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The Fall Flowers of Hernando County
Fall is the season of flowers in our land of flowers. We've prepared a special fall field guide for Hernando that you can print and use for your treasure hunt (pdf, greyscale, 2 pages)
Golden Asters
(Chrysopsis spp.)
When is a Golden Aster not a Golden Aster? When it’s a different Golden Aster, common names are just that—common. And we have at least five you’ll find out and about in October. They’re all a golden yellow, usually with hairy leaves and stems raising from a basil foothold. You may have to key these out to be sure, but it’s good practice. Above, is Cottony Goldenaster, Chrysopsis gossypina, found in our county. The rare Florida endemic, Dress’ Goldenaster (Chrysopsis linearifolia subsp. dressi) also makes its home in Hernando. Other, more common species are pictured below.
Coastalplain Goldenaster
(Chrysopsis scabrella)
Scrubland Goldenaster
(Chrysopsis subulata)
Maryland Goldenaster
(Chrysopsis mariana)
Upcoming Programs
November 3
The changing role of environmental reporting— Dan DeWitt
Conservation Corner
Wildlife 2060: What at stake for Florida?
Florida's natural lands and waters are at the core of our state's prosperity, bringing billions of dollars in economic benefits to our state every year. Our forests, rivers and creeks, and coastal waters are invaluable to fish and wildlife, and to our own quality of life. But recent predictions indicate that our state's human population may double to 36 million in the next 50 years. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has prepared a report addressing the changes that may occur in Florida's fish and wildlife and in our own lifestyles if the state's population doubles. (read more).
Hernsndo Resumes Glass Recycling! The rumors are true! Hernando County Solid Waste and Recycling Division explains there is a demand once again for recycled glass - so making money on it prompted them to accept glass.
Sabal minor E-news
Are you getting your Sabal minor on-line? If not, the Society may not have your correct e-mail address. Please send it to info@fnps.org to keep up with all the FNPS organizational news. You can also get the Sabal minor on-line, in pdf and expanded web page format.
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
Monthly Meeting & Program
Water's Journey – The Hidden Rivers of Florida
Discussion by George Foster, Geologist
Monday October 6, 2008 – 7:00 pm
Hernando County Cooperative Extension Service
For more on our underground rivers, visit
the series' companion website.
The educational television documentary, Water's Journey, takes you with courageous cave divers as they explore the hidden rivers of the Florida Aquifer. This 45 minute film tracks the divers both below and above the surface of our state's water resources and provides an entertaining and informative look at how human actions impact that which sustains us.
Following this 45 minute film, George Foster, Professional Geologist and President, Creative Environmental Solutions, Inc., will discuss the film in terms of the geology of our area. George, a life-long resident of Brooksville, has been a working geologist for 25 years.
Monthly meetings and programs of the Hernando Chapter are held on the first Monday of the month, and are open to the public, free of charge. Meetings 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 the Hernando Chapter Board at hcfnps@gmail.com.
Chapter News & Resources
Treasurer Sue and Secretary Jason always have a good time greeting the members and guests at monthly meetings.
Can you Serve?
Each October, the Hernando Chapter forms a nominating committee for the purpose of identifying candidates for the November elections of Chapter Officers. Each Officer—President, VP for Admin, VP for Events, Treasurer, Secretary, and Chapter Representative to FNPS—serves a one-year term, for no more than four consecutive terms. The President is responsible for appointing Committee Chairs.
If you would like to serve, either on the nominating committee, as an Officer, or on the Board, please contact our President, Miki Renner at pinery@wildblue.net
Volunteer at Our Plant Sale
Chinsegut Reptile and Amphibian Festival, October 11, Saturday, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
We’re excited about our plans for this year's plant sale. To support Chinsegut’s native plant display initiative, we will be arranging our plants for sale to the public according to habitat. This will allow us to better address what plants “go together” and what plants will succeed under what conditions. A sign-up sheet will again be available at our October 6 meeting. Or let us know you’d like to participate by writing hcfnps@gmail.com.
Sneak Preview of the Inventory
| Southern Magnolia Redbud Florida Dogwood Bald cybress Varnish leaf Wax myrtle Simpson stopper Walter's viburnum Falso indigo Beautyberry Arrow-wood Privet senna Coral bean Fire Bush Coral honeysuckle Carolina jessamine Passion vine Trumpet vine Coontie Pennyroyal Cardinal Flower Cooley's water willow Porterweed Greeneyes Snow Square Stem Florida paintbrush Rouge plant Tropical Sage Scale-stem Butterfly Weed Rosinweed Fakahatchee grass Elliot's love grass Blue-eyed Grass Sabal Minor |
Magnolia grandiflora Cercis canadensis Cornus florida Taxodium distichum Dodonaea viscosa Myrica cerifera Myrcianthes fragran Viburnum obovatum Amorpha fruticosa Callicarpa americana Viburnum dentatum Senna ligustrina Erythrina herbacea Hamelia patens Lonicera semperivirens Gelsemium sempervirens Passiflora incarnata Campsis radicans Zamia pumila Piloblephis rigida Lobelia cardinalis Justicia cooleyi Stachytarpheta jamaicenis Berlandiera subacaulis Melanthera nivea Carphephorus corymbosus Rivina humilis Salvia coccinea Elytraria caroliniensis Asclepias tuberosa Silphium compositum Tripsacum diactyloides Eragrostis elliottii Sisyrinchium sp. Sabal Minor |
Hernando Chapter President, Miki Renner, will be an expert panelist at 2nd Annual Treasure Coast Green Conference, Oct. 23, 2008, Ft. Pierce, FL. Sponored by St. Lucie County and the U.S. Green Building Council, South Florida Chapter, this event is designed to to put on a "green" conference for the development and building community members to exchange information on cutting edge ideas for community development from around the state, nation and planet. For agenda, see http://www.tcgreenconference.com/speakers2008.html
Exhibit til October 15, 2008
From Devastation to Reforestation: The Withlacoochee State Forest Story
Learn about the Withlacoochee Resettlement Land Use Project: Great Depression Era and the Legacy
Brooksville Railroad Depot Museum, Russell Street, East of S. Main, 2 blocks
Tuesday, Wednesday,Thursday Noon till 3 p.m. Just a few more weeks to see this exibit in our neighborhood.
More info. at 352-799-0129
Presented by Sid Taylor and Wayne Dean,
The State of Florida Division of Forestry and The Old Courthouse Heritage Museum, Inverness, Fl
Next Retail Day at All Native Flora Saturday, October 4, 8am-1pm
Retail Day will happen at the Smaller Material Nursery, where material #15 and smaller will be available at prices lower than retail. The "Smaller Material" nursery is located at 33601 Kiefer Road, Zephyrhills Florida 33545; see http://www.allnativeflora.com/Directions.htm to get there. To prepare for your visit, visit their wonderful website at http://www.allnativeflora.com to see the plant gallery feature that allows you to search and research Florida native plants by type (shrub, tree, wildflower); common names; or scientific names, with a full bio for each plant including needs, sizes, and pictures.
Plant Sale at Brooker Creek Preserve, Sat. Oct. 4th, 9am-3pm
The annual "Fall for Natives" plant sale will be at Brooker Creek Preserve in Tarpon Springs next month. If you haven’t visited the preserve, it is a great time of year to do so.
