The endangered Florida Torreya tree struggles along Apalachicola ravines
by Lilly Anderson-Messec, Director of North Florida Programs and TorreyaKeepers Coordinator. Originally published in the Tallahassee Democrat November 11, 2021 ( link ) The large female Torreya cones take 18 months to mature and female tree of reproductive are extremely rare. Nestled in the unique and biodiverse steephead ravines along the mighty Apalachicola River, an evergreen tree found nowhere else in the world teeters on the brink of extinction. Since European colonization, Torreya taxifolia has been known by many names; Florida Torreya, stinking cedar, Florida nutmeg, polecat wood, fetid yew, and gopherwood. Many of these refer to the tree’s pungent odor when the leaves are bruised, or the wood is cut. To me, the scent is similar to the aroma of tomato plants but much more concentrated. Its Latin name honors New York botanist John Torrey, who first acknowledged it as a new species based on samples sent in 1833 from Florida. At that time, Florida Torreya was a standard component o...
