Almost all of the tropical trees that occur naturally in southern Florida are also found in the West Indies. Most species occur in hardwood hammocks, and only a few in mangrove swamps (four species including buttonwood) and freshwater wetlands (two species). Seeds of the hammock species are commonly carried by birds.

West Indian mahogany is an example of a wind-dispersed species, having winged seeds.

The mangroves, as well as many other coastal wetland plants, have floating seeds and were dispersed to Florida via ocean currents.

Eleven palm species are native to Florida, three of which are mostly restricted to central and northern areas. Eight occur in southern Florida, with four of these limited to rocky pinelands and the Florida keys—two known to be dispersed by the white-crowned pigeon. Thus, only four species occur in Everglades habitats, namely, the royal palm, cabbage palm, saw palmetto, and paurotis or Everglades palm.

Paurotis or Everglades palms in Flamingo.

Another prominent feature of the tropical vegetation of the region is the abundance of plants that grow upon other plants: the epiphytes. Although some parasitic plants live in the region, epiphytes are not parasitic by definition, and are wind-dispersed. The region’s major epiphytes are ferns, bromeliads, and orchids.

Numerous types of ferns also grow as epiphytes, particularly in very damp locations. Of about 100 species of ferns found in Florida, almost 60 are tropical species and are limited to southern Florida. In contrast to bromeliads and orchids, which generally occupy fairly well-lit sites, ferns abound even in the dense forest shade. They grow on trees with rough bark, dead logs, or rocky walls of solution holes. Ferns reproduce by spores, which are technically not seeds but serve the same purpose and are wind-blown.

South Florida’s most obvious epiphytes, the bromeliads (often called “air plants”), are relatives of the pineapple. All native bromeliads are normally epiphytic, but they may grow on the ground if they happen to fall. Most of Florida’s bromeliads are tropical, are restricted to southern Florida, and their seeds are distributed by the wind. A spectacular and common species in the Everglades region is the large cardinal airplant. Its leaves may exceed 3 feet long (although usually half that) and its small flowers are enclosed by conspicuous, attractive bracts that are usually bright red but variable in color. It blooms from January through the summer.

Cardinal airplants in bloom on the St. Lucie River.

Less obvious epiphytes unless they are in bloom, are the orchids. Florida harbors about 100 types of orchids; temperate, mostly terrestrial species are predominate in northern Florida and tropical species (many of which are epiphytes) are predominate in southern Florida. The most common epiphytic orchid in the region is the beautiful butterfly orchid, a tropical species that blooms primarily in the late spring and early summer.

Butterfly orchid in bloom on the St. Lucie River.

All of southern Florida’s marine flora reached the region from the West Indies on ocean currents. Although many species of tropical algae occur, only six species of truly marine grasses are found, the most prominent being turtlegrass, followed by shoalweed and manateegrass.

Hurricanes and tropical storms assist in the inland transport of floating seeds on storm surges, as well as carrying airborne seeds.