Before you set out, take a moment to put place markers in the books for easy reference. In The Guide to Florida Wildflowers, which is organized by flower color and then by family and genus within each color, put post-it tabs in the yellow and purple sections where the Asteraceae start. In the Guide to the Vascular Plants of Florida, which is organized alphabetically by family, then by genus and species, put one marker at the beginning of the Asteraceae section, then put one at each genus you think you’ll be studying this trip.

In Praise of Advocacy at the Chapter Lever

Gene Kelly, FNPS President

Have you noticed that FNPS has been increasingly active in advocating for the conservation of native plants and native plant habitat? It’s a natural role for the Society and one the Board of Directors takes very seriously, since we are presuming to speak for the entire membership when we engage in an issue and stake out a position.

It can be difficult to decide when it’s appropriate for FNPS to engage at the state level. First and foremost, of course, there has to be a clear nexus between our mission and the issue at hand. The issue should also either be statewide in its scope, or at least, extend beyond the “local.”

That’s why it’s so important for our chapters to engage in local issues relevant to native plants! While our actions at the state level can be very constructive, they cannot by themselves prevent the painful “death by a thousand cuts” we sometimes feel we are witnessing in Florida.

Please don’t doubt the success our chapters can have in local advocacy.

By working cooperatively with the Brevard County Natural Resources Management Office, our Brevard Chapters (Conradina and Sea Rocket) recently won important concessions, expanding the preserved land area within a large local development project. Member Vince Lamb told Executive Director Karina Veaudry, “I strongly encourage other FNPS chapters to become involved. It gives the chapter a significant purpose and forwards the mission of the Native Plant Society on a level that really makes a difference.”

The Nature Coast and Hernando County chapters of FNPS worked with The Gulf Coast Conservancy (GCC) in opposing a land use amendment that would allow the development of 2,500 homes, a golf course and a marina on a sensitive coastal site, and a couple weeks ago the Florida Department of Community Affairs officially objected to the land use amendment on grounds consistent with those voiced by these partners. Hats off to the GCC and all the partners, including the FNPS chapters, who stood with them in the name of conservation!

That second example of chapter engagement helps to illustrate the power that a coalition of like-minded organizations can exert. The Pinellas Chapter is a longstanding member of the Alliance for a Livable Pinellas and can vouch for the effectiveness of such coordinated action.

I know other chapters are also members of such organized groups and that there are many other success stories. Indeed, in honor of the 30th anniversary of the founding of FNPS, we would like to compile a comprehensive history of the FNPS and I invite each and every chapter to provide us with a complete historical account of its community involvement. But I also know that our best years and greatest successes still lie ahead of us. Please continue to advocate for the conservation of native plants and don’t be afraid to fight the good fight! And let us know if there resources we can provide to support your efforts.

By simply searching the internet or purchasing goods online, we can raise significant funds for the Society.

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Just Because a Plant's for Sale...

Rosalind Rowe

...does not mean it’s OK to buy it and take it home.

We lose natural habitat to development, yes, but also to the invasives that have spread from our gardens. Hundreds of thousands of acres in Florida are lost to problematic non-native plants.

Very few horticulturalists or nursery workers are also botanists. Even aware and well-intentioned nurseries occasionally pass on plants that they acquired believing them to be native or at least “well-behaved,” only to discover much later that this was incorrect.

Also, many plants do not show a tendency to “invade” at first. Pemberton and Liu published a study this year that positively correlated the length of time an exotic plant was available for sale in Florida to its invasiveness. Beware of “new ” plants!

If you are shopping for plants, first go to www.FLEPPC.org to learn the currently known invasive plants, and then arm yourself with good references, such as Rufino Osorio’s A Gardener’s Guide to Native Plants or Ginny Stibolt's new book, Sustainable Gardening for Florida.

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Gardening with Native Plants is about Knowing

Candy Weller

Gardening with native plants is about knowing what you have, what it does, how it can be used, why it is here. It is about appreciating what this area has to offer. It is learning of the beauty, the use and the necessity of plants that admit life.

It is not about miles and miles of homogenous landscapes. It is not about hiring people with tractors, mowers, weed whackers, blowers, edgers and hedge trimmers. It is not about watering because it is allowed. It is not about monthly services for chemicals, which are "preventative" - if it isn't there you can't prevent it. If it is there, you can prevent it in the area that it does exist. The rest is money, chemicals and fertilizer down the drain, or in our area, down the bay.

This is our part of the world. What we do in our yards impacts the entire region. It is about knowing what this region has to offer.

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Call for Scientific Papers and Poster Presentations

Paul Schmalzer

The Florida Native Plant Society 2010 Conference conference will be held at the Leon County Civic Center, Tallahassee, Florida, May 20-23, 2010. The Science Track of the Conference will include presented papers on Friday, May 21 and Saturday, May 22. Posters will be on display on Friday and Saturday and the poster session will be on Saturday afternoon.

