TREES AND PLANTS ALONG THE ANNE KOLB MEMORIAL TRAIL AT PLANTATION HERITAGE PARK
The Anne Kolb Memorial Trail was created and planted in the early 1980s. Plants along the trail were grouped
into the following communities: high hammock, coastal hammock, low hammock, basin, cypress wetland, and
pineland. The communities closely adhere to the design and corresponding elevations of the original plan
created by the landscape architect. This guide is for 60 plants along the trail. Stations 1 through 30 are native
trees and shrubs, four of which were planted only recently. Some of the native plants in stations 31 through 60
were planted between 2011 and 2013 in the prairie/meadow and pineland communities, with the exception of
#56, which was planted in the ’80s. Some non-native species have “escaped” into the trail area from within the
park and are “behaving badly.” Thousands of non-native plants have been removed throughout the site,
although the newly created prairie/meadow is in transition. Since 2011, more than 400 plants, including 39 new
species, have been planted by scouts and volunteers, as well as through training classes for Parks personnel. The
sign at the entrance to the trail was designed and created as part of an Eagle Scout project.
Below is a short overview of each community and the various projects that have been completed so far. Each
number below is also associated with the plant at each designated station and includes the common name, the
scientific name, and the plant family.
HIGH HAMMOCK
The forests that make up high hammocks are among the most diverse systems in South Florida, containing more
than 100 species of trees, shrubs, and air plants. High hammocks are widely distributed and develop only where
conditions of favorable land elevation and fire protection occur, developing slowly as organic material
accumulates to build up the land. These hammocks are confined to areas where the temperature inside rarely if
ever drops below freezing. In Broward County, Long Key Natural Area & Nature Center, Pine Island Ridge Natural
Area, and Snake Warrior’s Island Natural Area, along with the City of Fort Lauderdale’s Snyder Park, remain as
examples of high hammock communities.
An Eagle Scout project comprising 30 numbered posts or stations starts here in the high hammock and
meanders through five plant communities on the way to the prairie/meadow. Another Eagle Scout project
consisted of installing a bench and removing 90 bags of the noxious weed devil’s backbone. A third Eagle Scout
project entailed installing nine wild coffee plants and hand-watering them for six weeks.
1. Coontie
Zamia pumila
ZAMIACEAE
2. Cocoplum
Chrysobalanus icaco
CHRYSOBALANACEAE
3. Mastic
Sideroxylon foetidissimum
SAPOTACEAE
4. Wild lime
Zanthoxylum fagara
RUTACEAE
5. Wild coffee
Psychotria nervosa
RUBIACEAE
6. Live oak
Quercus virginiana
FAGACEAE
7. Gumbo limbo
Bursera simaruba
BURSERACEAE
8. Short-leaf fig
Ficus citrifolia
MORACEAE
9. Paradise tree
Simarouba glauca
SIMAROUBACEAE
10. White stopper
Eugenia axillaris
MYRTACEAE
11. Coral bean
Erythrina herbacea
FABACEAE
12. Blolly
Guapira discolor
NYCTAGINACEAE
COASTAL HAMMOCK
Behind the dunes and scrub zone, forest trees grow, protected from salt spray and in soils with little
accumulation of organic material. Tropical hammocks were common along the coast of Broward County
between the ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway. The last remnants of this community are contained within
Hugh Taylor Birch State Park and the Bonnet House Museum & Gardens.
A project in this area involving three Eagle Scouts included the removal of Ganges primrose and devil’s
backbone, as well as the construction and installation of a bench. A volunteer workday in May 2013 featured the
removal of non-native invasive plants and planting and watering native species.
