LOCATION: 12301 MANATEE AVE W, BRADENTON, FL 34209. “OVERFLOW PARKING IS AVAILABLE ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE ANNA MARIA ISLAND BRIDGE.”

THE LAND: “IT’S 120 ACRES “INCLUDE BOTH COASTAL HABITATS, SUCH AS MANGROVE FORESTS AND SALT TERNS, AS WELL AS POCKETS OF OAK HAMMOCK UPLANDS.”  

PARK HISTORY: THE NEAL PRESERVE (OPEN SINCE 2014) HAS BEEN INHABITED BY NATIVE TRIBES FOR AT LEAST 5,000 YEARS. WHILE HIKING, YOU WILL SEE SMALL “RECONSTRUCTED BURIAL MOUNDS” PLACED TO MIMIC THOSE LEFT BY ANCIENT NATIVE INHABITANTS. “THE ORIGINAL MOUNDS WERE EXCAVATED IN THE 1930’S BY THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION THROUGH AN AREA INHABITED FROM 3,000 BC TO 1,400 AD.” UNFORTUNATELY, MANY HUMAN REMAINS WERE TAKEN TO THE MUSEUM, AND ARE ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO GET INFORMATION ON. SOME LOCAL TRIBES HAVE REQUESTED THAT THEY BE RETURNED TO THIS  SACRED SITE. 

PLANTS OF THE PRESERVE: THIS RELATIVELY SMALL PRESERVE HAS A DECENT AMOUNT OF RARE AND UNUSUAL NATIVE PLANTS.  YOU WILL SEE OUR STATE-LISTED ENDANGERED WILD COTTON, AKA UPLAND COTTON, FLOURISHING HERE IN ITS NATURAL, WILD STATE.  THIS IS ONE OF FLORIDA’S LARGEST HOMES TO THIS VERY RARE PLANT, A PLANT WHICH THE STATE TRIED TO ERADICATE IN YEARS PAST FOR LESS THAN RESPONSIBLE REASONS. THE BEAUTIFUL SORRELVINE, A LEGALLY PROTECTED NATIVE PLANT, ALSO THRIVES HERE. MANY OTHER SALT-TOLERANT PLANTS ARE VISIBLE FROM THE TRAILS. NO SEEDS OR CUTTINGS MAY BE TAKEN FROM THIS PRESERVE.  

NO PETS: ARE ALLOWED IN THE PARK DUE TO SENSITIVE BIRD NESTING SITES.  

WHAT TO BRING: COME PREPARED FOR INSECTS, HEAT, SUN, AND POSSIBLE RAIN.  WATER, INSECT REPELLANT, CAMERAS AND NOTEPADS ARE A GOOD IDEA.  

FOR INFORMATION ABOUT THIS PLANT LIST: CALL ANDY FIRK AT 863-263-2331
qALLIGATORWEED (Alternanthera philoxeroides - Amaranthaceae) Not native

qAMERICAN NIGHTSHADE (Solanum americanum – Solanaceae) Native (in question) 

qBALA (Sida cordifolia – Malvaceae) Non-native 

qBALL MOSS (Tillandsia recurvata - Bromeliaceae) Native 

qBALSAM PEAR (Momordica charantia – Cucurbitaceae) Not native 

qBAYBERRY, SOUTHERN (Myrica cerifera – Myricaceae) Native

qBEACH SUNFLOWER (Helianthus debilis - Asteraceae)  Native

qBEAUTYBERRY, AMERICAN (Callicarpa americana – Verbenaceae) Native

qBISHOPWEED, MOCK, aka Herbwilliam (Ptilimnium capillaceum – Apiaceae) Native 

qBLACK MANGROVE (Avicennia germinans – Avicenniaceae ) Native 

qBLADDERMALLOW [Herissanta crispa – Malvaceae] Native 

qBLOODLEAF (Iresine duffusa - Amaranthaceae) Native 

qBRAZILIAN PEPPER (Schinus terebinthefolius - Anacardiaceae) Non-native 

qBRIARS (Smilax species – Smilaceae) Native 

qBUSHY BROOM SEDGE (Andropogon glomeratus – Poaceae) Native 

qBUTTERFLY ORCHID (Encyclia tampensis - Orchidaceae) Native 

qBUTTON SAGE [Lantana involucrata - Verbenaceae) Native 

qBUTTONWOOD (Conocarpus erectus - Combretaceae) Native 

qCAMPHORWEED (Heterotheca subaxilaris – Asteraceae) Native 

qCATTAIL (Typha domingensis & latifolia – Typhaceae) Native 

qCHRISTMASBERRY (Lycium carolinianum – Solanaceae] Native 

qCOASTAL INDIAN MALLOW (Abutilon permolle – Malvaceae) Native 

qCOCOPLUM (Chrysobalanus icaco - Chrysobalanaceae) Native 

qCOINVINE (Dalbergia ecastaphyllum - Fabaceae) Native 

qCOONTIE (Zamia pumila - Zamiaceae) Native 

qCORALBEAN (Erythrina herbaceae – Fabaceae) Native 

qCREEPING CUCUMBER (Melothria pendula - Cucurbitaceae) Native  

qCRESTED SALTBUSH ( Atriplex pentandra – Amaranthaceae) Native 

qCROTON, TOOTH-LEAVED (Croton glandulosus var. septentrionalis – Euphorbiaceae) 