Researchers are invited to submit abstracts on research related to native plants and plant communities of Florida, including preservation, conservation, and restoration. Presentations are planned to be 20 minutes in total length (15 minute presentation, 5 minutes questions).

Abstracts of not more than 200 words should be submitted as a Microsoft Word file by email to Paul A. Schmalzer (paul.a.schmalzer@nasa.gov) by February 1, 2010. Include title, affiliation, and address. Indicate whether you will be presenting a paper or poster

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Taking the Pulse of our Planet: Volunteers Needed

Volunteers across the nation are being recruited to get outdoors and help track the effects of climate on seasonal changes in plant and animal behavior. Changes in these patterns, caused by climate change or other factors, can significantly affect human economies and health.

“This program is designed for people interested in participating in climate change science, not just reading about it,” said USA-NPN Executive Director and U.S. Geological Survey scientist Jake Weltzin. “We encourage everyone to visit the USA National Phenology Network Web site and then go outside and observe the marvelous cycles of plant and animal life.”

To hear more about how to help track seasonal signs of climate change, go the podcast, "Help Us Keep an Eye on Climate Change," at http://www.usgs.gov/corecast/

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Travel with FNPS - What Would YOU Like?
Please Do Respond to This Survey!

FNPS has hosted several successful tours to such places as Belize and Costa Rica over the years. The people who have gone on these trips have shared their enjoyment of their experiences with the flora and fauna of natural areas in other countries. The trips also have been useful fundraisers for the organization.

The tours have not been regular annual events. They have only been offered when fellow FNPS member or members did the work to make it happen. And occasionally, even when a trip was offered, it just didn’t work for enough people to go.

What we would like to know is: What does work for our members, to make these trips happen? Tell us what your needs and wishes are!

Please email me, Rosalind Rowe (rosrowe@comcast.net), with your replies and with any comments you’d care to make. (You can copy the items and paste them into the email, (The email address has been corrected since the last Sabal minor.)

1. I’d have to keep my budget to (circle one): $1500, $2500, $3000, $3500, $4000.

2. (True/False) I’d want to travel with a companion, and that affects my budget limit.

3. I’d need to limit my time away from home to (circle one): 5, 7, 9, 10, 12, 14 days.

4. I can only travel in (circle one): summer, fall, winter, spring.

5. (True/False) I’d need to know a lot more about the safety/social/political situation of the country before I could begin to consider going. If True: Who would you trust for such information?

6. Rank your preferences for these trips, 1-6 (1 - First Choice; 2 - second choice, and so on; however, put a Zero if it’s a trip you’d never be interested in taking).
_____ Nicaragua
_____ Venezuela
_____ British Guyana
_____ Panama
_____ Costa Rica
_____ Euro-Mediterranean region
_____ Different area in the US

7. If your #1 country (or U.S. area) is not on this list, please tell us what it is:
_____________________________________________

Thank you for your help with this!

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Species Spotlight

Wild Florida Tea
Monarda punctata
LAMIACEAE

E.K. Sommer

Look around this time of year for the lovely flowering stalks of spotted bee balm (Monarda punctata) that attract the intense attention of their insect namesake. Stretching high over the summer weeds, these aromatic perennials have dusty purple bracts that are often mistaken for the flowers. The actual flowers—yellowish tubular, two lipped, and dotted with purple—form in tufted whorls around the stem. This member of the Lamiaceae family, often called “horsemint,” can be found in disturbed fields, near woodland edges, and along roadsides.

Colonial settlers used bee balm as a substitute for tea. During World War I, when commercial thyme fields were destroyed in Europe, Monarda was cultivated in the United States as a source of thymol, which had numerous medicinal uses including as a vermifuge, digestive aid, carminative, and antiseptic. Natural thymol also was used to flavor soft drinks. The synthetic version has long since replaced natural sources.

Native American people, including the Creek, Chickasaw, and Osage, recognized numerous healing properties for Monarda, including strong antiseptic action, pain relief, and fever reduction (it produces perspiration while cooling the core body). Poultices of Monarda treated skin infections and minor wounds, and the tea was used to treat mouth and throat infections caused by dental caries and gingivitis. Sometimes called “Oswego tea,” herbalist Matthew Wood tells us that the native people call M. fistulosa “sweet leaf,” which he deems a most appropriate and beautiful name for Monarda.

The most common use today is to soothe bronchial conditions, mild colds and flu symptoms. The minty leaves add zip to conventional tea, zest to salads, or flavor soups, vegetables, or meat. Choose young leaves, as they will be more tender and flavorful. And as with many native edible plants, you can make jelly, wine, or herbal vinegars with bee balm.

Remember, always cross-check with several references for the identity of plants before using them. If you are at all unsure, consult with experienced foragers and herbalists before eating or using plants from the wild.

