Of the eight species worldwide, five are found in the state of Florida. The waterways of Walton County are many and varied. The rivers flowing from Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee into Choctawhatchee Bay are wonderful and exciting to explore. On a trip along Choctawhatchee River you may see an osprey or a bald eagle patiently scouting the river for its dinner. On the lakes and rivers, you may catch a glimpse of a shy alligator as he slides off the bank into the dark water, or see an old log full of turtles basking in the Florida sunshine.
Wildflowers bloom every day of the year in our area.
The wild rosemary called Conradina, with its lovely silver needles, blooms sweetly in March. Soon after, Gulf Coast Lupine, a rare and endangered plant growing near the beach, sends up its striking bloom spikes. The bluish-purple flowers and silver leaves are so showy that they are seen at quite a distance. Legend has it that pirates off the coast saw the tall dunes covered in the blue of blooming lupine and called the area Blue Mountain Beach. In the fall, the sand hills explode with the beautiful splendor of wildflowers as they come into bloom.