UF/IFAS GLOBAL BLOGS
Nandina (Nandina domestica) Nandina, or heavenly bamboo, started in the landscape and now appears throughout some of our natural areas. This evergreen shrub grows upright and produces bright red berry clusters, similar to Coral Ardisia. It reaches heights… Read More
Mimosa Silk Tree (Albizia julibrissin) I’ll be the first to admit – this is a beautiful tree. Unfortunately, it is highly invasive. You can easily see this tree sprinkled throughout the landscape because of its beautiful flowers and… Read More
Coral Ardisia (Ardisia crenata) Coral Ardisia, in some communities, is recognized as “Public Enemy #1”. Its rampant growth throughout our natural communities quickly displaces natural plant communities. First introduced as an ornamental plant, due to its showy red… Read More
Tuberous Sword Fern/Boston Fern (Nephrolepis cordifolia) The Tuberous Sword Fern swarms our landscapes and is easily found at many nurseries around the county. It goes by many names, including Boston Fern. You can easily confuse the tuberous sword… Read More
Swooping through the night sky, many people are quick to decry bats as blood suckers, rabies vectors, and a general nuisance. However, these miraculous flying mammals pose little risk to humans and are actually essential in managing our… Read More
Hornworms are immature moths that can be devastating pests, especially on crops in the Solanaceae family such as peppers and tomatoes. These moths are in the Sphingidae family. The tobacco and tomato hornworms are especially damaging during their… Read More
Q: What’s wrong with my basil? Here at Extension, we receive a lot of questions about struggling basil. One of the most common issues? A devastating disease called “basil downy mildew” which has become very widespread over the… Read More
Turfgrass dominates Central Florida landscapes. The living green carpet provides plenty of benefits, but turf can be a thirsty bug buffet demanding time, money, and expertise. Did you know that we put more than half of our drinking… Read More
If you are in the world of pesticides, you have likely heard of “IPM” Integrated Pest Management and probably have some sense of what it is. If you were asked to fully define it though, could you? Would… Read More
While you are busy keeping the weeds from exploding out of plant beds and the grass is showing off how fast it can grow with lots of sun and adequate moisture, you may not notice those vines creeping… Read More
