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, especially during National Pollinator Week, June 17-23. Learn more about our pollinators – especially native bees – and why they are so important.
Additional resources for sustainable landscaping for homeowners, landscape architetcts and maintenance professionals.
With interest mounting in using wildflowers in urban landscapes, there is a huge demand for information for those new to Florida’s native plants. Enter “20 Easy-to-Grow Wildflowers,” a new publication from the Florida Wildflower Foundation. The free 24-page magazine features a selection of 20 “tried and true” species that are easy to grow and maintain.
Additional resources and activities on wildflowers, gardening, wildlife, pollinators, and other related topics for teachers and students.
A Florida native wildflower is a flowering herbaceous species that grew wild within the state’s natural ecosystems in the 1560s, when Florida’s first botanical records were created. Read the Foundation’s full definition of Florida native plants, including cultivars.
Learn how invasive plants are damaging natural landscapes and ecosystems and costing taxpayers money.
Wildflowers can be a beautiful addition to your garden, but they can become weeds when they grow in the wrong place. Learn more about gardening with wildflowers.
Spanish needles (Bidens alba) literally grows like a weed. So is it one? It is the hands-down favorite for Florida’s native pollinators. Photo by Bob Peterson.
Fill out our request form to receive butterfly/wildflower brochures and handouts for a school, meeting or event. (Supplies are limited.)
Reduce shipping costs and carbon footprint by downloading and printing these educational handouts.
The Panhandle is considered the best place in Florida to view native wildflowers. Find routes and hotspots easily with the Native Wildflowers in Florida’s Eastern Panhandle guide, available at official Florida Welcome Centers. The pamphlet features viewing routes and beautiful photos of 40 common regional native flowers.
Download the brochure or pick up a copy at an official Florida Welcome Center.
Great books that will help you understand, identify and use Florida’s native flowers.
A Gardener’s Guide to Florida’s Native Plants
(Rufino Osorio, 2001)
Bringing Nature Home
(Douglas W. Tallamy, 2007)
Native Plant Landscaping for Florida Wildlife
(Craig Huegel, 2010)
Native Wildflowers and Other Ground Covers for Florida Landscapes
(Craig Huegel, 2012)
Native Florida Plants for Shady Landscapes
(Craig Huegel, 2015)
Florida Native Plants
(Robert Haehle and Joan Brookwell, 1999)
The Right Plants for Dry Places, Native Plant Landscaping in Central Florida
(Suncoast Native Plant Society, Second Edition)
Florida’s Incredible Wild Edibles
(Richard J. Deuerling and Peggy S. Lantz, 1993)
Butterfly Gardening with Florida’s Native Plants
(Craig Huegel, 1991)
Florida Wildflowers: A Comprehensive Guide
(Walter Kingsley Taylor, 2013)
Florida Wildflowers in Their Natural Communities
(Walter Taylor, 1999)
Guide to Florida Wildflowers
(Walter Taylor, 1992)
Florida Keys Wildflowers: A Guide to the Common Wildflowers of the Florida Keys
(Roger Hammer, 2004)
Wildflowers of Florida Field Guide
(Jaret Daniels, 2010)
Wildflowers of Central Florida: A Guide to Common & Rare Native Species
(Roger Hammer, 2010)
Butterflies of Florida Field Guide
(Jaret Daniels, 2003)
Grasshoppers of Florida
(John L Capinera, Clay Whitney Scherer and Jason Squitier)
Florida’s Birds: A Field Guide and Reference
(David S. Maehr, Herbert W. Kale and Karl Karalus, 2005)
Birds Of Florida Field Guide
(Stan Tekiela, 2005)
Birds of Florida
(Bill Pranty, Kurt Radamaker and Gregory Kennedy, 2006)
Florida’s Snakes: A Guide to Their Identification and Habits
(Richard D. Bartlett and Patricia Bartlett, 20038)
National Audubon Society Field Guide to Florida
(National Audubon Society, 1998)
Florida’s Living Beaches: A Guide for the Curious Beachcomber
(Blair and Dawn Witherington)
American Birding Association Field Guide to Birds of Florida
(Bill Pranty and Brian E. Small, 2014)
Birds of Florida
(Todd Telander, 2012)
Identification Guide to the Snakes of Florida
(Steve A. Johnson and Monica E. McGarrity, 2003)
A Field Guide to Florida Reptiles and Amphibians (Excluding Snakes)
(R. D. Bartlett and Patricia P. Bartlett, 1998)
Florida Butterflies & Moths: A Folding Pocket Guide to Familiar Species
(James Kavanagh, Waterford Press and Raymond Leung, 2018)
Butterflies of Southwest Florida: A Guide to Common & Notable Species
(Marc C. Minno and Maria F. Minno, 2009)
Butterflies of Central Florida: A Guide to Common & Notable Species
(Marc C. Minno and Maria F. Minno, 2010)
Florida Birds: A Folding Pocket Guide to Familiar Species
(James Kavanagh, Waterford Press and Raymond Leung, 2018)
Birds of Florida’s Gulf Coast: Folding Guide
(Ernest Simmons, 2002)
Snakes of Central Florida: A Guide to Common & Notable Species
(George L. Heinrich and Timothy J. Walsh, 2011)
Snakes of South Florida: A Guide to Common & Notable Species
(George L. Heinrich and Timothy J. Walsh, 2011)
Snakes of Northern Florida Including the Panhandle: A Guide to Common & Notable Species
(George L. Heinrich and Timothy J. Walsh, 2013)
Butterflies of the Florida Keys: A Guide to Common & Notable Species
(Marc C. Minno, 2009)
Butterflies of Southeast Florida: A Guide to Common & Notable Species
(Marc C. Minno, 2009)
