Fort Myers & Sanibel/Lee County Traveler's Guide 2008 - (Page 33) red, white & black ® Railroad vine This runner “chugs” its way across sandy soil and preserves protective dunes at the shoreline. ® Mango Several luscious varieties grow on Pine Island; catch the fun-filled annual Mango Mania festival each July. ® Slash pine Grey squirrels and wild turkey are partial to the seeds of this coastal plain tree. ® Black sapote Mixed with cream, milk or ice cream, the fruit of this tree tastes like chocolate. ® Butterfly bush See these at Lovers Key State Park’s butterfly garden, where they attract the winged creatures. (see p93) ® Cabbage palm The Florida state tree is also called the sabal palm and was used by pioneers to build log cabins. t’s hard to imagine the important role these leggy, “walking” plants play in the fragile ecosystem of The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel. But red, white and black mangroves are responsible for providing a haven for young animals, fish and invertebrates, such as oysters and crabs, and all filter sediments from the salty waters they have adopted as their home. Pioneer mangroves “grow land” by creating detritus, a mix of decayed branches, trunks and leaves. Detritus is also a rich food source for marine life, much of which could not survive without the mangroves’ sheltering canopy and understory. (see p54) I ® Gumbo limbo Sometimes called the “tourist tree” because of its peeling reddish-brown bark. ® Cypress Not the Mediterranean country, but a tree that’s adapted to living with its feet in water. W W W. F O R T M Y E R S - S A N I B E L . C O M | PAGE 33 http://www.fortmyers-sanibel.com
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