Horticultural Sciences Department

How plant carbohydrates can improve human health

by Eva Sailly
November 9, 2026

Researchers from horticulture, medicine, and nutrition across the University of Florida met to discuss how dietary fiber and carbohydrate diversity could help prevent and treat chronic disease. Hosted by the UF/IFAS Designer Glycans Lab, the ... READ MORE

Category: Academics, Agriculture, Events, Health & Nutrition, Horticulture, Professional Development, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Catalin Voiniciuc, Department Of Medicinal Chemistry, Dietary Fiber, Food Is Medicine, Food Science, Food Science And Human Nutrition Department, Horticultural Sciences Department, Personalized Healthcare, Plant Carbohydrates, PLANTMED, UF/IFAS Designer Glycans Lab, Wendy Dahl, Wenjun Xie

What’s New on Ask IFAS: Horticultural Sciences (Sept.–Oct. 2026)

by Gillian McGuire
November 2, 2026

Fertilizer Management Fertilizer Guidance for Vanilla Production in Florida By Alejandra Taco, Jesse Potts, Pamela Moon, Jonathan Crane, Yuncong Li, and Xingbo Wu Vanilla has a three-to-five-year, pre-productive period, during which consistent ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, Horticulture
Tags: Ask IFAS, EDIS, Fertilizer, Hibiscus, Horticultural Sciences Department, Muscadine, Strawberries, Vanilla, Vegetables, Watermelon

What’s New on Ask IFAS: Horticultural Sciences (Jul.–Aug. 2026)

by Gillian McGuire
September 2, 2026

Specialty/Tropical Fruit Maprang (Bouea macrophylla Griff.) Fruit Trees: Botany and Commercial Cultivation in South Florida By Federico W. Sanchez, Jonathan H. Crane, and Bruce Schaffer Maprang (Bouea macrophylla Griff.), also known as ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Fruits & Vegetables, Horticulture, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease
Tags: Ask IFAS, Blueberry, EDIS Journal, Horticultural Sciences Department, Peach, Postharvest And Handling, Tropical Fruits, Weed Management In Ornamentals And Turf

Plant Science Major Spotlight: Edilzon Ramirez

by Eva Sailly
September 1, 2026

Edilzon “Edi” Ramirez has become a familiar face around Fifield Hall, home to several UF/IFAS departments and programs, including the Plant Science major, where he is a junior. Carrying homemade cupcakes, welcoming incoming students ... READ MORE

Category: Academics, Agribusiness, Agriculture, Clubs & Volunteers, Horticulture, Professional Development, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Teaching
Tags: Edilzon Ramirez, Environmental Horticulture, Florida Landscaping, Horticultural Sciences Department, Plant Science, Student, Teaching, UF/IFAS CALS, Undergraduate

Alumni Spotlight: Dr. Garcia Uses Plant Science to Support Future Space Exploration

by Eva Sailly
August 24, 2026

Ellen Garcia is a recent graduate of Horticultural Sciences, earning her Ph.D. in August 2025 and immediately starting as a postdoctoral research associate with NASA at Kennedy Space Center in September 2025. Her research uses hyperspectral ... READ MORE

Category: 4-H & Youth
Tags: Alumni, Alumni Feature, Dr. Ali Sarkhosh, Dr. Ellen Garcia, Dr. Tie Liu, Horticultural Sciences, Horticultural Sciences Department, Kennedy Space Center, NASA, Ph.D., Postharvest And Handling, Space Science, Student, UF/IFAS CALS

Plant Science Student Spotlight: Afrifa Amoah-Mensah

by Eva Sailly
August 7, 2026

"My mom’s Jamaican, so I grew up drinking sorrel made with ginger and cinnamon from plants we grew in our backyard. Now I want to bring that same hibiscus into my own breeding projects and see what new varieties we can create. As a plant ... READ MORE

Category: 4-H & Youth, Academics, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Teaching
Tags: Afrifa Amoah-Mensah, Biodiversity, Horticultural Sciences, Plant Breeding, Plant Science, Student, Teaching, UF/IFAS CALS

UF/IFAS Professor Retires: Jeffrey Williamson on Florida Blueberries and Mentorship

by Eva Sailly
July 29, 2026

“The very fact that we’re growing blueberries at all is because of UF/IFAS. If we didn’t have those varieties, we wouldn’t be growing blueberries commercially. The breeding program is really what turned blueberries into an important ... READ MORE

Category: Academics, Agriculture, Crops, Horticulture, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research, UF/IFAS Teaching, Work & Life
Tags: Blueberry, Extension, Horticultural Sciences Department, Jeffrey Williamson, Retirement, Rootstock, Stone Fruit, Teaching, UF IFAS Horticultural Sciences, UF/IFAS CALS

What’s New on Ask IFAS: Horticultural Sciences (May–June 2026)

by Gillian McGuire
July 6, 2026

Demonstration Gardens in UF/IFAS Extension By Lisa S. Strange, Wendy Wilber, and Brenna Sturgis This publication provides a comprehensive directory of Extension demonstration gardens across Florida, highlighting their educational focus, ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Home Landscapes, Horticulture
Tags: Asian Vegetables Emerging In Florida, Ask IFAS, Demonstration Gardens, Edamame, EDIS, Horticultural Sciences Department, Snapbean, Trees

Therapeutic Horticulture Program Finds a New Home

by Eva Sailly
June 17, 2026

Relocation from Wilmont to the Teaching Farm This summer, the UF/IFAS Therapeutic Horticulture Program is joining the UF/IFAS Horticultural Sciences Teaching Farm, relocating from Wilmot Gardens. The move will connect the program more closely ... READ MORE

Category: 4-H & Youth, Academics, Blog Community, Events, Professional Development, UF/IFAS Teaching, Volunteer/Training
Tags: Community Programming, Horticultural Sciences, Horticultural Sciences Teaching Farm, Leah Diehl, Students, Teaching, Therapeutic Horticulture

Freeze Protection Supports Passion fruit Expansion

by Eva Sailly
May 4, 2026

Growers who saw historic cold weather and freezes this year are still recovering from disrupted production and widespread losses. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services estimates the freeze caused approximately $3 billion ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Crops, Farm Management, Horticulture, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research

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