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The Urban Jungle
Despite a sometimes blasé attitude toward the wildlife around them, Miami’s denizens appreciate their share of nature’s bounty. Witness their participation in that all-American pastime: the yard. Even Coconut Grove, a Miami suburb halfway between South Beach and Key Biscayne that’s populated by bungalows sprawling over massive gated properties, communes with nature. Here the gorgeous fig tree rules. As seedlings, both the native strangler and imported banyan figs are epiphytes: they root to trees instead of the earth. (The elusive, much poached ghost orchid is also an epiphyte.) Thick roots hang in cords from the fig trees’ branches, forming canopies over the lush grass. There are also dark, wiry mahoganies and glossy-leaved oaks and, of course, palms galore. Eventually, Mary and I find our way from the sweaty swamp back to the glittering lights of South Beach. As the sun sets, we watch women in hot pants and a convoy of Hummers parade along Ocean Drive. Any way you look at it, Miami is wild. Write to us: letters@enroutemag.net |
