What Is The Most Northern Fruiting Coconut Palm In Florida?

[Mr. Coconut Palm]

I am curious, what is the most northern fruiting coconut palm in Florida? Is it a Jamaican Tall or a Malayan Dwarf? Where is it located? Any photos? How long has it been in the ground? Thanks, John

[palmsOrl]

I am sure there are some healthy fruiting Cocos throughout Merritt Island, Cocoa Beach and Titusville. I would say this is the overall latitude limit for fruiting (to maturity) Cocos in FL. This is further north than you would find on the west coast of FL latitude-wise. I am sure there are a few stunted specimens from points south of around Daytona Beach that have a few coconuts of varying maturity clinging to life but that will abort before maturity. Orlando has a few of the same. But I do not think I have ever seen a Cocos "full of fruit" here in the Orlando area.

[Mr. Coconut Palm]

I have personally seen two nice mature Jamaican Talls probably about 40 ft. tall in overall height at Clearwater Beach back in 2000 that had some mature coconuts on them, so I figure there are probably a few fruiting but smaller palms in the Tarpon Springs area along the West Coast and some around New Smyrna Beach on the East Coast. Probably the Orlando area is the farthest inland areas that have palms with nuts that far north. I know it is much further south than Orlando, but as far inland as you can get from the coast, the South Bay area and Clewiston, as I recall back in 2000-2001 had some gigantic Jamaican Talls about 100ft. tall with huge mature nuts on them! I guess it is the combination of the rich soil on the south side of the lake and the lake itself to buffer them from winter cold fronts that allows them to grow so well there. I didn't see any Malayans as I was passing through, but I am sure there are some beauties in the 50 -60ft. tall range there in that rich soil. I did see the nicest most robust looking Florida Royals I have ever seen, though in that same area, 100ft. + !

[_Keith]

I have personally seen two nice mature Jamaican Talls probably about 40 ft. tall in overall height at Clearwater Beach back in 2000 that had some mature coconuts on them, so I figure there are probably a few fruiting but smaller palms in the Tarpon Springs area along the West Coast and some around New Smyrna Beach on the East Coast. Probably the Orlando area is the farthest inland areas that have palms with nuts that far north. I know it is much further south than Orlando, but as far inland as you can get from the coast, the South Bay area and Clewiston, as I recall back in 2000-2001 had some gigantic Jamaican Talls about 100ft. tall with huge mature nuts on them! I guess it is the combination of the rich soil on the south side of the lake and the lake itself to buffer them from winter cold fronts that allows them to grow so well there. I didn't see any Malayans as I was passing through, but I am sure there are some beauties in the 50 -60ft. tall range there in that rich soil. I did see the nicest most robust looking Florida Royals I have ever seen, though in that same area, 100ft. + !

Saw the same in 2008 in the Clearwater area.

[amazon exotics]

in winter haven at cypress gardens in legoland is a d. green malay with 30' of ct that seeds. im sure the palm has been there a very long time. there are a couple fruiting cocos on lake placid also but winter haven is much farther north

[Cocoa Beach Jason]

There are definitely big, healthy, fruiting coconuts of both tall and dwarf variety all over Cocoa Beach and Cape Canaveral. There are also some in Merritt Island. I have never seen any fruiting coconuts, or even any healthy ones north of that. I know of no Coconuts in Titusville or points north of Cocoa.

[Xerarch]

There was a post here a while back showing some coconuts near Daytona, they weren't very big or healthy looking, some of them have already reportedly died. There is clearly a huge difference between there and Merritt island where there are, as been already been pointed out, numerous, large, fruiting coconuts. Daytona and Merritt Island/Cocoa beach really aren't all that far apart but there is surely a line around there that separates growing possibilities.

[Alicehunter2000]

So close and yet so far......

[Bill H2DB]

I grew up in Daytona , and still live here (60+ years) . Cocos will not succeed here . I wish that was

not the case, because they grow well until ...... , but it is fact .

The Gulfstream is 45 miles offshore here , and the curve of the Cape shows the deflection.

I have seen our January ocean water temp as low as 46 deg, for weeks occasionally , while the

Gulfstream remains at its usual balmy temps.

As the post above says ....So near and yet so far.....

It is possible to grow them for a few years occasionally , but Mom nature will get them sooner or later.

Our Winter days are quite often just too cold for day after day . Inland may be having warmer temps during

those same days , but then go much colder at night , so....

Some other plant analogies would be Mango , Ficus etc . They are here , but cut down by cold regularly.

They return from roots , and attain some size , but eventually Clancy lowers the Boom .

I know of several huge root mass Banyans hereabout , that I have seen become quite large , and then

be blasted back flat to the ground many times in my years . Same with Mangos etc.

We are currently looking pretty Tropical , and the Big Box stores have sold much stuff in recent years ,that

have spread out that look all over town , but Nature will out .

[SouthFLA]

On 8/15/2014 at 8:32 AM, amazon exotics said:

in winter haven at cypress gardens in legoland is a d. green malay with 30' of ct that seeds. im sure the palm has been there a very long time. there are a couple fruiting cocos on lake placid also but winter haven is much farther north

Took these photos there yesterday. Has 40+ feet of wood.