Fort Myers & Sanibel/Lee County Traveler's Guide 2008 - (Page 32) ®® T H E N AT U R A L W O R L D F L O R A reen, red, sand, yellow, purple, grey – flora comes in all the colors of the rainbow in subtropical Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel. And more than playing just a supportPLANTS COLOR ing role, some plants are a star attraction in the ecosystem. As you travel through upland, lowland and littoral (near-shore) habitats, see if you can spot these “celebrities.” More information about the natural world can be found after some entries here i.e. (see p123), and additional listings appear on page 88 and at www.fortmyers-sanibel.com. g the natural world ® Alligator flag Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve’s observation decks are surrounded by this leafy waterside plant. (see p89) ® Royal palm The Florida species is native; McGregor Boulevard in Fort Myers sports the Cuban variety. ® Sea grass Flowering sea grasses, prevalent underwater in Pine Island Sound, feed the gentle manatee. ® Sea oats More than just a pretty picture, protected sea oats anchor sand dunes near the shore. ® Sea grapes Native Americans supplemented seafood diets with the fruit of this “windbreaker” plant. ® Beach daisy, Beach sunflower These sunnyfaced plants are found bobbing in the breeze on area beaches. ® Saw palmetto Used extensively by Calusa Indians for daily living items, such as needle and thread. [ PAGE flora tips tip #1 Lakes Regional Park has a Fragrance Garden. #2 Many parks contain native Florida landscapes, complete with butterfly-attracting plants. #3 It’s forbidden to cut sea oats, mangroves and sea grapes in Lee County. #4 Beware leaves of three – poison ivy and oak can be found in unmanicured areas. 32 ] ® Orchids Non-native species can be seen hanging on host trees at the Edison & Ford Winter Estates. (see p87) http://www.fortmyers-sanibel.com
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.