Florida Native Plant Society Blog

New Research on the Survival of Florida's Most Imperiled Tree

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 17:12:26 GMT

Work documenting the condition of 40 trees on public land is just a subset of our conservation work

FLORIDA NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY
https://www.fnps.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Valerie Anderson, Director of Communications and Programming
Phone: 386.852.2539 | Email: communications@fnps.org

Tallahassee, FL, July 10, 2026.-- We are pleased to announce that our collaborative research with the Atlanta Botanical Garden (ABG) on Florida Torreya ( Torreya taxifolia ) recovery from Hurricane Michael has been published in the American Journal of Botany.

The Florida Torreya, locally known as just Torreya, is one of the rarest and most imperiled trees in the world, endemic to a small region of the Upper Apalachicola River in the central Florida Panhandle and South Georgia. Once common in the mid-story, only scattered trees remain in the form of root sprouts due to an introduced systemic fungal pathogen, Fusarium torreyae . Torreya saplings that have resprouted from persistent root systems still exist in the wild, but remain infected, and are prone to canker outbreaks if stressed. Deer rubbing, extreme heat, drought, and other stressors the trees experience in the wild, give the fungus an opportunity to flourish, resulting in die-back of above ground growth, or complete mortality. Due to the many stressors our wild trees are facing, wild trees typically decline before they reach sexual maturity, meaning there is no sustained reproduction in the wild.

This project followed forty Florida Torreya trees for five years following Hurricane Michael’s landfall in the panhandle in October 2018. ABG and FNPS visited each of the forty trees yearly to record measurements and data on the trees and their habitat. The work addressed an important question: how does one of North America's rarest conifers respond to a major hurricane? Because so few wild Torreya remain, every individual tree is important, and understanding how these rare trees respond to major disturbances is critical for their conservation.

One encouraging finding was that many surviving Torreya trees showed increased branch growth after the hurricane. When neighboring trees were knocked down, some Torreya appeared to benefit from the temporary reduction in competition and greater access to light. At the same time, the study reminds us that these short-term gains do not eliminate the species' larger challenges or continued overall mortality.

Loss of canopy results in warmer conditions in their typically cooler ravine habitat, which is a threat to Florida Torreya. Torreya is a glacial relict, which relies on the cool microclimate created by these densely canopied steephead ravines. Warmer conditions created by loss of canopy were associated with increased disease symptoms, which are correlated to higher mortality. As forests recover after the storm, new competitors such as vines and fast-growing pioneer species may also reduce the temporary reduction in competition created by the hurricane. Many trees we visited had been completely swallowed by vines and dense new growth.

Florida Torreya appears capable of benefiting from small-scale forest disturbance after hurricanes, but those gains are temporary, and do not overcome the larger threats of disease, climate change, invasive species, and long-term habitat degradation.

The Florida Native Plant Society recognized the plight of the Torreya in early 2018. Our Magnolia Chapter, in partnership with the Friends of Torreya State Park, formed TorreyaKeepers to inventory trees on private ravines. In 2019 we formally took the program over as one of our core conservation projects and hired Lilly Anderson-Messec as TorreyaKeepers coordinator to continue this critical work.

FNPS has led and collaborated on many other projects aiding the conservation of this endangered tree.

In 2018, the vast majority of documented trees were on publicly owned land. Only approximately 200 Florida Torreya trees had been documented on privately owned land; approximately 15% of the known wild population at the time. Lilly led surveys covering over 2,000 acres of privately owned land from 2019 to 2025 to find undocumented Torreya trees. We have now more than tripled the documented population of Florida Torreya on private lands to 614. Thus, more trees are now known on private land than public lands.

Each new tree was given a metal identification at its base, with a unique identification number. That number ties it to its exact location in the ABG database, and the data and samples we collect at each tree. DNA samples were taken from every tree to aid in the genetic sequencing of the species done by ABG. Cuttings were carefully taken from healthy trees and sent to the ABG ex-situ conservation nursery, which now houses 428 genetically distinct living Torreya specimens. This makes Torreya one of the best represented plant species in ex-situ conservation collections on the east coast.

On these surveys, we also documented more than 100 locations of the equally rare Taxus floridana , Florida Yew, as well as many other rare and listed plant species. Rare plant locations, as well as locations of documented invasive species, were shared with the landowners. Lilly worked with landowners to advise them on best management practices for protecting their Torreya and other rare plants, as well as management of invasive species found on their property.

