Ft. Matanzas Red Cedar

 
245 French Huguenots were stranded in an inlet just south of the new village of St. Augustine and were massacred among the dunes by Spanish forces led by Menendez in 1565. The inlet was named Matanzas which is the Spanish term for “slaughter”. This incident initiated Spanish control of Florida for some 235 years. Long the site of wooden watchtowers, Ft. Matanzas began construction in 1740 to guard access to this unprotected inlet that could allow pirates or foreign forces to reach the now well established city of St Augustine.

Ft Matanzas is host to many red cedar trees of over 150 years of age and also boasts a red cedar tree that is over 260 years old.

Did You Know? In 1565, when St. Augustine was founded by  Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, Queen Elizabeth the First still ruled in England. St. Augustine remains as the oldest existing settlement of Europeans in what is now the United States. The colony of Roanoke was not founded until 20 years after St. Augustine.

Learn More about Ft. Matanzas and the early settlement of Florida

National Park Service: Fort Matanzas National Monument (15 miles south of St. Augustine, FL):

http://www.nps.gov/foma/index.htm

IMLS Florida Memory: Settlement Timeline:

http://www.floridamemory.com/exhibits/timeline/

State University Libraries of Florida: European Discovery and Settlement in Florida 1492-1821:

http://palmm.fcla.edu/fh/outline/1492.shtml

Proposed Fort Matanzas Red Cedar - Early Settlers’ Garden

This garden includes plants that were important to early European settlers of Florida (1565 -1900) , including both native species and those settlers brought with them to remind them of “home”.

Examples of Proposed Plants:

Coontie (Zamia floridana): Early settlers learned the importance of this low-growing cycad, sometimes called arrowroot, from Native Americans. The roots were boiled to rid them of poisonous toxins, then ground into flour to make bread. Settlers used this plant so extensively that it was nearly exterminated and is only now making a comeback.

Seminole Pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata): A native pumpkin also grown by settlers for food, Seminole Pumpkin was called “Chassahowitska” by the Seminoles. The term meant “hanging pumpkin” from its habit of climbing up trees, and the town and wildlife refuge located just north of Tampa Bay takes its name from this plant.

Cocoplum (Chrysobalanus icaco): This small native tree yielded edible fruit that settlers enjoyed.

Cabbage Palm (Sabal palmetto): Often called “swamp cabbage”, cabbage palms yield delicious edible hearts still favored by Floridians.

Datil Peppers (Capsicum chinense): Minorcan settlers brought these peppers to the New Smyrna settlement near St. Augustine in the 1700s as an essential part of their cuisine. This very hot pepper maintains its popularity in St. Augustine to this day.

Non-Native Annuals: Settlers often brought seeds or plant cuttings with them to remind them of home. This garden will include some of these plants to reflect what might have grown on settlers’ front porches in coffee cans, or in the ground just outside the door. Examples will vary by season and include marigolds, geraniums, and pansies.