Professor and Associate Chair, University of Florida Horticultural Sciences Department

30+ years of experience in teaching and research, with significant focus on native and invasive plants

Dr. Sandra Wilson is a Professor, Associate Chair, and Distinguished Scholar in the Horticultural Sciences Department at the University of Florida’s main campus in Gainesville.
Funded through local, state, and federal grants, Wilson’s research focuses on (1) propagation and evaluation of native plants, (2) characterizing the invasive potential of ornamental plants, and (3)evaluation of substates and floral resources for containerized pollinator plants. She has advised or co-advised 44 graduate students, serving on an additional 32 graduate committees. In addition to coauthoring the 9th edition world standard textbook, Hartmann and Kester’s Plant Propagation: Principles and Practices, she has authored over 230 scientific and technical articles in plant propagation, container production, and landscape evaluation. Dr. Wilson teaches courses on Plant Propagation, Native Florida Landscaping, and Annual & Perennial Gardening in live and online formats at undergraduate and graduate levels. She has demonstrated scholarship in teaching and learning through innovative online materials and mobile applications on plant propagation, plant family classification, greenhouse education, and bee-friendly gardening. For her substantial contributions to horticultural science and education, she holds the distinction of Fellow within the International Plant Production Society (IPPS), American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS), and the North American Colleges and Teaching of Agriculture (NACTA).

Dr. Wilson received B.S. and M.S. degrees from the University of Delaware and a Ph.D. in Plant Physiology from Clemson University. Dr. Wilson completed postdoctoral studies at both Clemson University and Chiba University, Japan.