As the Keys were developed to accommodate an increasing number of people, most of the unique vegetation was scraped away, making the tropical forest of Lignumvitae Key a very rare and special place. Here, you walk in the shade of trees with strange names like mastic, strangler fig, poisonwood, pigeon plum and gumbo-limbo. Contact Information Activities Use the icons below to find information on activities for this park. For a listing of all activities, please visit our parks by activities webpage . Directions Lignumvitae Key Botanical State Park is located one mile west of U.S.1 at Mile Marker 78.5.
Access is by private boat or charter boats at nearby marinas .
As great quantities of water began to freeze into glaciers at the earth's poles, the sea level dropped, exposing the top of the reef and forming an island composed of fossilized coral rock. As time passed, storm tides and waves left seaweed, driftwood and other organic debris stranded on the bare rock. This material began decaying, forming small pockets of soil in depressions in the coral rock. Then came a few seeds from other tropical islands some floating on the sea or carried by the winds, while others came in the digestive tracts of migrating birds. Here, the seeds sprouted and began to grow, drop leaves, produce flowers and seeds, mature, die and decay.