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Wildflower area along Florida Turnpike in Broward County. Photo courtesy of Florida's Turnpike Enterprise, Florida Department of Transportation.

Economic Impact of using more native plants on our roadways

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) released a study in March 2014 concluding that roadside vegetation in the state highway system should be viewed as an asset, the value of which can be greatly improved through the use of sustainable […]

Monarch Butterflies nectaring on Swamp Milkweed. Photo by Peg Urban.

Save our Monarchs: Plant Native Milkweed

  The monarch butterfly is one of our most easily recognized butterflies and well known for its long migration across North America. Unfortunately, the loss of natural habitat, in particular native milkweeds, has resulted in dwindling monarch populations vulnerable to […]

Coreopsis field

Why Local Matters: Ecotypes & Provenance

A fundamental selling point for native plants is that they are naturally adapted to the place they occur – the soils, climate, natural water regime (not sprinkler systems), and surrounding plants, animals, insects and other organisms. This natural adaptation makes […]

palamedes swallowtail caterpillar on red bay leaf

Bringing Nature Home: Why Native Plants Matter

The science is in. If you want birds, butterflies and other wildlife, you need native plants. What does the extinction crisis have to do with our yards? As it happens, a lot. And to a great extent, we have Dr. […]