1. Agricultural and Horticultural Enterprises

3. Natural Resources and Environmental Quality

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Flores

Insects

Insectos

Pests

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Plants

Plantas

Edible Landscapes

Floriculture

Food Plants

Plantas alimenticias 

There have been Atala butterflies sightings in and around Polk County, and while there is much information on the butterfly and its history of near extinction, it is important for homeowners and landscape managers to be on the lookout when they spot damage to coontie cycad in the landscape. If you notice damage on your [&#8230;]

<figure id="attachment_8847" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-8847" style="width: 225px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img decoding="async" fetchpriority="high" class="wp-image-8847 size-medium lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" alt="Black Atala butterflies with blue spots emerging from their orange chysalis on a coontie cycad leaf." width="225" height="300" data-src="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/polkco/files/2024/09/Atala-butterfly-adult-emerging-from-chrysalis-225x300.jpg"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-8847" class="wp-caption-text">Adult Atala butterflies emerging from the chrysalis.</figcaption></figure>
There have been Atala butterflies sightings in and around Polk County, and while there is much information on the butterfly and its history of near extinction, it is important for homeowners and landscape managers to be on the lookout when they spot damage to coontie cycad in the landscape.
If you notice damage on your coontie cycad make sure you properly identify what is going on. While coontie cycads do not have a lot of pest problems, they do have a few, and identification prior to management is extremely important. <a href="https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FP617">Find out more about the coontie and related pest issues here. </a>
Feeding damage from caterpillars looks like chewed leaves. Caterpillars are feeding on their larval food source, which for the Atala is specific to the coontie. You may walk out to the yard and see the damage and then locate the caterpillars, which we would suggest that you leave alone. If severe damage has occured to the plant, you may want to cut it back and allow it to regrow. You can see in the photos below what damage to the plants look like when caterpillars have been feeding.
Enjoy observing this amazing insect and use caution if you want to manage the pest on your plants.
Find out where the Atala has been found by visiting <a href="https://www.inaturalist.org/">iNaturalist</a>.
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<figure id="attachment_8849" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-8849" style="width: 225px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img decoding="async" class="wp-image-8849 size-medium lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" alt="Orange chrysalis of the Atala butterfly on a coontie cycad leaf." width="225" height="300" data-src="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/polkco/files/2024/09/Atala-butterfly-chrysalis-225x300.jpg"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-8849" class="wp-caption-text">Atala butterfly chrysalis</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_8851" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-8851" style="width: 225px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img decoding="async" class="wp-image-8851 size-medium lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" alt="Orange and yellow caterpillar. Larvae of the Atala butterfly." width="225" height="300" data-src="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/polkco/files/2024/09/Atala-butterfly-larvae-225x300.jpg"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-8851" class="wp-caption-text">Atala butterfly larvae</figcaption></figure>
<h4>More information on the Atala butterfly can be found here:</h4>
<a href="https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/IN326">Atala butterfly</a>
<a href="https://www.npr.org/2024/02/26/1233856056/how-a-small-butterfly-is-making-a-remarkable-comeback-in-florida">How a small butterfly is making a remarkable comeback in Florida</a>
<a href="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/sarasotaco/2023/07/27/a-florida-friendly-landscaping-tale-of-survival-and-resurgence-part-i-coontie-cycads/">A Tale of Resurgence: Coontie Cycads</a>
<a href="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/sarasotaco/2024/01/24/a-florida-friendly-landscaping-tale-of-survival-and-resurgence-part-ii-atala-butterflies/">A Tale of Resurgence: Atala Butterflies </a>
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<h4>Damage to coontie cycads due to the feeding of the Atala butterfly caterpillar&#8211;not to worry, your plants will recover without any intervention!</h4>
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-8845 alignleft lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" alt="Feeding damage from butterfly larvae on a coontie cycad. Leaves are chewed up and damaged." width="225" height="300" data-src="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/polkco/files/2024/09/3Atala-damage-on-coontie-1-225x300.jpg">     <img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-8853 lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" alt="Feeding damage from butterfly larvae on a coontie cycad. Leaves are chewed up and damaged." width="225" height="300" data-src="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/polkco/files/2024/09/Atala-damage-on-coontie-1-225x300.jpg">     <img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-8855 lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" alt="Feeding damage from butterfly larvae on a coontie cycad. Leaves are chewed up and damaged." width="225" height="300" data-src="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/polkco/files/2024/09/Atala-damage-on-coontie-2-225x300.jpg">
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For more information, contact UF/IFAS Extension Polk County at (863) 519-1041 or visit us online at <a href="http://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/polk">http://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/polk</a>. The Plant Clinic is open Monday-Friday, 9:00 am-4:00 pm to answer your gardening and landscaping questions. Give us a call or email us at <a href="mailto:polkmg@ifas.ufl.edu">polkmg@ifas.ufl.edu</a>.
If you are not in Polk County, Contact your<a href="http://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/find-your-local-office/"> local UF/IFAS Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Plant Clinic</a>.
The Florida Master Gardener Volunteer Program is a volunteer-driven program that benefits UF/IFAS Extension and the citizens of Florida. The program extends the vision of the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, all the while protecting and sustaining natural resources and environmental systems, enhancing the development of human resources, and improving the quality of human life through the development of knowledge in agricultural, human and natural resources and making that knowledge accessible.
An Equal Opportunity Institution.

