Passionflower Chapter

Volunteers braved the sun and heat to put over 100 plants, many of them threatened or endangered species rescued from Clermont development sites, in the ground at a Lake Louisa State Park restoration area. Go Native Plant Warriors! 

Passionflower members gathered to tour Pam Adam's yard - winner of the 2021 FNPS Residential Landscaping Award. With plant lists in hand, small groups toured the property - a great way to see what mature native plants look like - and then relaxed and chatted in the shade with infused water and light refreshments.

Working at the Ranger Station Garden at Lake Louisa State Park and rescue plants being "hardened" for planting in park restoration areas. Watch the video.

https://youtu.be/7D0iKzc7q2E

Peggy Cox presented a program about the Green Swamp - the "Liquid Heart of Florida" - right here in Lake County.  Learn its history, how it feeds our rivers and lakes (including the Clermont Chain of Lakes), provides flood protection, and recharges the aquifer to supply our household water.  Learn how the area is also ecologically important since it contains native habitat that is home to a wide diversity of native plant life and provides food and shelter for a variety of wildlife including mammals, birds, and butterflies. This "Area of Critical State Concern" needs protection if we want to continue to have a readily available water supply and enjoy the many recreational opportunities our beautiful county provides.

Watch a recording of The Incredible Green Swamp presentation and look at the Lake County Water Atlas to find out about the status of our water resources.

Standing on a bridge over Big Creek at Lake Louisa State Park, the Passionflower and Lake Beautyberry field trip group admired a banded water snake sunning itself on the tree roots.  From sandhills and scrub to cypress swamp and this blackwater stream location, the trip traced the hydrology of this section of the Green Swamp and saw and learned about how each plant community fits into the hydrology that supplies a large part of the water in the Clermont Chain of Lakes and beyond.

Two Passionflower members were announced as award winners at the May 22nd FNPS Annual Meeting.

• Passionflower’s President, Melanie Simon, received a Silver Palmetto Award.  Award recipients, chosen by the FNPS President, are recognized for making a major contribution to the functioning of the Society.  In addition to her duties with Passionflower, Melanie has served as the Council of Chapters Secretary this past year. 
• Passionflower member Pam Adams was awarded this year’s FNPS Landscape Award in the Residential category.  FNPS evaluates landscapes around the state and gives an annual award of merit for high quality native plant landscapes in 7 categories. 

Planting Florida Native Plants is only the beginning.  As we learned in our February and March 2021 programs (watch via links below), the key to an attractive yard, regardless of the type of plants, is a cared-for look. Although our native plants have many low maintenance benefits - including needing less water, fertilizer, and pesticides - all plants require some maintenance.  This program explains native plant maintenance for Prevention, Pests & Disease, and Wildlife and includes lots of care instructions and tips for healthy plants, a cared-for look, and an attractive yard that people, birds, and butterflies can enjoy. 

Watch Maintaining a Florida Native Plant Yard here.

On multiple days in April and May, Passionflower volunteers joined volunteers from other FNPS chapters to rescue native plants from a development site in Clermont.  These plants, many of them threatened due to habitat loss, will be hardened at a nursery and replanted later in the summer at a restoration site.  This not only increases the native plant population at the site, but also increases the biodiversity.

Rescues and replanting will continue through the summer.  Email Passionflower if you are interested in helping with this important work.