Florida is home to seven native species of Bidens, all of which are commonly known as Spanish needles or Beggarsticks. While pollinators love them, they often inspire mixed feelings!
Atlantic St. John’s wort (Hypericum tenuifolium) occurs in scrub, pine flatwoods, sandhills and coastal swales. Its many golden flowers bloom in the summer, attracting a host of native bees and other pollinators.
The Wildflowers, Naturally! program was launched to recognize gardens throughout the state that have areas dedicated to native wildflowers, flowering shrubs and trees. One of the first to apply for recognition was Roger Agness of Orlando.
Colletids are one of the smaller bee families in Florida, but are diverse in size and appearance. They’re named for the unique cellophane-like substance that many females secrete to line the walls of their nest cells.
Trying to identify that wildflower you found? The USF Atlas of Florida Plants is a terrific source of native wildflower and plant information where you can dig into a treasure of images and specimens.
As cooler temperatures begin to sneak in and provide a much-needed break from summer’s heat and humidity, fall is the perfect time to get back out in the garden to enjoy wildflowers and wildlife, do some maintenance and get planting!
Anita Camacho, owner of Little Red Wagon Native Nursery and president of Tampa Bay Butterfly Foundation, Inc teaches us how we can make a difference for butterflies in our home landscape.
Maryland goldenaster ( Chrysopsis mariana) is found in pinelands, sandhills and sandy roadsides. Butterflies, as well as a variety of native long-tongued bees are attracted to the plant’s nectar.
Chapman’s wild sensitive plant (Senna mexicana var. chapmanii) is a state-listed threatened species. Its flowers are visited by a variety of native bees and butterflies, and it is a larval host for Sulphur caterpillars.
From the Apalachicola River Basin to the Lake Wales Ridge and into the Everglades, Florida has many unique plant communities. How each of these ecosystems will respond to a rapidly changing climate is likely to be as unique as those environments themselves.
Whorled milkweed (Asclepias verticillata ) is one of the smaller, more delicate native milkweeds and is easily overlooked when not in bloom. It flowers late spring through summer and into early fall.
Rice button aster (Symphyotrichum dumosum) is a profuse bloomer with small flowers that attract a plethora of pollinators including butterflies and native bees.
