Daily Bucket: Some Florida Plants

Pickerelweed

The Daily Bucket is a regular series from the Backyard Science group. Here we talk about Mother Nature in all her glory, especially the parts that live nearby. So let us know (as close as you are comfortable) where you are and what's going on around you. What's the weather like? Seen any interesting plants, bugs or critters? Are there birds at your feeders? Deer, foxes or snakies in your yard? Seen any cool rocks or geological features? Post your observations and notes here. And photos. We like photos.  :)

As the continental US’s only subtropical forest area, Florida has a bewildering variety of plants, many of which are non-native and have been introduced her from outside. I am completely plant-illiterate, but there are some flowers and plants that I am able to recognize just from seeing them all the time.

Lantana and berries

Florida Wild Coffee

Sea Grapes. No grapes this time of year.

The peely bark of a Sycamore. The white underbark marks it as an American Sycamore. (The European Sycamores are yellow.)

The city just treated this canal with herbicide a few weeks ago, and it’s already covered by invasive Water Hyacinth again

And now it is your turn: what’s blooming in your neck of the woods?

We are always looking for new people to produce Daily Buckets, where we practice "backyard science" by reporting and recording what we have seen in the natural world around us (and no matter where you are--even in the middle of the city--there is nature around you). You don't need any science degrees or training or in-depth experience to be a backyard scientist, and you don't need any expensive camera equipment or photo-editing software to do Daily Buckets. All you need is a pair of eyes and ears, a phone with a camera, and a lot of curiosity and enthusiasm.