Trees Found In Tropical Hardwood Hammocks

Hardwoods are broad leaved trees that grow well in the everglades.

Trees found in tropical hardwood hammocks. Live oak and cabbage palm are also sometimes found within this community. Extremely rare plants like lignum vitae mahogany thatch palms and manchineel may also be found in these hammocks in the florida keys. Characteristic tropical plants include strangler fig gumbo limbo ironwoods and poisonwood. Tropical hardwood hammocks occur in south florida and along the florida coastlines where danger from frost is rare and tropical trees and shrubs common to the caribbean islands west indian origin are able to survive.

Some of those trees are less frequent or absent in southern florida from about lake okeechobee south where tropical species such as gumbo limbo and satinleaf may be found. The tropical hardwood hammock is an ecosystem consisting of broad leafed trees shrubs and vines nearly all of which are native to the west indies with live oak quercus virginiana being the only significant temperate species. In the northern portion of the everglades hammocks are dominated by trees of temperate origin including the live oak quercus virginiana and the hackberry celtis laevigata. A hardwood hammock is a habitat that is found on higher elevations making it like the pinelands a dry habitat.

To walk into a hardwood hammock is to walk through a shady tropical forest. Hammocks can be found nestled in most all other everglades ecosystems. Tropical hardwood hammocks are found along both coasts of south florida as well as throughout the everglades and florida keys. Mahogany hammock trail an accessible tropical hardwood hammock in everglades national park.

Temperate species such as live oak red maple virginia creeper and hackberry may also be found within this habitat. Other tropical species may include mahogany mastic and royal palm. Other trees commonly found in mesic hammocks include southern magnolia pignut hickory water oak and laurel oak. A hardwood hammock is a dense stand of broad leafed trees that grow on a natural rise of only a few inches in elevation.

Common tropical plant species found within the hammocks of ten thousand islands national wildlife refuge include gumbo limbo strangler fig and ironwoods.