UF IFAS Horticultural Sciences Department

04/10/2026

03/31/2026

Don't forget to RSVP for the 2026 Spring Festival!

Hop on free trams and explore stops around Lake Alice and discover UF’s hands-on offerings, like:

🦇Field & Fork Campus Food Program for unique flavors, student internships, live music, and bats

🍠🌻 Horticultural Sciences Teaching Farm for hands-on demos, a career corner, free samples, seedlings, and blueberry & flower harvesting

🌴UF Native Plant Nursery to learn about ecosystem restoration, planting, and Florida-friendly landscapes

🌸 Wilmot Botanical Gardens for the Therapeutic Horticulture program

RSVP for more details: https://bit.ly/UFSpringFestival

03/18/2026

🥑 Can avocados survive the cold? UF/IFAS scientists are developing cold-hardy avocados that survive temperatures as low as 17 degrees in North Florida. Discover how these cold-tolerant avocados could transform Florida’s fruit industry and give growers new opportunities! 👉 https://wherethefoodcomesfrom.com/uf-ifas-scientists-develop-avocados-that-thrive-in-north-florida-winters/


University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences UF IFAS Horticultural Sciences Department

UF/IFAS scientists develop cold-hardy avocados that survive North Florida winters, opening new opportunities for local growers!

03/18/2026

A harsh winter freeze hit Florida blueberry farms harder than expected, but growers are already working to recover, and blueberries are still coming to market this spring.

Farmers are repairing fields, resetting plants, and nurturing surviving fruit while preparing for stronger harvests ahead. While this year’s crop may be smaller, Doug Phillips, our statewide blueberry Extension coordinator, says consumers can still expect sweet, flavorful Florida blueberries in stores.

Nutrition experts call blueberries a “superfruit,” packed with nutrients and easy to enjoy by the handful or in yogurt, oatmeal, and smoothies.

Learn more about the season and how growers are bouncing back: 🔗 tr.ee/TJyvYRZr8M

03/10/2026

Horticulture professor, Dr. Kimberly Moore, and Master Gardener volunteer, Jeannie Schmidle, share how gardeners can identify invasive plants before buying and make choices that protect Florida’s ecosystems.

Learn more about the 8 invasive plants experts say to avoid and why!

Florida’s lush, subtropical climate supports gardening and outdoor living year-round. It also creates ideal conditions for invasive plants to spread.  Research shows that many property owners are often unaware of a plant’s invasive potential and rarely factor it into their buying decisions unle...

02/26/2026

By introducing a pepper gene into tomatoes, UF scientists produced hybrid varieties with exceptionally high beta-carotene levels, improved yield, and enhanced flavor. These nutrient-dense tomatoes offer a promising tool to combat widespread vitamin A deficiency worldwide.

02/19/2026

Today is ! Stand Up & Holler and make an impact by supporting the UF College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Horticultural Sciences Department.

Your gift helps advance innovative research, hands-on student training, and outreach that connects science to real-world impact - from improving specialty crops and sustainable food systems to shaping the future of plant science. With multiple giving options available, you can support the areas that matter most to you.

Help us make a difference and give today: https://lnkd.in/eF3zSgqR

02/18/2026

Recent UF Plant Science Major graduate, our Alumni Spotlight is Madelyn Greathouse!

As a UF/IFAS Extension Commercial Horticulture & IPM Agent serving Sumter and Pasco counties, she supports a wide range of growers, from blueberries and ornamentals to organic row crops, across one of Florida’s fastest-changing regions.

Where residential growth meets working farmland, her role spans field diagnostics, problem-solving, and community outreach. Greathouse is helping both producers and the public better understand the systems that sustain Florida agriculture.

Read her full story: https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/hosdept/2026/02/11/uf-ifas-extension-alumni-greathouse/

02/11/2026

Fewer than 900 ghost orchids remain in the wild, threatened by habitat loss, hydrologic change, poaching, and environmental stress. Dr. Carrie R. Adams, Associate Professor of Restoration and Plant Ecology, is working to understand how these rare orchids grow, what helps them thrive, and how they can be protected for the long term. These efforts connect Florida conservation to a broader global network of scientists and institutions committed to safeguarding native orchids.

Recently, the team earned a Gold Medal at RHS - Royal Horticultural SocietyChelsea Flower Show through Orchid Conservation Chelsea, an international effort that brings together institutions to highlight native orchids and the science behind their protection.

Read the full story: https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/hosdept/2026/02/10/uf-ifas-ghost-orchid-conservation/

01/26/2026

Meet the first class of UF’s Plant Breeding Ph.D. — scientists using genetics, drones and biotechnology to build healthier, more resilient crops for the future.

About four years ago, a small cohort of ambitious young scientists stepped into uncharted territory as the first students in the University of Florida’s new plant breeding Ph.D. program in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, part of the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF...