It’s that time of year when you bump into a bumble bee and watch butterflies fluttering around as you water the garden. If you’re like me, you’ve been waiting patiently for butterflies to start laying their eggs. Butterflies and moths lay eggs on specialized plants that caterpillars depend on once they hatch. These host plants provide caterpillars with food, shelter, and protection- and they can be anything from a small weed to a tall oak tree.
Freshly hatched Gulf fritillary on passionflower
Monarch butterfly on echinacea
While host plants feed caterpillars, nectar plants feed butterflies. Host plants are specific to each butterfly or moth, while nectar plants attract and feed many different species. Provide a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors of flowering plants to attract different butterflies. To support all life stages of butterflies it’s important to have both host and nectar plants in your garden.
Keep an eye out for signs of caterpillars on your host plants and remember that these plants are meant to be eaten! Because caterpillars feed exclusively on their host plants, they won’t harm the rest of your landscape. Before you reach for pesticides when you see leaf damage, take a moment to identify what’s causing it. It may just be hungry caterpillars getting ready to transform into butterflies. For more information see this EDIS publication about butterfly gardening in Florida, https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/UW057.
Zebra longwing caterpillar on passionflower
Want to support both caterpillars and butterflies with one plant? Try passionflower! Florida is home to 6 native species of passionflower. Maypop or wild passionflower, Passiflora incarnata, is the showiest of these. Flowers of pink and purple cover the passionflower from the summer to fall, offering nectar for bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. Passiflora species are host plants for the zebra longwing and gulf fritillary caterpillars.
A male bluebird perches on his nest box at the Extension office. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension
“Don’t fly, Mister bluebird, I’m just walkin’ down the road. Early morning sunshine, tell me all I need to know.” These lyrics from the Allman Brothers’ song, “Blue Sky” always come to mind when I step outside our office building in the springtime. We have several bluebird houses installed on the Extension grounds, and birds have been busily building nests the last several weeks. Despite my attempts to admire from a safe distance, I inevitably disturb them and they fly off.
The Eastern Bluebird (Siala sialis) is a native species of cavity nesting bird, which covers territory from central Canada all the way south to Texas and coastal Florida. The United States is home to two other native bluebirds, the Mountain bluebird (S. currucoides), residing in high plains from Alaska to the mountain southwest, and Western bluebird (S. mexicana), which lives in drier evergreen forests on the west coast, from southern Canada to Baja Mexico. In comparison photos, the bluebird species have redder bellies on the east coast and are progressively bluer as you move west.
American bluebird species comparison. Courtesy Cornell Lab of Ornithology
A pair of bluebirds perched atop our office building. A grayer-feathered (likely female) bird can be seen on the left, near the deeper blue male on the right. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension
Bluebirds’ striking color patterns make them a favorite of amateur birdwatchers and one of the easiest birds to identify in the field. Their brilliant blue is a trick of the eye, though—in reality, birds are unable to produce blue feathers. Flamingos and roseate spoonbills produce genuine pink feathers using pigments from their food (like shrimp), but bluebirds are actually gray. As described by Smithsonian wildlife biologist Scott Sillett, the blue is a “structural color” formed by the angles of sunlight and refraction from keratin, creating the illusion of a brilliant blue. I’ve always thought bluebirds seemed brighter blue on sunny, blue-sky days—turns out they probably are!
Like bluebirds, numerous native bird species are cavity-nesters. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension
Bluebirds have overcome numerous threats to their populations over the last few hundred years in the United States. From habitat loss, fire ants (which attack nestlings), pesticides, and competition from introduced house sparrows and European starlings, bluebirds struggled for quite some time. Thankfully, their populations are now actually increasing and they are a “species of least concern.”
I noted about a year ago that someone in my neighborhood installed half a dozen bluebird boxes in our neighborhood park, and I’m betting that trend is multiplied exponentially around the country. Eastern bluebirds are a species of thrush, and are just one of many species that might utilize a nest box. In the wild, they are secondary cavity nesters. This means they wait for a primary cavity nester, like a woodpecker, to create a hole, then move in after it’s been abandoned. So, they are quite content to move into a prefabricated home built by humans.
A bluebird forages for insects on the ground. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson, UF IFAS Extension
From ancient Chinese, Russian, and Native American mythology to folklore and music of the deep South, bluebirds hold a special place in the human imagination. The song and phrase “bluebird of happiness” reflects their cheery appearance and simple joy. In a quick online search of bluebird references in popular culture, I found more than 25 in the last 100 years. Something about the impossibility of a brilliant blue little bird on a spring day just feels uplifting and joyful. Even in the wistful song from the Wizard of Oz, Dorothy sings, “Somewhere over the rainbow, bluebirds fly.”
Since so many people are asking questions about alternatives to lawns, I wanted to provide an update on the growth of Powderpuff Mimosa (Mimosa strigillosa) in my own home lawn. Almost a year ago, I made a video about using this native plant as a companion plant in an existing North Florida lawn. You may view the video if you missed it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NxKdN74jVs. Almost a year later, I am very happy with the spread of this plant through the lawn area and the beautiful blooms that offer interest in the lawn.
