I spent a good amount of time in the many natural areas around the Myakka River this spring. Some of it was for direct plantings on our Myakka Headwaters Preserve, but much of my time was spent viewing the grand show the floodplains put on yearly, a transcendental performance at Myakka River State Park. I hope at some point you’ve seen the charismatic Florida tickseed (Coreopsis floridana) blanketing swaths of the Myakka River corridor and across the state. Flowers of various Coreopsis species can be found blooming all over Florida, and are collectively our state wildflower. Why choose one species when we could choose the whole genus?
For some of my students, this was the first time they’d seen so many wildflowers blooming at once. The vibe always goes from raucous as we disembark, to pensive as the scale of the landscape comes into focus, then explosively excited as the reality sets in that we’re standing in front of a grand vista. They’re in the Instagram post. It always brings me back to my first experience with what felt like a boundless landscape of gold against the hammock’s deep green backdrop. It completely replaced my concept of what exemplifies Florida. There’s a magic to native landscapes when we see the forest, trees, and flowers.
But when the hikes are over, and the mood turns sour because we’re all sweaty but don’t want to leave, a question emerges: “When will we get to see this again?” Beyond the logistics and the part where the river will eventually be exactly where the flowers are by the time school starts, a series of questions lie underneath. There are live oaks in our neighborhoods, but where are the butterfly orchids and resurrection ferns? Why haven’t I seen a baby pine tree before? Why can’t I see tickseed just anywhere?
Our friends at the various UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF-IFAS) Extension offices in our service area offer a wide array of resources about planting more native plants just about everywhere, but none of that is possible without one pivotal source: native plant nurseries. There is a market for native plants that set the stage for the show of a lifetime every year in yards, containers, and even raised beds! Ethically sourced and expertly raised, native plant nurseries are trying to spread the “plants from the park” to our neighborhoods and homes.
Local native nurseries vary in scale but are consistently charismatic: Our pals at the Florida Native Plants Nursery east of Fruitville have been a consistent and enthusiastic provider of native plants for public and private events. Not only do they have a nursery you can visit and buy all native plants, but sometimes, there’s a cute dog there! Out in Desoto County, Sandhill Native Growers have not only been growing trees for us from the seeds our land stewards collect on protected lands, but they also are bravely willing to show local kids the awesome work they do on-site. There’s a dog there, too! Stocking Savvy in Sarasota not only grows native plants from seed but works with HOAs to plant natives in both uplands and aquatic areas all over the state. They don’t have a dog, but I’m sure having one is not off the table.
One thing that motivates me is watching others see and genuinely understand the nature in front of them at any scale. The grandiose magic of Myakka in bloom can last a while, but there’s something special about finding small reminders of that magic all over town, all year round. A tickseed in the yard is worth two on Instagram. Planting native plants not only supports our ecosystem and the local economy but helps to remind us that we all can see the magic of nature; we may just have to do a little magic ourselves.
