Tree hammocks occur throughout the Southeastern U.S. and are a collection of trees that occur on islands of terrain that are slightly elevated above lower-lying wetlands, which provides for different growing conditions and result in unique habitats. In the Everglades, these hammocks are usually inhabited by tropical hardwoods. Such was the case with the Mahogany Hammock.
This trail was on my Everglades “must see” list, anchored by a fifty year old memory of hiking through a Sawgrass prairie to a hammock on a ranger led hike in my teen years (1976). The opportunity to study this pocket ecosystem intrigued me.
The map below depicts the route of this short boardwalk trail. From the parking lot, the boardwalk crosses what is labeled “freshwater marl prairie”. Basically it is a section of the Shark River Slough (pronounced “slew”), the Everglades’ famous “River of Grass”.
Part of the experience was noting the contrasts between the hammock and the Sawgrass slough that we passed over on a boardwalk on our way to the hammock. We were in the Everglades in late January, the middle of its dry season, so there was little water in this “wet Sawgrass prairie”. In the wet season that runs from May to November, 1 to 2 feet of water would flow through this basin.
I was somewhat surprised to note the presence of small mangrove specimens amongst the flora. I tend to think of mangroves being in more salt and brackish water environments, but further study says that they will grow in fresh water like you might find in the slough.
From the boardwalk we could see that the floor of the dry waterway was covered with periphyton, a dense mat of algae. During the wet season it floats atop the water and is eaten by fish and tadpoles. But in the dry season, it blankets the floor of the dry waterway, providing shelter for numerous species including snails, crayfish, and insects.
As we approached the hammock we could appreciate the density of the plants.
It was even more striking when the path entered the wood.
The understory was tightly packed, with the plants competing for the little sunshine that reaches the forest floor.
The trees that inhabit the hammock are tropicals at the northern part of their range, including the Gumbo Limbo, Silver Thatch Palm, and Mahogany.
The Mahoganies were massive and were the matriarchs of the wood, holding their canopies high.
I loved looking up into them and noting how they supported a community of other species.
Their large branches were festooned with ferns and air plants (bromelaids).
They were battle worn specimens. When you are the tallest structure in a wood you take the brunt of the winds and the lightening strikes. Mahogany wood is extremely dense and strong, allowing damaged specimens to stand tall and carry on their role in the ecosystem. In the photo below you can see the exposed heartwood of a tree that suffered a significant lightening strike sometime in its past, but still soldiers on.
Sometimes the trees do not survive the winds of a hurricane and they end up on the forest floor. There they become “nurse logs” as they decompose, providing structure, nutrition, and moisture to other plants. It may take a large Mahogany 50 to 70 years to decompose. Nurse logs are the proverbial “circle of life”.
Throughout the wood we saw Mahogany branches hosting Resurrection Fern, one of my favorite ecological stories. These ferns dry up and shrivel during periods that lack rain, only to “resurrect” when moisture returns. I’ve read accounts of museum specimens that were collected a hundred years ago, coming back to life when exposed to water. In the middle of the dry season, they were all shriveled and brown.
At times we could see the seed pods of the Mahogany trees high up in the canopy. These were nearly fist size and the outer covering is dense wood. Luckily they break apart to release their seeds while in the canopy, rather than fall to the ground.
One of the other tropical trees of the hammock was Gumbo Limbo. It is notable for its red, peeling bark. Those qualities, red and peeling, led to its nickname – the Tourist Tree, noting the red and peeling nature of sunburns.
We noted several palm tree species nestled into the hammock. The Cabbage Palm, which occurs across Florida and is the state tree, is noted by the retained leaf stems on its trunk. It is also called the Sabal Palm.
Early in the hike, as we approached the hammock, I was intrigued by this cluster of palms.
What struck me was the narrowness of the trunk given the height, which was approaching 30 feet. In addition, they were clustered together, a somewhat unique quality for palms. I was eventually able to identify them as Everglade Palm, a species that was once considered endangered. They had been over-collected for the landscaping industry. With protection in the wild, their populations are recovering. Their clustered habit it the result of clonal reproduction, or the ability for new plants to arise off the roots of an existing specimen, an unusual trait in the palm family.
As with many of our hikes in the Everglades, the air plants (bromelaids) in the hammock caught our attention. They germinate on the bark of trees, but do not acquire any nutrition or water from the host plant. They absorb everything they need from the air.
New Plant of the Day – Marlberry. This plant intrigued me but I’m not sure why. Perhaps its glossy leaves in the understory. Perhaps its abundant fruit. But why that name? Seems no one knows for sure. Two theories. 1. Marlberry is a bastardization of “Marbleberry”, referring to its marble-like fruits. 2. Marlberry referring to its tendency to inhabit the “marl”, the thin, clay and calcium rich soils that are common in the Everglades. The fruit will turn red and then black when ripe. They are edible and described as sweet, but my resources suggest that they be consumed in moderation to avoid digestive discomfort.
In summary, the Mahogany Hammock Trail is another must do in the Flamingo section of the Everglades. The habitat is unique and experiencing it gives you a better understanding of the tree hammocks that you often see in the distance, spread amongst the “sea of grass”. Be sure to slow down, pause, and study how the plants are all so integrated to each other. Fascinating, and so different from my eastern deciduous forest homeland. After all, these new experiences and habitats are why we travel.
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Photo credits to Peggy Juengling Burns.
Overview:
Location – just off the Main Park Road, approximately 20 miles from the Homestead entrance.
Parking – Paved lot for 20 cars.
Facilities – none at this location.
Trail Conditions – This is a 0.4 mile loop boardwalk trail.
Print Map Link – none
Benches – large benches are built into the boardwalk.
Kids – Kids of all ages should do well.
Dogs – prohibited on all trails within the Everglades.
Paired Hikes – there are several trails just a short drive away, including the West Lake Trail and the Pa-hay-okee Trail.
Links:
https://www.nps.gov/ever/planyourvisit/mahogany-hammock-trail.htm