If you are considering this plant as a lawn companion in North Florida, realize that the foliage will often die back with a freeze. I did have a couple of small bare spots through winter. I could see the running stems of the mimosa but it did not have any foliage. That is one of the reasons why the plant is best as a companion plant instead of the main lawn feature in North Florida. You must also be considerate of the neighbor’s property if your planting area is on the border. Talk to your neighbor first about the strong possibility of the mimosa growing across a property line and if that is ok. My lawn area is bordered by many feet of mulched beds so that is not an issue for my planting. Like I mentioned in the video, I do have to edge the mimosa at the mulch beds where I don’t want it growing into other plants and groundcovers.
One last practice that I do have with the mimosa is hand pulling any weeds that I don’t want growing in it. I have a few rushes and some of the annual chamberbitter that will pop up. Some of the traditional weed management techniques that are acceptable for turfgrasses, will not be appropriate for mimosa. Consider carefully if you will be able to tolerate a few weeds or if you can commit to hand pulling a few here and there.
Mimosa will look different than your turfgrass. Photo by Beth Bolles, UF IFAS Extension Escambia County.
If you determine that your lawn or landscape is suitable for Powerpuff mimosa, you may look for plants at a native nursery. We have a couple of good native nursery options in the western Panhandle and you may be able to find plants throughout North Florida. There is also seed available through wildflower cooperatives. If you have a friend with some, you can always start a tray from a few cuttings too.
Mowing a lawn. Photo Credit: University of Florida/IFAS
Mowing a lawn isn’t always as simple as making sure there’s gas in the mower. Lawns are alive, and treating turfgrass without care can cause problems in the long run. To make sure your lawn is healthy, follow these guidelines.
Know your turfgrass! Different grasses need to be mowed at different heights. Even the specific variety or cultivar can make a difference, but in general, bahiagrass should be cut to 3-4 inches, bermudagrass to ½ – 1½ inches, centipedegrass to 1½ – 2 inches, zoysiagrass to 2 – 2 ½ inches, and St. Augustinegrass to 2 ½ – 4 inches. Dwarf or finer-leaved varieties are usually cut lower and more often than taller grasses.
Mow regularly enough to avoid removing more than 1/3 of grass blade height at one time. This makes sure the plant is not overly stressed and can recover from mowing quickly and efficiently, as well as promoting deeper root systems.
Sharpen mower blades when they start to become dull. Freshly cut grass that has a ragged or torn appearance is a good sign that it’s time to sharpen the blade.
Pick up debris such as twigs before mowing to avoid damage to the mower blade.
Avoid mowing if grass is wet. Dew in the early morning or water from irrigation or rainfall will cause grass to clump and stick.
In uneven lawns, take care to avoid scalping grass when pushing a mower over inclined areas.
For a truly professional looking lawn, mow in different directions each time you mow. This can help to avoid forming wear patterns.
Leave clippings on the lawn rather than bagging them. Clippings break down over time, recycling nutrients and adding organic matter. Grass clippings typically do not contribute to thatch buildup. If clumps form, they can be broken up with a rake to evenly distribute the cut grass over the lawn.
Sweep clippings from hard, impervious surfaces to limit nutrient runoff.
Follow these guidelines and take care with other lawn management such as watering and irrigation, fertilization, and pest and disease control. You’ll have a great looking lawn before you know it!
A holly fern in the landscape. Photo Credit: Matt Lollar, University of Florida/IFAS Extension – Santa Rosa County
On a recent episode of Celebrity Jeopardy, one of the categories featured answers all about ferns. The category got me thinking about all the confusing things about ferns.
First of all, are ferns even plants at all? Yes, but there are some unique characteristics that make them stand out. Ferns are vascular plants like most all of our other landscape and house plants, but they do not produce flowers, fruits, and seeds like other vascular plants. Instead, they produce spores in small, round structures called sporangia that are usually on the undersides of leaves. Sporangia are also found on fungi and algae.
A pretty noticeable feature about ferns is their leaves. Fern leaves are called fronds which consist of many small leaflets called pinnae. Fronds have a feather-like appearance that give most ferns a fine texture that softens the landscape. Sterile, non-spore producing fronds called fiddleheads develop from the center of the plants in early spring. They are called fiddleheads because they are curled like the top of a fiddle when they first emerge. The fiddleheads of some fern species are prized by chefs for their delicate flavor and crunchy texture. Fertile, spore producing fronds develop later in the season.
A Japanese painted fern in the landscape. Photo Credit: Matt Lollar, University of Florida/IFAS Extension – Santa Rosa County
When grown outdoors, most ferns do best in spots that receive filtered light or a bit more shade. However, some species of ferns that are grown indoors may need a little more light. Ferns like high humidity environments which is why we usually see them growing in floodplains and in wetlands in the wild. Indoor ferns should be watered thoroughly whenever the soil surface begins to feel dry. Choose potting soils with a high percentage of peat moss for its moisture retaining properties. And make sure you don’t over-fertilize.
