Outdoors & Nature Insider

A recent rediscovery by a group of plant surveyors in the Fakahatchee Strand has got the orchid world excited! Cyclopogon elatus, a small orchid with a single flowering spike, was spotted on a decaying log by Chris Little, a Miami environmental scientist. Forty-five other native orchid species call the Fakahatchee Strand home, and it's great to see once lost plants rediscovered flourishing in this vital forested swamp.

Never been to the Fakahatchee? Well, hopefully this rediscovery will motivate you to go discover the area for yourself! It's a 5-mile-wide by 20-mile-long thread of land that serves as the main drainage of southwestern Big Cypress Swamp. Bromeliad-adorned cypress trees, cabbage palms and native ferns are just a few of the amazing plant life that can be found here. 

Here's a couple of ways for you to see the Fakahatchee up-close-and-personal. Consider a walk along the boardwalk at Big Cypress Bend located on Highway 41. For a driving tour, take the Janes Memorial Scenic Drive, an 11-mile peek into the swamp along a hard-packed gravel road. 

Who knows, maybe you'll spot a Cyclopogon elatus. Make sure you bring a camera!