Native Plant Communities

Wet prairie usually occurs on acidic, nutrient-deficient, saturated soils.  Flooding, if any, is brief.  A calcarious variant occurs in parts of central Florida.   Most are in flat topography where they occur in shallow depressional areas.  These wetlands are associated with frequent fire, and in the absence of fire, they may become over-run by shrubs.

The edges of wet prairies are generally dominated by wiregrass.  Other species include  foxtail club-moss, cutover muhly, and savannah meadowbeauty . In the wetter portions, wiregrass may occur with, or be replaced by, species in the sedge family, such as plumed beaksedge , featherbristle beaksedge , Baldwin’s nutrush, or slenderfruit nutrush,  and/or longleaved threeawn.  These prairies are known for carnivorous species including pitcher plants (Sarracenia spp.), sundews (Drosera spp.), butterworts (Pinguicula spp), and bladderworts (Utricularia spp.) (description taken largely from FNAI 2010).

Wet prairies are noted for high species diversity, and especially in the panhandle, rare species.   Good examples of wet prairies can be found at Kissimmee Prairie State Park and in a broad band around the main swamp, at the Audubon Corckscrew Swamp Sanctuary.

• The Pitcherplant Prairie vaiant is found in the panhandle.  Good examples can be found at Apalachicola National Forest, Tate's Hell, and Garcon Point.
• Cutthroat Seeps are found on the Lake Wales Ridge.  Good examples can be found at the Archbold Biological Station. Some are on slopes, hence the term "seep" but some are in shallow depressional areas.  These are highly fire-dependent systems given that cutthroat grass requires fire for good germination in nature.
• Calcareous Wet Prairies are found in South Florida. Good examples can be found in Big Cypress National Preserve and Everglades National Park.