Florida resident disappointed to find out truth about ‘native’ flower: ‘Wind out of sails … ‘

A Redditor from Florida was disappointed when they found out the hard way that a plant they thought was native to their area was in fact a weed that had taken over their lawn.

The Redditor posted pics in the r/f***lawns subreddit with the header, “Florida snow,” and the caption, “Excellent native that grows in South Florida.”

They then commented, “Florida pusley (Richardia scabra).”

Florida pusley gets the nickname “Florida snow” because of the small white flowers that grow that look like a dusting of snow from a distance. It’s a weed, and a single plant can quickly turn into an infestation.

In fact, there are multiple websites with tips on how to control Florida pusley, and how to prevent it altogether.

The homeowner seemed to believe they were planting a native plant, which has countless benefits. Native plants are adapted to the local environment, so they require less water, saving the homeowner money and conserving water simultaneously, and they require less care overall.

Native plants are also good for pollinators, which pollinate fruits and vegetables along with flowers. They also provide shelter for local wildlife.

Even if a homeowner only replaces part of their yard with native plants, they, along with the entire local ecosystem, will reap the benefits.

Commenters quickly informed the Redditor of their mistake.

One person commented, “Unfortunately it’s probably Richardia grandiflora which is native to South America. There is tons of invasive Richardia in Florida.”

The original poster soon responded in consecutive posts, the first one saying, “New **** has come to light…thanks. Local pollinators seem busy.” That was followed by, “Wind out of sails…what do I look for ID? Not my lawn but all over the neighborhood. Completely flipped my morning walk.”

The first commenter was correct that Florida pusley is native to South America. It’s not known how the weed made its way to Florida, but it seems to thrive in hot and cold conditions.

Other commenters tried to comfort the original poster.

One person commented: “Ahh don’t feel bad. Lots of sites erroneously list it as native. And it isn’t THAT exotic…And your patch is one of the nicest looking ones I’ve seen — introduced species or not, you’ve done a great job at cultivating a uniform ground cover with it and that’s still worth being proud of.”

Another said, “This made me gasp. It’s so beautiful!”

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