Weekly “What is it?”: Sargassum
I am sure it drives the tourists a little crazy. After daydreaming all year of a week relaxing at the beach, they arrive and find the shores covered in leggy brown seaweed for long stretches. It floats in… Read More
Tag: Weekly What Is It
Weekly “What is it?”: Stokes’ Aster
I first became acquainted with the lovely Stokes’ aster (Stokesia laevis) plant when our horticulture agent, Beth, suggested it for a project more than 10 years ago. We were asked to help come up with a landscape design… Read More
Weekly “What is it?”: Mermaid’s Purse
Sailors have a long and creative history of exaggeration when it comes to describing unusual marine organisms. From the terrifying kraken and sea monsters to the alluring mermaids and sirens, too much sun, salt, and distance from land… Read More
Weekly “What is it?”: Whelk Egg Cases
The text came through on a late May afternoon—a college friend was camping at Ft. Pickens with her kids. They’d spent the afternoon beachcombing and were curious. Her text read, “Here is your marine biologist question of the… Read More
Weekly “What is it?”: Flooding
In the midst of Tropical Storm Claudette and the rainstorms covering the Southeast this week, flooding has been common in our region. On Saturday alone, the Pensacola area received at least 4” of rain. To the observant, flooding… Read More
Noctuid Moth Caterpillar
Caterpillars are top candidates for the hide and seek champions of the world. Fat, juicy morsels for birds, lizards, and small mammals, they are vulnerable prey for hundreds of would-be predators. Possessing no wings (until they metamorphosize into… Read More
Weekly “What is it?”: Gloriosa lily
They appear as undulating licks of flame, dancing across the garden. Every time I see the intricate brilliant red, orange, and yellow petals of this flower, I am awestruck. Like little campfires, the blooms entice the observer to… Read More
Weekly “What is it?”: Hurricane Season
There are a lot of jokes out there about the four seasons in Florida—instead of spring, summer, fall, and winter; we have tourist, mosquito, hurricane, and football seasons. The weather and change in seasons are definitely different in… Read More
Weekly “What is it?”: Glass lizard
A legless lizard is a pretty weird phenomenon. I mean, isn’t a reptile without legs the very definition of a snake? Well, the locally found glass lizard is here to teach us why it’s not. For those steeped… Read More
Weekly “What is it?”: Beach Vitex
One of the biggest problems with beach vitex (Vitex rotundifolia) is its beauty. It has rounded, deep green leaves (with a silvery gray cast) and a beautiful little lavender-purple bloom. Like most weedy invasive plants, the plant was… Read More