The Nature Trail at Sugar Mill Ruins is surprisingly diverse and interesting. The short trail is less than half a mile long but the plant life along the way is quite remarkable.
The tour will start at the Nature Trail entrance closest to the rest room building. Scanning the QR Code at the entrance sign will bring you to this page. At each numbered marker along the way, you can learn a little bit more about the items that make this Nature Trail a Volusia County hidden treasure.
Marker 11: Shoestring Ferns
As we near the end of the trail today, take a close look at the Cabbage Palms about ten feet past this marker. Those cool stringy looking plants attached to the trunk are Shoestring Ferns.
The Shoestring Fern is another local native and one of the less common epiphytes in the area. It is an epiphyte found almost exclusively in Florida, and it prefers to grow on our state trees, the Sabal (Cabbage) Palm.
Shoestring Ferns were used by Native Americans for medicinal purposes to treat numerous ailments, including depression.
The mound to the right of the marker is covered with Muscadine (Wild Grapevine), a native plant. This vine produces flowers in the summer and fruits in the fall. It is also the predominant nesting material for cardinals which we have spotted in this area in the past.
As an added bonus, look to your left as you exit the nature trail. The citrus tree just past the end of the path is a Wild Tangerine – likely another remnant from the early settlement of this area. Before you get too excited about tasting, the wild varieties of Florida Citrus are almost always very sour.
Thank you to the following folks who generously donated their time and expertise to identifying the plants on this nature trail: Raymond Jarrett, David Griffis, Trey Hannah and Kalan Taylor. Photos and verbiage provided by Bob Creedon, NSBGuide.com.