UF/IFAS Rolls Out New Plant-and-Pollinator App for Florida-Friendly Yards

A single app replaces three

The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences has launched the FFL Plants & Pollinators App, a free tool that folds its former Plant Guide, Bee Gardens and Butterfly Gardens apps into one platform. The app is run through UF/IFAS’s Florida-Friendly Landscaping Program and is available on both web and mobile devices, according to an Aug. 18 UF/IFAS news release.

Claire Lewis, director of the Florida-Friendly Landscaping Program, said in the release that the goal is to help people pick plants that are “beautiful, functional, and environmentally responsible” while conserving water and supporting wildlife.

What the tool actually does

The app is a plant-selection database, not a regulatory or funding program. Its core feature is a Guided Plant Search that recommends species based on site conditions a homeowner enters directly - sun exposure, soil moisture, USDA hardiness zone, and wildlife goals. Plant profiles include wildlife benefits, pollinator value, toxicity warnings, and growing requirements, along with images.

The release also lists:

• Integrated bee and butterfly information, including host plants and nectar sources for pollinator gardens.
• A “My Lists” feature letting users save, organize, export and share plant selections for a landscape project or a classroom lesson.
• Guidance on invasive plants paired with Florida-Friendly alternatives.

UF/IFAS says the intended audience spans homeowners, landscape professionals, teachers, and its own Extension agents statewide.

Why this matters on the Nature Coast

Cedar Key and the rest of Levy County sit in a coastal zone where soil salinity, sandy drainage and hardiness-zone boundaries can trip up plant choices better suited to inland Florida. A search tool built around local site conditions rather than generic plant lists is the kind of resource that matters more here than in a subdivision outside Orlando - a yard three blocks from the Gulf faces different wind, salt-spray and flooding pressures than one in Marion County.

The pollinator and host-plant data also ties into a working landscape: Levy County’s beekeepers, backyard gardeners and anyone restoring native habitat after storm damage can use the same search to find nectar and host plants suited to this coast’s soil and salt exposure, rather than guessing from a big-box nursery label.

Because UF/IFAS Extension operates a office in every Florida county, including Levy County, the app functions as a companion to services already available locally - master gardener programs, plant clinics and extension agent consultations that residents can access without cost.

What’s not in the release

The UF/IFAS announcement does not name a Levy County Extension contact, does not describe a launch event or training session on the Nature Coast, and does not indicate whether the app draws on region-specific plant lists tailored to barrier-island or estuarine conditions versus statewide averages. There is no comment period or deadline attached to this rollout - it is a product launch, not a rulemaking or grant program. Residents interested in how the tool applies to a specific Cedar Key or Levy County property will need to test the Guided Plant Search themselves or reach out to the Levy County Extension office directly.