Standing Tall

Standing Tall

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Amenities

2 listed

Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Tactile Exhibit

Oaks, magnolias, and hickory trees have withstood strong winds and salt spray to produce a dense forest canopy in this old dune area between Santa Rosa Sound and Pensacola Bay. Other trees that have taken root in the sandy soil include redbays, laurel oaks, eastern red cedars, and slash pines. Growing beneath them are yaupon holly, saw palmetto, and-in the wet peaty swales-sawgrass. The gray garlands hanging from live oaks are Spanish moss. Not a true moss but a member of the pineapple family, it absorbs water and food from the air. This mixed woodland serves both as a wildlife habitat and as a storm buffer for the mainland.