If pinelands are the highest,
Does that make cypress the lowest?
Almost, but no:
Even deeper than the cypress are the more diminutive pond apple forests.
Ankle deep water in the pinelands means you can count on sloshing around knee high among the pond apples. Usually the fruit are out of reach, but if you’re lucky you’ll hear one “plunk” into the water.
It’s obligatory for any swamp aficionado to hear that sound at least once per wet season.
But even deeper than the pond apple are the dry season refugia pools which – during the wet season – have no banks …
Not that you need the banks to see them.
They are easy to recognize because they have no trees or emergent plants …
Just open water, a good five feet deep.