13. Spanish stopper
Eugenia foetida
MYRTACEAE
14. Silver palm
Coccothrinax argentata
AREACEAE
15. Seagrape
Coccoloba uvifera
POLYGONACEAE
16. Lancewood
Ocotea coriacea
LAURACEAE
17. Jamaica caper
Capparis cynophallophora
BRASSICACEAE
18. Crabwood
Gymnanthes lucida
EUPHORBIACEAE
19. Black ironwood
Krugiodendron ferreum
RHAMNACEAE
20. Red mulberry, Morus rubra (small tree on the right)
White mulberry, Morus alba (large shrub on the left)
MORACEAE
21. Pigeon plum
Coccoloba diversifolia
POLYGONACEAE
LOW HAMMOCK
Low hammocks are areas of dense forest vegetation dominated by tree species such as laurel oak, strangler fig,
and cabbage palm. These hammocks develop on land that is sufficiently elevated to avoid most flooding, but in
close proximity to water environments, and are protected from fire. They frequently occur in transitional areas
between drier upland communities and lowland vegetation such as marl or wet prairie, cypress swamp, or
mangrove. Remnants of this plant community are preserved within Secret Woods and Fern Forest nature
centers.
A gravity-fed wildlife fountain was designed, built, and installed in this area as part of an Eagle Scout project,
which also included planting the species that intentionally hide the fountain: myrsine, crown beard, wild coffee,
West Indian trema, and potato tree. Several bags of rosary pea were also removed as part of this and another
project.
22. Sugarberry
Celtis laevigata
CANNABACEAE
23. Cabbage palm
Sabal palmetto
ARECACEAE
24. Laurel oak
Quercus laurifolia
FAGACEAE
BASIN at the OVERLOOK
A basin is a wetland that acts as a reservoir and is vegetated with hydrophytic (water-growing) trees, shrubs, and
plants. It is associated with the trail’s cypress wetland. Other basin communities can be found within Tall
Cypress Natural Area, Hillsboro Pineland Natural Area, Helene Klein Pineland Preserve, Fern Forest Nature
Center, and Tradewinds Park.
The overlook was planned, sketched, and built as part of an Eagle Scout project that also included planting,
watering, and mulching the sand cord grass that separates this area from the Tropical Fruit Grove section of the
park to the west. This project also included removing three bags of non-native invasive plants such as rosary
pea, Ganges primrose, and Madagascar periwinkle, and planting the following trees and shrubs on three sides of
the overlook: marlberry, myrsine, soft-leaf coffee, satin leaf, beautyberry, wild coffee, white-tipped cocoplum,
persimmon, and elderberry.
An additional scout project entailed removing five bags of St. Augustine grass and planting buttonbush, crinum
lily, pickerelweed, satin leaf, duck potato, swamp fern, and Hottentot fern in the basin, along with the following
on its western rim: crownbeard, potato tree, myrsine, and wild coffee. A future project calls for interpretive
signage.
25. Pond apple
Annona glabra
ANNONACEAE
26. Leather fern
Acrostichum daneifolium
PTERODACEAE
CYPRESS WETLAND
In a cypress wetland, deciduous trees dominate areas that are seasonally flooded during part of the year.
Flooding is necessary for the germination of cypress seeds; once established, however, young trees can grow in
the absence of seasonal inundation. Examples of this plant community remain preserved within Tradewinds and
Easterlin parks and Secret Woods and Fern Forest nature centers.
An Eagle Scout project involved unloading two truckloads of loose cypress mulch in this plant community to be
used for plantings in the high hammock and pineland communities. The mulch also prevented bicycle traffic
from cutting through the wetland, and was later used as a nursery for wild coffee seedlings that were
transplanted to surrounding communities as part of another project for scouts and volunteers.
27. Everglades palm
Acoelorraphe wrightii
ARECACEAE
28. Royal palm
Roystonea regia
ARECACEAE
29. Red maple
Acer rubrum
SAPINDACEAE
30. Bald cypress
Taxodium distichum
CUPRESSACEAE
PRAIRIE/MEADOW
A prairie community may be wet or dry, although it will always be grassy and treeless or nearly treeless. Without
fire suppression, such a community will remain treeless and vegetation will not become dense. This area is in
transition. Several species were planted here by Parks staff as part of the Natural Area Management 101 Class.
The area here marked the beginning, in 2011, of the Parks and Recreation Division’s “Grow Not Mow” program.
As part of an Eagle Scout project, 30 numbered posts were installed, starting in the prairie/meadow and
continuing through the pineland. The project also included the planting and mulching of more than 200 muhly
grass plants to provide a border for the prairie. The scout project was supplemented by volunteer hours that
involving planting, watering, replanting native plants, clearing the trail, and removing weeds.
