The Flag Marsh

We've seen two names for this stop on our tour of Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary: the Sawgrass Pond and the Flag Marsh. We think Flag Marsh works better. Take a look at the photo and you'll see fire flag, dominating the water. It's also known as alligator flag, so called because its leaves are sort of pennant-shaped and because alligators tend to hide among these stands. When an alligator moves through it, the plant will "wave," signaling the gator's presence. The marsh sits like an island, rimmed by willow trees and surrounded by the wet prairie that runs along the eastern flank of the boardwalk. Farther east are pine flatwoods, and the tops of some slash pines in background. The two trees in the foreground are cypress, probably of the pond variety. (Bald cypress is the other variety found in Florida.) The marsh is a good place to look for wading birds — fire flag seeds are a favorite food of purple gallinules — for water snakes, alligators, turtles and frogs.
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