Join the Florida Wildflower Foundation on April 18 for a members-only field trip to Green Isle Gardens nursery in Groveland. Owner Marc Godts will give us a tour of the nursery’s greenhouses and demonstrate how he grows plants from seed. With 150 species of plants to choose from, you will want to bring your native plant must-have list!
Kim and Peter Connolly have been active members of the Florida Wildflower Foundation and have attended various Foundation field trips and events for the past three years.They are both Florida Master Naturalists, with Peter serving his third year on the board of the Space Coast Chapter. Their free time is spent documenting local flora and fauna for iNaturalist. To date, they have added 907 observations of unique species to the site.
Join the Florida Wildflower Foundation on March 7 for a field trip to Disney Wilderness Preserve. Volunteer and Outreach Specialist Hannah O’Malley will lead us on a swamp buggy tour through pine flatwoods, scrub, cypress swamps, and oak hammocks. You will learn the vital connection of Lake Russell to the Everglades. This preserve holds more than 1,000 plant and animal species, including the red-cockaded woodpecker, crested caracara and a restored longleaf pine forest.
Florida is home to hundreds of native plants that make great additions to gardens. The Florida Wildflower Foundation’s new book, “Native Plants for Florida Gardens,” takes the mystery out of using them in urban landscapes! Striking color photography showcases 100 species of wildflowers, vines, grasses, shrubs and trees. At-a-glance keys make it easy to determine bloom color, blooming seasons, and light and moisture requirements. Easy-to-read text provides details for success, including native range, care and site conditions.
As massive wildfires spread across Australia, even astronauts on the International Space Station can’t miss the inferno. So, fire is very bad, right? Not necessarily. Fire, large or small, is a natural, chemical process. It’s shaped this planet’s diverse ecosystems for eons, supporting unique vegetation and the wildlife it feeds. Many of Florida’s ecosystems thrive on managed fire.
Dr. Walter Taylor presents at the 2014 Florida Wildflower Symposium.