The Florida Federation of Garden Clubs recently announced its 2019 Ella P. Woods Paths of Sunshine Award winners. The program recognizes the Florida Department of Transportation’s commitment to native wildflower and plant conservation and applicants’ understanding of the department’s policy of conserving and managing naturally occurring roadside wildflowers.
Wildflowers are flourishing all over the Panhandle following a mild winter. We have some good news to report from across the region, with two new PWA leaders to introduce from Gadsden and Jefferson counties.
Dr. Jaret Daniels of the University of Florida has accepted an appointment to the Florida Wildflower Foundation board of directors. Jaret is a UF associate professor of entomology.
Do you enjoy juicy watermelons, local blueberries and strawberries and fresh Florida orange juice? How about carrots, broccoli, almonds and apples? If you do, please thank an insect.
Florida milkvine (Matelea floridana) is a deciduous twining vine that occurs naturally in sandhills, woodlands and other open habitats. Its small flowers bloom in late spring and summer.
Originally named for the Delaware tribes of Native Americans near where this butterfly was discovered, the Delaware skipper is now found throughout the eastern United States.
Florida is home to hundreds of native plants that make great additions to gardens. The Florida Wildflower Foundation’s new book, “Native Plants for Florida Gardens,” takes the mystery out of using them in urban landscapes! Striking color photography showcases 100 species of wildflowers, vines, grasses, shrubs and trees. At-a-glance keys make it easy to determine bloom color, blooming seasons, and light and moisture requirements. Easy-to-read text provides details for success, including native range, care and site conditions.
Phenology, nature’s calendar for matching plant maturity and animal needs, is ideal when plants are blooming and providing vegetative habitat and food for insects, birds and other animals in the right place and at the right time.
Wildflower horticulturalist Jeff Norcini, of OceoHort LLC, is hitting the road for the Florida Wildflower Foundation to locate roadside wildflower populations in Florida’s Big Bend and north Central Florida regions.
This bloom report is from March 2021. Drought may develop over the next few months from North Central Florida to South Florida, according to the Climate Prediction Center, so the time is now for spring wildflower viewing.
The Florida Wildflower Foundation is in its sixth year of the Seedlings for Schools program, giving out wildflower plants and adaptive curriculum to schools around the state.
A stretch of shoreline along Lake May will soon be aflutter with butterflies, bees, hummingbirds and other native pollinators thanks to Lake County Parks and Trails and the Florida Wildflower Foundation.
