Plants — Atlantic Center for the Arts Campus
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Longleaf Pine
Common Names: Longleaf Pine
Botanical Name: Pinus palustris
Description:
Longleaf pine is a tall, fire-adapted conifer native to the southeastern United States. Its long needles — often 8–18 inches — grow in bundles of three and form an open, high canopy that allows sunlight to reach the forest floor. Mature trees develop thick, plated bark that protects them from frequent ground fires. Young trees pass through a distinctive “grass stage,” remaining low before rapidly growing upward. Longleaf pine flatwoods support diverse understory plants and wildlife and depend on regular, low-intensity fire to maintain their structure.
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Pinales
Family: Pinaceae
Genus: Pinus
Species: Pinus palustris – Longleaf Pine
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Spanish Moss
Common Names: Spanish Moss
Botanical Name: Tillandsia usneoides
Description:
Spanish moss is an epiphytic bromeliad that drapes from tree branches in long, silvery-gray strands. It absorbs moisture and nutrients from the air rather than from the trees it grows upon. Common in humid coastal regions, it softens the canopy and provides habitat for insects and small wildlife. Despite its name, it is neither Spanish nor a moss.
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Poales
Family: Bromeliaceae
Genus: Tillandsia
Species: Tillandsia usneoides – Spanish Moss
Wax Myrtle
Common Names: Wax Myrtle, Southern Bayberry
Botanical Name: Morella cerifera
Description:
Wax myrtle is a dense evergreen shrub or small tree with aromatic leaves that release a spicy scent when crushed. It produces small gray-blue berries coated in a waxy substance, once used to make candles. Common in flatwoods and coastal areas, it tolerates poor soils and salt exposure.
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Fagales
Family: Myricaceae
Genus: Morella
Species: Morella cerifera – Wax Myrtle
︎Cabbage Palm
Common Names: Cabbage Palm, Sabal Palm
Botanical Name: Sabal palmetto
Description:
Cabbage palm is Florida’s state tree. It has a tall, unbranched trunk topped with a rounded crown of fan-shaped fronds. Highly tolerant of salt, wind, and flooding, it is common in coastal hammocks, flatwoods, and developed areas. The inner bud, once eaten as “heart of palm,” gives the tree its common name.
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Arecales
Family: Arecaceae
Genus: Sabal
Species: Sabal palmetto – Cabbage Palm
Bushy Bluestem
Common Names: Bushy Bluestem
Botanical Name: Andropogon glomeratus
Description:
Bushy bluestem is a native warm-season grass with upright stems and feathery seed heads that turn silvery in late summer. It grows in moist flatwoods, roadside edges, and wet prairies. Fire encourages its growth, and it contributes to the layered texture of the pine flatwoods understory.
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Poales
Family: Poaceae
Genus: Andropogon
Species: Andropogon glomeratus – Bushy Bluestem
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