Darlingtonia State Natural Site, Botanical park in Florence, Oregon.

The Darlingtonia State Natural Site is a botanical park near Florence that covers a substantial area and includes a boardwalk trail through the forest. The path leads to a wetland where the rare carnivorous cobra lily plants grow naturally in clusters.

This was established as the first state-protected area in Oregon dedicated to a single plant species. This early action showed a commitment to safeguarding rare natural resources.

The plant's common name comes from its hooded leaf, flared into a hollow dome with a forked tongue-like appendage, which looks like a cobra rearing up in defense. In late spring, purple and yellow flowers rise about 12 inches above the pitchers. The species is the only member of its genus and the only pitcher plant in Oregon.

The site lies five miles north of Florence on U.S. Route 101, just west of Mercer Lake. A short loop trail crosses a peat bog on a boardwalk overlooking the Darlingtonia patches. The ground is wet, so wear shoes that can handle damp boards and mud.

The site protects 18 acres and is the only Oregon state park devoted to a single plant species. The cobra lily is the sole member of its genus and the only pitcher plant family member found in Oregon, growing in acidic, nitrogen-poor bog soil.