Ft. Lauderdale / Flamingo Gardens

[koolthing78]

I thought I'd finally share some pictures of palms (and other things) with everyone here. My mom and I took a trip to Ft. Lauderdale this past weekend, and we went to Flamingo Gardens--no Fairchild, I'm sure, but it was lovely none the less. Anything I'd be able to identify I'm sure everyone else probably knows already (plus it was enough of a challenge just figuring out how to get the pics on here (if anyone really wants captions, I put some here: http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?...bumId=2997873)). So here we go...

[koolthing78]

And into the gardens...

Champion tree (didn't say what it was)

Top of it

[koolthing78]

[koolthing78]

[koolthing78]

[koolthing78]

[koolthing78]

[koolthing78]

[koolthing78]

Edit: Does anyone know what this is? Leaves look like clusia, but smaller, like a jade plant (but not as thick).

Edited December 31, 2008 by koolthing78

[koolthing78]

[koolthing78]

[koolthing78]

[koolthing78]

[koolthing78]

[koolthing78]

That's all!

[Kim]

Looks like a place I would enjoy visiting, thanks for posting the photos. So many palms that are common in Florida are quite unusual for elsewhere, I always like to see them. The photo of the little mushrooms is really cool.

I think that peacock had you cornered... Your mom must be a kick, that flamingo photo cracked me up.

[Jeff Searle]

Eric,

So you made it to Flamingo Gardens. A very nice garden that seems to get over looked alot. My nursery is only 10 minutes away. I have spent thousands of hours there over the years doing palm sales and just plain visiting. It's an old garden and as you saw, it has some Florida State Champion size trees in it.

You found the rarest palm planted there. In Post #4, pic. #4 and the same in Post #5, pic. #1, is the famous Double Coconut. And it happens to be bigger than the one down at Fairchild Gardens.

In Post #9, pic.#3, that's a dwarf Clusia growing with the small leaves.

And I like the pic. in Post #11 with the tortise's. I have the same ones in my yard, or I should say, my wife does. But great pictures, I enjoyed them.

Jeff

[paulgila]

thats a cool garden.i knew the pix would be good since they started off with that insane licuala!

thanks for posting,eric!

[Jeff in St Pete]

Eric, very nice photos! I didn't know there was a Lodoicea at that garden, very cool.

The shot of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge makes me homesick. Great photo!

[bubba]

Flamingo Gardens is an overlooked gem.I think I saw a fruiting Jacoba(Brazil) and those old Licula's are top of the top.I think it is far enough West to be classified as a USDA Zone 10A.I wonder what that Champion Tree is?

[PalmGuyWC]

Eric,

I sure enjoyed your tour of Flamingo Gardens. I haven't been there in years and it sure has grown up. Loved all the ginger shots.

Dick

[palmislandRandy]

Thanks for posting. I havn't been to Flamingo in 25 years, although that flamingo photo is kinda creepy. (feed me, FEED ME) I'm going back next week!

[koolthing78]

Thanks for all the nice comments, we really had a great time. I also had a question about something else I saw in Ft. Lauderdale, but didn't get a picture of--does anyone know what kind of trees those are planted in the median of Las Olas in downtown? At first I thought gumbo limbo because of the slightly drooping shape, but the leaves and trunk don't look the same. I love the way they look though, and wonder if there's a chance they could grow in St. Pete.

[JakeK]

Great pictures Eric. I was just in that area for the Orange Bowl, but I missed out on Flamingo and Fairchild Gardens.

[SubTropicRay]

Great photos Eric. That garden has a really nice croton collection as well. What were you feeding the Spoonbills?

[BS Man about Palms]

Eric,

So you made it to Flamingo Gardens. A very nice garden that seems to get over looked alot. My nursery is only 10 minutes away. I have spent thousands of hours there over the years doing palm sales and just plain visiting. It's an old garden and as you saw, it has some Florida State Champion size trees in it.

