Florida Golden Aster @ 7 Lakes Traditional Cache

Florida Golden Aster

The Florida golden aster is a perennial herb in the aster family with a distribution limited to a few counties in west-central Florida. The Florida golden aster occurs in sand pine and oak scrub or in disturbed areas at the edges of scrub. This species of plant is most notable because not only is it recognized as a threatened plant in the state, but also on the federal level. What led to the plant being endangered is that much of its natural habitat was transformed into land for agricultural use in the 1970s. It wasn’t until 1988 that a plan was made to recover the population of the Florida golden aster and conduct research into its growth. This plant thrives in areas of xeric hammock and Florida scrub. A partner in helping preserve the flower has been the Bok Tower Gardens. They have cryogenically preserved the seeds of this plant if they continue to be threatened in the future

THIS CACHE IS LOCATED WITHIN HIGHLANDS HAMMOCK STATE PARK. THE PARK IS OPEN FROM 8AM TIL SUNSET, 365/6 DAYS A YEAR, INCLUDING ALL HOLIDAYS. THERE IS A FEE TO ENTER THE PARK.