• Purple, yellow, gold and orange sponges and soft corals wave against a turquioise sea.

    Biscayne

    National Park Florida

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  • Elliott Key Harbor and Campground Closed

    Winds, surge and tides associated with Hurricane Sandy caused considerable damage to docks & boardwalk at Elliott Key. The harbor and campground are closed until further notice. University Dock remains open for day use only. More »

Plants

Nature and Science

Biscayne National Park is home to the longest stretch of mangrove forest on Florida's East Coast.

Biscayne National Park is home to hundreds of species of plants, including several endangered species. The most interesting of the park’s plants are perhaps the mangroves, which are tolerant of a wide range of salinities. In 2001, it was discovered that the park shelters the rare semaphore prickly-pear cactus, which grows only in South Florida. Botanists have found 570 of the plants on an island in Southern Biscayne Bay. The cactus is a candidate for the federal endangered species list. The endangered Sargent’s Palm also exists in Biscayne National Park. It is considered to be the rarest palm native to Florida. It was initially found on Elliott Key and Sands Key, but collectors in the late 1800’s began to harvest them for ornamental use. In 1991 only 50 palms were found on Elliott Key. Many were also damaged in Hurricane Andrew. Today there are about 16 plants on Elliott and 123 on Long Key thanks to efforts undertaken to reintroduce palms on three of the original islands.

Did You Know?

The Sweeting Family

For 50 years, four generations of the Sweeting family thrived on Biscayne National Park's Elliott Key. Here they raised pineapples, salvaged wrecked ships, went to school, worshipped and played at the northern end of Florida's Keys.