Please understand that rattlesnakes inhabit our natural lands and are more active during the hot spring and summer afternoons. If you see a snake, give it space. Thanks to our prescribed burns and land management techniques, the ecosystem is thriving with organisms like the eastern diamondback rattlesnake. We recommend geocaching in the morning & evening!
This area is called an ephemeral pond community because at certain times of the year there is standing water and at other times it is dry. It is an upland temporary pond. The canopy consist of mostly the Swamp black gum or swamp tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica var. biflora). The Nyssa or swamp gum has specially adapted roots to survive in standing water. Swamp tupelo, Dahoon holly, St. John’s wort, and Broomsedge are specifically adapted to the conditions in an ephemeral pond. For example, the Swamp tupelo is deciduous, it loses its leaves in fall and stands dormant during fall and winter when its roots may be underwater. When summer arrives, the tupelo begins active growth. The shrub layer of the ephemeral pond is made up of mostly St. John’s wort (Hypericum spp.) You may have heard of St. John’s wort. It is often used as an herbal remedy and made into capsules or tea. The herb and grass layer is made up of Broomsedge (Andropogon virginicus), Pitcher plant (Sarracenia minor), Bloodwort, and Redroot. This habitat is also extremely important to amphibians, especially during the wet season.
This cache is part of the UCF Arboretum tour series.
Cypress dome currently in dry conditions. However, this cache may be unavailable to reach during the months of May through July due to wet conditions in the rainy season. Accessible during all other seasons.
Every geocache in the Arboretum tour series contains at least one keychain. The keychains behold coordinates to our mystery cache! This cache holds special prizes for the adventurers who find it. After noting the coordinates, please return the keychains to their respective bags along with the list of signatures. Happy trails!
When logging your find please also include the number of people in your party and we also love to see photos of you or your group at play. We hope you enjoy the arboretum and learn something useful from the UCF Arboretum Geocache series.