The Suncoast Grapevine—May 2008 Page 1

Volume 25 Number 5 MAY 2008

Cane Toad, © Stephen Johnson

The Florida Native Plant Society was organized in 1980 to promote the preservation, conservation, and restoration of the native plants and native plant communities of Florida. For more information about the Florida Native Plant Society, please visit our web site: www.fnps.org

The

SuncoastGrapevineNewsletter of the Suncoast Native Plant Society, Inc.

www.www.www.www.ficusficusficusficus.usf.edu/orgs/suncoast.usf.edu/orgs/suncoast.usf.edu/orgs/suncoast.usf.edu/orgs/suncoastwww.fnps.org/chapters/suncoast

Photo: Shawna Himelright

May 21, 2008 7:00 pm

Hillsborough Extension Office

Native Plants and Red Tide: A Helping Hand for our Waterways Presented by Phil Compton

It is common knowledge that most of our waterways have been polluted or compromised in some way. Stormwater runoff sends pollution to our lakes, rivers, bays and the gulf. Harmful algae blooms, including red tide at our beaches, have increased significantly in recent years, not coincidentally as Florida has continued its transformation to a state of suburban lawns and parking lots.

Native landscapes are well known for their ability to reduce the use of pesticides, fertilizers and drinking water. The recent restoration of more constant, predictable conditions in the Lower Hillsborough River presents an opportunity to not only improve the habitat for new generations of fish and wildlife with greater use of native landscapes, but also for waterfront homeowners to help amend two of the River’s other remaining chronic problems: hardened shorelines and chronic algae blooms. During this presentation, our speaker, Phil Compton, will share recent scientific findings, political developments and environmental milestones that demonstrate how today’s native landscapes can play an especially valuable role in improving our community’s quality of life and economic health.

Phil Compton is a Tampa Bay environmental activist and is the Regional Representative of the Sierra Club’s Florida Regional Office in St. Petersburg. He is Chair of the Friends of the River, a grassroots citizens’ group in Tampa that advocates the restoration of the health and beauty of Tampa’s Lower Hillsborough River. Phil was a leader in the 8-year campaign that met its goal New Year’s Day 2008 when the Lower Hillsborough started its recovery from 35 years of abuse and neglect. Once again the River began to receive an assured minimal daily flow of its

own fresh water in the 10-mile tidal section below Tampa’s reservoir at Rowlett Park. Friends of the River is now working with scientists and native plant landscapers to restore the habitat of the urban Lower River to more natural conditions, so that the new generation of fish, birds and manatees will have a better place to raise their families.

Submitted by Mary Miller

Page 2 The Suncoast Grapevine - May 2008

Flatwoods Park Field Trip

The April 26th field trip was a success. To prepare, Shirley Denton along with Mary & John Miller made an advance trip the day before, to scout out the area and to plan a good hike through the woods. Coming down one of the dirt roads from the main biking/walking trail, a five-foot long diamond back rattler was encountered. Shirley had her camera out, no more than three feet away from the snout of the snake, just snapping away (Shirley that is, as the snake just ignored her and slithered along).

On Saturday, Mary took the 10 hikers accompanying her to check out two bluebird boxes, explaining her monitoring technique. One box had two infertile eggs; the others had hatched and flown away. The second had three young, sleeping bluebird chicks in it. Then we went down “Main”, the major road and hiking path through the flatwoods. Mosquitoes and hog-rooting were abundant in the quiet areas of the woods. However, in the open areas in the woods and out among the palmettos there was a nice breeze and abundant wildflowers, particularly coreopsis, pluchea, pawpaw, blueberries, dwarf huckleberries, southern gaura, Carolina Jessamine, rock rose, blackroot, bog buttons and gopher apples, among others. “Snakeman” Troy Springer spotted a pygmy rattler under some deer moss. Birding was moderate, with one of the last yellow-rumped warblers feeding in Clay Gully. -Photos and text submitted by John Miller

