Collecting in South Florida

[KayaMooney]

I'm located in Stuart Florida, treasure coast for you locals and I was looking for some tips on collecting in this area of Florida. So far I've found some red maples, laurel & live oaks, florida privet and a few junipers that were growing in abandoned lots.

More specifically, what are some native species that I can look for in this area and where would be a good place to start looking for them? I'm also looking for a place to collect bald cypress but the only places around here are on the sides of highways and in state parks.

 

[Poink88]

Just FYI, abandoned lots doesn't mean you can collect there freely.

 

[edprocoat]

Kaya, if want to collect a Bald Cypress you better look for a nursery or sometimes you can find ones in garden centers or Home Depot - Lowes type places. Its illegal to cut cypress knees and in most places to dig one up, there are property owners in Holopaw Fl. who are not allowed to cut down the Cypress on there own property as it wetland area.

ed

 

[edprocoat]

Just FYI, abandoned lots doesn't mean you can collect there freely.

You can say that again ....!

ed

 

[KayaMooney]

I was looking more for advice on where and what to collect.. not the legalities on collecting. Thank you anyways.

 

[edprocoat]

I was looking more for advice on where and what to collect.. not the legalities on collecting. Thank you anyways.

Kaya, just trying to help as you cant know what to collect unless you take into account what and where you are allowed to collect. Just FYI trees like Mangroves, Buttonwoods and pretty well anything that grows in wetlands areas will land you in jail with steep fines if you disturb them. And no lot is really abandoned, someone owns it and it would be theft to take anything from it without permission.

ed

 

[KayaMooney]

The lot where I collected the junipers from was being leveled anyways, the trees were done for in the long run. I know the legalities of collecting most trees from wetlands, I was looking more for a farm or something that I could get permission to collect bald cypress on. I know of Adams ranch but that's it.

 

[drew33998]

Kaya, start by driving through the older parts of town( if there is one). The ones that have house built in the 50s and 60s. I have found that a lot of times there may be a juniper, crepe myrtle, boxwood, or something else in an elderly persons yard that they don't want there anymore but can't move it or don't have anyone to do it for them. I have left notes in mailboxes before and had people call me back. Or you can go to old mom an pop stores that may have some hedges or bushes and see if they would like you to remove some old stuff and replace it with new bushes such as azaleas. You can not collect anything on the side of a highway, and definitely not in a state park. All the trees in the state park are protected. You can't disturb them.