The Last Stand for Rare Plant Species of Virginia Key

The first stop in the Virginia Key Coastal Hammock Trail is a “transitional” zone, created to show how attractive native plants can be in the landscape as well as demonstrate how planting natives like Sea Grape, Gumbo Limbo, and Wild Lime helps heal a land once overtaken by exotics.

Restoring the native landscape has also created critical habitat for rare and endangered wildlife species. Migrating songbirds that can be found here include rare migrants like the pine siskin, Tennessee warbler, Swainson’s thrush and indigo bunting. These species travel down the Atlantic coast flyway and use this maritime hammock for food and shelter.

The 13-acre site, accessible from the parking lot of Virginia Key Beach (beyond Jimbo’s across from the Sewage Treatment Plant) is the best example of this forest type remaining in Miami Dade. The following list of the rare plant species that call Virginia Key home underscores just how important it is to protect Virginia Key’s spectacular but fragile wilderness areas.

This is the last stand.

Rare Plant Species of Virginia Key
Locally rare: Balloon vine, Beach-tea, Sevenyear apple, Ocean morning glory, Mangrove rubbervine
Locally imperiled: Florida vente conmigo (I love that name!)

State protected: black mangrove, white mangrove, red mangrove, sea oats

State endangered: beachstar beach-peanut, mangrove mallow

State threatened: Florida silver palm, maidenberry, darlingplum, inkberry, Biscayne prickly-ash

Federally endangered: beach clustervine

Federally threatened: Johnson’s Seagrass

Commercially exploited: coontie





Resources:
To learn more about which natives are right for your yard, see the native planting tool at:
http://www.regionalconservation.org/beta/nfyn/default.asp
More info:
http://regionalconservation.org
http://www.abettersouthflorida.org/Revive.html

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