Spring Plant Sale Thank You

The spring USF Botanical Gardens Plant Sale took place April 12 and 13. Fifteen folks volunteered their time to help make this a

successful event. On Friday, April 11, the set-up crew – comprised of Cliff Brown, Mike Fite, Ken Kwo and Sally Sun – assembled

at USF Botanical Gardens around 9:30 a.m. Our largest vendor, Nature Coast member Dave Barnard, owner of Cypress Acres Nursery, had already delivered one load on Thursday. As we were setting up the tables, he arrived with his second load; and we helped

unload those plants. Then Sally went to Florida Natives Nursery in Plant City, owned by Laurie Milam, for more plants. In all, we had

about 1,000 plants comprising of 100 species of trees, shrubs, ground covers, wildflowers, ferns and vines; a very nice selection of plants, indeed.

On Saturday, most of the volunteers arrived around 8 a.m. The last of our deliveries arrived at 7:30 and we scurried to get the plants off the truck and into position. The Botanical Gardens members were let in at 9:30 a.m., and the public at 10 a.m. On hand to assist were

(all day) Cliff Brown, Steve Dickman, Jane Halil, and Sally Sun; (morning) Merrilee Wallbrunn, and Board members Margo

Funk and Mary Miller; and (afternoon) Rachel Longstaff and Board member James Wheeler.

On Sunday we had less than half of the plants left. Debbie Butts, Sally

Sun and Diane Willis were there all day; Emily Nelson was also there in

the morning and Fred Spriggs came for the afternoon. The afternoon crew

also had to disassemble our area – Cliff Brown arrived to give a hand with this.

A big “Thanks!” to everyone who gave up part of their weekend to help make the plant sale successful. As a thank-you, each volunteer was given a wildflower of their choice.

Financially, we had gross sales of $4,613 (in round numbers) and netted about $1,422. The various events throughout the year, and especially the semiannual plant sales, are vital to SNPS. Part of the purpose of SNPS is educating the public about of native plants. The earnings from these sales help to pay for grants, special speakers’ expenses, the newsletter, and educational projects throughout the area. If you can find a few hours to volunteer next fall, your help would be appreciated. It’s a great way to learn about Florida’s native plants; and it’s even fun!! “Y’all come out and join us.” - Submitted by Sally Sun

The Suncoast Grapevine—May 2008 Page 3

Suncoast Calendar To submit information to the Calendar, email Mary Miller: limpkin1945@verizon.net

Programs for 2008

♣ January 16—Jennifer Roberts:

Hillsborough County Invasive Species Task Force ♣ February 20—Laurel Schiller:

Landscaping With Natives ♣ March 19—Rob Northrop:

Forest Sustainability: Tampa Bay Watershed ♣ April 16—Mary Miller:

Bluebirds and Boxes

♣ May 21—Phil Compton:

Restoring the Hillsborough River With Native Plants

♣ June 18—Sylvia Durrell:

Dealing With Florida’s Drought ♣ July 16—Jeff Klinkenberg:

Preserving Old Florida ♣ August 20—To Be Announced

♣ September 17—Shirley Denton:

The Zen of Native Plant Photography

September 20 – Photography Workshop. Practice your photography skills in an area where native wildflowers are in full bloom. Details to be announced. October 11 – 12 – Fall Plant Festival, USF Botanical Gardens. SNPS will sell native plants. To volunteer, call Sally Sun at (813) 935-1312.

A note about field trips: These trips are planned

long in advance. Please call the trip coordinator

to confirm the date, time, and location. Trips are

free unless otherwise noted.

