Carrollwood Pollinator Corridor

The Carrollwood Pollinator Corridor has launched with plantings at Carrollwood Village

Park and VISTA Gardens. On Friday June 20, 10 Master Gardener Volunteers planted

two different species of native milkweed, including Pink swamp milkweed (Asclepias

incarnata) and White aquatic milkweed (Asclepias perennis) in the native butterfly

garden, before meeting summer campers, ages 10 – 13, at the entrance to the bridge

spanning the retention pond.

After a short lesson on how plants help our environment by Extension Agent Tia Silvasy, the group planted native clumping grasses to prevent erosion, along with our Florida state wildflower, Coreopsis leavenworthii, to attract pollinators. In total, 48 plants of 5 different species were installed, in addition to 10 bales of pine straw.

On Saturday, June 28, 5 Master Gardener Volunteers joined VISTA members to transplant 16 Florida native plants, as well as tend VISTA Gardens’ Wildflower Garden. During the ten days prior, members of VISTA’s Wildflower Garden Committee transplanted 28 Florida native plants, and a total of 44 new plants of 9 different species now add color and dimension to the Wildflower Garden.

The species include White aquatic milkweed (Asclepias perennis) to attract Monarch, Queen and Soldier butterflies, Pineland heliotrope (Heliotropis spp), a favorite of bees, Elliott’s lovegrass (Eragrostis elliottii), Black Seeded Needle Grass (Piptochaetium avenaceum), Pineland Lantana var. floridana, Lantana depressa var. depressa, Dwarf snow squarestem (Melanthera nivea), Wild white indigo (Baptisa alba) and Coreopsis leavenworthii.

The Carrollwood Pollinator Corridor Project is funded with a Viva Florida Landscape Demonstration Garden grant from the Florida Wildflower Foundation. We hope the public can learn from our demonstration gardens and be inspired to add Florida native plants to their landscapes.

Phase two of the Pollinator Corridor is planned in the Fall with planting events at Carrollwood Village Park on Friday, Nov. 7, VISTA Gardens on Saturday, Nov. 8, and Carrollwood Cultural Center on Friday, Nov. 14. For more information, please contact Roberta Owens or Tia Silvasy, who is pictured below (left).

Photo credit to Lindy Sanchez, Master Gardener Volunteer