Adult Atala butterflies emerging from the chrysalis.
There have been Atala butterflies sightings in and around Polk County, and while there is much information on the butterfly and its history of near extinction, it is important for homeowners and landscape managers to be on the lookout when they spot damage to coontie cycad in the landscape.
If you notice damage on your coontie cycad make sure you properly identify what is going on. While coontie cycads do not have a lot of pest problems, they do have a few, and identification prior to management is extremely important. Find out more about the coontie and related pest issues here. 
Feeding damage from caterpillars looks like chewed leaves. Caterpillars are feeding on their larval food source, which for the Atala is specific to the coontie. You may walk out to the yard and see the damage and then locate the caterpillars, which we would suggest that you leave alone. If severe damage has occured to the plant, you may want to cut it back and allow it to regrow. You can see in the photos below what damage to the plants look like when caterpillars have been feeding.
Enjoy observing this amazing insect and use caution if you want to manage the pest on your plants.
Find out where the Atala has been found by visiting iNaturalist.
 
 
Atala butterfly chrysalis
Atala butterfly larvae
More information on the Atala butterfly can be found here:
Atala butterfly
How a small butterfly is making a remarkable comeback in Florida
A Tale of Resurgence: Coontie Cycads
A Tale of Resurgence: Atala Butterflies 
 
 
 
 
Damage to coontie cycads due to the feeding of the Atala butterfly caterpillar–not to worry, your plants will recover without any intervention!
          
 
For more information, contact UF/IFAS Extension Polk County at (863) 519-1041 or visit us online at http://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/polk. The Plant Clinic is open Monday-Friday, 9:00 am-4:00 pm to answer your gardening and landscaping questions. Give us a call or email us at polkmg@ifas.ufl.edu.
If you are not in Polk County, Contact your local UF/IFAS Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Plant Clinic.
The Florida Master Gardener Volunteer Program is a volunteer-driven program that benefits UF/IFAS Extension and the citizens of Florida. The program extends the vision of the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, all the while protecting and sustaining natural resources and environmental systems, enhancing the development of human resources, and improving the quality of human life through the development of knowledge in agricultural, human and natural resources and making that knowledge accessible.
An Equal Opportunity Institution.

There have been Atala butterflies sightings in and around Polk County, and while there is much information on the butterfly and its history of near extinction, it is important for homeowners and landscape managers to be on the lookout when they spot damage to coontie cycad in the landscape. If you notice damage on your […]

Atala Butterflies and Coontie Cycads: Signs of Damage and How to Protect the Butterflies

There are some things in nature that look so bizarre, so beautiful, or so ornate that one can scarcely believe they’re real. This was how I felt the first time I looked closely at a passionflower (Passiflora incarnata) bloom. Between the deep shade of purple, the squiggly intricate filaments of the “corona” above the petals, [&#8230;]