Field Trips and Events May 15 – 18 –Uplands to Estuaries: Celebrating Florida’s Native Plant Heritage, Florida Native Plant Society Annual Conference, Manatee Convention Center, Palmetto, Florida. Register online at www.fnps.org. May 24 –Crystal Springs. Postponed until autumn. Watch for details. View examples of native restoration at this once public park. Easy walk. June 14 – 15 –Butterfly, Herb & Native Plant Fair, USF Botanical Gardens. Call Kim Hutton at (813) 974-2329. To volunteer at the SNPS booth, call Troy Springer at (813) 967-4538. June 21 – Native Plant Buying Trip to Sweet Bay Nursery (near Parrish). Buying trip also includes easy tour of nearby forest habitat. Details to be announced. July 4 – 6 – Fakahatchee Strand. In addition to viewing ghost orchids in bloom in Fakahatchee Strand, spend one day at Corkscrew Swamp. Details to be announced. August 24 – Alderman Ford County Park. A moderate 2 mile hike to see floodplain and xeric habitats. Details to be announced.

WINE & CHEESE PARTY The Mulhollands

15410 Stonecreek Lane Tampa, FL 33613

Sunday, May 18, 2008 From 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM

There are more than 200 species of native plants in the yard. An identification list will be provided that shows what and where they are located.

See rare Florida Manchineel tree

FREE POTTED PLANTS

It’s a party, mostly outdoors, rain or shine, so dress casually. There is some seating outside, but a few extra lawn chairs would help. If you need more information call: (813) 962-7020.

SEE NATIVE PLANTS IN SUBURBIA:

ONE WAY TO DO IT WITHOUT A LAWN

Page 4 The Suncoast Grapevine - May 2008

Plant ProfilePlant ProfilePlant ProfilePlant Profile Common name: Sugarberry Botanical name: Celtis laevigata Willd. Synonyms: Hackberry Family: Celtidaceae Zone: 4-10 Plant Habit: Large tree Habitat: Floodplain forests; riverine swamps Size: 60-80 ft (h) by 30-50 ft (w) Leaves: Alternate, simple, 2-5 inches long, finely-toothed, oblong, pointed Bloom: yellowish-green, inconspicuous Fruit: Reddish-orange to black drupes, 0.25 inch in diameter Bark: Gray, typically warty from woodpecker damage, otherwise very smooth Distribution: Indiana south to Florida and West to Texas

Growing conditions Light: Full sun to part shade Water: Very drought tolerant Soil: Rich, organic Propagation: Seed, cuttings Maintenance: None Availability: Native plant nurseries Comments: Excellent specimen or shade tree; attracts song birds and woodpeckers; easy to grow, adapts well

to dry conditions, disturbed soils, and urban settings. References: Haehle, Robert G., and Joan Brookwell, 2004, Native Florida Plants, Revised Edition: Taylor Trade Publishing Company, Lanham, Maryland, 400 p. Nelson, G., 2003, Florida’s Best Native Landscape Plants: University Press of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 411 p. Wunderlin, R.P. and B.F. Hansen, 2003, Guide to Vascular Plants of Florida, Second Edition: University Press of

Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 787 p. Wunderlin, R.P. and B.F. Hansen, 2008, Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants website, University of South Florida, http://

plantatlas.usf.edu/.

Information compiled by George R. Kish Photos by Shirley Denton, Dennis Gerard, Dan Tenaglia

If you’d like to opt out of

receiving the Grapevine through the mail and receive it

electronically instead, please email Harriett Wright at

hw@tampabay.rr.com. If your

membership has dropped and you rejoined, you may need to

opt out again... sorry for any inconvenience.

Thank you!

June 14June 14June 14June 14----15 200815 200815 200815 2008

Butterfly, Herb, & Butterfly, Herb, & Butterfly, Herb, & Butterfly, Herb, &

Native Plant FairNative Plant FairNative Plant FairNative Plant Fair

Outreach opportunities—Sell plants— Promote native conservation and gardening—

Attract new members

We need volunteers! Contact Troy Springer

813-967-4538

The Suncoast Grapevine—May 2008 Page 5

Make check payable to FNPS. Detach and mail to:

Suncoast Chapter of

Florida Native Plant Society, Inc

P.O. Box 1158

Seffner, FL 33583-1158

Monthly Plant Auction

Going Once!

