Six Species of Florida Wildflowers and Their Uses in the Restoration and Beutification of Florida Habitats

Date of Award

2003

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Natural Sciences

First Advisor

McCord, Elzie

Keywords

Wildflowers, Restoration, Native Plants

Area of Concentration

Biology

Abstract

Six species of wildflowers are evaluated for large-scale commercial production: Liatris tenuifolia (Blazing Star), Lygodesmia aphylla (Roserush), Rhexia mariana (Pale Meadow Beauty), Sabatia Grandifiora (Largeflower Marsh Pink), Sagittaria graminea (Grassy Arrowhead), and Viola lanceolata (Long-leaf Violet). Flower size, seed size, dormancy requirements and habitat niches all contribute to fitness of the wildflower seed and markets. Liatris tenuifolia (Blazing Star), Lygodesmia aphylla (Roserush) and Sagittaria graminea (Grassy Arrowhead) are highly fit for commercial production. Liatris tenuifolia does have stratification requirements, but this can be overcome easily with an appropriate planting date. Rhexia mariana (Pale Meadow Beauty), Sabatia Grandifiora (Largeflower Marsh Pink), and Viola lanceolata (Long-leaf Violet) are not appropriate choices due to limitations such as seed size, flower size, and dormancy requirements. Seed harvest dates are noted and germination test procedures were evaluated. Current wildflower seed outlets are limited and do not supply Florida varieties. State and local municipalities and industries involved in habitat restoration create a strong demand for native seed sources. A wildflower seed market is not yet existent in Florida, yet the current horticultural market is booming in Florida. Two thousand two horticultural sales place Florida as the second highest state in US horticultural sales. Significant native plant sales indicate that native wildflower seed sales may compete equally as well. Wildflower seed production has a high growth potential due to a solid demand niche in restoration and beautification efforts and examples of large industry growth in other states.

Rights

This bibliographic record is available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication. The New College of Florida, as creator of this bibliographic record, has waived all rights to it worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law.

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