<figure id="attachment_40377" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-40377" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><a href="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/09/passion-Alan-Cressler.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-40377 lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" alt="" width="300" height="225" data-src="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/09/passion-Alan-Cressler-300x225.jpg"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-40377" class="wp-caption-text">The ornate passionflower attracts human and insect attention, alike. Photo credit: Alan Cressler</figcaption></figure>
There are some things in nature that look so bizarre, so beautiful, or so ornate that one can scarcely believe they’re real. This was how I felt the first time I looked closely at a passionflower (Passiflora incarnata) bloom. Between the deep shade of purple, the squiggly intricate filaments of the “corona” above the petals, and the bright green stigma and ovary, it seemed like something from the imagination of Dr. Seuss.
<figure id="attachment_40375" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-40375" style="width: 225px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/09/passion-butterfly.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-40375 lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" alt="" width="225" height="300" data-src="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/09/passion-butterfly-225x300.jpg"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-40375" class="wp-caption-text">A Gulf fritillary butterfly visits the passionvine in my yard. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension</figcaption></figure>
Our vine is full of blooms right now, and every time I walk past the arbor I stop in admiration. I’m not the only one—the plant is covered up with <a href="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/2022/10/26/weekly-what-is-it-gulf-fritillary/">Gulf fritillary butterflies</a>, small orange and black near-mimics of monarchs. Like the monarch, they possess chemical defense mechanisms that make them taste bad to would-be predators. Fritillaries are so fond of passionvines as a nectar source that they are sometimes referred to as “passion butterflies.” Adult females frequently lay their eggs on the plant, as well.
<figure id="attachment_40371" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-40371" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><a href="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/09/passion-bee-ure-9.-Xylocopa-virginica-eastern-carpenter-bee-with-pollen-on-passion-flower-P.-incarnata.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-40371 lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" alt="" width="300" height="200" data-src="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/09/passion-bee-ure-9.-Xylocopa-virginica-eastern-carpenter-bee-with-pollen-on-passion-flower-P.-incarnata-300x200.jpg"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-40371" class="wp-caption-text">A carpenter bee visiting a passionflower. Photo credit: UF IFAS</figcaption></figure>
Carpenter bees are big fans of the flower, digging for pollen throughout its bloom time. The leaves also attract pollinator insects; they have “<a href="https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/HS1406">extrafloral nectaries</a>” that secrete a sugary substance at their bases, attracting bees and ants.
Passionfruit are quite large for such a delicate vine—spherical, green, and about the size of a chicken egg. The plant is also known as a “<a href="https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=pain6">maypop</a>.” I’ve seen two explanations for this; the fruit’s skin is fairly thin, so it will respond with a satisfying “pop” if stepped on. Alternatively, the name could come from the idea that if the fruit drops into the soil and overwinters, a new vine will “pop” out of the ground the following May.
<figure id="attachment_40373" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-40373" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/09/passion-fruit-Mark-Bailey-uf-ifas.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-40373 lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" alt="" width="300" height="225" data-src="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/09/passion-fruit-Mark-Bailey-uf-ifas-300x225.jpg"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-40373" class="wp-caption-text">The passionfruit of the native Passiflora species. Photo credit: Mark Bailey, UF IFAS</figcaption></figure>
The fruit is edible and has been prized for millennia as both a culinary and medicinal plant. Passion fruit juice has a strong, tropical flavor and contains fiber, vitamins A &amp; C, and iron. It&#8217;s often used in jellies, ice cream, and other desserts. The pulp is edible raw, including the seeds. Most commercial production is in the equatorial regions of the world, particularly South America. Parts of Africa and Oceania produce it as well, along with more local sources in Florida, Puerto Rico, California, and Hawaii.
There are 500 varieties of Passiflora, with our native P. incarnata being one of the most cold-hardy of the varieties. The genus and common name “<a href="https://www.kew.org/read-and-watch/passion-for-passion-flowers">Passion” reference an early association of the flower with the crucifixion of Christ</a>, with the flower parts imbued with symbolism and used by early Spanish missionaries to teach religious concepts to indigenous people in the Americas.

The ornate passionflower attracts human and insect attention, alike. Photo credit: Alan Cressler
There are some things in nature that look so bizarre, so beautiful, or so ornate that one can scarcely believe they’re real. This was how I felt the first time I looked closely at a passionflower (Passiflora incarnata) bloom. Between the deep shade of purple, the squiggly intricate filaments of the “corona” above the petals, and the bright green stigma and ovary, it seemed like something from the imagination of Dr. Seuss.
A Gulf fritillary butterfly visits the passionvine in my yard. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension
Our vine is full of blooms right now, and every time I walk past the arbor I stop in admiration. I’m not the only one—the plant is covered up with Gulf fritillary butterflies, small orange and black near-mimics of monarchs. Like the monarch, they possess chemical defense mechanisms that make them taste bad to would-be predators. Fritillaries are so fond of passionvines as a nectar source that they are sometimes referred to as “passion butterflies.” Adult females frequently lay their eggs on the plant, as well.
A carpenter bee visiting a passionflower. Photo credit: UF IFAS
Carpenter bees are big fans of the flower, digging for pollen throughout its bloom time. The leaves also attract pollinator insects; they have “extrafloral nectaries” that secrete a sugary substance at their bases, attracting bees and ants.
Passionfruit are quite large for such a delicate vine—spherical, green, and about the size of a chicken egg. The plant is also known as a “maypop.” I’ve seen two explanations for this; the fruit’s skin is fairly thin, so it will respond with a satisfying “pop” if stepped on. Alternatively, the name could come from the idea that if the fruit drops into the soil and overwinters, a new vine will “pop” out of the ground the following May.
The passionfruit of the native Passiflora species. Photo credit: Mark Bailey, UF IFAS
The fruit is edible and has been prized for millennia as both a culinary and medicinal plant. Passion fruit juice has a strong, tropical flavor and contains fiber, vitamins A & C, and iron. It’s often used in jellies, ice cream, and other desserts. The pulp is edible raw, including the seeds. Most commercial production is in the equatorial regions of the world, particularly South America. Parts of Africa and Oceania produce it as well, along with more local sources in Florida, Puerto Rico, California, and Hawaii.
There are 500 varieties of Passiflora, with our native P. incarnata being one of the most cold-hardy of the varieties. The genus and common name “Passion” reference an early association of the flower with the crucifixion of Christ, with the flower parts imbued with symbolism and used by early Spanish missionaries to teach religious concepts to indigenous people in the Americas.

