The goher tortoise and the indigo snake may soon be upgraded to endangered status. Florida's Handsome, Stately Trees Venture beyond high-density development and you might encounter a stretch of land marked by tall stately trees. These are the slash pines of Florida. A nearby preserve where you can experience the hush of the pines and the sounds of its wildlife is on Morikami Park's nature trail in Delray Beach. During the winter mosquitoes are all but gone.
Pine needles carpet a wagon trail wandering among the pines and palmettos.
The handsome slash pine's cork-like bark is layered onto the trunk in distinctive patches. The ruddy colored bark is not only distictive but important. Lightening storms trigger the release of seeds from the pines' cones and clear out the understory growth of vines and shrubs. Sunlight now reaches the ground, giving energy to the pine seedlings. Beneath the pines saw palmettos stretch along the ground rather than standing upright like other palms.