The Florida Wildflower Foundation nurtures the awareness, understanding and enjoyment of Florida native wildflowers through conservation, preservation and education.

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silverspotted_skipper-Keim

Know your native pollinators: Silver-spotted skipper

You might find one of these creatures hanging upside-down, but it’s not a bat (or a vampire). It’s a Silver-spotted skipper! The Silver-spotted skipper is one of the largest, most widespread and recognizable skippers. It has a quick jerky flight that is typical of skippers. This type of butterfly is common and can be found from northern Mexico to southern Canada, as well as most of the continental United States.You can find Silver-spotted skippers throughout Florida. These butterflies enjoy a disturbed habitat, open woods, foothills, stream sides, prairie waterways, edges of forests, swamps, brushy areas and other open areas with nectar plants.

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Warea_amplexifolia-Keim

Sept. 7 Warea Tract Service Day

Join us on our Sept. 7 service project as we visit and help protect Seminole State Forest’s Warea Tract. We will be removing invasive Natal grass and learning about the importance of the tract from Forester Mike Martin. The Warea Tract holds many threatened and endangered species we may have the opportunity to see, including Florida bonamia (Bonamia grandiflora), Lewton’s polygala (Polygala lewtonii), Sweet-scented pigeonwings (Clitoria fragrans), Scrub plum (prunus geniculata) and Scrub buckwheat (Eriogonum longifolium var. gnaphalifolium).

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Know your native pollinators: Gulf fritillary

The Gulf fritillary is sometimes known as the Passion butterfly — so named because of its ardor for Passionflower. You will find so much to love about this unique pollinator! Gulf fritillaries are medium-sized butterflies with elongated forewings that live in the extreme southern United States. Outside of the U.S., they are a broad-ranging species, found throughout Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean and into South America.Gulf fritillaries enjoy a variety of habitat including sunny roadsides, disturbed areas, edges, fields, pastures, woodlands, second-growth semitropical forests and urban areas like parks and yards. You may even find them blithely floating around your butterfly garden.  

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Florida Wildflower Foundation

What’s in bloom

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.

Photos from the field

View stream on flickr

Bloom map
Wildflower trips
Wildflowers on Flickr
Flower Friday
Sandsquares (Paronychia rugelii) by Jim McGinity

Flower Friday: Sandsquares

Also known as Rugel’s nailwort, Sandsquares (Paronychia rugelii) is one of Florida’s most unique wildflowers. It occurs naturally in sandy habitats such as pine flatwoods, sandhills, scrub and disturbed areas. And as its name implies, it has a square inflorescence! Sandsquares bloom from summer into early fall, attracting mostly small bees. The plant is easily overlooked due to its short stature.

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Drive change – help pollinators thrive!

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.

Helping millions of Monarchs by researching the effects of neonicotinoids on caterpillars.

Providing more than 3,000 wildflower plants annually for community park and school gardens.

Providing hands-on wildflower experiences to more than 1,500 students a year.

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