Florida Native Plant Society · Vol

The Palmetto Quarterly Magazine of the Florida Native Plant Society · Vol. 14, No. 3 · Fall 1994

Toward a Working Definition of "Florida Native Plant" by David Pais

For most purposes, the phrase "Florida native plant" refers to those species occurring within the state boundaries prior to European contact, according to best scientific and historical documentation. More specifically, it includes those species understood as indigenous, occurring in natural associations in habitats that existed prior to significant human impacts and alterations of the landscape.

What is a native plant? This question specific geographical area or region prior to significant human impacts, is -which on the surface seems quite simple biogeographical region, which do not more precise in meaning. In one sense, -reveals, upon further examination, a greater directly correspond to political boundaries'. indigenous implies origination and be- degree of complexity than first imagined What has been called the European longing to a particular place. It also carries What we commonly understand as the Ecological Imperialism, marked by the the connotation of not having been meaning of native is 'born or naturally drastic alteration of the indigenous flora of introduced from elsewhere. For example, occurring in a specific area". However, it is the peninsula, occurred several centuries Hand Fern, Ophioglossuin palmatum, is in- not always possible to reduce the meaning before the establishment of statehood. digenous to Sabal Palm boots in low of native plant to a simple slogan or precise What is significant is not a date, but an subtropical hammocks; it doesn't belong date. Some definitions of a Florida native event - the radical transformation of the elsewhere. Indigenous species would plant have relied upon on determining a native species and habitats - that occurred include those naturally occurring and precise historical event such as Columbus' after European contact. self-reproducing species dispersed by wind, arriving in the Bahamas or De Leon's In one sense, native refers to "occurring water, and migratory birds in populations landing in 1513. These attempts to define in a specific habitat and plant association”. unaffected by human actions. Indigenous Florida native plant with an ar-bitrary date Even within the boundaries of Florida, species are those species that have are unnecessarily complicated. There are a species may only be native to a very small a originated and belong in a particular place number of species, including papaya, which restrictive habitat type and particular region. and specific habitat that can be geo- were probably introduced by indigenous For example, a species such as Amorpha graphically identified. people for medicinal or ag-ronomic value crenulata is native in the Dade pine There are also the questions to consider and which would have to be included as rocklands, or Chionanthus pygmaeus is of both naturally occurring hybrids and native under these definitions. There is also native to the Lake Wales Ridge scrub, or cultivated varieties (cultivars) of native the question of a number of species, Torreya taxifolia is native along the species, those selected for specific hor- particularly in the Keys, such as Geiger Tree Apalachicola bluffs. While the extension of ticultural traits and propagated asexually. It (Cordia sebestina) or Pitch Apple (Clusia the natural range of some species may have is generally accepted that these are rosea), which are most prob-ably of horticultural merit, many endangered or legitimate natives, although they may or Caribbean origin, and their nativity will endemic native species may be inap- may not have been present at the time of never be established beyond a doubt. propriate if planted outside specific habitats European contact. The important factor In the botanical sense, the meaning or communities. regarding nativity is, however, the of "Florida native plant" and a precise The classification of indigenous plants, geographical origin of the genetic parent definition is somewhat elusive. Native understood as those species occurring plant. For instance, Schillings Holly, Ilex generally refers to species "occurring in a within a specific habitat or biogeographical vomitoria 'Schillings Dwarf' is generally considered to be a native Florida species, Parks are based upon on an ecological very restrictive sense of native is selected and propagated for its compact restoration of the landscape to pre- appropriate for ecological restoration prog- growth habit from a naturally occurring Columbian conditions. This policy has rams concerned with protecting genetic dwarf Yaupon Holly. On the other hand, caused some controversy among some who diversity as well as species diversity. It is Magnolia grandiflora 'Little Gem' is a fail to appreciate that not all native species possible that more stringent criteria may be cultivar selected from a North Carolina are equal or belong everywhere. applied to certain endangered or imperiled parent plant and technically would not be a A recently released memorandum taxon than to more widely occurring Florida native. The species may be native, concerning native plant conservation species. Our increased understanding and although the particular cultivar may not. among seven Federal Agencies has the continued refinement of the definition and The question becomes even more prob- following defined native plant as the policy implications of native plants will be lematic for human-induced hybrids, following: "A native plant species is one essential components of ongoing global intergeneric or bioengineered cultivars, or that occurs naturally in a particular region, biodiversity conservation efforts. Therefore, those of uncertain parentage. While these state, ecosystem, and habitat without direct while the definition at the beginning may be may possibly be native, they would or indirect human actions." A broad range simple, its application is - as you can see - probably have to be considered non-native of policy and conservation issues will have complicated. by most standards. to be resolved based upon the definitions The Florida Department of Environ-mental and standards of what constitutes a native This definition and explanation is the Protection has defined native as "a species species. Different criteria may be applied result of the work of an FNPS that occurred in Florida at the time of according to the specific application. A subcommittee chaired by David Pais, European contact or 1500s." Many land residential landscape would have different FNPS's president at the time of initial management decisions for the Florida State criteria than a large wetland restoration. A publication.