Zone 10 Palms in the Orlando Area Mega Thread

[Eric in Orlando]

Ptychosperma elegans just east of downtown Sanford.

[Eric in Orlando]

Here are the coconuts in Sanford, just east of downtown and on the south side of Lake Monroe/St. John's River. The street is still flooded from Hurricane Ian.

 

[SeanK]

On 8/16/2022 at 9:27 AM, Eric in Orlando said:

Any chance WDW will off a $20 ticket for folks to walk around and photograph plants?

[SouthFLA]

At Legoland Florida (former Cypress Gardens) in Winter Haven, FL. There is a coconut with 40+ feet of wood in the old section of the original garden. Most of the park has been converted to themed rides but you can find this palm in a small area was preserved. This is the tallest coconut (not transplanted) in the central Florida area to my knowledge. This palm is surrounded by other cold sensitive species. I'd estimate the age of this Cocos nucifera to be around 20 years old. There must be a strong micro-climate with the nearby lake.

[Eric in Orlando]

Also east of downtown Sanford, a very impressive planting of 6 mature Hyophorbe verschaffeltii (along with Adonidia). 

[Plantking165]

Gonna be going into the colder weather soon gonna have to protect the cocos. Looking like it's gonna be a very cold winter. Been in the ground for 5 months the base on the big one is 6 1/2 inches width and 19 inch circumference. 

[Borderline Tropical]

Quick drop by and snapped a closeup of the coconuts at the Sojoma restaurant on Osceola pkwy at Hunter's Creek. Interesting to see how the soil around are covered by large pebbles.

[Jimbean]

Update on the UCF Beccariophoenix palms

[RedRabbit]

On 10/17/2022 at 12:02 PM, SouthFLA said:

At Legoland Florida (former Cypress Gardens) in Winter Haven, FL. There is a coconut with 40+ feet of wood in the old section of the original garden. Most of the park has been converted to themed rides but you can find this palm in a small area was preserved. This is the tallest coconut (not transplanted) in the central Florida area to my knowledge. This palm is surrounded by other cold sensitive species. I'd estimate the age of this Cocos nucifera to be around 20 years old. There must be a strong micro-climate with the nearby lake.

Good find! There’s one in Belle Isle that’s about the same size actually. Sarasota also has a few this size inland, but I’m guessing you’re defining Central Florida more as the Lakeland through Deltona area.

[CoconutGambler352]

On 10/17/2022 at 9:01 AM, Eric in Orlando said:

Here are the coconuts in Sanford, just east of downtown and on the south side of Lake Monroe/St. John's River. The street is still flooded from Hurricane Ian.

 

 

THIS is what I enjoy. Witnessing Plants/Trees/Palms growing/thriving in zones you'd NEVER expect. 

JUST these Coconuts doing as fantastic as they've been proves an absolute lot with my own ideas for Coconuts ADAPTING or EVOLVING into MORE cold hardy areas. The results from these adaptations and or EVOLVING could perhaps produce a NEW variant of Cocos. Call me crazy but it'll become real

[kinzyjr]

On 11/23/2022 at 6:03 AM, CoconutGambler352 said:

THIS is what I enjoy. Witnessing Plants/Trees/Palms growing/thriving in zones you'd NEVER expect. 

JUST these Coconuts doing as fantastic as they've been proves an absolute lot with my own ideas for Coconuts ADAPTING or EVOLVING into MORE cold hardy areas. The results from these adaptations and or EVOLVING could perhaps produce a NEW variant of Cocos. Call me crazy but it'll become real

The Orlando and Sanford areas have some really good microclimates. 

The coconuts by the lake are have grown and are more easily viewable now that the water has receded.

The Ptychosperma elegans has an inflorescence.

The coconuts at the mosque on Myrtle Street took some minor to moderate damage in January, but look good going into this winter and are holding some coconuts.

[pj_orlando_z9b]

On 11/3/2022 at 8:06 PM, Jimbean said:

Update on the UCF Beccariophoenix palms

I wonder if the leans are from the hurricanes. Mine got pushed over after Ian and again after the Nicole. 

[pj_orlando_z9b]

Driving down Goldenrod yesterday, saw a big coconut behind a Citgo gas station. Found a pic on Google maps from almost a year ago. Looked in good shape...maybe had some damaged fronds cut off already or just over trimmed. 

[Borderline Tropical]

I ran by to the I-Drive coconut today. Looks great after two hurricanes and the cold event.

Edited January 3, 2023 by Borderline Tropical

[Fishinsteeg234]

While working out in the Clermont area this week, I saw a nice A. cunninghamiana and a C. oliviformis from the roadside. This area of Clermont is bordering Winter Garden, but this area I thought was marginal zone 9B. The cunninghamiana (in Clermont) is along a golf course in full sun, and has a shuttlecock appearance in the fronds (the wind was blowing too). This neighborhood is gated, I could not find any google street views to confirm the age.
 

The oliviformis (in Winter Garden) was planted just outside of a neighborhood wall, in sight from Marsh Rd driving into Clermont. This area faired well from the last cold event it appears, several mangoes and small coconuts appearing from behind the road walls show little to no signs of browning at all. The oliviformis was also setting seed. 
 

[pj_orlando_z9b]

My bottle palm took the brunt of damage this winter. Coconut fared well likely from supplemental heat. Interestingly, no damage to my adonidia merrillii which historically has been very sensitive. Foxtail and beccariophoenix fared well.

[kinzyjr]

10 hours ago, pj_orlando_z9b said:

My bottle palm took the brunt of damage this winter. Coconut fared well likely from supplemental heat. Interestingly, no damage to my adonidia merrillii which historically has been very sensitive. Foxtail and beccariophoenix fared well.

