A guide to the unexpected natural gems of "real" Florida   "The enchanted places in our state are sometimes hidden and not well known. Sandra Friend presents a collection of sites worthy of a pilgrimage in this descriptive guide."--David Price, director, Bok Tower Gardens Foundation   The distance, by land, from Key West to Pensacola is greater than that between New Orleans and Chicago. There are eighty-one distinct biological communities in Florida, and botanists recognize more than 4,200 unique plants in the state. The state contains several world-renowned hot spots for flora, including the Apalachicola River valley, the Lake Wales Ridge, the Big Cypress Swamp, and the Everglades. In the United States, only Hawai’i and California can claim greater biodiversity. In Exploring Florida's Botanical Wonders expert hiker and award-winning author Sandra Friend provides readers with a travel guide that surveys the Sunshine State's spectacular biological offerings. Organized by geographic region, Friend includes engaging descriptions of the plant communities at each site, as well as directions to and information about each location. With so much to choose from, Friend selected 250 sites for inclusion based on the age, density, or rarity of species found there, as well as provisions made for public access to these sites. She features a range of natural areas as well as public botanical gardens, making the book ideal for both the hardiest and the most timid nature lovers. From ancient groves of oaks once preserved by President John Quincy Adams as an emergency supply of ship's timber to unusual communities of plants borne by the wind and the water from the Caribbean, this book reveals Florida flora at its most awe-inspiring.