KORESHAN BOTANICAL GARDENS Many people think of botanical gardens as little more than highly landscaped parks. Full of beauty and peace, the botanical gardens are indeed perfect for a few hours for yourself, and many of them were initially designed for aesthetics alone. However, most modern botanical gardens have evolved to become important scientific institutions and are key players in plant conservation and the education of the public. The living collections of plants are often much more than attractive artistic exhibits. Many serve to maintain a living store of genetic diversity that can support a variety of conservation, restoration, and research endeavors. Like zoos, botanical gardens often work in tandem with each other, exchanging seeds, pollen, and other genetic information to preserve rare, threatened, or endangered species. In fact, a number of plants that are extinct in the wild are kept alive solely through the efforts of botanical gardens. 1 Along with the many other attractions that draw guests by the thousands to Koreshan State Park every year, the grounds contain a wide variety of rare plants. Mango, Eucalyptus, and other fruit-bearing trees, along with an extraordinary amount of Chinese Bamboo, as well as many flowering trees and plants from a wide variety of places throughout the globe. The following is a partial list of some of the rare and exotic plants from all over the world found right here at the beautiful Koreshan State Park. 1 - SABAL PALM This is Florida's state tree and is called a "Sabal Palm” In 1953 the Florida legislature designated the sabal palm as the state tree, and then in 1970 the Florida legislature mandated that the sabal palm should replace the cocoa palm on the state seal. This tree is widespread throughout Florida and easily transplanted. They are a Native American Tree that is ideal for warm, coastal areas. Sable Palms can be seen at the entrance to the Koreshan Settlement along the parking lot area. 2 - SAW PALMETTO This plant is native to Florida and grows in low clusters in dry terrain, and the Saw Palmetto produces berries that may be used to treat certain medical conditions, including prostate problems and hair loss. The Park is inundated with this plant. Saw Palmetto can be found throughout the Park and some may be seen, just as you enter the sidewalk from the parking lot at the Settlement. 3 - SLASH PINE Slash Pine is used for reforestation projects and timber plantations throughout the Southeastern United States. Its pines produced turpentine and crude resins used for a variety of purposes (i.e., poles, railroad ties, pilings, turpentine, and rosin) areas. When planted as street trees or in groups, they give the entire area a tropical atmosphere. Showy white flowers on long, branching stalks bloom in early summer, followed by dark, edible berries in the fall. The fruit is edible but is more appealing to wildlife than humans. These trees can be seen on the west side of the upper parking lot near the Settlement entrance as well as throughout the park. 2 4 – CABBAGE PALME The Cabbage Palm and the Sabal Palme, discussed earlier, are the same tree. However, with some of these palms the palm fronds will sometimes drop from the tree, leaving their base, called a boot, attached to the trunk. These boots create a crosshatched pattern on the trunk of the tree. As the tree matures, the older boats fall off, leaving the lower part of the trunk smooth. The Sabal or Cabbage Palms are capable of reaching heights of 90 feet or more in the wild, but in cultivation, they usually grow only 40 to 60 feet tall. The tree’s 18- to the 24-inch wide trunk is topped by a rounded canopy of long fronds. It isn’t usually considered a good shade tree, but clusters of cabbage palms can provide moderate shade. 5 – COONTIE The Coontie Palm or Zamia Pumilia are native to Florida. The Coontie is primarily grown for its highly ornamental fruit. The dark brown fruits are held in abundance in spectacular cones from late summer to mid-fall. It has attractive dark green foliage. The glossy, narrow pinnately compound leaves are highly ornamental and remain dark green throughout the winter. The flowers are not ornamentally significant. A Coontie Palm can be found between the two benches that set near the path that leads to the settlement. 