Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping
Q: What are these caterpillars I am finding on my azaleas? I picked off 47 yesterday.
June 25, 2017
A: Wow, 47 caterpillars from one bush; that is amazing. The caterpillar you brought into the office is the azalea caterpillar, Datana major. It is found in Florida from July through October on azaleas (Rhododendron spp.). Often, the caterpillars ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home LandscapesTags: Azalea Caterpillar, Datana Major
Q: I found a black ladybug and it has two red spots on it. I have never seen one like it before. Is it rare?
June 24, 2017
A: It is not rare but a wonderful treat for you to find it feeding on your palm tree fronds. It is called a Two-stabbed ladybird beetle, Chilocorus stigma. They love to feed on scale and aphids. The term ladybird is a name used in England for ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home LandscapesTags: Beneficial, Chilocorus Stigma, Two-stabbed Ladybird Beetle
The Buzz on Pollinators
June 20, 2017
We all know pollinators are very important for the production of our food. Bees pollinate the cherry trees, and then the trees produce cherries. Same with apples, oranges, bananas and so on. But did you know that almost all flowering plants ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Natural ResourcesTags: Bees, Butterflies, National Pollinator Week, Pollinators, Wasps
Q: What is the white blooming tree I see just outside the wooded areas here?
June 18, 2017
Q: What is the white blooming tree I see just outside the wooded areas here? I know it is not a dogwood as the flowers are too small. A: I believe you may be talking about the native flatwoods plum, Prunus umbellate. It is a round-topped, ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home LandscapesTags: Flatwoods Plum, Prunus Umbellate
Q: What is wrong with my vinca?
June 16, 2017
A: Thanks for bringing in your sample to the office; you were the second person I saw with an issue on vinca today at our plant clinic. I suspect both of you have the same problem – phytophthora root rot. Vinca love well drained soil, so I ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home LandscapesTags: Phytophthora Root Rot, Vinca
Q: In past years I have just mowed these down pretty purple flowers. What are they and can they be transplanted into a group?
June 16, 2017
Q: In past years I have just mowed these down pretty purple flowers.This year I have a small group of them in my yard and they are rather attractive. What is it and can it be transplanted into a group? It would be very inexpensive landscaping. A: ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home LandscapesTags: Flower, Spiderwort, Tradescantia Ohiensis.
Q: I am interested in growing roses here. What should I know before I get started?
June 16, 2017
A:Very few gardeners can resist the temptations of the Rose. For many of us a rose brings to mind romantic memories of warm summer evenings and intoxicating smells. You see, even I wax poetic at the thought of roses. Roses come in a variety ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home LandscapesTags: Rose, “Fortuniana