Invasive Melaleuca Tree (Punk Tree):
Article at the University of Florida IFAS entitled “Melaleuca An Invasive Tree of Florida” by BJ Jarvis, Pasco County Cooperative Extension Horticulture Agent
This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons
Melaleuca trees (Melaleuca quinquenervia), also known as punk trees or paperbark tea trees, are native to Australia. In that country, melaleuca is well-known, planted in parks, valued by beekeepers, attractive to birds and bats. In fact, because of development, melaleuca trees in some parts of Australia are the subject of conservation efforts.
However, in Florida melaleuca is a pest, especially in the Everglades and wetlands where the trees grow into immense forests. The problem with this is our native plants are being virtually eliminated. Melaleuca grows in upland area (drier) as well as in completely aquatic locations. The Everglades, the mostly treeless “river of grass,” in some places has become the “river of trees,” a completely alien habitat to the plants and animals that have evolved to live in the glades. During the 50 years since its introduction into the state, melaleuca has taken over hundreds of thousands of acres of Everglades, threatening the very existence of this internationally known eco-treasure.
