A section of the boardwalk at Corkscrew Swamp.
Corkscrew Swamp, FL Dec. 16, 2009 This is a really bizarre tree, it is not a parasite, but more like an epiphyte because it grows on another tree, but does not take nutrients from it. Birds deposit the fig seeds high in a tree like this cypress. The fig's roots wrap around the tree's trunk and grow downward until they reach the ground. Farther south in Florida, the fig trees grow so large they eventually kill their host.
Corkscrew Swamp Santuary Dec. 16, 2009 These ferns are huge, they can grow up to 14 feet in height! It was a common fern in the swampy areas of southern Florida.