Torreya State Park: A Botanical Paradise
by Jody Haynes

Nestled along the Apalachicola River in the big-bend region of the Florida panhandle is a botanical gold mine known as Torreya State Park. Comprising only 2,500 acres, the park is home to more than 600 plant species in 129 families, including more rare plants per acre than any other area in Florida--and perhaps in the southeastern U.S. Much of this plant diversity results from the wide range in elevation and the park's unique geography resembling foothills of the Appalachian Mountains--which together have allowed for the evolution of such distinct and diverse habitats as swamps, floodplains, ravine slopes, hardwood hammocks, and high pinelands.

Among the 28 designated (rare, threatened, or endangered) plant species in the park are three very interesting endemics: two representatives of the yew family, Taxaceae--the Florida yew tree, Taxus floridana, and the torreya or gopherwood tree, Torreya taxifolia (from which the park gets its name)--and the Apalachicola wild indigo, Baptisia megacarpa. Also on the designated plant list are two ferns, two magnolias, a hydrangea, an azalea, and an orchid (see Table 1). The park also contains substantial populations of three of the four palms native to this region of Florida, two common--the saw palmetto, Serenoa repens (Fig. 1), and the dwarf palmetto, Sabal minor (Fig. 2)--and one not-so-common--the glorious needle palm, Rhapidophyllum hystrix (Fig. 3), which is the sole reason I sought out Torreya State Park.

Table 1. Designated plant species of Torreya State Park.

My quest for needle palms in habitat began several months ago when my wife and I were visiting some friends in Havana, FL, near Tallahassee. Not knowing much about the needle palm, I thought the area around their home looked like prime needle palm habitat. On my first trek through the woods in the area, I came across a small stand of Sabal minor--which was a first for me, so I was excited--but I never found Rhapidophyllum. During our second trip to Havana a couple months later, I photographed Serenoa repens and flowering Sabal minor, but once again saw no needle palms.

Luckily, our third trip to Havana was much more productive--but only because I finally broke down and asked someone at the Tallahassee Natural History Museum if they knew where I might find needle palms in habitat. The kind gentleman told me that he was the animal person on the premises and that he didn't know anything about needle palms. When I pointed out a beautiful needle palm specimen just outside the museum office, he told me that it was planted by the folks at Native Nurseries of Tallahassee and that they would likely know where to look.

So my friend, Jeff, and I set off to Native Nurseries where, of course, we could find neither owner. But the nursery was open and so I spoke to one of the workers in the office. She seemed to be quite informed on the subject and told us that the best place to see needle palms was in Torreya State Park, about 30 miles to the South. As it was late afternoon, I bought a nice triple needle palm specimen (and a couple of other plants to appease my wife) and we called it a day.

The following day, Jeff and I arose early, grabbed a cup of coffee, and headed out for Torreya. It was a beautiful day and we had a nice, quiet, 45-minute drive from Havana to the park on backroads. Immediately after entering the park and paying our $2 entrance fee (at the unmanned pay station), I spotted the first needle palm. I yelled at Jeff to stop the truck and we got out and took some photos. The adult plants were small (Fig. 4), but they were reproducing, as was evident by the numerous seedlings in the area (Fig. 5).

We continued up the road until we came upon a spectacular historical home (Fig. 6), which we later found out was called the Gregory House--and which also contained the park office. Jeff and I introduced ourselves to Paul Rice, the Park Mananger, and inquired about needle palms. He informed us of the best place to see them and we headed off toward the trail, but were stopped in our tracks by a magnificent view of the Apalachicola River and the surrounding countryside about 200 feet below (Fig. 7). We took photos, of course, then found the Rock Creek Trail and began to descend into a deep, dark ravine, wherein we saw dozens of large needle palms, many of which were in flower (Figs. 8-10). In contrast to the first place we stopped, which was a hillside, it was interesting to note that there were very few seedlings in the ravine.

The site of these spectacular palms was truly awe-inspiring! After shooting many photos, we continued on along the trail and came upon a small, lone torreya tree (Fig. 11), a sign describing the needle palm (Fig. 12), and several confederate gun pits from the Civil War. The winding trail then led us down to the banks of the Apalachicola (Fig. 13) and further on along the floodplain. It was here that I witnessed the second stunning site of this adventure: across a swamp full of Sabal minor was a hillside literally covered with Rhapidophyllum (Fig. 14). We took more photos and climbed the ascending trail back to the Gregory House, where we decided to go check out the grotto waterfall.

The Weeping Ridge Trail had a very different feel to it; it was drier and ascended steeply toward a ridge dominated by pines, rather than large, deciduous trees. The other thing that was readily apparent was the paucity of needle palms along the ridge. It appeared that Sabal minor didn't seem to mind the habitat shift, however, because there were many plants reproducing in this area (Fig. 15). After about 10 minutes of climbing and then a few more minutes descending back down the ridge, we came upon the waterfall. This was the most intriguing waterfall either Jeff or I had ever witnessed, as the water trickled out of the side of the hill, dropped about 20 feet, and then disappeared back into the hill. Ironically--but not coincidentally--the wet area just above the waterfall was home to a needle palm that was precariously perched on a ledge (Fig. 16). Further down the ravine, we came across a log "bridge" and, like a typical kid, Jeff just couldn't help but cross over (Fig. 17).

Our trip concluded with a personal tour of the Gregory House (thanks again, Paul), which could be the basis for an article unto itself. The drive home was relativley uneventful, as Jeff and I were still somewhat numbed by the happenings of the day. Needless to say, our experiences in Torreya State Park will not be forgotten. I want to personally thank you for taking the time to read about our wonderful Torreya expedition. If you are ever in the North Florida area, be sure to visit the park; you will not be disappointed. It truly is a botanical paradise!

Jody Haynes
23 May 1999

On a final note, I wish to leave you with a plea from Paul Rice, Jeff, and myself concerning recent attempts to procure funding for the restoration of the Gregory House, which sustained some water damage from Hurricane Georges last year. The grant proposal that Paul submitted to the State of Florida the week after our visit appears to be running into some stumbling blocks. Paul has asked for letters of support from concerned individuals and has provided a sample letter (below). Please take a few moments to show your support.

You can send an electronic letter to Paul's e-mail address (torreya@nettally.com) using the form below. Simply type in your comments into the large comment box below the date box, or if you wish to use Paul's letter as your comments simply copy it and paste it into the comment box. (Note: The letter is not automatically sent with the form; it must be copied and pasted into the comment box.) Alternatively, you can copy and paste the letter into your word processor, print it, sign it, and mail it to Paul at the snail mail address listed.

Mr. Paul Rice, Park Manager
Torreya State Park
Division of Recreation and Parks
Department of Environmental Protection
HC 2 Box 70
Bristol, FL 32321

Dear Mr. Rice,

I am pleased to learn that the Florida State Parks has applied for a
Special Category Preservation Grant to fund the restoration of the
Gregory House in Liberty County. If funded, the project will be an
outstanding contribution to the State Park Service's and the County
of Liberty's efforts to preserve significant historic properties.

I fully endorse the project as it will make a much-needed contribution
toward the area's activities to promote heritage tourism. The work to
be done is in great need if the structural integrity is to be saved. This
site provides invaluable opportunities for students and visitors to the
area to learn and see first-hand what mid-1800's plantation living was
like.

I hope for favorable consideration of this project by the Historic
Preservation Advisory Council. I look forward to my next visit to the
park and hope to see this prominent feature repaired and preserved for
future generations to enjoy.

Sincerely,

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