FNPS also set up, and continues to monitor, 22 Torreya seed trial sites on three separate properties, as well as a few restoration outplantings of Torreya saplings on privately owned properties within its native range. While all current wild populations only occur on the eastern side of the Apalachicola River, there was one historic site on the western side of the river, which had been extirpated. FNPS worked with the private landowner of this site and reintroduced several trees to the exact location they once occurred on.

We collaborated with ABG, researchers at the University of Florida, and USDA Forest Pathology in collecting hundreds of fungal samples of both the pathogen implicated in the decline of Florida Torreya ( Fusarium torreyae ) as well as a novel pathogen, Parvodontia relampaga , that we found in our surveys.

The Florida Native Plant Society is committed to the recovery of this iconic Florida species. Unfortunately, cuts to federal Endangered Species Recovery Plan funding mean we can no longer rely on federal grants to fund this effort. To support this important work, become a sustaining member of the Florida Native Plant Society at fnps.org/join or donate to our Conservation fund at https://fnps.app.neoncrm.com/forms/donate-to-our-conservation-fund .

Loy, X., A. Smith, L. Anderson‐Messec, I. Sabo, J. Evans, J. Stockert, L. Blackmore, and E. E. D. Coﬀey. 2026. Hurricane disturbance and local temperature are associated with growth and disease patterns in the endangeredFlorida torreya. American Journal of Botany 113:e70222. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajb2.70222

The Florida Native Plant Society (FNPS) preserves, conserves and restores the native plants and native plant communities of Florida. Since the 1980s, this organization has been advocating for increased protection for threatened and endangered plants and plant communities. FNPS encourages the planting of native plants in home, commercial, and institutional landscapes. It is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization with over 5,000 members in 35 chapters statewide. To learn more, please visit us at https://www.fnps.org/

An Overview of the Florida Native Plant Society’s Participation in the Legislative Process

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 18:58:09 GMT

We Fight for Florida's Future:

Inside FNPS's 2026 Advocacy Wins

By Eugene Kelly, Policy Committee Chair

Advocacy is most definitely NOT a spectator sport. Participation requires us to invest some personal time and effort to help ensure our elected officials serve our interests and advance the conservation of Florida’s native plants . When enough of us combine our efforts – our voices! - in support of a cause or issue, it becomes much more difficult for decision-makers to ignore us. Successful advocacy often requires persistence, as well. To win the most important battles, we must be willing to endure some losses and stay in the fight. We are rarely fortunate enough to engage in “one and done” battles. Thanks to the participation and persistence of our members and partners, the Florida Native Plant Society’ advocacy achieved some notable successes during 2026 Legislative Session. In the process, we also set the stage for additional successes next year.

The passage of two bills, both now signed into law by Governor DeSantis, serve as clear examples of the importance of persistence:

SB 302, entitled Coastal Resilience , promotes the use of “nature-based” (i.e., native plant based) approaches to protect our coastline from erosion caused by flooding and sea level rise – as opposed to simply armoring our beaches and other shorelines with seawalls. It requires the state to develop guidelines for the use of such methods and opens the door to future funding assistance. We are grateful to all the sponsors of this legislation, in both the House and Senate, but reserve special kudos for Senator Illeana Garcia who persisted in introducing this legislation through three consecutive sessions. FNPS supported it every time – the 3rd time was the charm!

HB 441, entitled Conservation Lands , ensures we will never again be blindsided by proposals to sell off or trade conservation land protected by the state so it can be developed. Filed in response to public ire over several such proposals, and coming on the heels of passage of the State Parks Preservation Act the previous year, this legislation requires adequate public notice of any future proposals, opportunities for public comment and a clear demonstration any proposed “land swap” or sale would result in a net conservation benefit. In combination with the State Park Preservation Act, this legislation put the development industry on notice that the people of Florida are paying attention and that we treasure our conservation lands.

FNPS support for the bills discussed above was conveyed successfully by your Policy and Legislation Committee and by FNPS's Governmental Affairs Advisor, Travis Moore. Our issuance of action alerts, numbering 8 in total during the 2026 session, was reserved for legislation that we knew would require the extra weight provided by mobilizing our member’s voices.

Working in close cooperation with our partner organizations, we successfully stopped the absolute worst bill of the session – BARELY!. The insultingly misnamed Blue Ribbon Projects bill would have allowed city-sized land development projects of 15,000 acres or more to sidestep local government land use regulations and any meaningful opportunities for public input. After being approved by every committee that reviewed it and receiving final passage in the House, the only thing that prevented it from becoming law during the final hours of the legislative session was the knowledge it couldn’t pass the final hurdle on the floor of the Senate. A massive outpouring of opposition in response to our alerts convinced just enough legislators to oppose it.

