Tag: ornamental plants

Is okra rising from a kitchen, home garden staple to a ‘Food is Medicine’ star in Florida agriculture?

by Lourdes Mederos
May 26, 2026

What makes okra a smart choice for home gardens, healthier meals and Florida’s next great crop? University of Florida researchers from the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) say this adaptable crop illustrates how ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Blog Community, , Crops, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Antioxidants, Ask IFAS, Crop, Dakshina Seal, Digestion, Easy-to-grow, Español, Farmers, Florida, Food Is Medicine, Gardens, Health, Health Benefits, Healthy, Heart Health, Homestead, IFAS, Invasive Pests, Kitchen, Monalisa Seaton, Nutrition, Okra, Ornamental Plants, Peyton Ecklund, Plant-based Foods, Seed-borne Diseases, Seeds, South Florida, Staple, Tropical Research And Education Center, Two-spotted Leafhopper, UF/IFAS Research, Vitamins, Xiaoying Li
Pods of red okra of the cultivar ‘Carmine Splendor’ hybrid grown in South Florida. UF/IFAS photo by Vander Rocha Lacerda

Is okra rising from a kitchen, home garden staple to a ‘Food is Medicine’ star in Florida agriculture?

by Lourdes Mederos
May 26, 2026

What makes okra a smart choice for home gardens, healthier meals and Florida’s next great crop? University of Florida researchers from the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) say this adaptable crop illustrates how ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Blog Community, , Crops, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Antioxidants, Ask IFAS, Crop, Dakshina Seal, Digestion, Easy-to-grow, Español, Farmers, Florida, Food Is Medicine, Gardens, Health, Health Benefits, Healthy, Heart Health, Homestead, IFAS, Invasive Pests, Kitchen, Monalisa Seaton, Nutrition, Okra, Ornamental Plants, Peyton Ecklund, Plant-based Foods, Seed-borne Diseases, Seeds, South Florida, Staple, Tropical Research And Education Center, Two-spotted Leafhopper, UF/IFAS Research, Vitamins, Xiaoying Li

Pivotal study unlocks secrets of the invasive short-spined thrips

by Lourdes Mederos
January 6, 2026

Highlights Short-spined thrips are devastating ornamentals and crops worldwide, thriving in South Florida’s warm climate and spreading fast. In a novel study, UF/IFAS researchers mapped the pest’s biology life cycle, reproduction ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Blog Community, , Crops, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Invasive Species, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Acarology, Alexandra Revynthi, Beans, Beneficial, Beneficial Bugs, Beneficial Nematodes, Department Of Entomology And Nematology, Eggplants, Entomology And Nematology, Gardenias, Gardens, Growers, Hibiscus, Homeowners, Integrated Pes Management, Invasive, Invasive Insect, IPM, Mandevillas, Nematodes, News, Nurseries, Ornamental, Ornamental Entomology, Ornamental Plants, Peppers, Plant Pathology, Sanitation, Sanitation Practices, Short-spined Thrips, Thrips, Thrips Parvispinus, Tropical Research And Education Center, UF-IFAS, University Of Florida
Hibiscus rosa-sinensis is a genus of flowering plants.

Pivotal study unlocks secrets of the invasive short-spined thrips

by Lourdes Mederos
January 6, 2026

Highlights Short-spined thrips are devastating ornamentals and crops worldwide, thriving in South Florida’s warm climate and spreading fast. In a novel study, UF/IFAS researchers mapped the pest’s biology life cycle, reproduction ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Blog Community, , Crops, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Invasive Species, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Acarology, Alexandra Revynthi, Beans, Beneficial, Beneficial Bugs, Beneficial Nematodes, Department Of Entomology And Nematology, Eggplants, Entomology And Nematology, Gardenias, Gardens, Growers, Hibiscus, Homeowners, Integrated Pes Management, Invasive, Invasive Insect, IPM, Mandevillas, Nematodes, News, Nurseries, Ornamental, Ornamental Entomology, Ornamental Plants, Peppers, Plant Pathology, Sanitation, Sanitation Practices, Short-spined Thrips, Thrips, Thrips Parvispinus, Tropical Research And Education Center, UF-IFAS, University Of Florida
An artist's rendering of the Interior of a spacious facility with a tractor and people near large windows and tables.

Groundbreaking for AI center part of 100th anniversary celebration of UF Gulf Coast Research and Education Center

by Brad Buck
October 22, 2025

Agriculture isn’t just rows of citrus groves and fields of strawberries – it’s Florida’s second largest economic powerhouse, trailing only tourism. With more than 133,000 jobs riding on its success, farming fuels communities across the ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, SFYL Hot Topic
Tags: 100th Anniversary, Agricultural And Biological Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, Center For Applied Artificial Intelligence In Agriculture, Dana Choi, Digital Twin, Diseases, Economy, Environment, Farming, Food, Fruits, Groundbreaking, Gulf Coast Research And Education Center, J. Scott Angle, Jack Rechcigl, Jobs, Kevin Wang, Labor, Nathan Boyd, Ornamental Plants, Pests, Plant Breeding, Prec-ag, Precision Spraying
Commercial ornamental nursery

New at the UF/IFAS Bookstore: Commercial Ornamental Nursery Scouting Manual

by Rolando Negron
September 15, 2025

Florida’s ornamental nursery industry is one of the largest in the nation, supplying colorful plants to homes, businesses, and landscapes. Along with that success comes a challenge: keeping crops healthy while protecting them from pests ... READ MORE

Category: , UF/IFAS Communications
Tags: Caroline R. Warwick, Commercial Ornamental Nursery, Florida Nursery Industry, Horticulture, IPM Practices, Lance S. Osborne, Liz Felter, MREC, Nursery Scouting, Ornamental Plants, Pest Management, Plant Health, Rolando Negron, S. Chris Marble, Scouting Manual, Sustainable Practices, UF IFAS Bookstore

February First Friday with Florida First Detector

by Morgan Pinkerton
February 10, 2025

Recap of February 2025 First Friday with Florida First Detector This month, we talked about Invasive Scale Insects on Ornamental plants. We looked at a few recently detected invasive scales in Florida as well as identification of species commonly ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, Professional Development, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Biosecurity, Early Detection, FFD24-25, FloridaFirstDetector, Hemiptera, Ornamental Plants, Palm Pests, Pests, Scale Insects, SeminoleCountyAg

February First Friday with Florida First Detector

by Morgan Pinkerton
February 10, 2025

Recap of February 2025 First Friday with Florida First Detector This month, we talked about Invasive Scale Insects on Ornamental plants. We looked at a few recently detected invasive scales in Florida as well as identification of species commonly ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, Professional Development, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Biosecurity, Early Detection, FFD24-25, FloridaFirstDetector, Hemiptera, Ornamental Plants, Palm Pests, Pests, Scale Insects, SeminoleCountyAg

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