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.
|