We already know the powerful development interests that wrote and pushed this bill will enlist legislators to bring it back again next year. Perseverance is the only way to win a fight like this one and we are prepared to continue opposing any such attempts in the future to whittle away the last remaining remnants of responsible growth management in Florida.

So the dreaded Blue Ribbon Projects bill died because it failed to be scheduled for a final vote in the Senate – precisely to avoid an embarrassing defeat in response to our successful opposition. One of our favorite bills was killed in similar fashion. We were inches away from successful passage of a bill to restore the Ocklawaha River. It had passed all its committee stops and been approved by the full House. It was clearly poised to pass in the Senate; however, despite a tremendous response to our alerts and entreaties asking Senate President Albritton to schedule the bill for a final vote, he refused – in order to prevent almost certain passage. This was the closest we’ve ever come to achieving restoration of the Ocklawaha River and you can be darn certain we will be fighting for restoration of the river and its floodplain forest and spring run streams again in 2027.

On June 23, legislative leadership finally presented their 2026-2027 budget to Governor DeSantis. The Governor was required to act on it by June 30 since July 1 is the first day of the next fiscal year. The budget denied any new funding to the Florida Forever land conservation program. Our final action alert of the 2026 legislative session was issued in defense of funding for land conservation and asked the Governor to veto “back of the bill” provisions that redirected funding originally dedicated to buying land in the Florida Wildlife Corridor. The legislature used the same strategy last year to allow the Governor to spend $83.3 million FROM THE SAME FUNDING SOURCE on 4 acres of land in Destin that have virtually NO conservation value.

It was both disappointing, and unsurprising, that Governor DeSantis declined to veto those provisions when he signed the budget into law on June 29. Unsurprising because an undefined share of those funds are now earmarked to purchase MORE LAND WITH UNVETTED CONSERVATION VALUE in the Destin area potentially owned by an influential political benefactor. If he had issued the veto we requested then those funds, estimated to exceed $300 million, would have remained available for future land conservation purchases. Instead, he chose to veto $1.6 billion in other spending before signing a $117+ billion budget that included NOTHING for Florida Forever.

Despite our disappointment with Governor DeSantis’ decision, FNPS will be well positioned to make a principled argument in support of Florida Forever funding next year to a new governor and a new leadership team in the Legislature. There will be little reason for us to miss the current leadership team given their complicity in the decision to withhold funding for land conservation. After asking them to allocate $300 million to Florida Forever at the beginning of the session, and seeing the pittance they were proposing late in the session, we asked them to simply honor their own commitment, enshrined in statute, to provide a minimum of $100 million annually to Florida Forever. And for yet another year, they declined to comply with their own law. The Legislature’s shameful inaction on Florida Forever will not dissuade us. We will continue to press our support for land conservation as the most effective strategy for protecting native plants and the habitat they require.

There were other important bills that we advocated for, or against, during the session. We’ve only touched on the major highlights – and the lowlights of blocking Ocklawaha restoration for yet another year and failing to fund Florida Forever. Your support allowed us to achieve some important successes, and our effectiveness is reflected in an invitation to engage in consultations with a state agency pivotal to our mission and an opportunity to collaborate with supportive legislators in the development of a bill that would strengthen conservation easements.

We hope you are pleased with the work we are doing on your behalf and that you will continue to support us.

Give Native Plants a Bit of CPR

Support policy-smart conservation advocacy to protect Florida's habitats for native plants.

Annual Member Meeting · July 18, 2026

Sun, 28 Jun 2026 13:31:07 GMT

Join Us for Our Annual Member Meeting — July 18 at 10 AM

Mark your calendar: FNPS is hosting our annual member meeting on July 18, 2026 at 10 AM on Zoom . This is a members-only event where our community comes together to chart our course forward.

Here's what's happening:

Vote on New Board Leadership. We'll elect new members to lead FNPS for the coming year.
Update Our Bylaws. Members will vote on important governance updates that keep FNPS aligned with our mission and values.
Recognize Our Annual Awards. We'll celebrate the members and chapters who exemplify our values on the journey to advance our mission.
Celebrate Our Wins. From successful restoration projects to legislative victories to expanded education programs, this year brought momentum. We'll share the highlights and look ahead.

