What's in Bloom

Campanula floridana, Florida bellflower, is as the name implies, a Florida endemic! Look for it mixed in with blue-eyed grass on moist roadsides. Although the bloom is similar in shape and size to blue-eyed grass, it is much pinker, and the foliage is different, with small alternate, linear leaves.

In the "what the heck is that?" category, this greenish-flowered plant is Onosmodium virginianum, False Gromwell or Wild Job's Tears. This small population lives in the shade on the side of the road in East Hernando. Sid Taylor reports some by her mailbox in Citrus. To see a close up, click here.

Give a gift that gives on giving by purchasing a FNPS gift membership for only $25.00. For a membership form, visit http://www.fnps.org

Registration Now Open for Florida Native Plant Society’ Annual Conference, Estuaries to Uplands: Celebrating Florida's Native Plant Heritage, May 14-18, 2008, Manatee Convention Center - Palmetto, FL. To register on-line, visit http://www.fnps.org/ and click on Conference in the menu bar.

Conservation Corner
Legislative Alerts

The Legislature is in session, and it's time to let our representatives hear the voice of those they represent. Please consider sharing your views on the following bills. Click on the title for a pdf copy of the actual bill.

SB 402 (or HB 147) - Expediting Wetlands and stormwater permiting.This bill would require SWFWMD to process permitting within 30 days for "economic development projects." Need we say more?

HB 301 (or SB692) - Requiring State agencies and their vendors to Recycle

HB 1267, an act relating to protecting urban and residential environments and water, includes language directing local governments to adopt a "Florida Friendly Fertilizer Use on Urban Landscapes Model Ordinance." This bill can help keep the focus on continued improvement of Hernando's landscape ordinance.

FNPS Action Alert

Urgent message from FNPS President Shirley Denton & FNPS Conservation Chair, Eugene Kelly

The future of Florida’s land acquisition program, Florida Forever, is in the hands of our legislators right now. The annual legislative session has begun and they are discussing whether or not the program should be continued, and at what level of funding. Money is tight this year so there needs to be a strong push from the public in order to garner the support of the legislature and ensure funding.

Although the program does not officially sunset until 2010, all remaining funds have already been obligated and no new land purchases can be negotiated without action by the legislature. The current downturn in the real estate market has created opportunities that may never come again to protect critically important lands. We should not allow short-term budget shortfalls in state government to curtail the long-term benefits of protecting these lands when over $1 billion in bonding authority remains available.

We need immediate action in the form of telephone calls or letters to of your state legislator, senator, and Governor Crist expressing your support for this vital program. Contact information is available via the Action Alerts section of FNPS website home page at www.fnps.org or in your local telephone directory. You can also find a sample letter and a list of talking points on the website’s Policy Committee page under Programs. Additional information is available at www.supportfloridaforever.org.

April Program of the Hernando Chapter
Current Drought Effects in Florida

featuring Ed Hobin, Southwest Florida Water Management District
Monday April 7, 2008 – 7:00 pm
Hernando County Cooperative Extension Service

Over the last two years our rainfall deficit is more than 20 inches. Despite recent rains, a large deficit remains, and another dry summer will increase the impact of drought. Ed Hobin, Outreach Project Coordinator for SFWMD, will bring us expert knowledge on the current drought status in our state, and what effects these conditions have on human and ecological wellbeing. Mr. Hobin will also address what citizens can do to support water conservation efforts. With more than 33 years of experience working in water treatment plant operations and water management, he should know! Mr. Hobin joined the District in 1987 and served as the Director of Governmental Affairs and the Legislative Affairs Coordinator. Before that, Ed was program manager of the Florida Rural Water Association. He currently serves as a member of the Association's Board of Directors.

This presentation will be followed by a brief video of the presentation Karina Veaudry, FNPS Executive Director, made to the Hernando County Commission highlighting the benefits of landscaping with Florida native plants (see story below). Since up to 50% of Florida's water use goes to landscaping, and many of Florida's native plants are adapted to drought conditions, the potential for water savings are clear. When Karina visited our Chapter, she had to rush a bit through the landscaping portion of the show. This film will show us what we missed.

