The Barnacle Historic State Park (Coconut Grove)
June 2, 2008: The Barnacle Historic State Park, in the heart of Coconut Grove, offers a lovely view of Biscayne Bay and of Old Florida. This beautiful house with a whimsical name dates to a quieter time. The Barnacle, built in 1891, offers a glimpse of Old Florida during The Era of the Bay. Situated on the shore of Biscayne Bay, this was the home of Ralph Middleton Munroe, one of Coconut Grove´s most charming and influential pioneers. Munroe's principal passion was designing yachts. In his lifetime, he drew plans for 56 different boats. As a seaman, civic activist, naturalist, and photographer, Commodore Munroe was a man who cherished the natural world around him.
A walk into the park passes through a tropical hardwood hammock. For the curious, the word hammock may be traced to an American Indian word Hamaca, which means a shady place. Pretty sure you wanted to know that :) In the 1920s, it was representative of the original landscape within the city of Miami. Today, it is one of the last remnants of the once vast Miami Hammock.
Read MoreA walk into the park passes through a tropical hardwood hammock. For the curious, the word hammock may be traced to an American Indian word Hamaca, which means a shady place. Pretty sure you wanted to know that :) In the 1920s, it was representative of the original landscape within the city of Miami. Today, it is one of the last remnants of the once vast Miami Hammock.
![The Barnacle Historic State Park - Coconut Grove (June 2, 2008)
This is the walk that passes through a tropical hardwood hammock.
According to some historians, the word hammock may be traced to an American Indian word Hamaca, which means shady place. Several throusand years ago, the sea in this area covered extensive living coral reefs. As sea level fell, reefs were exposed and the corals died. The exposed limestone fromed islands which are now the Florida Keys. Seeds, arriving via the wind or carried by birds, colonized the new islands and eventually created communities such as this tropical hardwood hammock. [Thus ends the history lesson of the day.]](https://photos.smugmug.com/HereandThere/Florida-2008/The-Barnacle-Historic-State/i-mKzrpQs/3/d36763c5/L/IMG_4831-L.jpg)
![The Barnacle Historic State Park - Coconut Grove (June 2, 2008) [D]
Poisonwood (Metopium toxiferum) [also known as Florida Poison Tree] - This member of the cashew family gets its name and reputation from the black sap (seen in next photo) which stains its orange, peeling trunk. The sap can cause a nasty rash similar to poison ivy if contacted. The fruit is a vital food for the White-crowned Pigeon, an endangered species.](https://photos.smugmug.com/HereandThere/Florida-2008/The-Barnacle-Historic-State/i-tBvsPmR/3/351a7755/L/IMG_4828-L.jpg)
![The Barnacle Historic State Park - Coconut Grove (June 2, 2008) [D]
Black sap of the Poisonwood tree . . .](https://photos.smugmug.com/HereandThere/Florida-2008/The-Barnacle-Historic-State/i-sjvZVpC/3/07f9f8c9/L/IMG_4829-L.jpg)
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Gumbo Limbo (Bursera simaruba) - This tree is locally known as the "tourist tree" because of its rust-red, peeling, paper-like bark. It is a tropical tree that is native to southeastern United States. The lightweight wood from the Gumbo Limbo was once used to make carousel horses.](https://photos.smugmug.com/HereandThere/Florida-2008/The-Barnacle-Historic-State/i-qhWG9W4/3/a0715ca4/L/IMG_4834-L.jpg)
![The Barnacle Historic State Park - Coconut Grove (June 2, 2008) [D]
Spanish Stopper (Eugenia foetida) - This tree is a slow-growing, elegant native tree found in Florida and Caribbean coastal hammocks. It is of increasing interest to landscapers because of its handsome foliage, dark red to black berries, and its ability to grow in heavy shade.](https://photos.smugmug.com/HereandThere/Florida-2008/The-Barnacle-Historic-State/i-M95PhK4/3/e09d18aa/L/IMG_4838-L.jpg)
