Florida Native Plant Society Blog

Grants Did you know that the Florida Native Plant Society maintains grant programs for research and conservation? Endowment Research Grants provide up to $1500 for a 1-year period to fund research that forwards the mission of the Florida Native Plant Society, "to promote the preservation, conservation, and restoration of the native plants and native plant communities of Florida." Like the Endowment Research Grants, Conservation Grants of up to $1500 are awarded for a 1-year period to support applied native plant conservation projects that promote the preservation, conservation, or restoration of rare or imperiled native plant taxa and/or communities in Florida. Proposed projects must be sponsored by a FNPS Chapter to qualify for a Conservation Grant. Details regarding both of these grants can be found at http://www.fnps.org/participate/awards . The application deadline is March 7, 2014. Grant recipients will be announced at the F.N.P.S. Annual Conference in Fort M...

In Florida if given a chance, Bidens alba will completely take over a disturbed area, but this doesn't mean that it's invasive.  A polka-dotted wasp moth sipping nectar from a bidens floret. For more information see An Exception to the Rules Native plants are NOT invasive.  They belong here and work well within the natural ecosystems. A pioneer plant like beggars' ticks ( Bidens alba ) is certainly aggressive and efficient at completely covering a disturbed site, but after a couple of years, it will give way to other plants in Mother Nature's succession parade, which  depends upon where it's found. The plants that take over could include broom sedge ( Andropogon spp.), goldenrod ( Solidago spp.), dog fennel ( Eupatorium capillifolium ), which then my be replaced by pines and oaks after a few years. Definition: - An invasive exotic plant is a naturalized exotic plant that is expanding its range into natural areas and disrupting naturally occur...

The zebra longwing is a fall favorite throughout the state. Fall is THE best time to enjoy Florida's natural areas. The weather is cooler, the mosquitoes are fewer, and there are plenty of plants and animals to see in the fall. Visit a bunch of Florida's state parks this fall. Your use and support will help financially and it will also help the parks to make their case to the state that they are worth saving.  You'll be voting with your dollars. And you'll be in the midst of "The Real Florida!" What could be better? Find an FNPS chapter near you and join it--TODAY! FNPS Chapters If you're not a Florida Native Plant Society member, now is a great time to find a chapter. Fall is the beginning of their programs and field trips. There are 37 chapters across the state. Find your local chapter on our website http://fnps.org/chapters Many people appreciate the fine work our native plant society does for Florida and her ecosystems, but for some...