Surinam cherry, Eugenia uniflora, is a bit of a misnomer. It actually hails from a fairly large swath of South America in addition to the former Dutch colony, and it's definitely not part of the cherry family.

It came to Florida sometime before 1931, brought here as an ornamental and for the fleshy fruit it produces. It "escaped" cultivation, and became naturalized throughout Central and South Florida. It's only found in Florida and Hawaii among the 50 states; its range in Florida extends roughly from Brevard, Polk and Pinellas southward into the Keys.

It's done well here, too well, particularly in the southern end of the Peninsula. The Florida Exotic Plant Pest Council declared Surinam cherry to be a category II invasive in 1991, meaning it had the potential to damage ecosystems within Florida but had yet to do so. In 1995, it was upgraded to category I.

We've seen it mostly as a shrub in habit, but it can reach as tall as a tree-like 30 feet. It's used commonly as a hedge, because of its attractive foliage, moderately fast growth rate and because it is relatively easy to trim. In fact, the University of Florida extension service once promoted its use. Not so much now. The extension service is not only encouraging property owners in South Florida not to plant it, but is asking those who already have it to dig it up and replace it with something more Florida friendly. The sale of Surinam cherry however, remains legal.

It produces fragrant white flowers in the spring and early summer, followed by ribbed, orange-red fruit that make Surinam cherry easy to identify. The leaves and stems have a red tinge to them when young and add to the plant's good looks. The leaves are arranged opposite each other along the stem, are oblong and come to a sharp point at the tip. The leaves turn dark green as they mature.