floridanativeplant

Hidden Waters Preserve

Once known as the Eichelberger Sink, this 90-acre preserve located near Eustis is managed by Lake County Water Authority. Hidden Waters Preserve was established in 1996 to protect the water seepage and Lake Alfred where water slowly seeps into the aquifer.

Hidden Waters Preserve offers 6 trails ranging from 2 miles to 15 miles. Hike the meandering paths through sandhill restoration areas. Notice the newly planted Long-leaf pines and the gopher tortoises who make their burrows there. Water flowing from a seepage slope offers the opportunity to discover various plants and ferns.

The elevational difference between the top of the sink and the bottom is 110 feet. Explore the depression marsh and lake at the bottom of the sink where you will find a variety of plants and wading birds. Bird watchers will be happy to discover some of the more than 35 birds on this designated FWC Statewide Birding Trail.

For more information and trail maps click here: https://www.lcwa.org/land_resources/open_preserves.php

Photo Credit: Dan Kon

 

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Butterfly Weed

Butterfly weed, Asclepias tuberosa, is also known as Butterfly milkweed. It is the most popular native species of milkweed in Florida. This hardy perennial grows 1-2 feet tall and is abundant throughout Florida. Its bright orange flowers bloom in late summer through fall and attract a variety of pollinators.

Butterfly weed is readily available at native plant nurseries. Once established, it thrives in dry, sandy soil in sun or part shade. Monarchs rely on milkweeds in the genus Asclepias for their survival since it is the only plant monarch caterpillars will eat. Plant some in your wildflower garden to attract butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds.

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Ironweed

Ironweed (Vernonia gigantea) is a Florida native and can be a beautiful addition to your wildflower garden. Ironweed grows 3-10 feet tall, can be planted in partial shade or sun, and blooms from July through October. Butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees love this pollinator perennial. As its name suggests, ironweed is a tough plant with deep-set roots and seeds that spread easily in your garden. Be prepared to prune and maintain to keep this beauty in check.

Look for Ironweed growing in the wild where the soil is moist. You may also see this hardy plant along the side of the road or a stream as well as in the woods, prairies, savannas, and grasslands.

Photo Credit: Aymee Laurain

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Leavenworth’s tickseed

Leavenworth’s tickseed Coreopsis leavenworthii

The Leavenworth’s tickseed is an endemic flower that provides food for several pollinators. It can usually be found in pine flatwoods where the soil is dry but can adapt to other regions. Here we have pictures with a species of fruitfly, Dioxyna picciola, and a Green sweat bee, Agapostemon splendens. Most flowers are produced in spring but flowers can be found year-round. Have you spotted these beauties anywhere around the state?

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Pickerelweed

 

Pickerelweed, Pontederia cordata, is a Florida native and is found throughout the state in shallow wetland areas, edges of lakes, marshes, and ponds. These plants have shiny green blade-shaped leaves and emerge in the springtime from under the water level. They will grow about 3 to 5 feet tall and flower with 3 to 4-inch purple-blue flower spikes. The individual flowers will only last one day but the plant will flower from spring through fall.

Pickerelweed is very important ecologically. The underwater portion of this plant provides habitats for micro and macroinvertebrates. These invertebrates are a food source for many animals and fish. Above the water, the flowers attract local pollinators such as butterflies, dragonflies, and bees, Once the flowers die the plant will bear fruit with seeds. The seeds are a treat for ducks who will at times, eat the whole plant. Pickerelweed holds and stabilizes the banks of the water bodies that they surround.

Pickerelweed would be a natural beauty when planted on the edge of man-made ponds in parks and HOAs, and on golf courses and other public places. Advocating for pickerelweed and other native aquatic plants would benefit pollinators and underwater species while beautifying your neighborhood naturally.

Fun fact – Pickerelweed’s fruit contains a nutritious seed that can be eaten by humans straight from the plant. The dried seed can be boiled, roasted, or ground into flour. Young leaves have been eaten in salads.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Canaveral National Seashore

Playalinda Beach at Canaveral National Seashore

Imagine spending a day at the seashore, a day free of condos, hotels, and tourists. A day where you can be one with nature in a place where you feel the power of the ocean, hear the pounding of the waves and share all of that glory with only your friends and the wildlife who make their home there.

There is a little-known gem in Florida known as Playalinda Beach. It is a part of Canaveral National Seashore. Take a trip to Titusville, go east on Garden Street, and continue driving east until you reach the beach. The ocean is not visible from your car. As you drive parallel to the ocean, you will see sand dunes on your right. There are 13 parking areas, each with its own boardwalk. Any of the boardwalks will lead you over the sand dunes where the ocean in all of its magnificence will appear before your eyes.

