Facts About Hardwood Hammocks

Wild tamarind trees thrive in the hardwood hammocks.

Tropical hardwood hammocks consist of closed canopy forests featuring evergreen and semi-deciduous trees and shrubs. The word "hammock" refers to the slightly elevated areas where the tropical hardwood forests exist.

Types

Hammocks consist of either tropical or temperate plant species. Temperate species include plants such as live oak and hackberry. At least 120 species of tropical plants make up the rest of the hammocks. Tropical plants came to the region via migrating birds, water currents and the wind.

Location

Originally, hardwood hammocks grew as far north as Cape Canaveral in Florida. Today, remnant habitats of the hammocks exist in southern Florida and in small preserves from Miami-Dade County to Martin County in Florida. The Everglades and the Florida Keys also contain hardwood hammocks.

Plant Life

The tallest trees in the hammocks include the wild tamarind and the gumbo limbo. Both reach no more than 50 feet in height. Ferns and mosses live on the ground, shaded by the dense canopy formed by the trees above. Shrubs include wild coffee and white indigoberry. You'll also find vines but very few ground cover plants as little sunlight reaches the ground.

References

• Florida Museum of Natural History: South Florida Aquatic Environments Hardwood Hammocks
• University of Florida IFAS Extension: Tropical Hardwood Hammocks in Florida; Annisa Karim and Martin B. Main; 2004
• University of Florida: Tropical Hardwood Hammock

Resources

• The Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan: ...Plants and Animals