This tree is the hurricane season, it is the hot summer days, and it is the foggy early mornings of Florida.  This tree is Florida. As a tropical tree that lives in the mangroves of Florida, it has a harsh existence that is depicted in its twisted branches and extensive driftwood.  The saltwater environment causes the tree to die back, leaving a small living vein from which the tree grows.  The movement of the  driftwood is from strong winds and hurricanes over the years that leaves the tree bent and curved, and yet it endures.  The beauty of this tree is that it shows that even in the most challenging of conditions, it not only survives, but its story is enhanced through its scars and breakage.

Buttonwood / Conocarpus erectus

Estimated Age: 120 years old
Time in Training: 14 years
Origin: Florida Mangroves
Container: Rob Addonizio (USA)
Stand: not provided