Cucumberleaf Sunflower
Note: The name of this cache has absolutely nothing to do with the cache, it is merely an educational tool that you may use in finding wildflowers in the CREW.
The coastal areas of Florida are the specific habitat for the Cucumberleaf Sunflower (Helianthus debilis).
A medium to high tolerance of salinity is specific to this species, as a result of its adaptability.
Highly similar to classic sunflowers, this species has yellow petals and it grows to a size of up to a few feet.
This species is seen across various gardens.
It prefers sandy soils where it needs little watering.
Cucumberleaf Sunflower also has a positive role in coastal areas where it spreads rapidly. It may prevent excessive soil erosion specific to coastal areas.
As we stroll through the CREW on the Marsh Trail, take some time and look at what the Earth and nature has to offer us. Have fun, look around and enjoy the day. CREW (Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed) is a 60,000 acre watershed. A watershed is an area of land that absorbs rain and ground water and then drains it into a wetland. The CREW marsh is a 5000 acre wetland which holds onto the water it receives allowing the water to slowly sink into the ground. The marsh protects downstream areas from flooding during the rainy season and stores water for use during a drought. The plants in the marsh, dominated by sawgrass, filter the water, removing pesticides and other substances harmful to humans. After it is cleaned, the water through the force of gravity sinks into the ground through the spaces in the soil and bedrock ( rock that underlies the soil) recharging the underground aquifer. An aquifer is a permeable layer of bedrock that stores and conducts the water. The bedrock in the CREW marsh is composed of limestone which makes a good aquifer. This aquifer is the main source of drinking water for this part of Florida. Most of the 55 inches of annual rainfall the marsh receives comes in the summer and fall.