There are some things in nature that look so bizarre, so beautiful, or so ornate that one can scarcely believe they’re real. This was how I felt the first time I looked closely at a passionflower (Passiflora incarnata) bloom. Between the deep shade of purple, the squiggly intricate filaments of the “corona” above the petals, […]

Weekly “What is it?”: Passionflower

I’m not sure if you’ve ever stared at a plant for 15 minutes and tried to count and identify all the insects on it, but I can attest it’s not easy! That is exactly what I, and dozens of volunteers, did last Friday (August 23) as part of the Great Southeast Pollinator Census. Started in [&#8230;]

<a href="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/08/poll-count-.png"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-40353 lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" alt="" width="300" height="298" data-src="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/08/poll-count--300x298.png"></a>I’m not sure if you’ve ever stared at a plant for 15 minutes and tried to count and identify all the insects on it, but I can attest it’s not easy! That is exactly what I, and dozens of volunteers, did last Friday (August 23) as part of the <a href="https://gsepc.org/">Great Southeast Pollinator Census</a>.
<figure id="attachment_40355" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-40355" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/08/poll-kids-4.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-40355 lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" alt="" width="300" height="225" data-src="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/08/poll-kids-4-300x225.jpg"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-40355" class="wp-caption-text">Horticulture agent Beth Bolles assists two young volunteers as they count pollinators in the Extension Demonstration Garden. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension</figcaption></figure>
Started in Georgia in 2019, the idea of the census is to capture a snapshot of data to use as a baseline to understand how our pollinator populations are doing. The data can demonstrate any major changes or trends, like an increase or decrease in insect types or overall numbers from year to year. The census creators also hoped used the effort to teach the public about the importance of insects and increase their habitat. This year is the first time <a href="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/2024/08/01/video-great-southeast-pollinator-census-details/">Florida joined the effort</a>. Each year, the number of participants in the count has risen, with over 700,000 insects counted last year. Since the project’s inception, 2,500 new pollinator gardens have been planted because of the census.
<figure id="attachment_40357" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-40357" style="width: 225px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><a href="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/08/pollinator-info-2.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-40357 lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" alt="" width="225" height="300" data-src="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/08/pollinator-info-2-225x300.jpg"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-40357" class="wp-caption-text">An insect ID training sheet. Prepared by Escambia Extension</figcaption></figure>
The process is simple. Participating observers take a few minutes to look over some identification charts, and are given a checklist that includes photos of the target insect types. Once the 15-minute clock starts, you just watch a section of flowers or a shrub and record how many insects land on the plant. Identification was kept at a basic level, starting with the largest carpenter bees with “shiny hineys” and bumblebees with “fuzzy rears.” Along with these were honeybees, smaller bees, wasps, flies, and butterflies/moths. On my particular observation shrub, a yellow buttercup bush (Turnera spp.), the carpenter bees reigned supreme. They could fit their entire chunky bodies inside the flower and dig in. After those, I counted dozens of small flies. They moved so quickly that I likely missed as many as I tallied, but they were definitely huge fans of the plant.
<figure id="attachment_40359" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-40359" style="width: 225px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/08/pollinator-hotel.png"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-40359 lazyload" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==" alt="" width="225" height="300" data-src="https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/files/2024/08/pollinator-hotel-225x300.png"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-40359" class="wp-caption-text">A pollinator hotel. Photo credit: UF IFAS</figcaption></figure>
When we think of pollinators, bees and butterflies are the first to come to mind for most of us. But we forget the underdogs (underbugs?); the less showy and more creepy critters, like <a href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/pollinators/animals/wasps.shtml">flies and wasps</a>. Pollinator wasps and flies very rarely sting, and are often quite shiny and colorful. They do a lot of important work for our ecosystems.
If you don’t have the space, time, or energy to plant a pollinator garden, you can also build or purchase a “<a href="https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/design/gardening-with-wildlife/pollinator-hotels/">pollinator hotel</a>” for these insects. The structures consist of numerous round tubes of different diameters—often made of cut bamboo—attached together, which allow insects of varying sizes to inhabit the houses.

