High & Dry at Cypress Bend Community Preserve

Inches matter! In Florida, a slight change in elevation can bring a dramatic change in plant community.  This phenomenon is evident at the Oslo Riverfront Conservation Area (ORCA) and was obvious at the Cypress Bend Community Preserve (CBCP) when we…

Endearing Epiphytes at Cypress Bend

Cooler "fall" temperatures finally arrived for a 10-27-2018 group walk at the Cypress Bend Community Preserve (CBCP), a 47.25 acre property owned by Indian River County on the beautiful banks of the St. Sebastian River.  Nearly all (43 acres) of…

Throwback Thursday: Blueberry or Huckleberry

Unripe fruit graced the dwarf huckleberry (Gaylussacia dumosa) when we visited Cypress Bend Community Preserve on May 5, 2018.  The Oslo Riverfront Conservation Area (ORCA) is home to shiny blueberry (Vaccinium myrsinities) but not huckleberry. What is the difference between…

False indigo — ORCA & Cypress Bend Community Preserve

False indigo, bastard indigo, bastard false indigo, and leadplant are among the many common names for Amorpha fruticosa, a plant found in nearly every state -- and throughout Florida -- in moist places.  We saw this plant in flower when…