Several paper bags holding freshly picked, unblemished peach fruit.

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
Naples Botanical Garden Nursery Interior

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
Three-panel image showing a rocket launch, a gloved researcher handling a small plant sample in a laboratory tube, and a ripe passion fruit growing on the vine.

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
Close up of deep fuchsia hibiscus flower

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
Triad with Jeffrey Williamson Teaching a pruning course, the middle image showcases blueberries on a branch, and third is a peach on a tree with the stadium in the background

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
Close-up on a cluster of pink flowers.

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
People picking flowers in a garden.

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
Extension faculty observes branches on a blueberry bush.

What’s New on Ask IFAS: Horticultural Sciences (Mar.–Apr. 2026)

by Gillian McGuire
May 2, 2026

Jaboticaba: A Unique Fruit Tree for Florida Home Gardeners By Ajay Das and Jianjun Chen Jaboticaba (Plinia cauliflora) is a slow-growing, ornamental fruit tree suited to Florida’s climate (Zones 9a–11). It thrives in acidic, consistently ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Horticulture
Tags: Ask IFAS, Blackberry, Blueberry, EDIS, Fruit, Home Garden Crops, Horticultural Sciences Department, Landscape Trees
Close-up of a researcher using fine tweezers to handle a small green plant sample on a glass slide under bright laboratory lighting.

Inside UF’s PMCB Program Shaping Interdisciplinary Scientists

by Eva Sailly
April 30, 2026

UF's Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology (PMCB) Graduate Program grew from the understanding that addressing complex challenges in plant science requires collaboration.   Built Against the Grain Dr. Indra Vasil joined UF in 1967, ... READ MORE

Category: UF/IFAS Teaching
Tags: Horticultural Sciences Department, Hunter Strickland, Indra K. Vasil, Julia Ball, Ph.D., Plant Molecular And Cellular Biology, PMCB, Student, Teaching, Zhonglin Mou

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