Pasture Weeds

Climbing Fern

Two non-native, invasive species of climbing ferns are known from Florida. In north Florida, Japanese climbing fern (Lygodium japonicum) is most invasive. In south Florida, Old World climbing fern (Lygodium microphyllum) is most invasive. Both species grow into the canopy of trees, often form dense ground cover eliminating most native vegetation, and thrive in mesic or hydric soils. It is in the central Florida region where both species occur together possibly making management of these invasive plants more difficult.

Presenter

Jeff Hutchinson earned a BS degree (1994) in Wildlife Ecology/Forestry from the University of Florida and a MS degree (1998) in Forestry from the University of Kentucky, and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. degree in Agronomy with an emphasis on Weed Science at the University of Florida. Prior to returning back to college in 1990, he served six years in the US Marine Corps stationed in California, Hawaii and Japan. Between 1998 and 2004, Jeff worked as a district biologist for the Florida Park Service in Hobe Sound and as land manager at Archbold Biological Station in Lake Placid.

This page was last updated on April 27, 2012.