TREASURE COAST ── Love to garden but never know what to plant in our Florida climate? There’s an app for that, thanks to the University of Florida.
The FFL Plants & Pollinators App was recently launched by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences and the Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Program.
The new platform features a guided plant search that recommends plants based on site conditions such as sun exposure, soil moisture, hardiness zone and wildlife goals.
It includes information on invasive plants and Florida-Friendly alternatives to help users make environmentally responsible landscape choices.
“We wanted to make it easier for people to understand not only which plants will thrive in their landscape, but also how those plants contribute to the larger ecosystem,” said Tom Wichman, Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Program assistant director and horticulturist.
The app includes expanded plant profiles featuring wildlife benefits, pollinator value, toxicity information, growing requirements, and thousands of plant images.
Users also can find information on bee and butterfly resources and use a customizable My Lists feature to save, organize, export and share plant selections.
“The FFL Plants & Pollinators App empowers Floridians to select plants that are beautiful, functional, and environmentally responsible while supporting wildlife, conserving water, and creating healthier Communities,” said Claire Lewis, director of the Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Program.
The FFL Plants & Pollinators App is free and available through the Apple Store, the Google Play Store and at FloridaFriendlyLandscaping.com.