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Carrotwood is
native to Australia, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. It is a
fast-growing evergreen tree that grows to a height of about 35
feet. The leaves are large and compound, made up of four to ten
oblong leaflets, each 4 to 8 inches long. Leaflet edges tend to
be wavy with rounded tips that are often indented with leaves
alternating along the stems. In Florida, flowering occurs in the
winter, from January to March. Clusters of small, greenish-white
flowers are borne on stalks that emerge from leaf axils. Flowers
are unisexual, with each flower cluster containing both male and
female flowers and are pollinated by bees. The brightly colored
fruit is a yellow, three-lobed capsule which, when ripe (May to
June) splits open to expose three shiny black seeds encased in
red or orange fleshy tissue.
The Carrotwood is the “perfect plant” fast growing and very
adaptable. It is tolerant of salt, poor soils, poor drainage,
thrives in both sunlight and shade, is somewhat drought tolerant
and can withstand some freezing temperatures (22º F). In
Sarasota, Carrotwood became popular in the 1970s and early 1980s
with large scale propagation and use as an ornamental tree.
Carrotwood has been on the State of Florida List of Noxious
Weeds since 1999.
The brightly colored fruits of the Carrotwood are attractive to
birds. Birds, mammals and insects spread seeds that will
germinate in a variety of soils and conditions. Bird dispersal
explains isolated island populations and seedlings under trees
and telephone poles. Seedlings have also been found along
estuary rack lines. Clumps of seedlings suggest dispersal by
small mammals. Ants may be an underestimated culprit in the
spread of these pests. Harvester ants eat the seeds and
germinating seeds might be found near nesting ant colonies.
Carrotwood invades a variety of natural communities; dunes, pine
scrub, slash pine flatwoods, cypress swamp and freshwater
marshes. It poses a special threat to coastal ecosystems,
especially mangroves and tropical hammocks.
Carrotwood is listed as a Category 1 invasive exotic in Florida,
capable of altering plant communities by crowding out native
plants according to the Florida Exotic Pest Council, it is
illegal under state law to own this tree without a permit.
No biological control is available at this time. Removal by hand
followed by chemical treatment of the stump is the only way to
control these invasive trees. Care must be taken to avoid damage
to flora and fauna with use of heavy equipment and chemicals,
especially in sensitive ecological environments such as
mangroves and wetlands. As with all chemicals, read and follow
the label directions carefully. Some chemicals may be banned or
highly restricted in ecologically sensitive areas.
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