Did you know that some of our most well-loved houseplants are also some of the most dangerous invasive plants in places around the world? It’s true.

An invasive plant is a plant that has been allowed to grow in a place where it isn’t originally from and is now outcompeting native plants.

Perhaps this doesn’t sound particularly problematic at first, but it isn’t just a problem of one plant bullying another.

The bugs, birds, and animals depend on native plants for food and shelter. As native plants begin to disappear, the lives that depend on them become threatened as well.

In essence, the entire food web is disrupted and begins to crumble.

In the United States, Florida is one of the major places where invasive houseplants are taking over.

There are many invasive plants in Florida that are also grown as common houseplants, but here are a few of the most common: pothos, Schefflera/umbrella trees, Ficus/fig trees, wandering dudes/Tradescantia, staghorn fern/Platycerium, snake plants/Sansevieria, and Syngoniums.

Florida is known for its year-round heat and humidity, making it an amazing place to grow tropical houseplants. The plants love it there.

Due to these prime growing conditions, Florida is home to many small and large houseplant growing operations.

It isn’t a leap to believe that the plants are accidentally spread through some of these operations and by unsuspecting backyard gardeners.

All it takes is a small plant cutting or a plant thrown aside long enough to root in the ground and then grow and go wild.

After all, these houseplants are common for a reason: they are beautiful, yes, but also they are extremely resilient. They can survive neglect, be easily propagated, and are relatively fast-growing.

That makes them great in our home, but dangerous in the wrong outdoor setting.

As with most problems, this one is very complicated. The backyard houseplant businesses support the livelihoods of many families.

The larger houseplant businesses sometimes raise ethical questions, but the one thing they unquestionably do is give people nationwide (perhaps worldwide) access to plants at more affordable prices.

However, factoring in environmental damage and minimization is important and is not limited to Florida or to plants. Everywhere has invasive species of flora and fauna.

Being aware of them and trying to care for them responsibly in the ways you can will make a difference!

For example, people in Florida have been known to abandon unwanted pets, and those pets have taken up residency without predators to control their population.

One example is lionfish, which are now crowding out habitat for other native fish species along parts of the coast.

Another are pythons inhabiting woodland space, often released when they become too large and unwieldy for their owners. Yikes.

What I take away for myself as a grower is this:

#1 I have to be careful with what I throw outside, even in Michigan, as certain plants, bugs, and animals can survive here, too, and fundamentally change the way my local environment works.

#2 If I know a plant is invasive and I see it growing outside, I am going to remove it!

#3 Those invasive weeds in the south, due to their resilience, are some of the hardiest houseplants we can grow in the colder and darker parts of the world. They are wired to thrive and survive, and that makes them a whole lot of fun to grow!

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Resources

• https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/orangeco/2025/08/11/floridas-hidden-invaders-2/
• https://www.floridainvasives.org/plant-list/2023-invasive-plant-species/
• https://www.northmiamifl.gov/1523/Invasive-Species
• https://marinesanctuary.org/blog/creature-feature-lionfish/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=1485575250&gbraid=0AAAAADpFAcdlsigOTjzAYaLwW7okiJc6C&gclid=Cj0KCQjw4PPNBhD8ARIsAMo-icy5ark_XGvSuUr6x-GyePYYcb9N5W52-j6_HhaN3zV9yW3Ewmd9WbYaAsJxEALw_wcB
• https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/earth-systems/blog/florida-vs-the-burmese-python-how-an-invasive-giant-is-changing-the-sunshine-state/