Hummingbirds can surprise us in the plants that they visit for nectar. Just this past week, I sat out on my front patio area enjoying the evening. I looked over at my very large and hardy aloe plant in a large container that started flowering with tan flower spikes. While watching, in what looked like…
Have you ever threatened to pave your lawn? Maybe the lawn grass is trying to tell you something. Not every square foot of a landscape needs to be a well-manicured lawn. Maybe you picked the wrong lawn grass for the site. Maybe you are incorrectly managing the lawn grass that you have. Maybe trees are…
For many years, I have loved the beautiful Roseate Spoonbill, which is actually a water bird. Since I never found one anywhere nearby, I sometimes traveled to Sanibel Island to watch them hunt the mudflats there. Since then, the spoonbills have been gradually increasing their numbers, as well as increasing their range. The most exciting…
A water lettuce matWater lettuce (Pista stratiotes) is a widespread floating plant in Florida. This leafy plant can be observed from north to south and tends to grow and reproduce rapidly, form very dense mats, and cause numerous problems. Because of these issues, water lettuce is one of the most targeted plants for management in…
Deer moss is a low-growing lichen with a branched, sponge-like shape. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS ExtensionAlways a pale gray-green amidst a forest full of browns and dark greens, deer moss stands out not just for its color, but its interesting shape and texture. It really looks more like a sponge than anything else. Also known…
If you are interested in learning more about pollinators that are important to wildlife, on our farms and in our lawns, landscapes and gardens, you’ll be interested in the No Mow March event. This event offers something for everyone from the wildlife enthusiast, farmer, home gardener to 4-H members and other youth. No Mow March is…
Wild Weeds – Weed of the Month Pickerelweed Pontederia cordata Pickerelweed is an aquatic plant that can be found in open waters such as ponds, lakes, river edges, marshes, and swamps. This plant blooms in spring through summer and requires pollination by bees and other insects. The plant serves as a food source for…
For centuries humans have been interested in what is on the bottom of the sea. Stories and legends arose of mermaids and magical cities like Atlantis. From the science side of things, the interest was there as well. In the mid-nineteenth century geology students were told the ocean floor was a featureless landscape made of…
Early in the morning of Day 1 of the cruise the water of the open Gulf of Mexico was like glass. There were no ripples on the surface, but it was rolling with small swells. The water was colored a deep cobalt blue – the Deep Blue of the open sea. As I glanced over…
Florida’s year-round growing season is a great reason to love gardening. While we have different seasons, the one constant for our plants is the soil that they’re grown in. While we can control our plant’s water and fertilizer needs, we can’t always control the soil that they’re grown in. One easy metric to determine soil…
Mistaken Identities
Look closely at the landscape. Creeping, crawling, and climbing slowly among our landscapes and natural areas lie plants of mistaken identities. Growing amongst our plants and trees, we may see vines. Vines grow along the ground or into the canopies of our trees. Left with minimal control, these vines continue to grow, continue…
In the Vines of Mistaken Identify, we’re exploring the different types of vines commonly called “invasive” around Nassau County. Rather, in fact, these vines are not invasive and many of them are native too, which provides amazing benefits to our ecosystem and environment. It’s Important Value The Muscadine Grape (Vitis rotundifolia) is one of our…
