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Wildflower Highways
Wildflowers are in bloom throughout Florida. Check out the sightings
below, some with glorious photos.
6-30-2008:
Wildflowers now enhance the drive along the A1A Scenic & Historic
Coastal Byway on Florida's northeast coast. Batches of wildflowers,
like these near Mickler's Landing, were just some of what popped up
after a fall planting project in Flagler and Volusia counties. The
project, which used hundreds of pounds of seeds, was sponsored by a
grant from the Florida Wildflower Foundation.
5-9-2008: There's no mistaking where
you are when you see this sign at the Georgia border on U.S. Highway 17
-- "La Florida," land of flowers. coreopsis leavenworthii provides a
welcoming carpet of yellow in spring and fall.
Reported by Paul Crist, Florida
Department of Transportation
5-14-2008: When my family traveled
to Raleigh, N.C., this past weekend, I was so excited to see all the
beautiful flowers along I-95 south of the Florida/Georgia state
line. I have just recently joined the Florida Wildflower
Foundation, and when I saw these flowers, I knew this was the results
of this foundation's work and efforts. I had stumbled across the
Florida Foundation while trying to find the name of a flower from my
childhood days. I knew I wanted to be a part of the work you are
doing; after all, if any state should have wildflowers growing
everywhere, it should be Florida!
It speaks volumes to anyone traveling through the state as to what the
people in that state feel about their home state, and it makes you want
to go back again and again.
Reported by Sally Knight Raburn, Plant City
4-30-08: Florida’s
Turnpike and Suncoast Parkway (see photos and maps below): Phlox
is starting to wind down and C. basalis is still peaking in Sumter, Lake and Orange counties along State Road 91
(Florida’s Turnpike). Also on SR 91, in Osceola County, we are beginning to
see Rudbeckia, Aletris lutea, and Rhexia bloom.
Phlox is still peaking along with C. basalis in Hernando County on State Road 589 (Suncoast Parkway).
Rudbeckia will be coming along in the next few weeks here too.
Reported by Christopher Grossenbacher, Florida’s
Turnpike Enterprise
4-30-08: In Pinellas,
Hillsborough, Pasco, Hernando and Citrus Counties), the following is
still in bloom:
Citrus County: Sown
and naturalized Annual Phlox (P. drummomndii) in the medians of US
Highway 19/98 between the Hernando County line and Homosassa Springs
and along the roadsides of State Road 44 (Gulf to Lake Highway) between
Crystal River and Inverness.
Hernando County:
Naturalized Annual Phlox along U.S. Highway 19 between State Road 50
and the Citrus County line and along State Road 50/US Highway 98
between Frampton Road and the Withlacoochee Recreational Trail.
Pasco County: Sown
Annual Phlox along SR 54 between Duck Slough Road and US Highway 41.
In addition there are populations of native Tickseed (Coreopsis
leavenworthii) in bloom in ditches and moist areas District-wide.
Reported by William Moriaty, DOT
4-30-08: In North Florida:
Phlox and corepsis basalis are peaking right now in Madison, Suwannee
and Lafayette counties, especially along County Road 250, State Road 27
(White Springs and Branford area east to Interstate 75) and State Road
129; I suspect too along State Road 51 off of Interstate 10 and U.S. 90
in Live Oak vicinity. Some on I-10 as well from Madison County to I-75
interchanges.
Should be some good C.
basalis stands in vicinity of NFREC-Suwannee Valley that is east of
Live Oak.
C. basalis will be peaking at NFREC-Quincy in a week or two.
Reported by Jeff Norcini, University of Florida/IFAS
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4-28-08: North of Orlando along Florida’s
Turnpike (above): The humble beginnings of this vivid
field of wildflowers near the Florida Turnpike’s Okahumpka Plaza north
of Orlando will be featured in an upcoming Department of Agriculture
video. Foundation board member Terry Zinn, who operates a wildflower
seed farm in Alachua, is featured in the video demonstrating proper
seed-planting techniques.
4-24-08: Nine
wildflower planting locations (including the one above), can be found
on the Suncoast Parkway (State Road
589) in Hernando County. The flowers are mostly Coreopsis
and Phlox with some Rudbeckia beginning to show. “We should have some
Gaillardia and Ipomopsis planted in this mix as well,” writes
Christopher Grossenbacher of the Turnpike’s roadway maintenance team.
Turnpike roadway maintenance workers also have planted wildflowers at
six locations along the Turnpike Mainline. Five locations are at
the Okahumpka Service Plaza (Mile
Marker 300, Sumter County); the sixth is at the intersection of Highway 50 and the Turnpike near Oakland
(Exit 272, Orange County).
Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise has been planting wildflowers under its
current program for two years. Last year it planted
5½ acres in two locations with 150 pounds of seed.
This year, 18 acres were planted using 410 pounds of seed purchased
from the Wildflower Seed and Plant
Growers Association Inc. (www.floridawildflowers.com)
If you missed 2008’s peak bloom, keep a lookout – the Turnpike plans to
expand the program again in 2009.
Check the maps below for exact locations along the Turnpike and
Suncoast Parkway.
Reported by Christopher
Grossenbacher, Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise
 
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