25 Years of Protecting Pollinators!

As Pollinator Week (June 22-28) approaches, we’re celebrating 25 years of supporting Florida’s powerful pollinators!

It’s no exaggeration to say pollinators are essential to life on earth! From sustaining agricultural production to facilitating plant reproduction in local ecosystems, they deserve far more than appreciation; they deserve our protection. For 25 years, we’ve worked to provide educational resources and support the creation of pollinator pathways in urban environments to sustain Florida’s bees, butterflies and other pollinating insects. Get to know our native pollinators and how you can support them in your own landscape here!

Pollinators and wildflowers depend on one another — and both depend on people who care. A gift to the Florida Wildflower Foundation helps us educate residents, support native plantings and inspire conservation efforts that benefit pollinators across the state. Donate today!

Seedlings for Schools Grant Recipients

We are pleased to announce that 50 Florida schools have been awarded our Seedlings for Schools grant this year. Each school will receive 30 native wildflower seedlings at the start of the 2026–27 school year to establish a campus wildflower garden.

Photo: Students from John I Leonard High School (a 2025–26 Seedlings for Schools grant recipient) pose with their garden.

Photo provided by Lorin West.

Gardening with the Next Generation

Last month, the Foundation funded and helped organize the planting of a native plant garden with America’s Youth in Fernandina Beach. The garden will give the kids who participate in their after-school and summer programs a hands-on opportunity to learn about local plant communities and the pollinators that sustain them.

Photo: Planting day, courtesy of America's Youth

Garden Spotlight: Albertus Cottage

The Albertus Cottage Wildflower Garden in Orange City beautifully demonstrates the ideals of our Viva Florida grant program, bringing new life to this historic community landmark. Led by the Village Improvement Association (VIA) Orange City Woman's Club, in partnership with Orange City and Mockingbird Native Nursery, the landscape has been transformed from a lifeless lawn into a vibrant native wildflower demonstration garden that draws in pollinators and people alike.

Get to know the garden here!

Photo: Wildflowers thriving at Albertus Cottage, by Leah Brooks

Taxonomy Update: A Hibiscus by Any Other Name

Summer in Florida brings the beautiful, iconic blooms of our native hibiscus and mallows. But this year, something will be a little different: their taxonomic designations. Recent research has led to six of our Hibiscus species being reclassified into two genera, Muenchhusia and Sabdariffa.

Learn more and find a guide to the updated nomenclature here.

Photo: Comfortroot, previously known as Hibiscus aculeatus, is now Sabdariffa aculeata. Photo by Emily Bell

Thank You and Farewell to Marina Mertz

Next month, we say goodbye to Marina Mertz, our Roadsides and North Florida Programs Coordinator. Marina joined the Foundation a little over three years ago as a contractor for the Panhandle roadsides program, advancing to program coordinator in 2024. In this relatively short time, she has transformed our statewide wildflower roadsides efforts — launching the Wildflower Watcher program to engage new volunteers, building a more robust data collection protocol, and completing numerous county surveys. She was also integral in developing our newest grant program, Seeds of Knowledge, and has led our thriving Bee City USA partnership with Gainesville.

"Marina is a true self-starter who brought fresh energy and new ideas to every program she touched. Her calm presence and genuinely warm spirit made her a joy to work with — for our team and for everyone she engaged on behalf of FWF. She will be greatly missed." — Stacey Matrazzo, Executive Director

We wish Marina all the best in her new endeavors.

Florida Native Seed Partnership News

Don't miss our July quarterly bulletin! The Florida Native Seed Partnership's next quarterly bulletin will be distributed on July 1. The bulletin includes Partnership updates, educational resources, survey opportunities and the latest news impacting Florida's native seed industry.

Interested in joining our mailing list? Email ARieman@FlaWildflowers.org to subscribe.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Pollinator Palooza is Coming Up!

We’re closing out Pollinator Week with one of our favorite annual celebrations — Pollinator Palooza! This fun, family-friendly event, hosted by the Florida Museum of Natural History's McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, features a native plant giveaway and opportunities to learn about Florida’s native pollinators.

Join us on Saturday, June 27 from noon until 4 pm at First Magnitude Brewing Company in Gainesville.

Find the full details here.

