The Brief
- According to plant advocates, the Blushing Scrub Balm is at risk of disappearing.
- The Florida Department of Transportation is proposing to build a tolled highway from State Road 60 to US 17-92.
- There are two alternative corridors which both pass close to where the Blushing Scrub Balm grows.
HAINES CITY, Fla. – There’s an extremely rare plant that, in all of Florida, only grows in Polk County, but it’s being threatened by a proposed highway.
The Blushing Scrub Balm grows in the hundreds in the Lake Marion Creek Wildlife Management Area.
“It is one of a kind,” said Gene Kelly, the President of the Florida Native Plant Society. “It is the only place that we know it occurs naturally.”
And it’s at risk of disappearing forever. The Florida Department of Transportation is proposing to build a tolled highway from State Road 60 to US 17-92 around Davenport to alleviate future traffic congestion.…