 |
|
||||||||||
|
|
The
perennial shower of wild flowers begins early, in March, and the display
is always an exceptionally fine one. After all, it was in the spring of
1513 that their number, variety and splendor so inspired world explorer
Ponce de Leon that he named a newly discovered territory the "land
of flowers," or Florida.
Already landscaped with thousands of indigenous trees, plants and shrubs, Florida's growing conditions proved so agreeable that European settlers added hundreds more to the native flora. Today, there are an estimated 3,500 different species growing around the state. Two of the easiest and most obvious places to see wild flowers in Florida are along two heavily traveled interstate highways. The state has planted 200 miles of crimson wild flowers along I-10 between Tallahassee and Jacksonville, and 215 miles of annual phlox along I-75 from Tampa north to the Georgia state line. In all, over 1,000 miles of highways have been planted with wild flowers state-wide.
Some roadside flowers will be familiar, but others will be brand new because they are endemic or imported perennials from Mexico, Asia, and the Caribbean that thrive in the Southeast's moderate temperatures. It surprises many first-time visitors that the wild flower season in Florida, at least, is year-round. Bright green ferns, which many people identify only as extra ornamentation for cut flowers, are classified as wild flowers, and scores of different species grow continually in swamps and ditches. Some, such as the cinnamon fern, do flower exclusively in spring. As enduring and delightful as they are, ferns are not what set the fields, plains and roadsides afire. Much of the color comes from several varieties of phlox, particularly the purple, needle-like flowers of the Creeping Phlox which grow low to the ground in compact tufts in open fields and pinelands as far south as Orlando. Common throughout the entire region is the Annual Phlox, actually native to Texas, which exhibits the showy purple flowers found along roadsides and in open places. Adding to spring's mantle of purple is the Florida Violet, which despite its name is found in adjoining states as well. These low to the ground flowers are abundant in open woods and clearings everywhere. Spring also ushers in the red poppy mallow to northwest Florida and Alabama, plus the even more striking Turk's-cap or Wax Mallow, a bushy shrub whose scarlet pendant flowers never fully open. The Yellow Jassamine adds a splash of contrast to the hammocks, thickets and clearings. Its climbing woody vines often collect and merge to form a striking sight. A few of the most colorful flowers, such as the Columbine, are rare in Florida but quite common farther north. The brilliant flowers of the Columbine, found only in three Panhandle counties, are pollinated by hummingbirds seeking the nectar at the end of the plant's spurs (spurs which happen to be just as long as a hummingbird's bill). The roadsides and fields offer the most obvious arrays of wild flowers, yet some of the greatest color shows occur in more out-of-the-way places, the swamps and long stream banks. Characteristic wild flowers of the wetlands include the Ti-ti (also called Leatherwood) and the Black Ti-ti, both of which produce long, showy racemes of fragrant flowers. There are many more spring wild flowers, hundreds more, and the only way to appreciate what you're viewing is with a good guidebook. Florida Wild Flowers and Roadside Plants by Bell and Taylor (Laurel Hill Press: Chapel Hill) is the definitive work. With more than 500 plants identified with text and color photographs, the book is a good companion throughout the year. The vibrant colors that begin in March are not like the momentary color flashes of autumn, a brief moment of glory that too quickly fades and disappears. Many spring wild flowers remain in bloom through the summer and sometimes as late as fall. And the early arrivals will be later joined by others that won't reveal their full brilliance until the hot days of summer. Spring is only the beginning of the wild flower season. Where to See Spring Wild Flowers In the timber-managed state and national forests, areas that undergo prescribed burns often have some of the best wild flower habitat, since the fires remove much of the shady canopy. At Florida's Blackwater State Forest, the best wild flower viewing is along the hiking trails. These include the Bear Lake Recreation Area loop trail, which goes through a number of systems. The Wire Grass Trail also offers good wild flowers most of the year. Another good Panhandle hotspot is Florida Caverns State Park near Marianna. The forest and swamp border the scenic Chipola River. In the Apalachicola National Forest , it's the Post Office Bay savannahs area on the Apalachee Savannahs Scenic Byway in the southwestern section of the forest. The wild flowers share the same savannahs as the carnivorous plants. In Osceola National Forest , the trails leading from the Olustee Battlefield and the Mt. Carrie wayside park (on U.S. 90 across from the Columbia Correctional Institution) pass through good wild flower displays. The palmetto cover is far less dense in this southern part of the forest, providing better wild flower habitat for blazing stars, goldenrod, aster, milkweed, and orchids, all of which grow in profusion following a summer burn. Wild azaleas grow along the Middle Prong of the St. Mary's River in the northwest section in the vicinity of the East Tower. San Felasco State Preserve near Gainesville has some colorful displays, as does nearby Paynes Prairie Preserve, which has more than 700 wild flower species--thanks to the great variety of habitat including wet prairie and sinkholes. Wild flowers last well beyond spring and into the fall here. Tosohatchee State Reserve, which borders the St. Johns River, can also be quite good. It is located on Taylor Creek Road, off State Road 50 near the town of Christmas. In Southwest Florida, Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary can be an excellent spot. Return to March Hotspots Homepage
|
||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||