Briggs Boardwalk in Bloom
It’s late June and the Briggs Boardwalk is again ablaze with numerous flowers from native perennial plants. Here are pictures of some of them.
The Butterfly Orchid
One of my favorite plants at Briggs is the butterfly orchid shown in bloom below. You can see both the bulbs and their flowers in the photo. The orchids are blooming in a number of places very close to the boardwalk.
Take a closer look at the orchid blooms…
The Partridge Pea
This partridge pea has been blooming for some time at Briggs. As you can see, it’s beginning to fade a bit from blooming so long. Other partridge peas also are blooming in a number of places, some close to the walk and others more distant.
Here’s a look at another partridge pea plant that is a little fresher…
The Mangrove Rubber Vine
The mangrove rubber vine is often found twisting itself around the railings of the walk. You can see the railing in the upper left-hand corner.
The Cardinal Airplant
The cardinal airplant is found in profusion along the walk, although only some of the plants bloom at the same time. The plant, which is actually a bromeliad, forms thick colonies in several locations at Briggs.
If you zoom in on the red spikes, or inflorescences, you will see purple petals supporting very small yellowish-white flowers.
The Blazing Star
This is the first time that I’ve seen the blazing star directly at Briggs. It apparently took advantage of a recent controlled burn to sprout — the plant is known for doing that.
The Pineland Heliotrope
The pineland heliotrope may have yellow blooms in some places, like the Everglades, but may have white blooms in others, such as Briggs. In its white form, the plant typically forms a ground cover as shown in the photo below. You will find it smack dab in the middle of the sandy path just before you enter the boardwalk. Take care not to step on it.
Wild Allamanda
A plant that is often described as a vine-like shrub or a “clambering” vine is the wild allamanda. It can be seen on the right on the sand path that leads to the boardwalk entrance. Slow down as you come along the side of the building and look to your right.
The land through which Briggs Boardwalk passes is a very special place, and you will find many other plants blooming there. Some of these blooms are quite small in size, and you may overlook them if you move too swiftly on the walk. To see and enjoy them all, you will need to get close and even stoop down at times. The effort is worth it.
Spurred Butterfly Pea
Below is a picture of one of the small flowers that you need to stoop down to see. The spurred butterfly pea is a climbing vine and was found under the big sign in the parking lot for Briggs Boardwalk. I’ve zoomed in on the plant but the flower is actually quite small (check out the grass leaves and pebbles for comparison). The picture was taken by Melissa Brown, a technical writer who was visiting and who was kind enough to share her photos with me.
Here’s another picture of several spurred butterfly peas (I spotted five in the picture) taken by Melissa that puts them into greater perspective.
The spurred butterfly pea’s color varies from deep violet to light lavender. It is a Florida native perennial and commonly grows in upland and coastal habitats.
Drop by Briggs Boardwalk soon and see all the blooms before they fade.
Where is Briggs Boardwalk?
If you are coming from the north of Rookery Bay, go 2.7 miles south of the intersection of US 41 and Co.Road 951 and take a right turn onto Shell Island Road. If you are coming from Marco Island, take Co. Road 951 north and turn left onto Shell Island Road immediately past the entrance to Fiddler’s Creek. In either case, go about one mile until you see a flagpole on your right. Pull into the parking lot of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission field office and go around to the back of the building to reach the boardwalk. Please don’t go towards or into the building.
What tips do you have for going this time of year?
Wear closed shoes or sneakers, long pants, a long sleeve shirt, and a broad brimmed hat. Take along sun blocker, mosquito repellant, binoculars, a camera or smart phone, and a bottle of water. Go before 10am to avoid the worst of the sun. It would help if you choose a day on which the wind was up to blow away the bugs.
