The Florida Wildflower Foundation nurtures the awareness, understanding and enjoyment of Florida native wildflowers through conservation, preservation and education.
The redesigned State Wildflower license plate, now available at county tax collector’s offices, sports a butterfly with two species of Coreopsis, Florida’s official wildflower. Having the fluttering insect as a key part of the new design helps raise awareness of beleaguered pollinators while illustrating the critical link between them and their vanishing wild habitats.
Join us at Mead Botanical Garden on October 20 for a free, family-friendly event featuring a native plant sale, guided hikes, workshops, live music, food trucks and kids’ activities. All proceeds benefit Mead Garden’s ecological restoration projects.
Goldenrod soldier beetles (Chauliognathus pensylvanicus) are pollinators and predators of pesky garden pests. They are found throughout Florida and most of the United States. Their populations peak in late summer and early fall, perfectly timed with the bloom of goldenrod. These common beetles prefer sunny spots with rich nectar sources, such as gardens, fields and roadsides.
Join us on Nov. 18 as we visit the UCF Arboretum. Learn about its history as well as the challenges it faces as a natural area surrounded by development. Take a leisurely hike through the Arboretum’s several habitats in search of some of the endemic, endangered and threatened species that call the Arboretum home.
See how Florida’s fabulous wildflowers change seasonably across the state. You’ll find just what you need to be a wildflower tourist, whether you’re on the road or a virtual explorer.
Also known as Golden creeper and Coughbush, Beach creeper (Ernodea littoralis) is an evergreen low-growing, mat-forming shrub found on dunes, beaches and coastal hammock edges throughout Central and South Florida. It produces flowers and fruits year-round. The nectar attracts butterflies and hummingbirds, while the berries provide food for birds and small wildlife.
Pollinators are responsible for every third bite we eat and the reproduction of 85 percent of the world’s plants and trees. But they are in trouble. Development of Florida’s natural lands has robbed them of the wildflowers they need to survive.
But there is good news: You can help save pollinators by purchasing the State Wildflower license plate. Each time a State Wildflower plate is bought or renewed, the Florida Wildflower Foundation receives $15 to support native wildflower planting, education and research projects statewide. The plate is the only dependable source of revenue for Florida’s wildflowers and plants.
Do your part to support natural Florida’s future – get your tag today.
Want more wildflowers in your county? Learn about wildflower conservation programs and how they apply to your community. Be a wildflower champion!
