Last month we focused on the 2025 Great Southeast Pollinator Census and how Florida residents and visitors could join in this citizen scientist project. Since this was only the second year Florida participated, we knew you would have lots of great questions!
Below is a recap of your inquiries and any references the panelists shared in case you wanted to dig deeper into the topic.
What is the Great Southeast Pollinator Census (GSEPC) and what is the data used for? The pollinator census brings awareness of pollinators, encourages people to create habitat, and collects information that can be used to create baseline numbers and compare the population growth or decline over time.
How to identify bees, wasps, and other pollinators I see?
Luckily, you do not have to identify these insects to species – you only have to classify them into broad categories. Resources to help you spot key characteristics can be found here: Bees of Florida Pollinator Census Google Site
What time of day should I count?
Mornings and evenings are a great time to count because it is comfortable for the counter but also consider that time of day will affect the insects seen. For instance, many moths and beetles are active at night while honey bees are active during the day. Basically, there is no wrong time to count!
Will we be able to indicate which plants and whether or not they are native or non-native?
The GSEPC count sheet has a place for the plant name you are observing which can be common or scientific. There is not a designation on the form for native/non-native but if you use the scientific name that is easy to check when data is available. Great Southeast Pollinator Census Counting Sheet
How to best encourage neighbors to get involved? Print off some extra count sheets and invite people to join you or host a pollinator party!
What can we do to increase pollinators in our yards? Provide nesting habitats for native pollinators such as undisturbed bare ground, hollow stems, small debris piles, and pollinator hotels. Be sure to maintain pollinator hotels to encourage use.
Responsible use of pesticides – always read labels and avoid products with pollinator warnings. Pollinator Hotels
Plant diverse flowering plants to provide pollen and nectar and provide water resources. Simple Steps to Create a Pollinator Paradise in Your Landscape Provide Water for Pollinators
Are bumble bees a protected species?
There are almost 50 different bumble bee species in the United States, and not all live in Florida. Two are listed as protected species, one that occurs in Oregon and another in the Central Plains and may be in our area. The common species we see in Florida, American Bumble Bee and Eastern Bumble Bee are not currently listed as protected or endangered. Find a Species | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Resources for Schools and Home Schools Some public libraries have “Seed Libraries” and give out seed which may be appropriate for pollinators. Seedlings for Schools Grants
Balance of controlling pests in vegetable garden but still welcoming pollinators.
Be tolerant of damage! Regardless of your tolerance level of damage be sure to use Integrated Pest Management strategies which may include trap crops, cover crops, and scouting regularly so you can catch pests early and hand pick when possible. If a pesticide is needed, use very specific targeted products such as Bt, soaps, or oils instead of broad-spectrum pesticides. (Always ensure products are listed for use on vegetable gardens and follow labels). Pesticide Labeling – A Guide to Users
Do you need a license to keep honey bees?
A license is not required; however, all bee hives must be registered with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS). Beekeeper Registration– Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services UF/IFAS Research and Extension Honey Bee Lab has great resources for beekeepers!
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Sunflowers, Helianthus spp., are a great choice for gardeners who are looking for some cheerful color in their landscape. Here in Florida, we have the main ingredient for success, lots of sunshine!
Skyscraper Sunflower. Credit: Ray Bodrey, UF/IFAS Extension.
Sunflowers are short-lived annuals. A good average time between planting and bloom is roughly 65 days. You can typically plant sunflowers in Florida beginning in late winter until early fall. Only the coldest months are the issue, and for most years that’s only a couple of months for us. Sunflowers can be planted almost anywhere there is full sun. The major selling point to plant sunflowers is of course the impressive blooms (figure 1). These yellow to sometimes orange or red petaled flowers develop a central seed disc, with most varieties having approximately an 8” diameter in growth.
Skyscraper sunflowers planted in close pattern. Credit: Ray Bodrey, UF/IFAS Extension.
As for planting, you may choose to plant narrow rows and close seed spacing in order to cull less preforming plants later. A final row and seed spacing of 2’-3’ is recommended for full height and development of most varieties. However, you may choose to plant in a bed, using a close pattern as seen in figure 2. In any event, sunflowers are easy to propagate by seed and are very low maintenance. However, powdery mildew and spittle bugs can be a nuisance. A general garden fungicide and insecticide will help if problems occur.
Sunflowers, Helianthus spp. Credit: Ray Bodrey, UF/IFAS Extension.
Sunflowers are available in many varieties, which consists of different color blooms and plant sizes. These sizes range from dwarf (1’-3’) to tall (10’-15’) varieties (figure 2). You may wish to stake taller varieties at some point, as some plants will tend to lean with no wind break in place. Here’s a few gardening variety common names to look for: sunbright, sonja, sunrich lemon or orange and autumn beauty. Seed companies also have mixes available in packets. For tall plants, mammoth or skyscraper varieties exist.
Beach sunflower. Credit: Ralph Mitchell, UF/IFAS Extension.
If you are fond of the sunflower bloom and looking for a groundcover, there are a couple of native perennials that fit this category. Beach sunflower, Helianthus debilis or swamp sunflower, Helianthus angustifolius, are groundcovers/ornamentals for landscapes and thrive in dry, hot climates and in a range of soil types. They also are great pollinator attractors.
For more information, contact your local county extension office. Happy Gardening!
Beach sunflower is an attractive coastal plant that is well suited for many landscapes. The native plant can thrive in hot and dry spots where other plants may struggle. Learn more about Beach sunflower, Helianthus debilis, and how to use it in your landscape.
If you love wildflowers, the Fall season has so many plants for you to enjoy. We often think of wildflowers as those in natural settings, on roadsides, or in drainage spots. Here are a few wildflowers that make excellent landscape additions.
