Where is the scrub? Florida scrub develops on dunes and ridges behind wave-washed sandy beaches. It also develops in fire shadows, where the frequency of ground fires is reduced, down-wind from natural fire breaks such as streams and wetlands. Florida scrub occurs in patches along the northern Gulf Coast and along the lower Atlantic Coast, and throughout the peninsula as 'islands" within the pine savannas that covered Florida before modern man's arrival. Scrub is Florida's oldest plant community, and the scrubs on the Lake Wales Ridge are the oldest of all.
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The
Lake Wales Ridge scrubs occupy remnants of ancient
beaches and sand dunes that marked Florida's shoreline
millions of years ago when sea levels were 100' higher.
As the sea level receded, the beaches were left behind.
The long isolation of the Lake Wales Ridge scrubs has
permitted the evolution of unique plants and animals and
is the last remaining habitat for many that were once
more widespread. The white sands of the scrubs along the
Lake Wales Ridge in the center of the peninsula are
clearly visible in this satellite photograph of Florida.
(The conspicuous rectangle west of the southern end of
the Ridge was recently cleared of all vegetation in
preparation for a huge orange grove!)
