paper, 328 pp., $29.95
Named for its bounty of wildflowers by its Spanish discoverer Ponce de León, Florida’s native vegetation has been generally ignored in the past. Despite the fact reported by the author that “Florida has the third-richest palette of native plants of any state in the nation,” there has been a general disinterest in the 3,000 indigenous species. Huegel voices a plea to home gardeners to select native wildflowers, ferns, and grasses for inclusion into the landscape. After defining the plants in these categories, he reviews their attributes and how they can best be used and maintained in a natural landscape. The text includes information on sources of plants and tips on propagating native species, as well as legal issues about harvesting indigenous species. The remaining work contains a listing of plants with descriptions, illustrations, and instructions on how individual plants can best be used in the landscape.
— Marilyn K. Alaimo, garden writer and volunteer, Chicago Botanic Garden