Allen Wise owned Shady Oaks Gather All, an old-style roadside retail plant nursery on Highway 301 in Sumterville, Florida. A member of the Florida Association of Native Nurseries (FANN) for 20 years, Allen was always eager to volunteer at native plant shows and other events promoting the native plant industry, even when operating from his wheelchair. Offering a mix of native and Florida-friendly plants, Allen was active with the Sumter County Master Gardeners, annually put together a native plant exhibit at the Sumter County Fair, and also was a member of the Florida Native Plant Society for several years, serving as president of the former Sumter Chapter.
Allen's friends established this fund to honor his work and interests. Donations are directed to practical, applied native plant horticulture and landscape research that can help growers and landscape professionals be more successful. One example: the Allen G. Wise Fund has supported University of Florida research, conducted by graduate students, to expand the use of more sustainable native groundcovers as alternatives to resource-intensive turfgrass.
Your gift helps promote innovation in the native plant industry and expanded use of native plants.