Cypress Creek Natural Area is a mosaic of high-quality pine
flatwoods and wetlands and includes the area formerly known as the
Loxahatchee River Natural Area. It is bordered on the west side by
Mack Dairy Road and extends east of Gulfstream Citrus Road, and
extends from Indiantown Road northward to the Martin-Palm Beach
County Line in unincorporated Palm Beach County. The predominant
plant community is mesic pine flatwoods, with smaller areas of wet
flatwoods, wet prairie, freshwater marsh, scrubby flatwoods, hydric
hammock, prairie hammock, and pond cypress domes and strands. The
Natural Area provides an important buffer for the Federally
Designated Wild and Scenic Loxahatchee River. It also functions as
a wildlife corridor connecting South Florida Water
Management’s and Martin County’s Cypress Creek
properties to the Loxahatchee River and Jonathan Dickinson State
Park. Wildlife corridors enable wildlife to move freely between
large natural areas and increase the chances of long-term survival
of the species that use them.
Many species are known to occur on the Cypress Creek site. The
little blue heron, Florida sand hill crane, osprey, wood stork, and
tricolored heron forage for food in the wetlands. Gopher tortoise
and pine snake have been recorded in the scrubby flatwoods. Other
listed animals observed on the site include the round-tailed
muskrat, American alligator, bald eagle, American redstart, white
ibis, swallow-tailed kite, Bachman’s sparrow, great egret,
eastern diamondback rattlesnake, and peregrine falcon.
The endangered Catesby’s and celestial lily have been
recorded for this site. Other listed plants observed on the site
include lace-lip ladies’ tresses, long-lip ladies’
tresses, pine pink, snowy and butterfly orchids, nodding clubmoss,
wild coco, giant leather fern, cinnamon fern, hand fern, royal
fern, and common, giant, reflexed, and banded wild pines.