This is where member voices matter most. Your vote shapes FNPS. Your feedback drives our work. If you're not yet a member, now is the time to join us.

Meeting Details: Members have received an email with a registration link. If you can't find the email, login to your member portal and check the Events page.

See you July 18!

April is National Native Plant Month!

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 15:02:51 GMT

S. RES. 665

SENATE RESOLUTION 665—DESIGNATING APRIL 2026 AS "NATIONAL NATIVE PLANT MONTH"

Mrs. HYDE-SMITH (for herself, Ms. HIRONO, Mr. HUSTED, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mr. WICKER, Mr. BOOKER, Mr. BENNET, Mrs. SHAHEEN, and Mr. HEINRICH) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

S. RES. 665

Whereas native plants are indigenous species that have evolved alongside native wildlife and occur naturally in a particular geographic region, ecosystem, and habitat;

Whereas there are more than 17,000 native plant species in the United States, which include large shade trees, understory trees, shrubs, perennials, vines, grasses, and wildflowers;

Whereas native plants are essential for healthy, diverse, and sustainable ecosystems and are critical for cleaning air, filtering water, and stabilizing soils;

Whereas native plants are well-adapted to specific soils, temperatures, precipitation, and environmental conditions, making them the best option for conserving and protecting our environment and adapting to its changes;

Whereas native plants provide shelter, as well as nectar, pollen, seeds, and foliage that serve as food, for native butterflies, caterpillars, birds, bees, and other wildlife in ways that non-native plants cannot;

Whereas more than 200 of the native plant species in the United States are estimated to have been lost since the early 19th century;

Whereas habitat loss and degradation, extreme weather events, and invasive species have contributed to the decline of native plants in the United States; and

Whereas native plants are essential components of resilient ecosystems and our natural heritage: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved , That the Senate—

(1) designates April 2026 as "National Native Plant Month"; and

(2) recognizes the benefits of native plants to the environment and economy of the United States.

Learn more about the National Native Plant Month at this link!

Palmetto Award Nominations are now OPEN

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 14:44:19 GMT

Do you know someone who deserves recognition for their work for Florida's native plants?

Nominations are open for FNPS service awards, and we want to hear from you! Here's what's available:

Green Palmetto Award for members making major contributions through service, education, or conservation
Mentor Award , our highest honor, for lifelong or career-long dedication to native plant preservation
Emerging Leaders Under 30 , celebrating the next generation of native plant champions
Outstanding Chapter of the Year , recognizing chapters going above and beyond for the mission

All nominees must be current FNPS members. Nominations are due May 15, 2026. Visit the link in our bio to learn more and submit your nomination.

Let's make sure the people and chapters doing incredible work for Florida's native plants get the recognition they deserve!

Board Nominations are now OPEN

Wed, 25 Feb 2026 20:01:38 GMT

�� Board Nominations Are Now Open!

Do you love Florida's native plants and want to make a real difference for their future? Now is your chance to step up and help lead the Florida Native Plant Society.

We are currently accepting nominations for open Board positions, and we would love to see passionate, dedicated members throw their hat in the ring. Whether you have a background in finance, communications, conservation, or simply a deep commitment to our mission, there is a place for you on the Board.

Visit our Opportunities page to learn more about the open positions and submit your nomination. The deadline to apply is May 31, 2026.

Voting will take place at the Annual Meeting on July 18, 2026, and elected officers and directors will begin serving immediately following the vote.

Join us in steering FNPS forward. Florida's native plants need advocates like you at the table.

Florida Native Plant Society Opposition to Section 6 of SB 290 DACS

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 16:41:52 GMT

FNPS Advocates for Florida's Conservation Lands

Florida Native Plant Society has sent a formal letter of opposition to members of the Florida Senate regarding Section 6 of SB 290. This provision would direct the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) to sell conservation lands, acquired through the Florida Forever Program, back into private ownership if deemed suitable for agricultural use. These lands are critical habitat for Florida's endangered native plants and the wildlife that depends on them. Allowing them to be converted to row crops or other intensive agricultural uses would be a devastating blow to the biodiversity we work so hard to protect. We urge our members to stay informed and engaged as this bill moves forward.

Florida Forever funding has declined dramatically since its peak in the early 2000s, dropping nearly to zero following the 2008 Great Recession and recovering only modestly after voters passed Amendment 1 in 2014. In recent years, the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program has absorbed a growing share of the state's land acquisition budget, a shift that underscores why protecting existing Florida Forever conservation lands from being sold back into private ownership is more critical than ever.