Cocos Nucifera, The Common Coconut

Cocos Nucifera, The Common Coconut, is a moisture and salt loving tree and I have seen specimens flourishing in locations where their roots were bathed by tolerably salt tides; it is probable that other species of this genus will do well in marshes. The Florida royal palm, Oreodoxa floridana, usually grows in swamps and often those which are brackish. The Cuban species, 0. regia, and the palmiste of the Caribbean islands, Oreodoxa oleracea, also do well in our low lands. Two comparatively new Florida palms, Acoelorraphe wrighti and A. arborescens, both well worthy of cultivation, grow in swamps which are sometimes brackish. All the Thrinax do finely, so far as I have tried them, in low, brackish soil. Pritchardia pacifica is doing finely in a brackish swamp at Coconut Grove, and the two dwarf palms which inhabit the northern half of the state, Rhapidophyllum hystrix and Sabal adansonii are moisture loving species.

Coccolobis Uvifera, Or Shore Grape

Coccolobis Uvifera, Or Shore Grape, a most beautiful, broad leafed tree, grows everywhere along the shores of South Florida and does finely on high ground as well as in low lands. Most of the bananas do well in low land but should have partial drainage.

Rough Lemons, Limes And Sour Oranges

Rough Lemons, Limes And Sour Oranges will grow in quite moist land, so will the calabash, Crescentia cujete; while C. cucurbitana, our native species and a handsome tree, will flourish where it is often surrounded by tide. It also inhabits high hammocks.

There are believed to be two species of cocoa plums native here,

Chrysobalanus Icaco And C. Pellocarpus

Chrysobalanus Icaco And C. Pellocarpus; both grow in wet land and are quite ornamental, and are fine for forming masses. Several of the Eucalyptus do well in even brackish swamps which are not too low, such as E. globulus, E. robusta, E. rudis and others.

Paritium Elatum

Paritium Elatum, a beautiful Cuban tree which probably grows on our coasts, blooms the year through and is at home in salt or fresh swamps; so are P. tiliaceum and P. abutiloides, also natives. All these do well on high ground. 5

A Native Elderberry, Sambucus Intermedia

A Native Elderberry, Sambucus Intermedia, grows in the wettest swamps, fresh or salt and is very ornamental, - it produces its large heads of snowy flowers in great abundance. Quite a number of bamboos do finely in wet ground, among them Arundo donax, Bambusa disticha, B. argentea and the common giant bamboo, B. vulgaris, a glorious plant.

Many of the aquatics will grow in slightly brackish water and fine effects may be produced by introducing these into artificial pools. Our native Acrostichums are among the noblest of ferns and they produce a fine effect when planted along the borders of ponds or lakes. Osmunda spectabilis and Blechnum serrulatum grow in very wet, brackish soil and are fine; Nephrolepis biser-rata and N. exaltata, our native sword ferns, occupy all habitations from the tops of trees to slightly brackish swamps.

The following plants in addition to those mentioned above do well in Florida swamps and low lands, all of them in slightly brackish soil. Ficus aurea, F. brevifolia, Melaleuca leucadendron or Cajeput tree, Delonix regia in soil not too wet, Pandanus veitchi, P. sanderiana, P. baptisti, and P. candelabrum, Ravenala madagascariensis. Nipa fruiticans, a magnificent palm from the East Indies flourishes in the wettest, most brackish situations. The Strelitzias, Alpinias, Cordia sebestina, Hamelia patens, Hibiscus rosa-sinensis and H. mutabilis, the Oleanders and Rhodomyrtus tomentosa are also useful in this connection.

It will be seen from the above list and from what has been said that a great variety of attractive vegetation may be made to grow in low and swampy places, that a considerable area of Florida which has not only been considered worthless but even a nuisance can, with a limited amount of labor and intelligence, without the trouble of draining, be made into an earthly paradise. On the trees in such grounds many of the most lovely Orchids and epiphytes will succeed; Philodendrons and other aroid vines as well as many different climbers, can be made to cover the trees. I am confidently looking forward to a time when my pestiferous swamp, which in places was a miry bog, will be the most charming spot on all my place, when instead of a waste of weeds and sawgrass it will be filled with the beauty and fragrance of ornamental plants and flowers.