{"id":4221,"date":"2013-04-15T10:54:45","date_gmt":"2013-04-15T14:54:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/richard.rathe.org\/?p=4221"},"modified":"2019-08-08T09:56:42","modified_gmt":"2019-08-08T14:56:42","slug":"cellon-live-oak-pitcher-plants-and-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/redmangrove.org\/rathe.org\/richard\/2013\/cellon-live-oak-pitcher-plants-and-more","title":{"rendered":"Cellon Live Oak, Pitcher Plants and More!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Based on the splendid book Exploring Florida\u2019s Botanical Wonders<\/em> by Sandra Friend<\/a> I set out this week-end in pursuit of Pitcher Plants<\/strong> and other botanical curiosities. [gallery<\/a>] My first stop was the Cellon Live Oak<\/a><\/strong> in northern Alachua County. I was standing almost under the tree when I took this HDR shot. Notice the moss near the top is hanging at a different angle! [Still getting used to handling a fisheye lens<\/strong>, hard to keep my hand out of the picture!.]<\/p>\n

\"cellon-oak\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I stopped several times to photograph the abundant roadside flowers<\/a>. I was especially drawn to these orange “paintbrush”<\/strong> that occurred at only one spot along I-10.<\/p>\n

\"orange-flower\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I finally arrived at Clear Creek<\/a><\/strong> around 6pm local time (different time zone!). The trailhead is located at the back of a (defunct?) trailer park just to the left of the main gate of Whiting Field Naval Air Station<\/strong>. The road was blocked so I parked in a small lot near the main road and walked to the back where the trail starts. The whole experience was a bit surreal. There was nobody around so I had the place to myself.<\/p>\n

\"clear-creek\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The trail proceeds through three ecological regions [map<\/a>] as you descend into a ravine. At the bottom is a long boardwalk with clumps of White-Topped Pitcher Plants<\/strong> (Sarracenia leucophylla<\/a>) and Golden Club<\/strong> (Orontium aquaticum<\/a>) everywhere! It was a bit frustrating to be up on the walkway with a very limited range of viewing angles. I took most of these photographs with a 400mm equivalent lens. I walk the entire site twice over two hours and headed back to my car at dusk.<\/p>\n

\"pitcher-plants\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I spent the night in a cheap but adequate motel in Pensacola. The next day dawned rainy and I headed for Yellow River Marsh Preserve State Park<\/strong><\/a>. My frustration from the day before was lifted since this is an unimproved site with numerous beautiful plants strewn about. Check page 2 of the gallery<\/a> for several striking photos from this site.<\/p>\n

\"pitcher-plant-flowers\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Unfortunately the weather was gradually getting worse. I ended my exploration with a wet walk around the loop trail at Garcon Point Preserve<\/strong>. I got back to my car just in time and drove away in a tropical downpour.<\/p>\n

There is more information online about Florida’s fascinating pitcher and other carnivorous plants.<\/p>\n