Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping

Japanese Blueberry (Elaeocarpus dentatus)

by Jamie Daugherty
September 4, 2025

Are you looking to attract wildlife to your yard? Consider the Japanese Blueberry (Elaeocarpus dentatus). Although relatively new to the industry, this evergreen tree makes an excellent choice for wildlife-friendly yards throughout USDA ... READ MORE

Reviving Elms: Lessons from Dutch Elm Disease and Strategies for Healthy Urban Forests

by Jamie Daugherty
August 27, 2025

The introduction of Dutch elm disease in the 1930s marked a turning point in American urban forestry. Millions of the once iconic elm trees across the U.S. were lost. The disease originated in Asia, where native elm species show some natural ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Forests, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension,
Tags: Tree Disease, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Extension Sumter County, Urban Forestry, Urban Forestry Extension

Loquat Trees in Your Food Forest: A Sweet Addition to Central Florida Landscapes

by Jamie Daugherty
August 26, 2025

As edible landscaping continues to gain momentum, many Central Florida homeowners are exploring the concept of growing a food forest. A food forest is a layered, productive forested containing various fruit trees in your own back yard. If you're ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Horticulture, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension,
Tags: Backyard Fruit, Fruit Forest, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Extension Sumter County, Urban Forestry, Urban Forestry Extension

The Longleaf Pine: A Keystone of Florida’s Pine Grassland Ecosystems

by Jamie Daugherty
August 15, 2025

Keystone species are critical because entire ecosystems rely on their presence to remain balanced. If removed, the ecological structure may collapse. They differ from indicator species, which reflect the health and maturity of an ecosystem rather ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Forests, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension,
Tags: Longleaf Pine, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Extension Sumter County, Urban Forestry, Urban Forestry Extension, Urban Trees

UF/IFAS Extension Sumter County Florida-Friendly Landscaping(TM) and Urban Forestry Classes-2025

by Jamie Daugherty
August 6, 2025

Have you attended any of our classed so far this year? Here is an easy location to find the remaining classes for 2025! Registration for all events is available here: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/ffl-and-urban-forestry-ufifas-sumter-county-ext-8517209021 See ... READ MORE

Category: Events, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Teaching
Tags: Arboriculture, Blog Links, Classes, Gi-bmp Classes, Online Classes, Urban Forestry, Urban Forestry Extension

Sensational Sand Pines (Pinus clausa)

by Jamie Daugherty
August 6, 2025

The Sand Pine (Pinus clausa) is our only native pine harvested as a Christmas tree. Its compact, conical shape and dense, waxy needles make it perfect for seasonal decorating and year-round appeal. If you need a trick to remember its name Latin ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Forests, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Pines, Sand Pine, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Extension Sumter County, Urban Forestry, Urban Forestry Extenstion

Strange Palm Growth? It Might Be a Boron Deficiency

by Jamie Daugherty
July 30, 2025

If you manage palms, you know they need high-quality fertilizer applied regularly. Using a fertilizer that isn’t properly balanced for palms can lead to nutrient deficiencies—some of which mimic disease symptoms or make your palm appear ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Forests, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension,
Tags: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Nutrient Deficiency, Palm Care, UF/IFAS Extension, Urban Forestry, Urban Forestry Extension

Tabebuia in Bloom: A Tale of Two Spectacular Shades

by Jamie Daugherty
July 25, 2025

In Central Florida, we are fortunate to enjoy not one, but two stunning species of Tabebuia that add bursts of seasonal color to our landscape. These showy trees are part of the Bignoniaceae family, known for their impressive trumpet-shaped ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Forests, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Flowering Tree, Golden Trumpet Tree, Handroanthus Chrysotricha, HHandroanthus Pentaphyllus, Pink Trumpet Tree, Tabebuia, Tabebuia Chrysotricha, Tabebuia Heterophylla

Managing Palm Diseases

by Jamie Daugherty
February 7, 2025

Looking Out for Palm Diseases Caring for palms can be a daunting task. Being a major feature in many landscapes, issues can become highly noticeable. Before we get into what to look out for related to diseases, let’s talk about fertilizer. ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Horticulture, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease,
Tags: Palm Diseases, Palms, Urban Forestry

Caring For Trees After a Storm

by Jamie Daugherty
August 16, 2024

Florida is known for what can be pretty intense summer storms, and the occasional tropical storm or hurricane. When caring for our urban trees, care should be taken to ensure they are in the best health possible before storm season starts. See ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Arboriculture, Tree Care, Tree Pruning, Trees, Trees And Hurricanes, Trees And Wind, Tress After A Storm, Urban Forestry, Urban Trees

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