Wednesday, July 15, 2-3pm

Women in Florida Field Botany: 1872-1971

Presented Dr. Alan Franck, Florida Museum’s Herbarium Collections Manager, and University of Florida Bachelor of Science Student, Serenity Mettler.

People like Alvan W. Chapman and John K. Small figure prominently in early Florida botany. Often overlooked are many women who made significant contributions in Florida field botany, such as Mary C. Reynolds, Eleanor Scull, Lucia McCulloch, Mary F. Baker, Lillian Arnold, Mary Agnes Chase, Helen Butts Correll, Ruth Schornherst Breen, Olga Lakela and others. This talk will explore their work and bring them back into the story.

Saturday July 25, 9am-1pm

Deep Creek

Putnam County

Join us for an exciting experience wading in the tannic waters of Deep Creek to see a rare southern population of Atlantic white cedar (Chamaecyparis thyoides). A major tributary of the Ocklawaha River in Putnam County, Deep Creek has national botanical significance, with ten listed plant species and several others at the southern extent of their ranges.

Florida Wildflower Foundation members can register for this field trip starting on Thursday, June 25. General registration opens Thursday, July 2. Become a Florida Wildflower Foundation member today for early access!

Wednesday, August 19, 2-3pm

Get to Know Florida's Common Aquatic Plants

Presented by Dr. Nia Wellendorf, Aquatic Ecologist

If you are like many outdoorsy Floridians, you enjoy paddling in our majestic spring runs and abundant lakes, or walking wetland boardwalks at local parks. Have you ever wondered what plants you see? Florida is home to a fascinating variety of aquatic plants, including “lily pads” carnivorous plants and flashy flowering jewels. Join Nia Wellendorf for this tour of Florida’s most common aquatic plants.

Thursday August 13, 10am-12pm

Tour of the University of Florida Herbarium

The University of Florida Herbarium is the botanical collection of the Florida Museum of Natural History. It contains over 510,000 plant specimens from all continents, including the largest collection of Florida native plant species. The tour will be led by curator Lucas Majure, collection manager Alan Franck, and extension botanist Marc Frank.

Florida Wildflower Foundation members can register for this field trip starting on Thursday, July 16. General registration opens Thursday, July 23. Become a Florida Wildflower Foundation member today for early access!

Check out our calendar for a full listing of upcoming events across the state!

Members make a difference!

Thank you to all the members who joined or renewed in May. Your support helps create habitat in schools and urban areas, spread wildflowers on roadsides, and educate people of all ages about the importance of native plants and the pollinators that depend on them.

New Members

Maria Aguilar, Amelia's Native Wildflowers, LLC, Samantha Atkins, Seth Bancroft, Julie Bird, Christy Busse, Christina Calsi, Laura Campbell, Susan Carr, Karen Ciani, Cold Wet Noses LLC, Sandra Cole, Sally Cooey, Jo Copeland, Elena Dismukes, Adryon Domenico, Elizabeth Escobar, Delmar Evans, Lysbet Evans, Nicole Ferguson, Siris Fernandez, Claudia Figueroa, Cheryl Gould, Cathy Jo Gregory, Elizabeth and R Dean Hautamaki, Josh and Dee Anna Hays, Angela Johnston, Lisa Karel, Kate Keith, Wendy Lance, Melissa Lau, Sara Lorette, Linda-Lee Malone, Mariners Pass Homeowners Association, Nikki Murphy, Kristie Norris, Madison Pena, Sherri Reaume, Cindy Robert, Marisela Rodriguez, Monica Rojas, Nathan Saint, Aimee Scott, India Slayton, Jennifer Svihra, Rebecca Troop, Maya Wakeman, Esther Whitcomb, Brenda Wise, Leydi Wong He, Cathy Wrigley, Ramona Yasmin Pena

Renewing Members

Janice Broda and Robert Bruce, Jade Cave, Marcie Clutter, Christine Galanopoulos, Garden Club of Orange Park, Sherrie Gill, Jim Hathaway, Michael Johnson, Ramona Johnston, Jan Mangos, Joanne Marsh, Rayanne Mitchell, Susan Mitchell, Santa Rosa County Master Gardener Association, Space Coast Audubon, Susan Stevenson, Leslie Yates

Want to see your name on the list? Join Team Wildflower today!

Florida Wildflower Foundation | Website