Florida Gulf Coast University
Tier2-1: Native Plants

The Florida Gulf Coast University campus has a total of 760 acres. In the future, the University will have 277 acres of restored wetlands, 23 acres of created wetlands and 121 acres of upland preserve. The balance of the 400 remaining acres, less the buildings and landscape, will be exotic free or enhanced, leaving only 20 acres under landscaped irrigation. The University is responsible, through Physical Plant, for managing and monitoring these wetlands to achieve compliance with the Corps of Engineers, Department of Environmental Protection and SFWMD requirements. The remaining acreage is landscaped and done so with natural, indigenous plant material. Of the landscaped acreage only 20 acres are under irrigation, which was done to achieve the aesthetic and architectural requirements in the University Master Plan. All work done on the wetlands and grounds is through contractual services with consultants and qualified private firms. FGCU maintains a Master Plant List as well as an FGCU Care Plan. Landscaping must adhere to the FGCU Campus Master Plan and all landscaping, new and old will use the list of acceptable plants on the FGCU Master Plant List. The best plant materials are chosen based on the site conditions. The objectives are to increase campus tree canopy, biodiversity of plant species and enhance the natural environment. The Grounds staff saves and transplants trees from slated construction zones. These trees are behind Howard Hall and next to Griffin Hall, and are the original orphans from various building sites over the last 12 years. This past year, 116 Sabal Palms, 8 Live Oaks and 2 Cypress trees were taken from the Biscayne Hall building site and relocated to various sites around the FGCU campus. Exotic trees are cleared by hand.