Strictly speaking, I'm not on the gulf coast (Dothan area). But find the info here useful. I made the mistake one year of allowing a volunteer of an old fashioned variety of garden phlox with gorgeous huge clusters of pink blooms get a foot hold in my garden. Ten years later I was still trying to eradicate it. When we moved from that place I thoroughly inspected every plant I dug up to make sure I wasn't bringing any to my new house.

Love Mexican Zinna, but it reseeds too well here.

Wisteria is downright frightening.

When I first moved here I gathered 'how-to' information from as many people as possible. Somebody told me there are two kinds of plants here--those that die and those that take over! Don't think that's actually true--I have some things that do well but behave--but there's certainly some to be wary about. Before I moved here I had admired that beautiful Japanese climbing fern, but I listened when I was told not to plant it. I guess the birds didn't. It would eat me alive if I stood still too long in the area it's fighting me over. There is one variety of Ruellia, called 'Ragin' Cajun', that seems to be well-behaved, but the three others I made the mistake of planting sure aren't. (Some kinds at least of Ruellia are called 'Mexican Petunia'--don't know if they all are.) I like the sweet potatoes with colored foliage, and they're hardy for me--at least the lime one and the dark-foliaged one--but they seem to root every place they touch the ground, and the dark one doesn't usually stay dark, and when I pulled a bunch of them and threw them under a bush to add to the mulch they all grew. May have to get serious about 'em! Actually, I could go on--and on---!

i'll add glorybower and four o'clocks to the list. i just planted a lot of mint, so now I'm going, ruh roh...

xo
kittee

You may want to consider digging up the mint and putting into containers. Not only did the mint take over the bed, it escaped into the yard.

I still associate the smell of mint with mowing grass. I also expect to smell mint when I hear a lawnmower.

English Violet; Wild Ageratum (Eupatorium something-or-other); any of the late-blooming, narrow-leaved sunflowers (Swamp, Muck, Willow-leaved); Ilex vomitoria, possibly Liatris gracilis; probably Boltonia. Still, few things are more beautiful in late fall than Swamp Sunflowers faced down with Wild Ageratum. I still grow tall Ruellia--but only in pots.

I've dug up two 5-gallon buckets of 4-o'clock tubers and still have more coming up and seeds sprouting everywhere. Yes, glorybower is bad. Seven Sisters roses are coming out after they bloom--I'm tired of fighting it too.

I have been pulling out seedings of lantana and cypress vine for years. I made the mistake of planting them and they certainly lived up to expectations - and then some. Problem is the birds spread the seeds everywhere! I sometimes let one or two cypress vines grow, but don't stand still too long near one. It will cover you, too. 4-o'clocks and morning glory are impossible to get rid of (thanks to my neighbor planting them near our fence).

Mexican petunia can be added to the list.

I'd say the most Invasive for me is the Passionflower, both Maypop and the hybrid 'Incense'. Both are lovely but the cover EVERYTHING. If it wasn't for the Gulf Fittilary Butterfly catterpillar, the house would have disappeared yrs ago!
Mint doesn't bother me since it just escapes into the lawn and makes mowing more pleasant. Horsemint, a Beebalm however like Variegated Mugwort gets into everything...like Dollarweed. In fact the Horsemint will crowd out Dollarweed....that in itself is SCARY!
Cheers,
Pat

Ginger!! It pops up everywhere!

I have vines that I can not get rid of. They crawl through the grass and up trees and over bushes and we are constantly pulling them out. I do not know the name but they have yellow flowers that look a little like dandelions. They would be pretty if they did not destroy the lawn. I have another weed also. It climbs over everything. I think it is called potato vine. It drapes from tree to tree and looks like an enchanted forest. I can not get rid of either one. I live in Florida. It is not safe to stand in one place too long here. These weeds woud wrap you up like a mummy.

Bananna trees, they won't die and you have to dig them up to get rid of them. They spread like crazy too.

They are very pretty and tropical looking but I won't ever have them again.

salvia_lover and roxy77 - I envy you the ginger and bananas. I'm trying to find both.

I must say I am beginning to dislike crepe myrtles. I have seedlings popping up all over my hosta bed. I pull some and throw away but it bothers me. I will offer seedlings when the weather cools off. (I tried shipping some in late June. Disaster!!!)

definitely wisteria - once you've got it - it is a life time commitment!
English ivy
passion flower vine is very very scarey (even round up won't kill it)
four oclocks
morning glories
vinca minor aka periwinkle

Cypress vine, definitely. The seeds hid under leaves and come up years later when uncovered.

I just moved to PCB, Florida Sept. 1st. Turk's cap is hogging my fence line and flower beds - also, fan palms. I have plans to hire a landscaper to get rid of them. Purple and pink Ruella is everywhere, as well. I want to plant Brugmansias and other desirable tropicals, so out they will go!

Hi amelia_pepper_lady,

I live in S.E. Louisiana and have banana trees and banana plants that I will be glad to share. Just had my first banana crop and am so excited. I think I have brugmansia also. Will have to look up what kind it is.

Let me know if you live near, and I will get them to you.
Can also send if too far.

Leubafr

Climbing Cecil Brunner rose. There is a reason it's called a house eater. I have cut this back every year to the bare bones and it easily grows to more than 15 feet tall and 10 feet wide by summer's end and that includes the maintenance prunning just so I can get around it. Yadda out.

virginia creeper

Thanks for all these posts. Very informative. I tried to start some four o'clocks from seed and they haven't sprouted. May be a blessing in disguise. ;)

I have some sort of a stalk that has bamboo shaped leaves and purple and pink flowers that close up at night. It roots deep and has runners. It takes over everything and I can't get rid of it. I saw some of it for sale at Lowes and felt so badly for anyone who would buy it!

Cheers

4 O' CLOCKS! The seeds were in a pretty pink rose that came from Texas. They are not trying to eat the house! Do Not Plant them.

Don't forget the Purple Heart Jew! That stuff will come back eventually I think no matter how well you think you have eradicated it. You best not leave even an inch of root in the ground.

sky vine
english ivy
bougainvilla

Still fighting a turks cap and a very "happy" fern..:(

asparagus fern...fleshy roots matt together and have to be hacked out with ax...will never plant in ground again, just pots