Needle palms in habitat

[tank]

Took a break from work on a really nice afternoon. Its sunny and temps are in the upper 70Fs. There is city park nearby that follows a creek that has some native needle palms, Rhapidophyllum hystrix, accessible along the trail. I thought I'd take some pictures. The habitat is primarily mesic temperate hammock moving down to flood plain forest at the level of the creek. Here is the flora description from FWS:

Mesic temperate hammock occurs in a broad zone of peninsular Florida, where it is transitional between the southern mixed hardwood forest of north peninsular and panhandle Florida and the tropical forest of southern Florida. The southern mixed hardwood forest of north Florida comprises a diverse mix of deciduous hardwoods, such as beech (Fagus grandifolia), hickory (Carya spp.) and oaks (Quercus falcata, Q. alba, etc.); broad-leaved evergreens, such as southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) and live oak (Quercus virginiana); and needle-leaved evergreens, such as spruce pine (Pinus glabra) and loblolly pine (P. taeda). This north Florida community is typical of the southern mixed hardwood forest found throughout the southeastern coastal plain, and is considered the most species-rich community in North America by some researchers.

4 palm species are found along the creek, the ubiquitous Sabal palmetto, Sabal minor, Serenoa repens and R. hystrix.

I always like pics of palms in habitat, so hopefully this won't be too much of a yawner.

Pictures were taken with my phone and could be better!

Bridge at start of trail and sabal palmetto in the creek bed


Trail view. Hardwoods and little S. repens and a mix of both Sabals


Small S. minor


Photo of the creek bed


Needle Palm on creek slope

[tank]

Nice one in the sun

Another with the creek in back

Interesting view with a mix of S. repens and R. hystrix (not always easy to differentiate from a distance)

[tank]

I've seen bigger needle palms in the panhandle along the Apalachicola river and in folks yards, but these are pretty nice. Funny thing is, I've jogged this trail since I've been in Gainesville (15 years), and the needle palms here don't appear to have grown at all in that time.

[Walter John]

I love habitat pics, makes a so called ordinary palm look extraordinary...imo.

thanks.

[paulgila]

those are good-looking palms.

thanks for posting!

[Brad-Tampa]

If anyone visits Juniper Springs State Park in the Ocala National Forest area, check out the needle palms near the old mill swimming hole, they are huge.

[DCA_Palm_Fan]

I too love habitat photos! Great shots. The one thing that always jumps out at me about Needle palms in habitat is their much more open habit. Even the ones that I see grown in woody areas up here where I am seem to have a more "full" look to them. Here are a couple of photos of the largest Needle Palm at the National Arboretum here in Washington, D.C. There are several of them in different areas now. This one has been there for about 25+ years I think, perhaps 30. Needles are not uncommon in this area either, and they are being used more and more in plantings.

[Eric in Orlando]

I love seeing Needle Palms in habitat !

[Eric in Orlando]

I too love habitat photos! Great shots. The one thing that always jumps out at me about Needle palms in habitat is their much more open habit. Even the ones that I see grown in woody areas up here where I am seem to have a more "full" look to them. Here are a couple of photos of the largest Needle Palm at the National Arboretum here in Washington, D.C. There are several of them in different areas now. This one has been there for about 25+ years I think, perhaps 30. Needles are not uncommon in this area either, and they are being used more and more in plantings.

I was told by someone who worked there one time on a visit that the big specimen was planted in 1968, same age as me !

[Takil-Explorer]

Very nice habitat pitures! The evergreen tree with broad leaves, is that a Magnolia grandiflora?

From fossil found in browncoalpits in Germany the flora there was very similair about 20 million years ago! This part of Europe had a climate similair to Northern Florida. Also a Sabal of about 20 meters was found there.

Alexander

[Tyrone]

I love habitat pictures. It makes the ordinary look extraordinary. I've never actually seen a needle palm in reality, and they don't look too bad either. Nature gets it right.

Best regards

Tyrone

[tank]

It is magnolia grandiflora

[PalmGuyWC]

It's rare to see 4 Florida natives growing in one location. Great Photos.

Dick

[DoomsDave]

Tank, excellent pictures!

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