31. Muhly grass
Muhlenbergia capillaries
POACEAE
32. Sword fern
Nephrolepis cordifolia
NEPHROLEPIDACEAE
33. Creeping Charlie
Phyla nodiflora
VERBENACEAE
34. Pink purslane
Portulaca pilosa
PORTULACAEAE
35. Passion vine
Passiflora suberosa
PASSIFLORACEAE
36. Firebush
Hamelia patens
RUBIACEAE
37. Scorpion’s tail
Heliotropium angiospermum
BORAGINACEAE
38. Rouge plant
Rivina humilis
PHYTOLACCACEAE
39. Star apple
Chrysophyllum cainito
SAPOTACEAE
40. Prickly pear
Opuntia humsifera
CACTACEAE
41. Tamarind
Lysiloma latisiliquum
FABACEAE
42. Beautyberry
Callicarpa americana
LAMIACEAE
43. Camphorweed
Heterotheca subaxillaris
ASTERACEAE
44. Rosary pea
Abrus precatorius
FABACEAE
45. Gopher apple
Licania michauxii
CHRYSOBALANACEAE
46. Winged yam
Dioscorea alata
DIOSCOREACEAE
47. Mexican clover
Richardia grandiflora
RUBIACEAE
48. Ganges primrose
Asystasia gangetica
ACANTHACEAE
49. Elliott’s lovegrass
Eragrostis elliottii
POACEAE
50. Jack-in-the-bush
Chromolaena odorata
ASTERACEAE
51. Juba’s bush
Iresine diffusa
AMARANTHACEAE
52. Wax myrtle
Myrica cerifera
MYRICACEAE
PINELAND
In South Florida, a pineland community is dominated by slash pine and becomes quickly overtaken by
hardwoods, shrubs, and vines when fire is prevented. Remnants of this community in Broward County can be
found in Fern Forest Nature Center, Helene Klein Pineland Preserve, Miramar Pineland, and Hillsboro Pineland,
Saw Palmetto, West Creek Pineland, and Woodmont natural areas.
Eagle Scout projects in this area resulted in the removal of 10 bags of St. Augustine grass, and the planting of
saw palmetto, wax myrtle, gallberry, wild coffee, and beautyberry. Volunteer work has included picking up white
yams, untangling fragile plantings, mulching, and watering.
53. Devil’s potato
Echites umbellatus
APOCYNACEAE
54. Spanish lime
Melicoccus bijugatus
SAPINDACEAE
55. Snowberry
Chiococca alba
RUBIACEAE
56. South Florida slash pine
Pinus elliottii, var. densa
PINACEAE
57. Dahoon holly
Ilex cassine
AQUIFOLIACEAE
58. Pineland privet
Forestiera segregata
OLEACEAE
59. Doctorbush
Plumbago scandens
PLUMBAGINACEAE
60. Saw palmetto
Serenoa repens
ARECACEAE
LIST OF NON-NATIVE SPECIES
(*Species known to be invasive)
Areca palm, Dypsis lutescens*
Bishopwood, Bischofia javanica*
Brazilian pepper, Schinus terebinthifolia*
Carrotwood, Cupaniopsis anacardioides*
Caesarweed, Urena lobata*
Cupid’s shaving brush, Emila soncifolia
Devil’s backbone, Kalanchoe daigremontia*
False buttonweed, Spermacoce verticillata*
Ganges primrose, Asystasia gangetica*
Goosegrass, Eleusine indica
Ground orchid, Eulophia graminea*
Java plum, Syzygium cumini*
Indian jujube, Ziziphus mauritiana
Llima, Sida cordifolia*
Mascarene Island leafflower, Phyllanthus tenellus
Madagascar periwinkle, Catharanthus roseus*
Mexican clover, Richardia grandiflora*
Monk orchid, Oeceoclades maculata*
Rosary pea, Abrus precatorius*
Scarlet milkweed, Asclepias curassavica*
Spanish lime, Melicoccus bijugatus
Star apple, Chrysophyllum cainito
Surinam cherry, Eugenia uniflora*
Torpedo grass, Panicum repens*
Tropical signalgrass, Urochloa distachya*
White yam, Dioscorea alata*