Going Twice!

Thanks to Joel Jackson for making April’s plant

auction a success! It seems that everyone enjoyed being able to bid on the plant of their

choice. Plant donors for April were:

Harriett Wright, Sally Sun, Troy

Springer, James Wheeler

MEMBERSHIP

New Simon Cooper, Tampa

Kate Johnson, Temple Terrace Shirley Pearsall, Tampa

Nancy Sappenfield, Tampa

Renewed

Cliff Brown, Temple Terrace Allen Burdett, Seffner Jean French, Seffner Jane Halil, Seffner

Kristina Herz, White Hall, MD Joel Jackson, Tampa

Michael Keller, Tampa Emily and James Nelson, Valrico

Membership in the Florida Native Plant Society enables you to receive their wonderful quarterly magazine The Palmetto. Joining the FNPS also entitles you to membership privileges in the Suncoast Florida Native Plant Society and a subscription to their monthly newsletter The Suncoast Grapevine.

Contact the membership chair, Harriett Wright, at 908-9398.

Check pertinent category:

� New Member/Gift $25 � Individual/Renewal $35 � Not-for-profit � Full time student $15 organization $50 � Library subscription $15 � Business or � Family or household $50 corporate $125 � Contributing $75 � Supporting $100 � Life $1,000 � Donor $250

Florida Native Plant Society Membership Application

� New Member � Renewal

Name _______________________________________________________ Business name or organization _______________________________________ Address _____________________________________________________

City, State and Zip _______________________________________________ Home phone ____________________ Email _________________________

Page 6 The Suncoast Grapevine - May 2008

Suncoast Chapter of Florida Native Plant Society, Inc. P.O. Box 1158

Seffner, FL 33583-1158

Please deliver to:

Newsletter Submissions Deadline for the next issue:

JUNE 1

Please send articles and original artwork for The Suncoast Grapevine to Shawna Everidge, by the deadline of this month. Text should be in MS

Word; graphics should be in a standard graphic format (.jpg, .bmp, .gif). Previously published artwork should be accompanied by a letter of

permission from the original publisher.

Email… severidge@plantcitygov.com

Meeting Locations

Suncoast Native Plant Society, Inc. meets the third Wednesday of the month at 7:00 p.m. at the Hillsborough Extension office

in Seffner.

SNPS Web Address: www.fnps.org/chapters/

suncoast

DIRECTIONS TO: Hillsborough County

Extension 5339 County Road 579,

Seffner. Take I-4 to Exit 10 (just East

of I-75). Go South for two blocks. The office is at the corner of Old Hillsborough Road, and County Road

579.

Activities & Committee Chairs

Field Trips

Shirley Denton 986-6485 Publications

Dick Wunderlin 977-6484 George Kish 920-0853

Librarian

Vikki Sinclair 989-2896 Membership

Harriett Wright 908-9398 Newsletter Editor

Shawna Everidge 757-9289 Mike Fite, Assistant 977-0892 Programs and Publicity

Mary Miller 960-8132 Outreach

Troy Springer 967-4538 Book Sales

Sally Sun 935-1312 USF Plant Sale

Sally Sun 935-1312 USF Botanical Garden Liaison Kim Hutton 974-2329 Chapter Representative

James Wheeler 571-5865 Webmaster

Pat Clouser 662-7222

Officers & Board of Directors

President

Harriett Wright 908-9398

Vice-president Mary Miller 960-8132

Secretary

Margo Funk 654-5611 Treasurer

John Miller 960-8132

Board Members Mary Miller Harriett Wright Margo Funk John Miller James Wheeler Troy Springer Shirley Denton

The SNPS BOD meets regularly.

Call Harriett Wright for exact locations.

Club logo:

“Beach Sunflower”

Helianthus debilis