There you will meet some of the 310 species of birds found at Canaveral National Seashore, including migratory birds, who will enjoy the beach with you. If you are lucky, you may meet a loggerhead, green or leatherback sea turtle who makes her nest in the sand or hatchlings as they make their way to the ocean. Enjoy your day swimming, surfing, sunbathing, fishing, and bird watching.

Stop along the way to or from the beach and explore by car or on foot, some of Canaveral National Seashore ecosystems. These include a barrier island, offshore waters, lagoon, coastal hammock, and pine flatwoods. Outdoor experiences include canoeing, kayaking, boating, hiking, camping, and historical trails.

There is an abundance of wildlife and wildflowers at Cape Canaveral National Seashore. Keep your eyes open for bobcats, raccoons, and more. Look for beautiful flowers and the pollinators among them. We hope you encounter some of the threatened species who make their homes there. You may see Florida scrub-jays, Southern bald eagles, wood storks, peregrine falcons, eastern indigo snakes, and manatees.

Take a day, or two, or three, and immerse yourself in the beauty of natural Florida, the way nature intended it to be.

 

 

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Florida Jujube

The Florida Jujube (Ziziphus celata) is a shrub that can grow 6 feet tall. It is nearly extinct. This plant is endemic to central Florida. Jujube prefers to grow in open sunny areas prone to fire.

The Florida jujube once occupied sand scrubs as well as longleaf pine and wiregrass savannahs. Much of these areas have been lost to citrus orchards and residential development. Jujubes are drought and fire-tolerant. They can resprout vegetatively following a fire. Fire suppression has undoubtedly contributed to its rarity as broad-leafed trees shade them out.

The Florida Jujube has small, rounded leaves and orange fruits. The branches all have sharp, distinctive thorns. The fragrant blooms are pale yellow and are attractive to bees, butterflies, and birds. Jujube fruit is similar in taste and texture to an apple when ripe and similar to raisins when they dry. The bush-like tree is a heavy producer of fruit that ripens from December to March.

Sadly, this interesting native plant is listed as endangered by the U.S. and state of Florida. This status is due to habitat destruction of the remaining and rare scrub habitat it needs to thrive. Efforts are being made to protect Florida jujube and the rare scrub habitat it is found in. Because Extinct is Forever.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Manchineel

Manchineel (Hippomane mancinella) grows in the Florida Keys and Everglades. Every part of the manchineel tree is poisonous. A milky sap oozes from this tree and its leaves. The greenish-yellow apple-like fruit is poisonous. This tree is so toxic that if a leaf brushes across your face it can cause temporary or permanent blindness. To some this tree is fatal. It is classified by the Guinness World Book of Records as the most dangerous tree in the world. When a tree is located it is marked with a warning to keep people away from it.

The Manchineel can grow as high as 50 feet. It can be found along the coast in brackish water. This tree is endangered but grows in clusters when encountered.
Its roots prevent erosion and it serves as a natural windbreak.

The Manchineel does not depend on birds and animals to spread its seeds. It drops its fruit and nearby water carries the buoyant fruit until eventually the fruit rots and it spreads its seeds.

The Manchineel is sometimes known as the beach apple. Early Spanish explorers called it, la manzanilla de la muerte, which translates to “the little apple of death,” or as Arbol de la Muerte, “tree of death.” Legend says that the tip of the arrow that killed Ponce de Leon was dipped in the sap of the Manchineel. If you ever encounter this tree do not touch it or breathe near it. Quickly move away from it.

Photo credit: Beach apple picture UF IFAS Blogs
We believe this picture was taken with a long lens camera

 

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Buttonbush

Buttonbush

A Florida Native, buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) blooms in late spring and throughout the summer. The blossoms of the buttonbush shrub resemble a pincushion more than they resemble a button. The blooms are 1 to 1 1/2 inches in diameter and have a pleasant fragrance. They attract a variety of insects including butterflies, moths, bees, and wasps.

Buttonbush is an understory shrub and will grow 4-8 feet wide and can reach heights of 20 feet. They are commonly found in marshes, swamps, sloughs, and ponds and are used for nesting by many bird species. In the fall, the buttonbush will produce bright red fruits. Seeds are enjoyed by ducks, jays, cardinals, titmice, mockingbirds, and warblers.

Buttonbush is available at many native nurseries and will flourish in wetlands and on wetland edges.

Photo Credit: Aymee Laurain.

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