Featured Projects - Research

Conservation and Habitat Restoration for Two Florida Endemic Mints

FNPS is monitoring populations of two extremely rare mints, longspurred balm (Dicerandra cornutissima) and blushing balm (Dicerandra modesta). Both are federally and state listed as Endangered. We are also assisting land managers in habitat restoration that will benefit the mint populations as well as a suite of native species that depend on our public lands for their survival.

Dicerandra cornutissima occurs only in dry yellow-sand scrubs near Ocala in Marion and Sumter counties: the largest protected population is in the Cross Florida Greenway. A smaller population is also protected by the Putnam Land Conservancy.

Dicerandra modesta is endemic to Polk County where it is present at the Horse Creek Scrub Tract of the Lake Marion Creek Wildlife Management Area managed by the South Florida Water Management District. The population is bisected by the right-of-way for the SabalTrail pipeline and a Duke Energy transmission line. The Florida Native Plant Society is monitoring the population and restoring the area damaged during the installation of the pipeline.

Partners

South Florida Water Management District

Florida State Parks - Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway

Email the Project Contact

Dicerandra cornutissima. Photograph from habitat that no longer exists southwest of Ocala, by Shirley Denton.

Dicerandra modesta.

One of the restoration plantings at the Cross Florida Greenway.

Statewide Milkweed Survey Project

We are documenting occurrences of Florida’s native milkweed (Asclepias) species throughout the state. Many of our milkweed species are important hosts for monarch butterflies.

Our chapters, FNPS staff and volunteers across Florida have documented 21 native milkweed species and have tracked about 800 populations throughout the state. Many of the documented populations and plants are roadside occurrences. Data is shared with the Florida Natural Areas Inventory (FNAI) and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT).

More about the database:
It is comprehensive and assimilated into the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) Database - used by vegetation managers, land managers, agencies, and more. What it encompasses:

Roadsides
Powerline Cuts – (and herbicide Issues)
Public Lands

Goals:

To know where each species occurs
To monitor
To protect and appropriately manage (with FDOT, county, city, and private land managers)

Key Findings:

Many species are more uncommon than anticipated, and they appear to be very dependent upon roadsides.
There are major apparent occurrence gaps in South Florida, North Central Florida, and SW Florida
Only a handful of sites are utilizing reduced mowing practices that are essential for maintaining appropriate habitat

WE NEED A LOT OF HELP (to mobilize local FNPS members to contact local officials and support reduced mowing and management of these important sites). Note that reduced mowing does not mean “no mowing” because some annual mowing, properly timed, is needed at many of these sites.

How you can help:

Document all sightings of Asclepias occurrences and report them to us at the email below to help fill in gaps and build the database. Please provide an accurate location either using GPS or your cell phone. Please take a close-up picture of the plant and send it with your email.
Encourage your county to adopt a wildflower resolution (if they haven’t yet).
If your county has adopted a wildflower resolution and you see a roadside population with no signs of protection, you can simply contact FDOT for populations located on state highways or a county roads department for populations located on county roads.

Resources