This beautiful view of traditional untouched Florida coastline at dusk is from Mizell-Johnson State Park, near Fort Lauderdale.

The humid subtropical climate of South Florida is a unique place. In fact, while most sources classify South Florida as subtropical, many also classify it as tropical. Whatever the classification, it’s clearly closer to tropical than any other of the subtropical regions in North America. This has its pros and cons. A well-tended landscape in South Florida can look like the Garden of Eden. Massive live oak trees drip with verdant resurrection ferns. Palm trees from around the world easily grow tall and proud. Vibrant tropical trees and shrubs can be found flowering year-round. But, a non-well-tended landscape can quickly get out of hand. Especially in summer, when intense sunlight combines with copious water, plants grow at an astonishing pace. When not kept in check, vines and weeds can quickly take over. One can see this easily by traveling to the hardwood hammocks of the Everglades, where nature has free reign to run its course. The thickets there are so dense and impenetrable, hardly anyone would liken them to Eden. But unchecked nature on the coast is a different story. Because of the storms, salty air, and poor soil, it’s hard for the plants to get too out of control. In fact, I think the natural Florida coastline is prettier than when the beach is meticulously landscaped. The plants, while the growth somewhat stunted, abound in high variety. They hug the ground, creating a sort of marbled green over the beautiful white sand, with a few dune wildflowers thrown in for good measure.

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