Wax Myrtles grow in a variety of habitats, from dry, sandy pine flatwoods to moist, shady...

Exotic Introduced from tropical America, the water hyacinth has...

Growing to 8″ tall, Water Hemlock grows in swamps, marshes, and along...

Plants in the Milkweed family get their name from the thick, sticky, milky sap that oozes...

Hundreds of tall (8-10″) hibiscus plants brighten our Tatum Sawgrass Marsh in...

Common in open areas, this member of the aster family grows to 3″ tall. The...

A low (6″) growing shrub in the palm family, the saw palmetto is named for the...

Poison Ivy grows in many forms including as a small plant, a climbing vine,...

An invasive exotic species introduced from Brazil (originally from Africa) as...

A semi-parasitic shrub, Mistletoe has chlorophyll and produces its own food...

Often growing in large colonies via a vast system of underground runners, Lizard’s...

Growing to 6″ tall, with clusters of 20-75 leaves, each about 30″...

Attacks by the Mexican Bromeliad Weevil, illegal collecting, and habitat loss are...

Thickets of Buttonbush line our boardwalk through the marsh. Flourishing in full...

Named after the genus callicarpa, for the brightly colored magenta fruits, the Beauty...

Plant List A native epiphytic orchid of Florida, the butterfly orchid grows from the...

The most common South Florida Pine, the Slash Pine grows to 100″ with a...

Like Spanish Moss, Ball Moss is not a moss but a flowering plant in the Bromeliad family....

Once common throughout North and Central Florida, Longleaf Pines were tapped to provide...

Small (30-35″), slender trees, willows grow throughout the swamp and along our...

A 40-50″ tall tree with a low, dense rounded crown spreading out to more than...

Carolina Ash, fairly common in our swamp, is also called Pop Ash or Water Ash. Like the...

Also called “Swamp Cabbage,” this palm is named for the...

The best climber of all Florida snakes, the Yellow Rat Snake often climbs trees in search...

A common and conspicuous snake with bright, highly visible reddish-orange...

A very common aquatic snake with a short, stout body, this Water Snake may be...

One of the two mimics (along with the Scarlet King Snake) of the poisonous Coral Snake,...

The largest snake in North America, the Indigo, named for the dark blue...

The Garter Snake is a distinctive turquoise or blue-green colored snake with light...

Of the three snakes in our area with the same bright warning coloration, it...

One of the most common native Florida lizards, Skinks spend their time on the ground...

Our native Florida Anole, this lizard has a slender body, long tail, and...

Native to Cuba, these anoles arrived initially on refugee boats and then in...

The largest freshwater reptile in North America, the Alligator...

One of America’s largest White-Tailed Deer populations resides in Florida....

Introduced from Europe as a food animal by the Spanish and later the English,...

The Opossum is a marsupial, which means that it has a pouch in which the babies...

Growing to 4 feet long the Otter is our largest member of the weasel family....

A good swimmer, runner, and climber, the Raccoon is known for its ability to...

This exotic that traveled the highways from Mexico has become an agricultural...

Smaller than the Cottontail, this 11-inch long, 2.5 pound rabbit has...

Our smallest member of the weasel family, this Skunk is both fast and agile. When...

Found throughout Florida, the Free-Tailed Bat is a medium-sized bat, 3-4”...

A nocturnal mammal that often travels established trails, the Bobcat is...

A small (3/8″ long) Orb Weaver Spider with a whitish or yellow abdomen...

One of Florida’s largest orb weaver spiders, the Golden Silk Spider builds an orb...

Originally from Mexico, this exotic has caused much destruction to our...

Now widespread from Texas to the Carolinas to Florida, the red fire ant was accidentally...

A recent immigrant from central Florida, the Love Bug has a dark body, velvety black head...

A member of the insect order hemiptera, sometimes called the “True...

The common name of this insect comes from the larva, called an “Ant...

A free floating, rootless aquatic fern, this small (1/4″) plant grows...

Growing to 3″ tall, the Royal Fern is one of our largest swamp ferns. Ferns, along...

Resurrection Fern is an epiphyte that grows on Live Oak Trees which it uses for support...

Our Golden Polypody Fern is an ephiphytic fern, a plant that lives on other plants but,...

A giant silkworm moth, Lunas live a very short life and are not commonly seen....

Most abundant of the kite swallowtails, butterflies named for their long...

Viceroys have developed protective features in every life stage. Eggs laid on...

The Florida state butterfly, with a 3-3.5″ wingspan, the...

Easily recognized by its distinctive red forewing band, adult Red Admirals fly in a...

Found in swamps throughout Florida the Palamedes Swallowtails are reported to roost...

Males are always yellow but, females have two color forms, the yellow and an...

Florida’s largest game bird, the Turkey has made a major comeback since...

The larger of our two vultures, its naked red head and legs make identification...

A common woodland buteo, with broad wings and a broad banded tail, this hawk...

Shaped like a Swallow, with the characteristic pointed wings, and built with...

One of our ‘ladder backed’ or ‘zebra backed’ woodpeckers, the...

Man-made nesting platforms built over water and a pesticide ban restored our...

The Northern Paula Warbler migrates through central Florida from March –...

The Shrike is a songbird that acts like a bird of prey. Because its feet are...

Harriers are hawks known for their distinctive hunting behavior, flying low...

A small goldfinch sized bird the summer male Indigo Bunting appears dark except in very ...