Drought will help us rethink lawn - thanks to All Natives Native Plant nursery for this fine example. This photo shows how homeowners can establish an attractive landscape that reduces water use, fertilizer, and pesticides at the same time. Hopefully, their neighbors will learn from example.

Monthly meetings and programs of the Hernando Chapter are open to the public, free of charge. They are held at the Hernando County Cooperative Extension Office – 19490 Oliver Street (next to the County Fairgrounds) in Brooksville. For more information about this program or the Florida Native Plant Society, contact Cindy Liberton, liberton@earthlink.net or (evenings) 352-583-2384.

Join the Hernando Chapter April 12
at Chinsegut Wildlife and Birding Festival

Join us at Chinsegut to celebrate Hernando's natural bounty! We can still use volunteers for the public education booth and plant sale. The following is a sneak preview of what we'll have on hand; quantities will be small, so if you intend to bring anything home with you, be early!

Sugarberry, Celtis laevigata
Florida elm, Ulmus americana var floridana
Magnolia, Magnolia grandifolia
Redbud, Cercis canadensis
Fl. Dogwood, Cornus florida
Bald Cypress, Taxodium distichum
Wax myrtle, Myrica cerifera
Red Mulberry, Morus rubra
Walter’s Viburnum, Viburnum obovatum
Simpson stopper, Myrcianthes fragrans
Coontie, Zamia pumila
Blue-eyed grass (blue and white forms), Sisyrinchium atlanticum
Fakahatchee grass, Tripsacum dactyloides
Lopsided Indian grass, Sorghastrum secundum
Privet cassia, Senna ligustrina
Beauty-berry, Callicarpa americana
Cardinal flower, Lobelia cardinalis
Greeneyes, Berlandiera subacaulis
Gaillardia, Gaillardia pulchella
Rosinweed, Silphium compositum
Passion vine, Passiflora incarnata
Sensitive plant, Mimosa strigillosa
Florida Paintbrush, Carphephorus corymbosus
Narrow-leaved sunflower, Helianthus angustifolius
Sneezeweed, Helenium flexuosum

Hernando Commissioners meet FNPS

On March 12, the Hernando County Commission got to know a bit more about Florida native plants, and their use in residential and commercial landscapes. Conservation Chair Mark Hutchinson had arranged for Karina Veaudry, FNPS Executive Director, to present a slideshow of good examples, and talk about how such landscaping could be a part of Hernando's future.

The slideshow was a community effort, compiled of pictures provided by All Native plant nursery, Debbie McKevitt, Barbara Thigpen, Kathleen East, Julie Wert, Bruce Vanderveen and Cindy Liberton. And a special thanks to Mark, who drove to Orlando to coordinate with Karina, and sat through the Commission meeting to support her. We also hear that they will show Karina's presentation on TV. Watch for this presentation on Bright House channel 622, the government channel in Hernando.

A Walk in the Woods with Bruce

by Bruce Vanderveen

Last Tuesday I took the morning off and went to the Withlacoochee State Forest. Looking for Spring flowers, I was not disappointed.

On the north side of Croom about 1/2 mile past the tower in an area that was burned about a year ago I found lots and lots of flowers. Blue Twinflower (Dyschoriste oblongifolia), Wild Petunia, Longleaf milkweed (Asclepias longifolia), rockrose, two yellow asters, a pea I had never seen before, Shiny blueberry, New Jersey Tea (Ceanothus americanus), Green eyes, Rosinweed, Roserush (Lygodesmia aphylla), Tread softly, Day Flower, Pineland Croton, Coralbean, Blackroot (Pterocaulon pycnostachyum), Queen's Delight (just starting) plus more!

We usually thing of Hernando counties' spectacular fall flowers. I think spring has more! Also, this shows the benefits of burning. The native flowers love it! I noticed that the unburned area, on the south side of Croom road, didn't have nearly as many flowers. ere are a few of the pictures I took. You too can see them, now is the time!