I’m not sure if you’ve ever stared at a plant for 15 minutes and tried to count and identify all the insects on it, but I can attest it’s not easy! That is exactly what I, and dozens of volunteers, did last Friday (August 23) as part of the Great Southeast Pollinator Census.
Horticulture agent Beth Bolles assists two young volunteers as they count pollinators in the Extension Demonstration Garden. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension
Started in Georgia in 2019, the idea of the census is to capture a snapshot of data to use as a baseline to understand how our pollinator populations are doing. The data can demonstrate any major changes or trends, like an increase or decrease in insect types or overall numbers from year to year. The census creators also hoped used the effort to teach the public about the importance of insects and increase their habitat. This year is the first time Florida joined the effort. Each year, the number of participants in the count has risen, with over 700,000 insects counted last year. Since the project’s inception, 2,500 new pollinator gardens have been planted because of the census.
An insect ID training sheet. Prepared by Escambia Extension
The process is simple. Participating observers take a few minutes to look over some identification charts, and are given a checklist that includes photos of the target insect types. Once the 15-minute clock starts, you just watch a section of flowers or a shrub and record how many insects land on the plant. Identification was kept at a basic level, starting with the largest carpenter bees with “shiny hineys” and bumblebees with “fuzzy rears.” Along with these were honeybees, smaller bees, wasps, flies, and butterflies/moths. On my particular observation shrub, a yellow buttercup bush (Turnera spp.), the carpenter bees reigned supreme. They could fit their entire chunky bodies inside the flower and dig in. After those, I counted dozens of small flies. They moved so quickly that I likely missed as many as I tallied, but they were definitely huge fans of the plant.
A pollinator hotel. Photo credit: UF IFAS
When we think of pollinators, bees and butterflies are the first to come to mind for most of us. But we forget the underdogs (underbugs?); the less showy and more creepy critters, like flies and wasps. Pollinator wasps and flies very rarely sting, and are often quite shiny and colorful. They do a lot of important work for our ecosystems.
If you don’t have the space, time, or energy to plant a pollinator garden, you can also build or purchase a “pollinator hotel” for these insects. The structures consist of numerous round tubes of different diameters—often made of cut bamboo—attached together, which allow insects of varying sizes to inhabit the houses.

I’m not sure if you’ve ever stared at a plant for 15 minutes and tried to count and identify all the insects on it, but I can attest it’s not easy! That is exactly what I, and dozens of volunteers, did last Friday (August 23) as part of the Great Southeast Pollinator Census. Started in […]

Weekly “What is it?”: The Great Southeast Pollinator Census

Deng, Zhanao

African Violets

Violetas africanas 

Begonia

Begonias

Bougainvillea is a tropical vining shrub that comes in a wide array of bright and fanciful colors. The "flowers" are actually modified leaves, called bracts, that are long-lasting and bright. The colorful bracts outshine the plant's true (but tiny) flower, much like a poinsettia. For more information on Bougainvillea, see the UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions <a href="https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/ornamentals/bougainvillea/">Bougainvillea page</a>.

Bougainvillea

Buganvillas 

Chrysanthemums

Crisantemos

Geranium

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Florida gardeners can choose from a wide variety of bulbous plants that will thrive and produce beautiful flowers year after year with proper care. Bulbous plants have thickened underground storage organs which enable them to survive unfavorable environmental conditions. These underground organs are usually the propagative units of the plants.

Los jardineros de Florida pueden elegir entre una amplia variedad de plantas bulbosas que prosperar&aacute;n y producir&aacute;n hermosas flores a&ntilde;o tras a&ntilde;o con el cuidado adecuado. Las plantas bulbosas tienen &oacute;rganos de almacenamiento subterr&aacute;neos engrosados ​​que les permiten sobrevivir en condiciones ambientales desfavorables. Estos &oacute;rganos subterr&aacute;neos suelen ser las unidades de propagaci&oacute;n de las plantas.

Bulbs for Florida

Cultivos de bulbos en Florida 

Floriculture is that branch of horticulture dealing with the production of field-grown or greenhouse-grown plants for their flowers or showy leaves. [<a href="https://lod.nal.usda.gov/nalt/30902">NALT</a>] [<a href="http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_16488">AGROVOC</a>]

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