North Fort Myers is experiencing an outbreak of so-called “Florida snow,” which has locals baffled and officials on edge.
What’s happening?
There’s no official record of Fort Myers ever experiencing snowfall, and that hasn’t changed. In this instance, Florida snow refers to an invasive weed. As ABC Gulf Coast reported, the plant is popping up in yards across the Gulf Coast, which is experiencing a prolonged drought. It’s the lack of rainfall that’s allowing the flowering weeds to thrive.
The plant, Richardia grandiflora, is also known as Florida pusley, but it’s not native to the Sunshine State. According to Florida Today, it originates from South America and spreads rapidly, with its heaviest flowering occurring in the fall. Because it thrives in dry soil, it quickly overwhelms native flora and resembles frost from a distance, hence the nickname.
Locals who spoke to the outlet weren’t quite sure what to make of it, with one saying, “It’s all over our yard. It’s kinda pretty. It’s actually a weed, I guess.”…