They spread slowly. A large clump means that many decades, perhaps even centuries, have passed since the original seed sprouted. They thrive whether water is clear or muddy, warm or cold, fresh or even slightly salty. They hole up in hollow logs, dens and tree-trunk cavities during the day. But at night, the pinewooods comes to life as they hunt their prey.
Fresh tracks are the only evidence left from the previous night's activities.
Spanish moss and other local air plants start life as tiny wind-borne seeds that catch in crevices of tree bark. Rough barked oaks accumulate many plants because the furrows contain enough moisture and wind-blown dust to start the seedlings' growth. Very soon, the miniature leaves begin to produce sugars on their own. Slash pine trees often dominate vegetation on low-lying ground that floods for one to three months each year. Saw palmetto, gallberry and many other shrubs flourish in the slash pine's understory.