One Earth

What the dictionary says

According to Merriam Webster's American Dictionary a weed is defined as, "a plant that is not valued where it is growing and is usually of vigorous growth
especially : one that tends to overgrow or choke out more desirable plants."

What we value and what others value can be very subjective

As you can immediately see from the definition of weeds; it is a highly subjective term.

Noxious Weeds, less subjective but not entirely defined either

The United States Bureau of Land Management (BLM) defines Noxious Weeds as, "any plant designated by a Federal, State or county government as injurious to public health, agriculture, recreation, wildlife or property." Source

However, certain municipalities including our city of Longwood, FL has a code:

"The existence of excessive accumulation or untended growth of weeds, grasses, undergrowth or other dead or living plant life upon any lot, tract or parcel of land, improved or unimproved, within 100 feet of any improved property within the city, to the extent and in the manner that such lot, tract or parcel of land is or may reasonably become infested or inhabited by rodents, vermin or wild animals, or may furnish a breeding place for mosquitoes, or threatens or endangers the public health, safety or welfare, or may reasonably cause disease, or adversely affects and impairs the economic welfare of adjacent property, is hereby prohibited and declared to be a public nuisance." Source

Meanwhile, Florida Department of Agriculture has its own definition of Noxious Weeds as follows:

"Florida defines a noxious weed as any plant that is a serious agricultural threat in Florida; has a negative impact on endangered, threatened or commercially exploited plant species; or is a naturalized plant that disrupts naturally occurring native plant communities.

Nursery sales of these weeds are prohibited and their movement is regulated by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services' Division of Plant Industry." Source

Weeds to many American homeowners

Weeds to many casual homeowners is a growth happening "out of place." For example if you plant a bunch of daisies in a pot and an oak sapling sprouts up; you might think of it as a weed. This is especially true when the new growth is young and harder to identify.

Surely though, a beautiful Live Oak is hardly a weed!

Our recommendations

Define specific plants as Weeds in your community using up to date knowledge. Science does not stop when your HOA is developed and what is defined as a Noxious Weed years ago may be now and vice versa. We are available for consultations on this very subject. Contact Us

We are not opposed to getting rid of actual noxious weeds; Air Potato Vine, Kudzu, and Bamboo are a few excellent examples of plants we would recommend listing as banned for the safety of your community and our home. Biden's Alba aka Spanish Needles or Oxalis on the other hand are both native, healthy, and attract pollinators!