Photo by E.K. Sommer

Long-tailed Skipper - Urbanus proteus

Linda Cooper

Urbanus proteus is one of the most common skippers in Florida. It ranges north to New Jersey and during the Fall millions migrate southward into our state.

It is one of the spread-winged skippers. While many skippers perch with wings folded over the body, this skipper has a green/blue-green back that usually shows when the skipper is perched. It occurs in most habitats including home gardens.

LT skipper caterpillar Many vegetable gardeners are dismayed when they find “worms” eating their garden beans, Phaseolus vulgaris. These “worms” cut and fold the leaf over themselves, making a nice tent shelter, but they are actually the caterpillar of Long-tailed Skipper. The difference between a worm cutleaf and a caterpillar is that a worm is earth bound and has no lofty ambitions while a caterpillar has very lofty ambitions... to become a butterfly!

Long-tailed Skipper will also use Clitoria mariana and Centrosema virginianum as well as other species in the Pea family. There is another tailed skipper, the Dorantes, that is also fairly common, but its caterpillars usually prefer Desmodium species for a host plant. The adult Dorantes has a brown back and rarely perches with its wings open.

Photos by Linda Cooper

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Society News

2010 is the 30th Anniversary of FNPS!

Karina Veaudry

I am compiling historical data that I will put in a slide presentation for the 2010 conference. I will then send copies of the presentation to all the chapters. I could use your help.

Please send me:
a. The date your chapter became a chapter.
b. The names of the chapter’s founding members.
c. Pictures from the history of your chapter – past and current.
d. A timeline or list of significant projects with dates.
e. Any other historical information or stories you think would be good to have shared or documented.
f. Any state-level or overall FNPS history that chapter members can contribute to this anniversary celebration.

Please send all information to: executivedirector@fnps.org by January 15, 2010 -- the earlier the better, though! If you have questions, feel free to call me at (321) 388-4781.

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Calendar for FNPS State Board of Directors

10/24/2009 Exec Committee Meeting–Langford Park, Orange County
11/14/2009 FNPS BOD Meeting–Turkey Lake Park, Orange County
01/13/2010 ExComm Meeting–CONFERENCE CALL
02/05/2010-02/07/2010 –BOD RETREAT–Division of Forestry Training Center, Hernando County

FNPS Directors Meeting Highlights
Board of Directors Meeting August 15, 2009

Gene Kelly announced that FNPS will be inviting Native Plant societies from the Southeast United States to the 2010 FNPS 30th Anniversary Conference, for a summit meeting to discuss national issues. The conference is May 20-23, 2010 at the Leon County Civic Center in Tallahassee. The conference section of the FNPS website will be updated over the next couple of months.

FNPS will pursue proposing to the Florida legislature that they pass a resolution making the month of May officially known as ‘Native Plant Appreciation month."

FNPS is a member of EarthShare, which is part of the United Way giving network, and a volunteer is needed to publicize and campaign to chapter members and government employees to choose the Florida Native Plant Society when donating through EarthShare/United Way.

Cindy Liberton is updating the FNPS Handbook so that it is more of a resource for chapters. The current handbook is on the website. If chapters have any suggestions for what information to add to the handbook contact Cindy at Liberton@nextstepscollective.com.

Other Volunteers needed: Social marketing director, Public Relations Director, Land Management Subcommittee members. Contact Karina Veaudry, her email is on the website.

FNPS Education Committee Chair, Kari Ruder, is looking for native landscape photos. Please send your photos to kari@naturewiseplants.com.

Membership Committee Chair, Shirley Denton, needs each chapter’s list of people who are responsible for Membership. Contact Shirley at ecotypes@myrapidsys.com.

The Florida Native Plant Society has joined the Florida Native Plant Partnership as a founding member. The “Native Plant Partnership” is a collaboration between the Executive Directors of the Florida Native Plant Society, the Florida Wildflower Foundation, the Association of Florida Native Nurseries and the Florida Wildflower Seed and Plant Growers. These individuals will work together on objectives and projects pertaining to the similar overlap in the organizations’ mission for the use, promotion, conservation and protection of Florida’s native plants and wildflowers and their habitats.

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Chapter Resources

Chapter Tips & Tricks

In addition to putting a chapter ad in the Association for Native Plant Nurseries (AFNN) guide, the Coccoloba chapter has donated funds to assist AFNN with educational publications.

A Why You Should Join FNPS banner is now available to Chapters for use at public events. Your Chapter can request the artwork and print the 24" x 63" banner on the medium of your choice, or we will take care of printing it for you, and provide an outdoor vinyl banner with an indoor/outdoor stand for about $100. Banners are also available for loan to Chapters, first come, first serve. For more information, contact Communications Chair, Cindy Liberton at liberton@earthlink.net.

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In this Issue

October - November

Raise Money for FNPS

Just a Note...
Sabal Minor is on-line