Tangled
This photograph, taken just over a sand berm on Driftwood Beach, captures the tangled canopy of Southern live oak (Quercus virginiana) intertwined with the fan-like fronds of palmetto and draped with delicate strands of Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides). The image was made on Jekyll Island, one of Georgia’s famed Golden Isles, a barrier island known for its unique blend of maritime forest, salt marsh, and windswept beaches.
Historically, Jekyll Island has been a place of shifting purposes — from its early Native American inhabitants and colonial-era plantations to its turn-of-the-century role as an exclusive retreat for America’s wealthiest families. Today, much of the island is preserved, with over two-thirds protected from development, allowing its ecosystems to flourish.
Driftwood Beach itself is a product of erosion and coastal change, where tides and storms have sculpted a haunting shoreline of weathered, sun-bleached trees. Just beyond the berm where this scene was photographed, sea turtles — particularly the threatened loggerhead (Caretta caretta) — return each summer to nest, continuing an ancient cycle.
The flora here is characteristic of a Southeastern barrier island maritime forest: live oaks provide a dense canopy, palmettos (Sabal palmetto) thrive in sandy soils, and Spanish moss hangs in soft gray veils. Wildlife is equally rich — from migratory shorebirds and wading egrets to marsh rabbits, armadillos, and the occasional bobcat.
This lush, twisting tangle of branches is more than just a striking natural pattern; it’s a living emblem of Jekyll Island’s resilience, history, and ecological importance.