Giant Salvinia
Image Credit: Keith Bradley, Botanist/Conservation Biologist, Bugwood.org
Giant Salvinia
Giant salvinia (Salvinia molesta) is currently invading waterbodies in the Southeastern U.S. and has the potential to rapidly invade and infest Florida’s ponds, lakes, and rivers. It has already caused severe economic and environmental problems in Texas and Louisiana. Giant salvinia is a free-floating aquatic fern that is most easily recognizable by its rows of hairs with four branches that join at the tip creating an egg-beater appearance. It forms floating mats that shade and crowd out native plants reducing oxygen content and degrading water quality for fish and other aquatic organisms. Thick mats can affect navigation and recreational activities. Giant salvinia is on the Federal Noxious Weed List and is prohibited in Florida. This species is part of the Early Detection Rapid Response program. If you see this plant in the wild, please report it immediately.
Common Name: Giant Salvinia
Species Name: Salvinia molesta
Habit: An aquatic free-floating fern. Leaves can have variations in leaf shape and form due to habitat conditions. All will have arching hairs that connect at the tips that look like eggbeaters.
Origin: Northern Argentina and Southeastern Brazil
Counties Confirmed: Gadsden, Escambia, Collier, Hillsborough, Bay, Alachua, Marion
Description: Giant salvinia grows rapidly to cover the surface of lakes and streams, spreading aggressively by vegetative fragments. Floating leaves can grow between 0.5 to 1.5 inches long and be green, gold, or brown.
Habitat: Lakes, rivers
Comments: New giant salvinia infestations have been found in Florida and due to intensive management efforts have not been able to establish and spread.
Additional Links
Call to Action
What can you do to help protect Florida waters?
Report giant salvinia sightings! Call the FWC Invasive Plant Management office at 1-850-617-9430
Do not plant or transport giant salvinia. It is prohibited in the United States by Federal law.
Clean, drain, and dry all gear completely before entering another water body. It is easier and much cheaper to prevent an invasive plant from entering a waterbody than it is to manage after it becomes established.
Photo credit: Troy Evans, Barry Rice, Robert Videki
How to Report
If you see an EDRR plant in a Florida waterbody, immediately report it to InvasivePlants@MyFWC.com.
When reporting please include:
- A photograph showing the plant that is not blurry and has a high enough resolution so that it can be enlarged to ensure species identification.
- The location where the species was seen. GPS coordinates are best, but the location can also be a detailed description of the area and waterbody name.
- The date when the plant was seen.
You can report any other information that you think is valuable.
You can report all EDRR invasive plants by calling the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Invasive Plant Management office at 1-850-617-9430.
IveGot1
You can report sightings of EDRR plants to the IveGot1 web form, which was developed by The University of Georgia’s Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health. The form will prompt you for the information and has a map where you can select the location if you do not have the GPS coordinates. You will need to create a free account the first time you report a sighting online.
You can download the free IveGot1 app for your smartphone. The app is available for iPhone and Android phones by searching for "IveGot1" at the appropriate app store.