Strangler Fig

Back at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary! This photo has a very interesting backstory. The sanctuary was hit hard by Hurricane Irma and was closed for 3 months while crews cleared out downed trees. One of the downed trees was this cypress. When it was sawed for removal, it was revealed that a strangler fig was growing inside!  Amazing! Typically, you'll see a strangler fig growing like a thick vine around a tree. But, I've never heard -- or seen -- one growing inside a tree. A sanctuary volunteer theorized that a bird probably ate a strangler fig seed and left it behind in some scat, which made its way into a hole within the cypress trunk....and then, voila! Nature truly is amazing. More pics from the swamp to come!