Roselle, a relative of hibiscus, was once used widely as an edible plant in Florida. The flowers are less showy than other hibiscus varieties, but their calyces (sepals at the base of the flower) are amazing! As the… Read More
Updated 03/16/20 As we continue to monitor COVID-19 in Florida, I wanted to take a moment to update our UF/IFAS Extension community about our current status, best practices and next steps. Please call your local UF/IFAS Extension office… Read More
The Farm Bureau’s annual Thanksgiving price survey estimates that Thanksgiving Day accounts for $282 million of uneaten turkeys that end up in the trash. Added to our overall food consumption, we throw away 34 million tons of food… Read More
Each month, Monroe County Extension Service hosts numerous plant clinics throughout the Florida Keys. This is an opportunity for residents to bring in plant or insect samples for identification, ask questions about what to grow here in zone… Read More
As gardeners, we are aware of skin irritations due to contact from plants such as, Poisonwood (Metopium toxiferum), and Manchineel (Hippomane mancinella), found right in our Florida Keys backyards. But, the eyes, the eyes! Corneal Endothelial Toxicity, a toxicity… Read More
Here in the beautiful Florida Keys, we have no shortage of tidal shoreline and coastal landscapes, in addition to some unique natural habitats. This provides a fantastic opportunity to observe many of nature’s beautiful creatures. Especially this time… Read More
What is killing my trees? This has been a common thread of some calls our office, and other departments within the County, have received recently. Distorted growth, severe stunting, and shoot proliferation have all been reported on mature… Read More
This week is International Compost Awareness Week. Much of what we throw away in our garbage or put out as yard waste could be recycled right on our own property. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates about… Read More
National Invasive Species Awareness Week is Monday, February 25th through Sunday, March 3rd. And here in the Florida Keys, we are no stranger to opportunistic invaders trying to takeover habitats that aren’t rightfully theirs. SITUATION An invasive plant… Read More
By: Lisa Krimsky, Betty Staugler, Brittany Scharf, Krista Stump and Rebecca Burton Florida’s lingering red tide has left many concerned residents with unanswered questions. Over the past 14 months since the bloom began off the coast of Southwest… Read More
