Aquifer-Friendly Landscaping

Below you’ll find links to information from several organizations determined to protect Florida’s beautiful waterways through nature-friendly landscaping.

Let’s work together to protect the Santa Fe River.

There are two major threats to Florida’s springs: groundwater withdrawals and nitrogen loading. These threats contribute to reduced spring flows, excessive algae growth, and undrinkable water. With the goals of reducing aquifer nitrogen pollution and groundwater depletion, there are three objectives to achieving a Springs Friendly Yard.

Springs Friendly Landscaping promotes native only plants and no irrigation, rainwater only.

SF Florida Native Plant Society is an overview of the FNPS

SF Florida Plant Atlas 

Ecological Landscape Alliance educates, inspires, and empowers people to understand and respect their connection to natural systems and take informed action to support ecological landscapes.

Eco-Landscaping Overview promotes habitat creation and passive landscaping.

Plant real florida Build native plant communities

Xerces Society landscaping for pollinators

Fla Wild Flowers growing native wildflowers

Madera neighborhood a community in Gainesville FL

Plants play an important role in keeping waterbodies in balance. However, not all plants are created equal. While some plants knit this diverse environment together, others attempt to take over and reduce diversity. These problematic plants are called, “invasive”.

Florida Natural Areas Inventory Invasive Plant Directory provides a thorough inventory of invasive species administered by the Institute of Science and Public Affairs at Florida State University.

Plant Directory – Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants The UF/IFAS Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants (CAIP) is a research, teaching, and extension unit located just north of the main Gainesville campus.