Mysterious Cypress Knees

North Jupiter Flatwoods Natural Area, Jupiter, Palm Beach County


cypress swamp
This is one our favorite scenes at North Jupiter Flatwoods Natural Area. It's a small cypress swamp, devoid of water and almost meadow-like in early spring. There are bowling pin-like projections sticking out of the ground. They are actually cypress knees, some of which belong to a tree no longer standing. Cypress knees are a bit of a mystery to scientists, their purpose unclear. Theories include providing the trees with extra support to helping the tree breathe in mucky oxygenless soils.

NEXT STOP: A PLACE DEFINED BY WATER

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Published by Wild South Florida, PO Box 7241, Delray Beach, FL 33482.
Photographs by David Sedore. Photographs are property of the publishers and may not be used without permission.