qCUT-LEAF EVENING PRIMROSE (Oenothera laciniata - Onagraceae) Native 

qDOG FENNEL (Eupatorium capillifolium – Asteraceae) Native 

qELIOTT’S MILKPEA (Galactia elliottii – Fabaceae) Native 

qEPAZOTE (Chenopodium ambrosioides – Amaranthaceae) Not native 

qFANPETALS (Sida species– Malvaceae) Native & nonnative

qFIREBUSH (Hamelia patens - Rubiaceae) Native 

qFOGFRUIT (Phyla nodiflora – Verbenaceae) Native 

qGIANT LEATHER FERN (Acrostichum danaeifolium – Pteridaceae) Native 

qGLASSWORT, ANNUAL (Salicornia bigelovii – Amaranthaceae) Native 

qGLASSWORT, PERENNIAL (Salicornia ambigua – Amaranthaceae) Native 

qGRAPE (Vitis species – Vitaceae) Native 

qGROUND CHERRY, COASTAL (Physalis angustifolia) Native 

qGROUNDSEL BUSH (Baccharis halmifolia – Asteraceae) Native 

qGUMBO LIMBO (Bursera simaruba – Burseraceae) Native 

qHAIRY LEAFCUP (Smallanthus uvedalia – Asteraceae) Native  

qHEMPVINE, CLIMBING (Mikania scandens – Asteraceae) Native  

qHERB OF GRACE; BRAHMI (Bacopa monnieri – Plantaginaceae) Native 

qHERCULES-CLUB (Zanthoxylum clava-herculis – Rutaceae  Native 

qLATE-FLOWERING THOROUGHWORT [Eupatorium serotinum – Asteraceae] 

qLICORICE WEED (Scoparia dulcis – Plantaginaceae) Native 

qLIVE OAK (Quercus virginiana – Fagaceae) Native 
qMARSH GENTIAN ( Eustoma exalttum - Gentianaceae) Native

qMOONFLOWER (Ipomoeae alba - Convolvulaceae) Native 

qMOSS PURSLANE (Portulaca polosa - Portulacaceae) Native 

qNICKERBEAN (Caesalpinia crista - Fabaceae) Native 

qNIGHT-BLOOMING CEREUS (Hylocereus undatus - Cactaceae) Native 

qOAKLEAF FLEABANE (Erigeron quercifolius – Asteraceae) Native 

qPEPPERGRASS (Lepidium virginicum – Brassicaceae) Native 

qPHASEY BEAN (Macroptilium lathyroides - Fabaceae) Not native 

qPILEWORT, aka Burnweed (Erechtites hieracifolius – Asteraceae) Native 

qPOKEWEED, AMERICAN (Phytolacca americana – Phytolaccaceae) Native 

qPRICKLY PERAR CACTUS (Opuntia humifusa – Cactaceae) Native 

qPENNSYLVANIA EVERLASTING (Gamochaeta pensylvanica – Asteraceae) Not native 

qPURSLANE (Portulaca oleracea - Portulacaceae) Native according to USF

qRAGWEED, COMMON (Ambrosia atremisifolia – Asteraceae) Native 

qRAILROAD VINE (Ipomoea pes-caprae subsp. brasiliensis) Native 

qRATTLEBOX (Crotalaria pallida var. obovata – Fabaceae) Not native 

qRED BAY (Persea bourbonia – Lauraceae) Native 

qRED MANGROVE (Rhizophora mangle – Rhizophoraceae) Native 

qROSARY PEA (Abrus precatorius – Fabaceae) Not native 

qSABAL PALM (Sabal palmetto - Arecaceae) Native 

qSALTWORT (Batis maritima - Bataceae) Native 

qSAMPHIRE (Blutaparon vermiculare - Amaranthaceae) Native 

qSAND LIVE OAK (Quercus geminata - Fagaceae) Native

qSAW PALMETTO (Serenoa repens - Arecaceae) Native 

qSCORPIONSTAIL (Heliotropium angiospermum – Boraginaceae) Native 

qSEA PURSLANE (Sesuvium portulacastrum - Aizoaceae) Native 

qSEA PURSLANE, SHORELINE (Sesuvium portulacastrum – Aizoaceae) Native 

qSEA BLITE (Suaeda linearis – Amaranthaceae) Native 

qSEAGRAPE (Coccoloba uvifera - Polygonaceae) Native  

qSEASIDE HELIOTROPE (Heliotropium curassavicum – Boraginaceae) Native 

qSEASIDE OXEYE, BUSHY (Borrichia frutescens – Asteraceae) Native 

qSEPTICWEED (Senna occidentalis – Fabaceae) Not native 

qSNOW SQUARESTEM (Melanthera nivea – Asteraceae) Native  

qSORRELVINE (Cissus trifolata – Vitaceae) Native 

qSOUTHERN RED CEDAR (Juniperus virginiana - Cupressaceae) – Native 

qSOW THISTLE, SPINY (Sonchus asper - Asteraceae) Not native 

qSPANISH BAYONET (Yucca aloifolia - Agavaceae) Native 

qSPANISH MOSS (Tillandsia usneoides – Bromeliaceae) Native 

qSPANISH NEEDLES (Bidens alba - Asteraceae) Native 

qSWEETBROOM, aka Licorice Weed (Scoparia dulcis – Plantaginaceae) Native 

qSTRANGLER FIG (Ficus aurea – Moraceae) Native 

qTROPICAL SAGE (Salvia coccinea - Lamiaceae) Native 

qUPLAND COTTON, aka Wild Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum – Malvaceae) Native 

qWHITE MANGROVE (Laguncularia racemosa – Combretaceae) Native 

qWHITE STOPPER (Eugenia axillaris - Myrtaceae) Native 

qWINGED SUMAC (Rhus copallinum - Anacardiaceae) Native 

qWOODBINE (Parthenocissus quinquefolia – Vitaceae) Native 

qYAUPON HOLLY (Ilex vomitoria – Aquifoliaceae) Native 

LAST UPDATED: 7-19-2017