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| Add Photo — Add Link — Add Commentary — Correct this page — Print | | Bristol in Liberty County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic) |
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Torreya Tree
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By Julie Szabo, March 10, 2009 | |
| | | 1. Torreya Tree Marker | | |
Inscription. In this vicinity on the Apalachicola River, Hardy Bryan Croom, pioneer Florida planter and botanist, discovered one of the rarest of coniferous trees, Torreya taxifolia circa 1835, and named it for Dr. John Torrey, prominent American botanist. Only four other species exist, but they are in the widely separated areas of China, Japan, and California. Croom’s promising botanical career ended in 1837 when he perished in the wreck of the steamship “Home” off Cape Hatteras.
Erected 1961 by Florida Board of Parks and Historic Memorials. (Marker Number F-46.)
Location. 30° 34.58′ N, 84° 56.921′ W. Marker is in Bristol, Florida, in Liberty County. Marker can be reached from Torreya State Park Road. Click for map. Marker is in this post office area: Bristol FL 32321, United States of America.
Other nearby markers. At least 2 other markers are within 11 miles of this marker, as the crow flies. Cochranetown - Corakko Talofv (approx. 10.8 miles away); Blunt Reservation and Fields (approx. 10.8 miles away).
Also see . . . | | | | 
By Julie Szabo, March 10, 2009 | |
| | | 2. Torreya Tree Marker | | |
Torreya State Park. (Submitted on April 9, 2009, by Julie Szabo of Oldsmar, Florida.)
Additional comments.
1. Torreya Taxifolia — Florida Torreya
Text of interpretive panel shown on Photo No. 3.
This planting showcases Torreya taxifolia (Florida Torreya) which is the namesake for Torreya State Park. The Florida Torreya is one of the oldest tree species on earth. Fossil records indicate that this tree was once scattered throughout the Northern Hemisphere and is over 165 million years old!
The estimated population of Florida Torreya in the Apalachicola River region once reached over 600,000 individuals. Most of the large trees were harvested during the first half of the 20th century for use as Christmas trees, riverboat fuel, shingles, and fence posts. Late in the 1950s the Florida Torreya experienced a severe population crash.
Today the Florida Torreya population is estimated to be around 200 individuals. With numbers this low, Florida Torreya is one of North America’s most critically endangered trees.
Florida | | | | 
By Julie Szabo, March 10, 2009 | |
| | | 3. Torreya Tree Marker Informative Sign | | |
State Parks in collaboration with the Atlanta Botanical Garden is working to save this unique plant species from extinction. Experimental outplantings of seed grown Torreya individuals have been established in selected ravines in Torreya State Park. This project supports the recovery plan developed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service for this endangered species. — Submitted April 10, 2009. |
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By Julie Szabo, March 10, 2009 | |
| | | 4. Torreya State Park sign | | |
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By Julie Szabo, March 10, 2009 | |
| | | 5. Gregory House, a few hundred feet from Marker | | |
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Credits. This page originally submitted on April 7, 2009, by Julie Szabo of Oldsmar, Florida. This page has been viewed 2,276 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on April 7, 2009, by Julie Szabo of Oldsmar, Florida. • Christopher Busta-Peck was the editor who published this page.
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