Starrush whitetop is a unique and long-lived perennial sedge. It is known (and named) for its striking bracts that are often mistaken for a daisy-like flower. It occurs naturally in wet flatwoods, wet prairies, swales and roadside ditches. Like most sedges, starrush whitetop stems are triangular. But unlike most sedges and other grass-like species, which are wind-pollinated, starrush whitetop is pollinated by insects that are attracted to the showy bracts.
Catesby’s lily is pure elegance, dotting wet flatwoods, prairies and savannas with brilliant summer and fall color. It is occurs throughout most of Florida, but is a state-listed threatened species. Catesby’s lily attracts a variety of butterflies, including swallowtails, which are its primary pollinators.
Winged loosestrife (Lythrum alatum) is a fast-growing perennial subshrub with many star-shaped flowers. It typically blooms in summer and attracts a plethora of pollinators. It occurs naturally in freshwater marshes and wet flatwoods, prairies and roadside ditches throughout much of Florida.
Learn how to succeed with larger scale native wildflower plantings. This event combines a guided instructional walk through Florida native plantings at Bok Tower Gardens with a classroom course reviewing the species used as well as planning and installation processes. Renowned upland restoration expert and native plant horticulturist Nancy Bissett of The Natives will lead the walk and provide the classroom instruction.
Common sneezeweed is an herbaceous perennial with cheerful yellow flowers. It typically blooms spring through fall, attracting moths, butterflies, bees and other pollinating insects. It occurs naturally in floodplain forests, wet flatwoods, bluffs, mesic hammocks, bogs, savannas and swamps.
Spurred butterfly-pea is a trailing or climbing vine that occurs naturally in pine flatwoods, sandhills, coastal strands and interdunal swales. Its showy flowers typically bloom in summer, but can bloom spring through fall, or year-round in South Florida. Spurred butterfly-pea flowers are papilionaceous, meaning they are butterfly-shaped and highly specialized to allow for bee pollination. The plant is also the larval host for Northern cloudywing and Long-tailed skipper butterflies.
The Florida Wildflower Foundation is researching how to control weed seeds in soil banks, hoping to discover methods that lead to greater planting success.
Fewflower milkweed is a delicate perennial wildflower found in swamps and moist to wet pinelands and prairies throughout Florida. Its stunning orange to red flowers typically bloom late spring through fall.
Soft greeneyes (Berlandiera pumila) is a perennial herbaceous wildflower found in sandhills and pinelands throughout the Panhandle and north Florida. It blooms in spring and summer and attracts a variety of pollinators, including butterflies, bees and wasps.
2018 has been a great year for wildflowers, and summer looks to be no exception. Unlike last summer, when many areas were dry, rain has been frequent enough to keep wildflowers blooming in showy displays. Learn where to find the best of summer’s showy displays.
Bartram’s rosegentian is a dazzling pink wildflower found naturally in wet pinelands, freshwater marshes, pond margins and in wet ditches. It blooms late spring into late summer or early fall.
Carolina horsenettle is a perennial wildflower that occurs naturally in pastures, disturbed sites and along roadsides. It blooms throughout the summer and is pollinated primarily by bumble bees, although many insects are known to visit the flower. Some birds, such as quail and wild turkey, eat its fruit.
The Florida Wildflower Foundation has awarded 2018 Seedlings for Schools grants to 33 schools in 18 counties across the state. Each grant includes wildflower plants, expert guidance from the Foundation, and curriculum resources, including the Foundation’s Wild About Wildflowers! Activity Guide. Teachers will receive plants in the fall and will be eligible to receive more plants in spring 2019 if their fall gardens are successful.
Chimney bees like the Mustached mud and Hibiscus bees are solitary ground nesters that have serious architectural talent!
The pollinators we depend on are struggling. We can’t afford to lose them — they provide every third bite of food we eat. It’s up to us all to reverse their decline. But how? These new resources can help.