Decline of the Florida Torreya
The Florida Torreya (Torreya taxifolia) is one of the rarest and most imperiled conifers in the world. It was once a common evergreen tree of the bluffs, ravines, and steepheads of the upper Apalachicola River watershed. Today there are probably fewer than 1,000 trees remaining in the wild. Most are root sprouts less than five feet tall and all of them are afflicted with a deadly fungal blight. In the past several years, their decline has accelerated. In 2018, Hurricane Michael brought devastation to the Torreya’s entire range, crushing some trees and drastically changing the slope habitats. The future of wild trees is in great peril.
Learn more about the Florida Torreya:
How to Identify Florida torreya
Best Management Practices for Landowners
FNPS's Native Plant Database Entry
Gil Nelson's two part series on visiting Torreya State Park
Challenges and conservation efforts
About the novel fusarium causing a canker disease
Saving the Florida Torreya
The Florida Native Plant Society is working to engage partners and concerned citizens in our project to conserve the Florida Torreya in its native habitat.
