This is carrotwood, Cupaniopsis anacardioides. It has been a favorite with landscapers who didn’t know any better because it grows quickly and has a nice shape. In this slide we see that the leaves resemble those of Brazilian pepper. Carrotwood seems to be able to tolerate flooded and salty soils and is frequently seen growing among mangroves. 

Below is Schefflera actinofila. It can grow on its own, as in this picture, or in the boots of cabbage palms. Schefflera, also known as umbrella tree, has male and female flowers of separate trees, and the flowers are at the tops of the trees, advertising the fruits to birds. This following picture shows a closer view of the leaves and then another shows the well-advertized fruits which are taken by birds.. 

Melaleuca quinquinerva, or paper tree is the next plant on our list of invasives. It too comes from Australia. Its bark is papery and it peels. The next photo shows the leaves in closeup – the five prominent veins are where the plant gets its species name quinquinerva, which means five veins. These are the fruits, and this is a closer view. Each chamber holds many small seeds. The seeds are very small as you can see in this slide, where they are compared to a mm ruler.

So what impact do these plants have on native plants? Chick Here to continue