Tag: Exotic Species

Invasive Plants in Florida: A Primer

Over 10,000 species of plants are growing in the state of Florida. About 3,000 of these are native. About 10 percent of those native species are endemic or widespread to specific habitats. According to the Florida Invasive Species Partnership (FISP), an invasive species is defined as an organism (plant, animal, fungus or bacterium) that is…Read more

Bamboo: The Lazy Summer Day’s Fishing Pole

Temperatures are on the rise and school will be out in a few weeks. While the official start of summer 2021 is still weeks away, that summer feeling is growing in every corner of panhandle Florida. For both the young and the young at heart, one of the traditional pastimes is to spend idle hours…Read more

An Idea for the Garden: Flowering Bulbs

The early weeks of spring have been filled with nature’s heralds in north Florida as they announce the return of warmer weather in a nearly infinite variety of ways. Butterflies have returned, frogs and toads harmonize at night, and leaves have emerged on deciduous plants and trees, obscuring the surrounding terrain’s details. Many native annuals…Read more

Swarming Bees: In the Market for a New Home

Spring is the season for moving to a new location in the panhandle that offers many benefits, but a few challenges too.  The big question is where is the best relocation site offering all the amenities needed with the prospects of improving one’s situation? Efficient shelter from the elements is always on the top of…Read more

Laurel Wilt: A Threat to Florida’s Trees

All botanical signs indicate Spring 2021 will begin in a few weeks. Plants are budding all over the panhandle with a notable exception. Many red bay trees remain in what appears to be winter’s grip of dormancy. Unfortunately, most will never reawaken.  One little insect in the Xyleborini tribe of beetles has been destroying bay…Read more