This is a hardwood hammock, one of the major habitat types within Big Cypress National Preserve. So what exactly is a hammock and where does the word come from? Good questions! Glad I asked! Hardwood hammocks are places where the ground is high enough to remain dry most of the year, dry enough to allow hardwood trees and shrubs to grow. In the case of Big Cypress, they're a collection of subtropical species mixed with a few palms. These places are vital to a variety of animals who need the relatively dry conditions to live and raise their young.
We've seen some who explain the origin of the word as coming from the Seminoles, meaning a shady place. There's also some who say it derives from hummock, a seaman's term for a tree-covered island. In a real sense, hammocks are hummocks, tree-covered islands in the great river of grass that is this part of Florida. We did consult with an online Seminole-English dictionary but came up empty. There was no word close to hammock that we could find, and while also finding multiple Seminole words for hammock but no definitions. If you have an insights, drop us a line.
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We've seen some who explain the origin of the word as coming from the Seminoles, meaning a shady place. There's also some who say it derives from hummock, a seaman's term for a tree-covered island. In a real sense, hammocks are hummocks, tree-covered islands in the great river of grass that is this part of Florida. We did consult with an online Seminole-English dictionary but came up empty. There was no word close to hammock that we could find, and while also finding multiple Seminole words for hammock but no definitions. If you have an insights, drop us a line.
NEXT STOP: Sea Level Rise: An Existential Threat
RETURN TO THE TOUR PAGE —||— RETURN TO THE MAIN PAGE