Trees Found In Tropical Hardwood Hammocks

Mahogany hammock trail an accessible tropical hardwood hammock in everglades national park.

Trees found in tropical hardwood hammocks.

Extremely rare plants like lignum vitae mahogany thatch palms and manchineel may also be found in these hammocks in the florida keys. Common tropical plant species found within the hammocks of ten thousand islands national wildlife refuge include gumbo limbo strangler fig and ironwoods. Temperate species such as live oak red maple virginia creeper and hackberry may also be found within this habitat. A hardwood hammock is a dense stand of broad leafed trees that grow on a natural rise of only a few inches in elevation.

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. Typical canopy species of tropical hardwood hammocks include gumbo limbo bursera simaruba paradise tree simarouba glauca pigeon plum coccoloba diversifolia strangler fig ficus aurea wild mastic sideroxylon foetidissimum and willow bustic sideroxylon salicifolium. To walk into a hardwood hammock is to walk through a shady tropical forest. Live oak and cabbage palm are also sometimes found within this community.

Hammocks can be found nestled in most all other everglades ecosystems. In the deeper sloughs and marshes the seasonal flow of water helps give these hammocks a distinct aerial teardrop shape. A hardwood hammock is a habitat that is found on higher elevations making it like the pinelands a dry habitat. Characteristic tropical plants include strangler fig gumbo limbo ironwoods and poisonwood.

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. Hardwoods are broad leaved trees that grow well in the everglades. Other tropical species may include mahogany mastic and royal palm. 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.

Tropical hardwood hammocks are found along both coasts of south florida as well as throughout the everglades and florida keys.