Australian pine is not a true pine. These trees grow in very dense stands crowding out
all other plants. When the "needles" fall onto the ground they release an herbicide that kills
young plants growing around them. When the hard woody fruit falls into the waters of our
estuaries they decompose very slowly. These "pine cones" create large rolling mats that
kill off the seagrass beds. Like the peppers the stumps must be poisoned or they will grow
back.
Exotic Removal
When the Florida Oceanographic Society first moved onto the 40 acre site on Hutchinson
Island approximately 11.5 acres were covered with Brazilian peppers and Australian pines.
Our constant goal is to remove all invasive exotic plants from the site and restore these
areas using the ecologically important native plants. If these areas are not replanted with
the native plants the Brazilian pepper and the Australian pine will recolonize these same
areas.
Native Plants
Our native plants play many important ecological roles. They supply food and shelter for
our wildlife. They cleanse the water of the Indian River Lagoon. The leaves of the
mangrove create detritus as they decompose in the water. Detritus is the keystone of the
food web of the Indian River Lagoon and all our nearshore waters.
Restoration
With your help we can restore our site to its natural glory with clean water and abundant
wildlife. What better way to recognize someone than to make a living gift by planting a
native plant in their honor that will help our environment in so many ways. What more
could you ask for $25.
A partial list of the plants that are used as the living gifts are:
»Red Mangrove
»Gumbo Limbo
»Wild Coffee
»Snowberry
»Wite Indigoberry
»Cocco Plum
»American Beautyberry
This Living Gift is a fine way to show you care by helping out the Environment.
Order your's today.
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