• Custard Apple Nature Trail
• Invasive, Non-native Plants
• Mangrove and Estuarine Systems
• Pine Bark Beetles
• Prescribed Fire
• Trees
• Xeriscaping

• Home
• Invasive Non-Native Plants
• Ecosystems
  • Coastal Dune and Strand
  • Florida Scrub
  • Lakes and Ponds
  • Mangroves and Estuarine Systems
  • Maritime Hammock
  • Marsh and Fresh Water Systems
  • Mixed Hardwood Swamp
  • Pine Flatwoods
  • Swamp

CUSTARD APPLE NATURE TRAIL

The Custard Apple Trail is the first designated nature trail within the County Parks system, and its name derives from the Annonaceae family. The Pond apple tree which is a member of this family appears in large quantities throughout the wetland portion of the trail. Its fruit is egg-heart-shaped, green at first, turning pale yellow with brown spots when ripe. The Trail has been around since the early 1960s.

In March of 1966, the Audubon Society of the Everglades received approval from the Board of County Commissioners to designate the entire southern portion of John Prince Park a wildlife sanctuary. This area, which adjoins the Lantana Airport, includes a marsh and other examples of native habitat. The County added signs and shell rock for establishing paths.

In 1974, approximately three (3) acres of the invasive, non-native Australian pine were removed and cleared for a native planting area. This included four hundred young trees. Many more trees and shrubs have been planted over the years by volunteer groups or by the Parks Division of the County Parks and Recreation Department.

Throughout the 1980s until the present, dedicated volunteers have worked with the Parks Division to maintain the trail. Over the last several years, both Lake Worth and Boynton Beach High Schools have participated in invasive non-native plant removal and restoration.

Herons, egrets, osprey, Marsh rabbits, and raccoons are daily visitors to the trail. Several ecosystems are represented: along the trail: Hardwood swamp, Maritime hammock, Pine flatwoods, and Wet prairie. Tourists and residents of Palm Beach County can experience the diverse ecosystems, through a leisurely walk along the Custard Apple Nature Trail that would otherwise take days if visited in its native habitat.

• Greg Atkinson
  Parks Resource Supervisor