You found the rarest palm planted there. In Post #4, pic. #4 and the same in Post #5, pic. #1, is the famous Double Coconut. And it happens to be bigger than the one down at Fairchild Gardens.

In Post #9, pic.#3, that's a dwarf Clusia growing with the small leaves.

And I like the pic. in Post #11 with the tortise's. I have the same ones in my yard, or I should say, my wife does. But great pictures, I enjoyed them.

Jeff

Hmmm. I was thinking that ONE of those pictures in post 11 made me think of the Searles on the Biennial, but I wasn't sure which one...

[Jeff Searle]

Eric,

So you made it to Flamingo Gardens. A very nice garden that seems to get over looked alot. My nursery is only 10 minutes away. I have spent thousands of hours there over the years doing palm sales and just plain visiting. It's an old garden and as you saw, it has some Florida State Champion size trees in it.

You found the rarest palm planted there. In Post #4, pic. #4 and the same in Post #5, pic. #1, is the famous Double Coconut. And it happens to be bigger than the one down at Fairchild Gardens.

In Post #9, pic.#3, that's a dwarf Clusia growing with the small leaves.

And I like the pic. in Post #11 with the tortise's. I have the same ones in my yard, or I should say, my wife does. But great pictures, I enjoyed them.

Jeff

Hmmm. I was thinking that ONE of those pictures in post 11 made me think of the Searles on the Biennial, but I wasn't sure which one...

You weren't sure which one? Don't you remember the sunglasses? Same model....

Jeff

[Eric in Orlando]

Nice photos, glad to see Flamingo is growing back nicely. I was last there in July 2006 and it had taken a beating from the hurricanes. It looks like the Lodoicea is recovering nicely.

That champion tree is Sterculia apetala, Bellota, native from southern Mexico to Peru. When I was there they had small ones for sale in the nursery. I bought one and it is about 8ft tall now.

The jade plant like thing is Clusia guttifera.

When I was there I got caught in a rain shower and got cover under a roof next to the bobcat enclosure. He or she did the same thing next to the glass and sat with me until it quit.

[George Sparkman]

I must agree that Flamingo Gardens is a great place that is often is overlooked.

The first of several times I went was a number of years back after being at Jeff Searle's nursery

which is only minutes away.Flamingo Gardens has a totally different feel then Fairchild.

George Sparkman

Cycads-n-Palms.com

[waykoolplantz]

Great to see the double coconut doing so well. It was a bit beat up after Hurricane Wilma.

My place is about 5 min from there...and i hope to see mine doing as well in a few years.

[Kathryn]

You found the rarest palm planted there. In Post #4, pic. #4 and the same in Post #5, pic. #1, is the famous Double Coconut. And it happens to be bigger than the one down at Fairchild Gardens.

Thanks for adding that Jeff. As soon as I saw it I wanted to know what it was.

[SunnyFl]

Eric, wonderful photos! That brings back so many memories of all our visits there. My husband loves it as much as I do.

The orchid pics and the alpinias are beautiful, as are the palm pix. And the pic of the peacock was great - it's so cool when a black-shouldered peacock takes birdie snacks right from your hand, I won't forget that ever. Also got to feed the ibises, but not the roseates (although one was kind of following me around, probably hoping for a handout).

So glad to see that the Gardens has recovered from the hammering it got from the hurricane. Hope we can get back there soon.

[BeerPlant]

Eric,

So you made it to Flamingo Gardens. A very nice garden that seems to get over looked alot. My nursery is only 10 minutes away. I have spent thousands of hours there over the years doing palm sales and just plain visiting. It's an old garden and as you saw, it has some Florida State Champion size trees in it.

You found the rarest palm planted there. In Post #4, pic. #4 and the same in Post #5, pic. #1, is the famous Double Coconut. And it happens to be bigger than the one down at Fairchild Gardens.

In Post #9, pic.#3, that's a dwarf Clusia growing with the small leaves.

