by: Lara Miller, Natural Resource Agent
Jennifer Jones, Brooker Creek Preserve Intern
Wildflowers, field. UF/IFAS: Photos Thomas Wright
The Florida Wildflower Foundation defines a “Florida native wildflower” as any
flowering herbaceous species, or woody species with ornamental flowers, which
grew wild within the state’s natural ecosystems in the 1560s when Florida’s
first botanical records were created. Wildflowers are beautiful and can be the
perfect addition to your garden, but they can become weeds if they are growing
in the wrong place. Having wildflowers
in your yard can increase plant and animal diversity in your neighborhood
and can help support diverse wildlife, such as bees, butterflies, and
hummingbirds. Since plants and animals have evolved together, one often relies
on the other for survival. Herbivores often feast on the flowers, while their
nectar provides a food source to insects. The wildflowers also serve as shelter
for insect eggs. Because these flowers
have adapted to Florida’s climate and pests, they usually require less water,
fertilizer, and pesticides than other flowers.
If you are interested in learning more about
wildflowers please check out the Fall
Wildflower Festival at Brooker Creek Preserve this Saturday, October 27th,
2012 from 9:00am-4:00pm. This is a free event, held rain or shine! You will
have the opportunity to enjoy a walk-through tent with 500 plants and over 250 live butterflies! Come get up close and
personal with hundreds of butterflies and learn about their life cycle! There
will also be wildflowers for sale as well as a fun wildflower scavenger hunt!
The Friends of Brooker Creek look
forward to seeing you there!
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affecting our environment by following your Pinellas County Natural Resource
Extension Agent on Twitter.
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