Florida Native Plant Society Blog

Photo by Eileen Reed The Suncoast Chapter lost a beloved former member in November - Gar Reed. Gar and his wife Eileen joined FNPS in 2012, and almost immediately, Gar raised his hand at a business meeting and volunteered to run for a board position. He then became our Treasurer, and he was a very good one. Gar and Eileen became active members. They took on managing an abandoned native garden at the University of Florida building on the Hillsborough Community College campus in Plant City. Gar also came on many field trips. We will remember Gar and Eileen joining some of our earliest chapter camping trips. Several years ago, Gar and Eileen moved to Bradenton, but until recently they maintained membership in our Suncoast Chapter. Gar also served as the coordinator for our plant sales at the USF Botanical Gardens. He always ensured this important fundraiser was a success. We will miss his friendship, quick wit, dry humor, and his love of natural Florida. Photo by Joel Jackson by Virginia...

Yucca plants are evergreen plants with interesting, usually spiky, leaves that bloom into bunches of flowers. There are  over 20 species of yucca  and three are native to Florida. These are the Spanish Bayonet, Moundlily Yucca, and Adam's needle. Spanish bayonet (Yucca aloifolia)  Photo credit: Shirley Denton Growing yucca plants in Florida is a great way to encourage indigenous plants to thrive, while benefiting birds and pollinators. If you grow native Florida plants, they also require less TLC because they're in their natural environment. Here’s what you need to know about Yucca plants. The three species of Yucca plant that are indigenous to Florida are beautiful ways to encourage a more creative and healthy garden. Here's how to identify them so you can choose the one that feels perfect for your garden and needs. 1. Spanish Bayonet (Spanish Dagger) This evergreen plant is marked by sharp tips and two-foot leaves. It can reach up to 20 feet in he...

Story and photos by Janet Bowers, Suncoast Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society At the beginning of my ‘Natives’ life, I learned a lot from working on the plant sale plant profiles, so I thought the only milkweeds in our area were Asclepias incarnata , A. tuberosa and A. perennis . Apparently those are the ones that nurseries have grown for a while. If I had known better, I might have checked out the USF Plant Atlas where I could have looked up genus Asclepias and would have seen that there are many more species in our area.  Butterflyweed,   Asclepias tuberosa, Lake Blue Scrub I have seen 9 milkweed species so far this year in relative proximity to our area, and I have now done the USF Plant Atlas search so I know there are more out there. An advance search in Hillsborough County lists twelve species.Oddly enough (at least to me), two of the species I have never seen in the wild are the swamp milkweeds that we sell at our plant sale. They are at the top...