An infestation of the Beach Vitex plant in an Atlantic Beach sand dune near a walkway. | City of Atlantic Beach
Published on July 8, 2025 at 10:50 am
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Efforts have started to combat an invasive plant that’s threatening Atlantic Beach’s dune system.
And as Atlantic Beach officials work to eradicate the Beach Vitex plant, they are asking residents to report any infestation.
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“Beach Vitex poses a serious threat to the health of our dunes,” Deputy City Manager Kevin Hogencamp said in a news release. “It crowds out native plants: it outcompetes essential native vegetation like sea oats, which are crucial for dune stability. It weakens dunes: its shallow root system is not effective in preventing erosion during storms, making our coastline more vulnerable.”
Vitex is a fast-growing woody shrub or vine that forms dense mats along the ground, with rounded leaves and small purple to blue flowers. It can spread rapidly, forming extensive groundcover as it also climbs over other vegetation, often creating large, dense patches over sand dunes.
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Division of Plant Industry now lists Vitex as a State Noxious Weed. The state’s Pest Alert on the plant says that it was introduced to the North Carolina coast in the mid-1980s for beach stabilization, but its “invasive characteristics” were soon recognized. It was also recently introduced into Florida .
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Vitex crowds out native plants like sea oats, which are crucial for dune stability, Atlantic Beach officials said. And seeds float in from as far as South Carolina, meaning new plants can appear anywhere along the beach. This makes it a concern for the entire length of Atlantic Beach, Hogencamp said.
Beachgoers are asked to take pictures of any Vitex infestation and report it to the City of Atlantic Beach at info@coab.us with a photo and the location where the plant was spotted.
