UF/IFAS GLOBAL BLOGS
Just like humans, plants require important things to grow and produce fruit. Many crops grown in Florida require sun, water, and nutrients to grow, but one thing many people forget about is pollination! Did you know that around… Read More
When it comes to butterfly gardening, monarch butterflies seem to get all the love. Monarchs are the butterfly “homecoming queens”! They are drama queens, too, as they lead fascinating lives of intrigue, participating each year in a miraculous-seeming… Read More
Woolly Bear Caterpillar For the last two weeks while teaching youth about the game of disc golf, we came across big black fuzzy looking caterpillar approximately 3″ long. Of course, the kids wanted to know what it was… Read More
Chew on this the next time you eat a blueberry: [inlinetweet prefix=”” tweeter=”” suffix=””]Every single blueberry is the result of a flower that was pollinated by a bee.[/inlinetweet] In other words: No buzz, no berry. With that in… Read More
Goldenrod is a showy, native Florida wildflower that is worth planting in your landscape, pollinator garden, or food forest. Goldenrod is often incorrectly blamed for people’s allergies, but it’s pollen is too heavy to be blown in the… Read More
Wild Weeds – Weed of the Month Lantana Lantana camara Lantana is a tricky plant in natural areas. There is a Florida native lantana, L. depressa, but unfortunately it is now considered endangered. Majority of lantana found in natural… Read More
Are you getting ready to plant new shrubs in your landscape? Before you buy another plant or dig another hole, watch this quick step-by-step video tutorial. I’ve included tips about plant selection, hole sizing, mulching & more. Get… Read More
Wild Weeds – Weed of the Month Dandelion Pyrrhopappus carolinianus This Florida native is a common plant found in natural areas, yards, cultivated gardens…pretty much everywhere! The dandelion is the only food source for a small bee (Hemihalicus… Read More
Wonders of your Backyard There are so many wonders of nature in our own backyards or at a local park. They key is to slow down and look really closely. There are frogs, lizards, dragonflies, birds and unusual… Read More
Outside my office window is a large bush dappled in diminutive dangling white flowers. And butterflies! This Duranta ‘Alba’, or “Golden-Dew-Drop”, is so distracting that I find myself frequently glancing at the antics of its beautiful insect visitors. … Read More
