Lignumvitae Key
State Botanical Site
Location: Mile Marker 77.5 Bayside Boat Accessible only

    The serenity and isolation of remote islands have always captured man's imagination. Lignumvitae Key is no exception. To step ashore here is to take a step back into history. The Matheson House, built in 1919, has changed little over the years. A windmill supplied power; fresh water was provided from a cistern which filled by rain falling on the roof. This is how island people lived during a simpler time when most of their needs were met by the land and sea around them.

    The virgin tropical forest that thrives here is typical of the kind of scenery that was once enjoyed on most of Florida's Upper Keys. As the Keys were developed to accommodate an increasing number of people, most of the unique vegetation was scraped away, making the tropical forest of Lignumvitae Key a very rare and special place. Here, you walk in the shade of trees with strange names like mastic, strangler fig, poisonwood, pigeon plum and gumbo-limbo.

Tours

    One-hour guided walks are given at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., Thursday through Monday. The tour fee is $1 per person. Children under 6 are admitted free of charge. Access to the Key for these tours is limited to privately owned boats or charter boats available at nearby marinas. The park is closed on Tuesday and Wednesday. Tour boat service available. For reservations call (305) 664-9814 or 664-4196. Tour boat departs 1/2-hour before listed tour times.

 Protection

• The maximum number of people permitted on the Key at one time is 50; 25 on the trail and 25 in the clearing.

• In order to enjoy your visit, you should wear walking shoes and bring mosquito repellent.

• Most facilities and activities are not accessible to the handicapped. See a Park Ranger for special needs.

• For more information, contact Lignumvitae Key State Botanical Site, P.O. Box 1052, Islamorada, FL 33036; (305) 664-4815.

 History

 Thousands of years ago, the island began as a living coral reef jutting up from the sea floor. As great quantities of water began to freeze into glaciers at the earth's poles, the sea level dropped, exposing the top of the reef and forming an island composed of fossilized coral rock.

   As time passed, storm tides and waves left seaweed, driftwood and other organic debris stranded on the bare rock. This material began decaying, forming small pockets of soil in depressions in the coral rock. Then came a few seeds from other tropical islands - some floating on the sea or carried by the winds, while others came in the digestive tracts of migrating birds. Here, the seeds sprouted and began to grow, drop leaves, produce flowers and seeds, mature, die and decay. With the passing of each generation, a complex and diverse tropical hammock colonized the remains of this ancient coral reef.