Wildflowers can be both beautiful and benefit pollinators. In 2023, I undertook a geomatic sciences project using iNaturalist to record observations of wildflowers in the natural areas at the UF/IFAS Extension St. Lucie County. With the help of interested Florida Master Gardener volunteers, Florida Master Naturalists and other volunteers, we conducted two bioblitzes focusing on wildflowers on this property located at 8400 Picos Road, Fort Pierce. We made 269 observations of 58 wildflowers in 2023 with only 36% at “research grade.” in 2024, we made 256 observations of 53 wildflowers with 29% at “research grade.”
So what can you do to help after-the-fact? We need identifiers to help with crowdsourcing. You can click on the link below and either make suggestions to help with identification or confirm that the genus and species is correct.
UF/IFAS Extension St. Lucie County Wildflowers Bioblitz
Of course, UF/IFAS EDIS has several handy fact sheets about wildflowers. If you would like to enhance wildflowers in your area, I recommend you review “A Guide to Planting Wildflower Enhancements in Florida.” In this fact sheet, there are tips about wildflower seed selection, site planning, site preparation, seeding, and management. There is also a table describing when to plant wildflowers by Florida region.
On Extension property in western St. Lucie County, we reduced mowing and attempted to remove nonnative plants that could out-compete our native wildflowers. We also prepared the ground and seeded the site with a variety of wildflowers. We purchased some wildflower seeds, but Florida Master Naturalist Diane Goldberg donated several species of seeds to our project. She has an abundance of wildflowers benefiting pollinators right in her year in Port St. Lucie.
We were also very fortunate to have our Florida state wildflower on site. Coreopsis is a beautiful wildflower with yellow petals. If you are planning to seed Coreopsis on your property, you should select the species suitable for your ecotype. Most likely we have Coreopsis leavenworthii a.k.a. Leavenworth tickseed on the Extension property in St. Lucie County – which is located on the southeast coast of Florida. The UF/IFAS EDIS fact sheet on Leavenworth tickseed indicates it is endemic to Florida and is widespread.
Finally, I recommend that viewers check out the Florida Native Plant Society website and the Florida Wildflower Foundation Website. Both sites have a plethora of information available to help you learn about wildflowers. Our very own UF/IFAS EDIS website also has a lot of information about wildflowers and butterflies. You can access this information HERE.
An Equal Opportunity Institution. UF/IFAS Extension, University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Andra Johnson, Dean and Director. Single copies of UF/IFAS Extension publications (excluding 4-H and youth publications) are available free to Florida residents from county UF/IFAS Extension offices.
References
A guide to planting wildflower enhancements in Florida. UF EDIS. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/IN1180
Yellow-eyed Grasses. Xyris species. UF EDIS. https://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/plant-directory/xyris-species/
An Equal Opportunity Institution. UF/IFAS Extension, University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Andra Johnson, Dean and Director. Single copies of UF/IFAS Extension publications (excluding 4-H and youth publications) are available free to Florida residents from county UF/IFAS Extension offices.
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