Tag: Native

Gardening with Florida Native Plants

by Tia Saracino
April 16, 2026

Watch our Gardening with Native Plants webinar with Tia Silvasy, UF/IFAS Extension and Anita Camacho, Little Red Wagon Native Nursery What is a native plant?Let's start with a few definitions. A native plant is one that has been documented ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, , Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Invasive Species, Lawn, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Central Florida, Florida, Florida Friendly, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Garden, Home Landscapes, Landscape, Landscaping, Milkweed, Monarch, Native, Native Plants, Plants, Tsilvasy

Florida Native Groundcovers for Shade

by Tia Saracino
April 14, 2026

Do you have that difficult area under a tree where nothing can grow? Groundcovers are a great solution for this tough spots in the landscape. Here are some plant recommendations for Florida native plants that grow well in the shade. Alternative ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Lawn, Natural Resources, Turf, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Florida, Florida Native Plants, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Garden, Home Landscapes, Landscape, Native, Shade, Tsilvasy

What is a nativar and why use them in the landscape?

by Tia Saracino
April 14, 2026

What is a nativar? A nativar is a cultivated variety of a native plant. Nativars have the same drought-tolerance and local adaptations as straight natives, but may also have improved form or other traits desirable for urban landscapes. A ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Central Florida, Cultivar, Florida Native Plants, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Garden, Native, Pollinator, Tsilvasy

Groundcovers for an Alternative Lawn

by Tia Saracino
April 13, 2026

Lawns planted with turfgrass can require a lot of maintenance. Bahia grass is a drought-tolerant turfgrass with minimal pest and disease problems and a low nitrogen requirement. St. Augustinegrass has a high demand for water and fertilizer and ... READ MORE

Category: , Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Lawn, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife
Tags: Alternative Lawns, Groundcover, Hillsborough, Native, No Mow Lawns, Pollinator, Silvasy, Tampa

Exploring Florida’s Natives: Scarlet Sage

by Julia Sirchia
March 13, 2026

Scarlet sage (Salvia coccinea), also called red salvia, scarlet salvia, or tropical sage, is a blooming Florida native. Red, pink, or white flowers attract all kinds of pollinators, a few being hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees. Keep reading ... READ MORE

Category: Crops, Home Landscapes
Tags: Butterfly Garden, Butterfly Gardens, Exploring Florida's Natives Series, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Flowering, Flowers, Full Sun Gardens, Gardening, Gardens, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Landscape, Landscaping, Native, Native Gardens, Pollinator, Salvia Coccinea, Scarlet Sage
Beach sunflower in bloom, growing on a chain link fence.

Exploring Florida’s Natives: Beach Sunflower

by Julia Sirchia
March 13, 2026

Looking to add year-round color, pollinator appeal, and resilience to your Florida landscape? Meet the beach sunflower (Helianthus debilis), a.k.a the dune sunflower, a cheerful Florida native known for its sunny yellow-orange blooms and effortless ... READ MORE

Category: Home Landscapes
Tags: Beach Sunflower, Butterfly Garden, Butterfly Gardens, Exploring Florida's Natives Series, Flower, Gardening, Gardens, Native, Native Gardens, Native Plants, Pollinators
Two individuals outdoors in blue shirts, smiling, with a sky and greenery in the background.

UF research into lantana earns Dissertation of the Year

by Brad Buck
March 6, 2026

Brooks Parrish has spent the past three years studying the genetics of lantana. These plants are beautiful, but if they’re not properly contained, they can escape cultivation, invade natural and agricultural lands, displace native plants, ... READ MORE

Category: UF/IFAS
Tags: #Dissertation, Archive, Brooks Parrish, Dean For Research Office, Dissertation Of The Year, Ecosystems, Environmental Horticulture, Genetic Sterilization, Genetics, Invasive, Lantana, Molecular Biology, Native, Robert Gilbert, Sandra Wilson, Sterilization, Zhanao Deng
Eastern Diamondback rattlesnake

Who’s that critter? UF/IFAS wildlife series spotlights Florida’s native snakes

by Megan Winslow
June 18, 2025

Boasting more than 80 distinct ecosystems, Florida is a biodiversity hot spot.  More than 4,000 animal species, in fact, are native to the Sunshine State. (more…) READ MORE

Category: Wildlife
Tags: Behavior, Copperhead, Cottonmouth, Critter, Eastern Coral Snake, Florida, IFAS, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Megan Winslow, Native, Rattlesnake, Snake, Species, Steve Johnson, UF, University Of Florida, Viper, Who's That Critter?, Wildlife

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