Goldenrods (Solidago spp.) are everywhere and the yellow blooms are stunning. If all the incorrect information about goldenrod as an allergy causing plant never existed (ragweed is the main culprit), we would see selections of goldenrod available in every commercial outlet. Many selections have an upright growth so add goldenrod against fences, in back of borders, or large clumps in sunny areas of your landscape.
Goldenrod as a landscape feature at Escambia Demonstration Garden. Photo by Beth Bolles, UF IFAS Extension Escambia County
If you have a moist area and love purple, Mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum) makes a wonderful fall blooming feature. Plants will colonize an area with running stems so it tends to form a large clump in moist soils. You may notice this in ditches on a drive around your county. The clusters of flowers look fluffy and will be present for many weeks in both full sun or partial shade.
A clump of mistflower in a moist plant bed. Photo by Beth Bolles, UF IFAS Extension Escambia County
For dry and well drained spots of your landscape, the Woody goldenrod (Chrysoma pauciflosculosa) is a good choice. The small shrub offers bright yellow fall flowers that extend above a 2 foot tall plant. Plants tend to be evergreen when in the right location and additional new seedlings will emerge each spring if your landscape is suited for this plant.
Woody goldenrod in a home landscape. Photo by Beth Bolles, UF IFAS Extension Escambia County
For those enhancing a butterfly garden, add Purple false foxglove (Agalinis purpurea), a host plant to the Buckeye butterfly. Plants grow well in our acidic well drained soils with a little moisture. Numerous tubular pink flowers occur in the Fall until a frost. Plants reseed well.
The Purple False Foxglove with vivid pink blooms in a natural setting. Photo by Beth Bolles, UF IFAS Extension Escambia County
If you love all the colors and variety of wildflowers, it is a good time for finding seeds and plants to grow your own. Native nurseries and online retailers carry a wide selection for all seasons and many are low maintenance enhancements for our home landscapes. Like any other ornamental or grass, be sure to match the wildflower with your specific growing conditions.
The ornate passionflower attracts human and insect attention, alike. Photo credit: Mike Clark
There are some things in nature that look so bizarre, so beautiful, or so ornate that one can scarcely believe they’re real. This was how I felt the first time I looked closely at a passionflower (Passiflora incarnata) bloom. Between the deep shade of purple, the squiggly intricate filaments of the “corona” above the petals, and the bright green stigma and ovary, it seemed like something from the imagination of Dr. Seuss.
A Gulf fritillary butterfly visits the passionvine in my yard. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension
Our vine is full of blooms right now, and every time I walk past the arbor I stop in admiration. I’m not the only one—the plant is covered up with Gulf fritillary butterflies, small orange and black near-mimics of monarchs. Like the monarch, they possess chemical defense mechanisms that make them taste bad to would-be predators. Fritillaries are so fond of passionvines as a nectar source that they are sometimes referred to as “passion butterflies.” Adult females frequently lay their eggs on the plant, as well.
Carpenter bees are big fans of the flower, digging for pollen throughout its bloom time. The leaves also attract pollinator insects; they have “extrafloral nectaries” that secrete a sugary substance at their bases, attracting bees and ants.
A carpenter bee visiting a passionflower. Photo credit: UF IFAS
Passionfruit are quite large for such a delicate vine—spherical, green, and about the size of a chicken egg. The plant is also known as a “maypop.” I’ve seen two explanations for this; the fruit’s skin is fairly thin, so it will respond with a satisfying “pop” if stepped on. Alternatively, the name could come from the idea that if the fruit drops into the soil and overwinters, a new vine will “pop” out of the ground the following May.
The passionfruit of the native Passiflora species. Photo credit: Mark Bailey, UF IFAS
The fruit is edible and has been prized for millennia as both a culinary and medicinal plant. Passion fruit juice has a strong, tropical flavor and contains fiber, vitamins A & C, and iron. It’s often used in jellies, ice cream, and other desserts. The pulp is edible raw, including the seeds. Most commercial production is in the equatorial regions of the world, particularly South America. Parts of Africa and Oceania produce it as well, along with more local sources in Florida, Puerto Rico, California, and Hawaii.
There are 500 varieties of Passiflora, with our native P. incarnata being one of the most cold-hardy of the varieties. The genus and common name “Passion” reference an early association of the flower with the crucifixion of Christ, with the flower parts imbued with symbolism and used by early Spanish missionaries to teach religious concepts to indigenous people in the Americas.
Two years ago, the Escambia Master Gardener Volunteers were gifted with the flowering perennial Sweet Almond bush (Aloysia virgata). It has quickly become a favorite plant of volunteers and garden visitors due to its many attractive features.
Although, Sweet almond bush is not a Florida native, it is Florida-friendly plant for zones 8b -10b. Plants grow very large, from 6-10 feet with branching that can spread out in all directions. In North Florida, plants can be damaged by a freeze but either return from the base or from growing points higher on branches.
One of the best features are the fragrant white flowers spikes that will be present late spring through fall. Many types of pollinating insects will be attracted to the flowers, although sometimes flowers are too high on the plant for many of us to get a good look at pollinator details.
Sweet almond bush blooms. Photo by Beth Bolles, UF IFAS Extension Escambia County
We have plants both in full sun and partial shade that are performing well in the Escambia Demonstration Gardens. Plants do receive water when rainfall is lacking for about 5-7 days (or all of August this year in the Northwest Panhandle). You can shape your plant with a little light pruning during the growing season to keep branches a little more in bounds. Don’t forget to start a few new plants from these cuttings and then share a low maintenance plant with your neighbors.
Last month we focused on the 2025 Great Southeast Pollinator Census and how Florida residents and visitors could join in this citizen scientist project. Since this was only the second year Florida participated, we knew you would have lots of great questions!
