Photo By Peggy Bebb |
A close view of the bright red berries of the invasive coral ardisia plant that was......read moreread more
Photo By Peggy Bebb | A close view of the bright red berries of the invasive coral ardisia plant that was targeted during the 2026 Weed Wrangle event at the Tree Hill Nature Center in Jacksonville, Fla. in support of National Invasives Species Awareness Week. Although beautiful, the bright red berries are the fruit of the coral ardisia that spreads quickly, smothering out native plants and disrupting natural habitats. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers photo by Peggy Bebb) see less
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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Wrangling weeds may sound simple, but during National Invasive Species Awareness Week (NISAW) it becomes a focused effort to protect Florida’s native landscapes one invasive plant at a time. The 2026 Florida Weed Wrangle, a statewide campaign held during NISAW, called on volunteers to help rescue public parks and green spaces from invasive species through hands-on removal of harmful trees, vines and shrubs.
Spread across two weekends bookending the observance, local Weed Wrangle events took place at 14 different locations across the First Coast. From inland parks to beaches, to nature centers and preserves, more than 250 volunteers worked to slow the spread of invasive plants by pulling, cutting and bagging them.
Jessica Spencer, a biologist in Jacksonville District’s Invasive Species Branch and co-chair of the First Coast Invasive Working Group, joined the Weed Wrangle at Tree Hill Nature Center in Jacksonville on Feb. 21. There, volunteers wrangled one especially troublesome weed: the bright, beautiful but invasive coral ardisia, which had spread across its grounds, overcrowding and smothering native plants.
At first glance, the plant’s bright red berries look right at home, standing out against the browns and greens of the nature center’s landscape. But many visitors don’t realize that invasive plants like the coral ardisia can, if left alone, overtake native species that belong in this environment.
Providing a place for visitors to experience nature as well as collecting educational resources to build environmental stewardship is how Tree Hill Nature Center Executive Director Mark Mummaw describes the center’s mission. “One goal at the center is to educate the public about their ornamental plant choices and give them better native or Florida friendly options to prevent negative effects on native habitats,” Mummaw said. Events like the annual Weed Wrangle provide the center additional opportunities to raise awareness and educate volunteers on the impacts invasive flora have on our native habitats.
For instance, the eye-catching red berries of the coral ardisia…, don’t let their beautiful color fool you. The seedlings emerge from the berries in just a few short months, sprouting new plants quickly, so staying on top of their removal is a top priority for the center. That is why Mummaw looks forward to the annual Weed Wrangle, which brings a volunteer workforce to join his staff in trying to gain an edge on the ever-growing coral ardisia, an invasive evergreen shrub native to Southeast Asia that was brought to the state in the early 1900s as an ornamental landscape plant.
Along with 31 other volunteers, Spencer spent three hours that Saturday morning at the nature center covering two acres and removing more than 27 bags of coral ardisia and its bright red berries – wrangling weeds one invasive plant at a time.
Since the inception of National Invasive Species Awareness Week, The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been involved, and Spencer has been volunteering with Tree Hill off and on since 2012.
Not all that is green is good, which is why these events are important. “Many people are unaware, and the Weed Wrangle events allow them to get a first-hand view of how invasive plants are impacting Florida’s natural areas,” Spencer said. Volunteers see how quickly the plants can take over native habitats, how difficult they are to remove them and how challenging it is to control their spread.
At Tree Hill, Weed Wrangle volunteers learned how to identify coral ardisia and effectively remove it. “We even spotted a native box turtle that will benefit from the removal of the coral ardisia because it would have shaded out many of the groundcover plants that the turtle relies on for food and habitat,” Spencer said.
“The Jacksonville District Invasive Species Branch is an unofficial center of expertise when it comes to invasive species management,” Spencer added. “Our staff has centuries of expertise managing invasive species in varied environments, so we are well positioned to provide invasive species control recommendations.”
At the nature center, Mummaw and his staff work year-round to stay on top of invasive coral ardisia and other non-native plants on the grounds. The task is too large for a small staff, which is why he values the annual Weed Wrangle and the chance to collaborate with Spencer and other volunteers in the ongoing struggle to manage invasive species.
You can also join the effort to wrangle weeds one invasive species at a time in your own yard. By choosing native or Florida-friendly plants for gardens and landscapes and remembering even a pretty plant can be harmful to the natural habitat, you can help the Weed Wrangle mission from our public spaces to your own backyard.
