FAQ's
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- Do melaleuca trees use up more water than other trees?
- Does melaleuca cause allergies?
- Will melaleuca be eradicated?
- Is it legal to have melaleuca growing on my property?
- Is this the same melaleuca used to make herbal shampoo and tea tree oil?
- Is melaleuca mulch safe to use? Where can I get it?
- Do I need a permit to cut down my melaleuca tree?
- How do I safely dispose of the debris so it doesn’t spread melaleuca?
- Where can I find a professional to take out my trees?
- Where do the biocontrol insects come from?
- Will the biocontrol insects harm me/my family/my pets?
- What is that white fluffy stuff on my trees?
- When I brush against my melaleuca tree I sometimes get yellow stains on my clothes and skin. Why? How do I remove these stains?
- How do I know if biological controls are feeding on my melaleuca trees?
- Will the biocontrol insects kill my melaleuca?
- Will the biocontrol insects eat my other plants?
- How can I get biocontrol agents for my melaleuca?
- Is melaleuca drying up the everglades?
- Why are invasive, exotic plants considered to be nuisances?
Q: Is it legal to have melaleuca growing on my property?
A: Technically it is illegal, according
to Florida Statutes 369.25 and 369.251 .
which states “no person shall import, transport, nonnursery cultivate, collect, sell, or possess any noxious aquatic plant”
including melaleuca, and “a person may not sell, transport, collect, cultivate, or possess
any plant, including any part or seed, of the species Melaleuca quinquenervia” . However, while
trees that have been in place for over a decade are not of immediate concern under the Florida
Prohibited
Plant Rules , state officials strongly encourage the voluntary removal
of such trees. They serve as sources of constant reinfestation by
windblown seed of nearby natural areas. Furthermore, melaleuca is regulated
by the State
of Florida and the federal
government as a noxious weed. Melaleuca trees may also be locally regulated,
as they are in Palm
Beach and Lee
Counties .
