Ferns, Cycads, and Epiphytes

From the shaded limestone walls of our century-old quarry to our expansive wooded conservation area, these diverse habitats create the perfect humid microclimates for some of the world’s oldest plant families to thrive. Discover massive cycads that outlived the dinosaurs, sprawling native ferns, and delicate air plants clinging to the oak canopy above.

Ferns (The Lush Understory)

These shade-loving plants thrive in the moist pockets of the quarry and provide an incredibly lush groundcover.

  • Resurrection Fern (Pleopeltis polypodioides): A true Florida staple that appears dead and brown during dry spells, only to magically turn bright green and unfurl within hours of a rainstorm.

  • Staghorn Fern (Platycerium): A massive, dramatic fern that grows mounted to trees or boards, featuring fronds that look exactly like deer antlers. (Note: This acts as both a fern and an epiphyte!)

  • Cinnamon Fern (Osmundastrum cinnamomeum): A tall, native Florida fern easily identified by the stiff, cinnamon-colored spore spikes that grow up from the center.

  • Macho Fern (Nephrolepis biserrata): A giant, robust fern that thrives in the humid Florida climate, producing fronds that can grow up to four feet long.

  • Widespread Maiden Fern (Thelypteris kunthii): A vigorous, Florida-native fern that forms sweeping colonies of bright, light-green fronds.

Cycads (The Living Fossils)

These smaller trees are the showstoppers that provide seasonal bursts of color.

  • Coontie (Zamia integrifolia): Florida’s only native cycad. It has soft, feathery green foliage and is the sole host plant for the rare Atala butterfly.

  • Sago "Palm" (Cycas revoluta): A great opportunity for another botany fun fact! Despite the common name and appearance, this rugged, popular landscape plant is actually a cycad, not a palm tree.

  • Cardboard Palm (Zamia furfuracea): Another misnamed cycad, featuring thick, fuzzy, olive-green leaves that literally feel like cardboard.

Epiphytes & Air Plants (The Canopy Dwellers)

These are the botanical acrobats that grow on other plants, absorbing moisture and nutrients straight from the humid Williston air.

  • Ball Moss (Tillandsia recurvata): Those golf-ball-sized gray tufts you see clinging to tree branches and fences all over Central Florida.

  • Brazilian Vaseplant (Aechmea fasciata): A stunning tropical epiphyte recognizable by its silver-banded, leathery green leaves that form a natural central "vase" to collect rainwater.

  • Florida Butterfly Orchid (Encyclia tampensis): A beautiful native epiphyte that clings to oak and cypress trees, blooming with delicate, fragrant flowers in the summer.

  • Giant Air Plant (Tillandsia fasciculata): A large, native Florida bromeliad that attaches to tree bark and produces a stunning, brightly colored flower spike.

  • Spanish Moss (Tillandsia usneoides): The iconic, silvery-gray epiphyte that drapes elegantly from the branches of the Southern Live Oaks.