While much of U.S. is blasted with record cold, 'Florida snow' is dusting area yards
While most of the U.S. is dealing with a brutal deep freeze, with parts of the northeast expecting record-breaking cold and over a foot of snow by midweek, Central, South and Southwest Florida residents are seeing a different kind of “snow” popping up on their lawns.
Fall in the land of eternal summer brings no freezing temperatures, but “Florida snow,” a species of small, white wildflower, appears as a sign of the season. And the festive little blossoms are back again this year, right on time.
"Florida snow" is a perennial flower, or if you ask many frustrated lawn enthusiasts, a weed. Its tightly-grouped and low-lying white and pinkish or pale lilac flowers resemble a dusting of snow over the grass, hence the nickname. Officially, it goes by the decidedly less charming name largeflower pusley. You might also hear it called “Florida pusley” or “Mexican clover,” though it’s neither a species of clover nor native to Mexico.
Pusley is native to Brazil and other parts of South America. In Florida, the annual “snowfall” appears in 26 counties, but that number could grow. The Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council lists pusley among the state’s most invasive plant species.
The pale wildflowers blanket central and south Florida in the fall. Florida Today
And it’s not going anywhere. Pusley is a hardy and stubborn plant that can survive drought and hard freezes. It’s also resistant to most herbicides and spreads like, well, a weed. The flowers produce seeds quickly and a small patch of “snow” can take over an entire lawn seemingly overnight. Mowing just makes it worse, as the lawnmower’s blades only serve to scatter the seeds over a larger area. The only way to reliably get rid of pusley is to pull it by hand.
But it’s not all bad. Pusley flowers provide nectar to butterflies and bees. It thrives as a ground cover where other plants can’t survive, which helps prevent soil erosion.
Love it or hate it, “Florida snow” serves as our annual reminder that winter’s wrath is far from our shores. While our northern neighbors are shoveling real snow in their driveways, we’ll be relaxing in the sun.
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