And I like the pic. in Post #11 with the tortise's. I have the same ones in my yard, or I should say, my wife does. But great pictures, I enjoyed them.

Jeff

Jeff,

I took a very quick runthough (unfortunately) Flamingo Gardens this weekend and I didnt see the Lodoicea - did it die?

[Paul The Palm Doctor!]

Eric,

So you made it to Flamingo Gardens. A very nice garden that seems to get over looked alot. My nursery is only 10 minutes away. I have spent thousands of hours there over the years doing palm sales and just plain visiting. It's an old garden and as you saw, it has some Florida State Champion size trees in it.

You found the rarest palm planted there. In Post #4, pic. #4 and the same in Post #5, pic. #1, is the famous Double Coconut. And it happens to be bigger than the one down at Fairchild Gardens.

In Post #9, pic.#3, that's a dwarf Clusia growing with the small leaves.

And I like the pic. in Post #11 with the tortise's. I have the same ones in my yard, or I should say, my wife does. But great pictures, I enjoyed them.

Jeff

Nice Pix, Eric! The trees in the Las Olas' median strip are Black Olive trees. Those are pretty old specimens; about 45 y.o. They aren't planted as often in Broward currently, as they can stain concrete, cars, patio furniture, etc. after a rainfall. I think that they're pretty hurricane resistant, though. I think that the black olive defoliates at about 28-30 F. It's probably root safe to Zone 9 A and would probably stay healthy without much branch die back near the bayfront in St. Pete. Tampa suburbs would be too cold, I'd guess. I never saw any in Hillsborough Co. but I'd think the Lowery Park area might afford some critically warmer temperatures. If Eric of Leu is reading this thread, he better knows the black olive's hardiness...so Eric, it's your turn to clarify! BTW: when Eric of Leu, bought the Stericulia apetala at Flamingo, I bought the other one there and it was labelled: Guyana hazelnut. The is the official tree of the Republic of Panama.

A few words on the double coconut you visited at Flamingo Gdns...David Bar Zvi and I planted the monster seed at Flamingo Gdns in 1985. One had germinated already and sported two leaves at time of planting; another one was viable with endosperm alive but didn't make it for too long a time. At least one remains in David's honour!

David left Flamingo, where he was curator, to take the curator of orchids & heliconias position at Fairchild gdns. Sadly, he passed away in '98, way too young. Thankfully that one Double coconut IS doing well and I know David would be proud of that particular acquisition & happy outcome!

Thanks Eric, for bringing back wonderful memories with your photos! Come back soon!

Palm Dr.

[BS Man about Palms]

Eric,

So you made it to Flamingo Gardens. A very nice garden that seems to get over looked alot. My nursery is only 10 minutes away. I have spent thousands of hours there over the years doing palm sales and just plain visiting. It's an old garden and as you saw, it has some Florida State Champion size trees in it.

You found the rarest palm planted there. In Post #4, pic. #4 and the same in Post #5, pic. #1, is the famous Double Coconut. And it happens to be bigger than the one down at Fairchild Gardens.

In Post #9, pic.#3, that's a dwarf Clusia growing with the small leaves.

And I like the pic. in Post #11 with the tortise's. I have the same ones in my yard, or I should say, my wife does. But great pictures, I enjoyed them.

Jeff

Jeff,

I took a very quick runthough (unfortunately) Flamingo Gardens this weekend and I didnt see the Lodoicea - did it die?

This was it when I went with Jeff this March. Considering how cold it was this winter, it looked pretty good!

[BeerPlant]

Thanks, I must be blind!!! I had spoke with a girl manning the entrance who directed me to where it was but I still didnt see it. Also she said that a large one had died and they had replanted a smaller one from the greenhouse. Funny, I remember seeing the cathaleas that looked similar but thats it! I hope she was misinformed!!!

[epicure3]

The plant you were questioning is a Clusia guttifera which is a dwarf variety of Clusia. Still flowers like a C. rosea only the flowers are smaller.