6 – KAFFIR LIME Kaffir lime is the common name of Citrus hystrix, a tropical fruit that is native to various parts of Asia, including Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines. Aside from its culinary uses, due to its uniquely tart and pleasant flavor, kaffir lime is also highly respected in herbal medicine, due to its high content of beneficial organic compounds that can positively affect the body’s systems. The oil, leaves, fruit, and rind of kaffir limes are all utilized for different purposes. You’ll often find kaffir limes being used in soups and sauces, such as Tom Yum soup, particularly the leaves, which are frequently utilized in Thai cooking. This tree may be found at the north end of the wooden bridge, on the left side of the walkway as you enter the Settlement area. 3 7 –SWAMP MAHOGANY Eucalyptus Robusta, commonly known as Swamp Mahogany or swamp messmate, is a tree native to Eastern Australia. This tree is at the south end of the wood bridge to your left as you enter the Settlement area. A second tree can be found to your right near the intersection that leads to the public restrooms. It is grown in a waterlogged, swampy area. It will reach heights of up to 30 m (98 ft.) high with thick spongy reddish- brown bark and dark green broad leaves, which help form a dense canopy. The white to cream flowers appear in autumn and winter. Insects eat the leaves, which is also food for the koala bear. It is an essential winter-flowering species in Eastern Australia and has been planted extensively in many countries around the world. Its timber is used for firewood and in general construction. 9 – CREPE MYRTLE Lagerstroemia Indica (Asia) Several bushes just north of the Art Hall on the right side of the path. This myrtle can be a small tree or shrub, usually pruned in winter or early spring. The flowers are crinkled, crepe-paper like and last two to four months of the summer. Many are used in commercial landscaping. 10 - NIGHT-BLOOMING CEREUS Night Blooming Cereus is the common name referring to a large number of flowering ceroid cacti that bloom at night. The flowers are short-lived, and some of these species, such as Selenicereus Grandiflorus, bloom only once a year, for a single night. Other names for one or more cacti with this habit are the Princess of the Night, Honolulu Queen (for Hylocereus Undatus), Christ in the Manger, Dama de Noche and Queen of the Night (which is also used for an unrelated plant species). This plant is on the left side of the shell path just north of the Art Hall. 4 11 - SWITCH CANE One of three native bamboo species, Switch Cane is difficult to separate from the larger Giant Cane (A. gigantea), with which it is sometimes placed. Switch Cane is generally less than 2 meters tall, while Giant Cane can reach 7 meters or more. A third species, the recently described Hill Cane (Arundinaria appalachiana), is of short stature and generally grows in drier slopes of the southwestern corner of NC. All species can form extensive dense stands, known as canebrakes, which are used for cover by wildlife, such as the Canebrake Rattlesnake. This plant may be found just north of the Art Hall near US 41 to your right. 12 - COCO PLUMB Coco plums are three-quarters patriotic: They can be red, white, or blue (and yellow.) Actually, the "blue" is deep purple, and the yellow more a cream. Trees near the shore tend to have light-colored fruit that is round, whereas a variation inland tends to be oval and red to dark purple. White coco plums can be pure white or have a pink blush. Look for the coco- plum in cypress swamps, low areas, tree islands, beaches, sand dunes, canals, riverside, oceanside thickets, hammocks, by lakes, ponds and in landscaping. In reference to landscaping, don't confuse it with the Natal Plum, which also has edible fruit, but the Natal Plum is covered with intense thorns. This plant is on the right side of the shell path on your way to the New Store. 13 – PINK TRUMPET TREE The Pink Trumpet Tree grows into a medium-sized deciduous tree with an open branching habit and rounded canopy shape that grows 30-50 feet tall, 30-40 feet wide. Foliage is comprised of dark green palmately divided leaves that have five leaflets. Bright pink to magenta tubular flowers with yellow throats develop in large round clusters in late winter to early spring when there are no leaves. Limited numbers of long bean pods develop after the flowering cycle and last into summer. 5 14 - MILK AND WINE LILLY The Milk and Wine Lilly is just a classic beauty! The striped pattern on the bloom resembles the colors of milk and wine. It's long showy leaves, that resemble a corn stalk, along with its large, heavily scented flowers of milky white and red wine make it one of my favorite bulbs. It is also one of the few flowers that can do as well in a partially shaded area or a full sunny spot.