Betsy The Brazilian Bat by Linda Smock
ID: #792435
Description
Come play Hide and Seek with Betsy the Brazilian Bat! Betsy isn’t just any bat. She’s a fast-flying, insect-loving, fun-sharing mammal with lots to teach you! As you search for Betsy on each page, she’ll tell you all about her life, from roosting in palm trees and bridges to zipping through the sky with her bat friends. Along the way, you’ll discover amazing bat facts, big words like echolocation and insectivorous, and why bats like Betsy are so important to the world around us. Get ready for a delightful adventure packed with science, smiles, and just a hint of guano! About the Author: As a master gardener volunteer, teacher, nature lover, and author, Linda Smock ignites the interests of children with her personifications of insects, flowers, and reptiles. Linda’s childhood dream was to be a teacher when she grew up; as a teenager, she added writer to her goals. She achieved both at an early age, has authored textbooks and ancillary materials for teachers and students, and has written devotional books for adults. In 2023, she accepted the challenge of turning an essay about honey bees into a children’s book. This sparked a new interest and she has continued to educate with fun and interactive children’s books. Adults often say they learn from her books. As a retired educator, Linda still loves to teach. You may find her speaking about nature and plants at public libraries, leading groups in Bible study, or chairing a committee at her Independent Living Facility. Linda has both undergraduate and master’s degrees from Florida State University. She later attended the University of South Florida for certification in Administration Supervision. Her master gardener certification is from the University of Florida.
Price
$17.00
Last Updated
10 August 2026, 10:21 UTC
Store Information
physical store
Location
More from Little Red Wagon Native Nursery
View all
Blue Porterweed (Stachytarpheta jamaicensis)
$6.00
There is but a single species native, or presumably native, to Florida, and that is Blue porterweed, Stachytarpheta jamaicensis. The typical height of only 0.5 to 1 feet with a sprawling habit to about 3 feet. It is best used as ground cover in a garden with extremely well drained soil as its typicaly habitat includes coastal dunes and disturbed areas - not a plant you want to overwater! Butterflies and other pollinators love it. It does best in full sun to part shade. Blue porterweed is not frost tolerant and can potentially die if exposed to temperatures below 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Pruning it back typically provides for new growth if it gets burned by a freeze. The blooms are edible and have a taste similar to mushrooms and look cute on salads. The flower spikes can be used similarly to how a bay leaf is used in cooking. This plant gets its name "porter"weed as there is a natural foam that will build up from dried leaves if made into a tea or brewed into a beer. There is /AC
RAFFLE TICKETS
$2.00
Raffle tickets are $2.00 for 1 and $5 for 3 tickets. Tickets may be purchased online or in person at our gift shop. You do not need to be present to win.
Wild Coffee (Psychotria nervosa)
$11.00
Wild coffee - Psychotria nervosa , also known as Seminole balsamo, is a shade-tolerant medium-sized evergreen shrub, with glossy leaves, which grows to 4' and native to Florida. It will typically only reach 4' in full sun and will grow much taller in shade. So while it grows in sun or shade, it will do best in partial to full shade. Its small white blooms in spring are a great nectar source for bees and other pollinators. It produces a small, red fruit that resembles "the true coffee bean" in shape and attract birds. Though the "beans" contain no caffeine, they can be roasted and consumed as a coffee-like beverage. The seeds turn black in late winter. It is moderately salt-tolerant. It is also the host plant for the Coffee-loving pyrausta - Pyrausta laticlavia moth.
Aquatic Milkweed (Asclepias perennis)
$1.25
Aquatic milkweed ( Asclepias perennis ) a great evergreen Florida native perennial milkweed, but quite a different species from Swamp Milkweed ( A. incarnata) . It can survive lower amounts of direct sunlight than our other native species, while also handling full sun. It can become lankier during the season but a terrific native as it is available all year to our beloved Monarchs. Aquatic milkweed can tolerate 2-3 months of drought in our Florida sandy soils but also does very well in extremely wet and nearly underwater conditions during the Florida rainy seasons. A mature height in the late spring can reach about 2 - 3' feet. Each is densely covered by lance-shaped deep green leaves approximately 3-5 inches in length. I have witnessed during a few years of milkweed research studies in Central Florida this plant flowers and pushes seed pods in Florida winter months. The flowers are bright white with an occasional hue of pale pink before opening. This wildflower is commonly propagated for home gardeners and is quite hardy. It is also a good specimen for container growing. I plant it in shady areas around my yard that get a mix of filtered sun and shade as well as some areas that are full sun - the plants do well in pretty much any condition Florida seems to throw at it. If you have sprinklers hitting it regularly, it will receive enough water from my experience of having it side by side with 7 other milkweed species. This one is my favorite since it grows year round in Florida!