While I was at the Naval Live Oaks area yesterday, I hiked one of the nature trails...
and discovered the woods were full of American Beautyberry bushes.
I love the unusual violet-color of the berries on this ornamental plant. I discovered this plant for the first time a year or two ago at the Naval Air Station, near the Pensacola lighthouse.
I discovered that they fall into the mint family and the crushed leaves were used as a folk remedy to repel mosquitoes, ticks and ants. American Beautyberry plants are also known as French Mulberry.
You might enjoy exploring some of the nature trails at Naval Live Oaks yourself while the American Beautyberry plants are at their most showy. Naval Live Oaks is located just east of Gulf Breeze Proper on the south side of Highway 98.
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3 comments:
Hey DJ,
We now live behind the Live Oaks (Reservation Road) and have not taken Aaron out there for fear of snakes, did you run across any? If not, he and I can do our nature walks again! Tim
Tim, I didn't see any snakes at all, but I heard some skittering in the brush -- which I think was some of our local anoles. :-)
But speaking of snakes, you never know where you might find them. Last year Carl killed a rattlesnake on our patio. UGH! I think it probably came over from Sugar Bowl. It was just sunning at first, but then coiled up.
I sing and stomp my feet pretty loud now when I'm outside. HA!
We never encountered any rattlers at Oceanview but now that we are so close to the Naval Live Oaks I am trying to teach the boys about snakes, but at a safe time! Have a great day, Tim
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