Tag: butterfly

Plant Status Change – Tropical Milkweed is Now Listed as a Category II Invasive

by Tia Silvasy
November 5, 2025

  Tropical Milkweed is now Invasive! Tropical milkweed (Asclepias curassavica) was once a go to larval host plant for monarch butterflies. As of June 2025 the plant status has changed. It is now listed as invasive in the entire state ... READ MORE

Category: , Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Asclepias, Butterfly, Invasive Species, Native Plants, Tropical Milkweed, Tsilvasy

How to easily grow Florida native milkweed in sandy landscapes

by Anne Yasalonis
October 10, 2025

To support monarch butterflies, the University of Florida and other conservation groups recommend Florida native milkweed species as host and nectar plants. Currently, there are three native milkweed species that are most commonly found ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, , Wildlife
Tags: Anne Yasalonis, Ayasalonis, Butterflies, Butterfly, Central Florida, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Florida-Friendly Plants, Flowers, Gardening, Master Gardener Volunteer, Milkweed, Monarch, Native Plants, Polk County, Polk County FL, Polkgardening, Polkmg, Pollinators, Sandy Soil, UF-IFAS, Your Central Florida Yard Podcast
Tropical milkweed

From garden favorites to ecological threats: Why we need to rethink what we plant

by Sara MacDonald
August 1, 2025

Not all pretty plants belong in Florida’s landscape. Two commonly ornamental plants, tropical milkweed (Asclepias curassavica) and zebra inchplant (Tradescantia zebrina), have recently raised red flags with scientists and conservationists ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Butterfly, FISC, Florida Friendly Landscape, Invasive Species, Milkweed, Native Plants, OE, Pollinators

Understanding Monarchs and Milkweed

by Taylor Clem, PhD
February 6, 2025

How You Can Help Monarch Butterflies in Nassau County Monarch butterflies are more than just a pretty sight in our gardens—they’re important pollinators that help keep our environment healthy. Unfortunately, Monarch populations are in trouble, ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Butterflies, Butterfly, FFL, Milkweed, Monarch, Nassau County, UF-IFAS

Senna ligustrina: a Native and Host plant for Sulphur Butterflies

by Tia Silvasy
January 14, 2024

Senna ligustrina, or privet senna, is an easy to grow Florida native plant. It is a nectar plant for pollinators and a larval host plant for species of sulphur butterflies. This is a perennial that lives for several years and produces beautiful ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Butterfly, Florida Native, Hillsborough County, Privet Senna, Senna Ligustrina, Sulphur Butterfly, Tampa, Tsilvasy

Horticultural Workshops and Events- January 2024

by Wayne Hobbs
January 12, 2024

Come out of the cold and rainy weather this January to learn more about horticulture with the UF/IFAS Extension Clay County and our amazing Master Gardener Volunteers . Here are some of our available workshops this month: Homeowner Hydroponics: ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Lawn, Pests & Disease
Tags: Butterfly, Butterfly Garden, Clay County, Florida Friendly, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruit, Garden, Gardening, Horticulture, Landscape, Landscaping, Master Gardener, Master Gardener Volunteer, Pollinator, Pollinators, Turf

Success Story: Native Butterfly Garden Breaks Ground at Carrollwood Village Park

by Tia Silvasy
August 10, 2023

Carrollwood Village Park is the most visited park in Hillsborough County with over 1.2 million visitors per year. Now, the park features a newly installed native butterfly garden thanks to the Viva Florida grant from the Florida Wildflower ... READ MORE

Category: , Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Butterfly, Carrollwood, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Hillsborough, Master Gardener, Native Plant, Tampa Bay, Tsilvasy

Success story: Native Plant Garden at Lettuce Lake Park Provides for Wildlife

by Tia Silvasy
July 5, 2023

We did it! Thank you to the Florida Master Gardener Program Volunteers, Suncoast Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society and Hillsborough County Park staff who came out on June 28th to plant 60 native plants of 20 different species. Our ... READ MORE

Category: , Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife
Tags: Butterfly, Central Florida, Conservation, Florida, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Hillsborough County, Landscaping, Master Gardener, Native Plant, Tampa Bay, Tsilvasy, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildflowers
Beef cattle in Florida

Striking Zebra Swallowtail Butterfly in Florida Relies on Sound Pasture Management Decisions

by Jonael Bosques
May 2, 2023

Pollinators are of extreme importance to our Florida Flatwoods ecosystem. They are responsible for transferring genes of plants from one flower to another increasing fruit set in wild and domesticated species. By doing so, these organisms ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Farm Management, Invasive Species, Livestock, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, , Wildlife
Tags: Bahiagrass, Butterfly, Cattle, Extension, Florida, Hardee, Pasture, Pawpaw, Soils, Swallowtail, Zebra, Zebra Swallowtail

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