Your combination of both formal and tropical landscaping is very appealing, taking full advantage of your siting in a mild metro area with water modification.

The coconut palm looks great holding all of those coconuts.  Have any of the coconuts reached maturity and sprouted yet?

Adonidia merrillii seems somewhat variable as a species, along with its extended family members: Wodyetia bifurcata, Carpentaria acuminata, and Veitchia arecina.  There are some of each species that take heavy damage with frost, and others that seem not to mind 28F-30F. 

The old Bottle Palm up the hill and the one next to Wood Lake look exactly like yours in regard to foliar damage.  None of them look like they will pass on to the mulch pile, but it is annoying waiting until May/June for them to look full again.

[NickJames]

13 hours ago, pj_orlando_z9b said:

My bottle palm took the brunt of damage this winter. Coconut fared well likely from supplemental heat. Interestingly, no damage to my adonidia merrillii which historically has been very sensitive. Foxtail and beccariophoenix fared well.

My yard is jealous!

[pj_orlando_z9b]

On 1/30/2023 at 10:55 PM, kinzyjr said:

Your combination of both formal and tropical landscaping is very appealing, taking full advantage of your siting in a mild metro area with water modification.

The coconut palm looks great holding all of those coconuts.  Have any of the coconuts reached maturity and sprouted yet?

Adonidia merrillii seems somewhat variable as a species, along with its extended family members: Wodyetia bifurcata, Carpentaria acuminata, and Veitchia arecina.  There are some of each species that take heavy damage with frost, and others that seem not to mind 28F-30F. 

The old Bottle Palm up the hill and the one next to Wood Lake look exactly like yours in regard to foliar damage.  None of them look like they will pass on to the mulch pile, but it is annoying waiting until May/June for them to look full again.

Thanks! I have been able to harvest coconuts for water but none have reached maturity yet. I think the winter chill does them in. My bottle is pushing out new fronds but given its slower growing, it may look ugly for a while. 

[pj_orlando_z9b]

On 1/31/2023 at 1:27 AM, NickJames said:

My yard is jealous!

It takes some TLC for sure. I went through 3 propane tanks for the coconut on Christmas.  Any new growth from the recent heat?

[NickJames]

28 minutes ago, pj_orlando_z9b said:

It takes some TLC for sure. I went through 3 propane tanks for the coconut on Christmas.  Any new growth from the recent heat?

The royals, definitely…the adonidia and coconuts, no :’( 

[Bkue]

In Oviedo , minor burn to Areca palms, 270+, no damage to Bismarck, minor to adonidia, minor to coconut multiple varieties, no damage to liviistonia decipiens, no damage to royals, I pulled the bottle palms inside. No damage to fiddle leaf or ficus elastica on back porch. 

[NickJames]

Womp

[cocoforcoconuts]

On 11/23/2022 at 4:03 AM, CoconutGambler352 said:

THIS is what I enjoy. Witnessing Plants/Trees/Palms growing/thriving in zones you'd NEVER expect. 

JUST these Coconuts doing as fantastic as they've been proves an absolute lot with my own ideas for Coconuts ADAPTING or EVOLVING into MORE cold hardy areas. The results from these adaptations and or EVOLVING could perhaps produce a NEW variant of Cocos. Call me crazy but it'll become real

I've thought about this as well. While we all hate cold snaps and wish them away, so long as they are not 1962 or 1983 style land scorchers (freezers?), they only serve to select for the fittest/hardiest palms and help in the long run. Like as terrible as 2010 was, that strong directional selection almost certainly guaranteed lesser harm from a future equal cold event.

Of course this is a double edged sword as this is also advantageous for the many tropical invasive species in south Florida of both flora and fauna. Wouldn't be surprised to see Burmese pythons slowly expanding northward (even before factoring in climate change as well)

[cocoforcoconuts]

On 12/17/2022 at 12:44 PM, kinzyjr said:

The Orlando and Sanford areas have some really good microclimates. 

The coconuts by the lake are have grown and are more easily viewable now that the water has receded.

The Ptychosperma elegans has an inflorescence.

The coconuts at the mosque on Myrtle Street took some minor to moderate damage in January, but look good going into this winter and are holding some coconuts.

How long have these been in the ground? Impressive height

[kinzyjr]

1 hour ago, cocoforcoconuts said:

How long have these been in the ground? Impressive height

There used to be Adonidia merrillii triples there, but the December 2010 cold snap heavily damaged them.  The triples can still be seen on the April 2011 Google Street View of the area.

The first time the coconuts show up on the Google Street View is June 2013.  They had to have been planted sometime between April 2011 and June 2013, but the exact date I don't know.

[cocoforcoconuts]

5 hours ago, kinzyjr said:

There used to be Adonidia merrillii triples there, but the December 2010 cold snap heavily damaged them.  The triples can still be seen on the April 2011 Google Street View of the area.

The first time the coconuts show up on the Google Street View is June 2013.  They had to have been planted sometime between April 2011 and June 2013, but the exact date I don't know.

Sorry, I was specifically referring to the cocos in front of the mosque

[Wakreeh]

5 hours ago, cocoforcoconuts said:

Sorry, I was specifically referring to the cocos in front of the mosque

This is absolutely amazing! When I go on my Florida trip in 2024 I can stop by and see the coconut palm and stick around for Asr prayer. I am surprised to see coconuts that far north, seems like there really is a good urban heat island building there. Definitely I plan on staying updated about any cocos in the area.

[kinzyjr]

15 hours ago, cocoforcoconuts said:

Sorry, I was specifically referring to the cocos in front of the mosque

They must have been planted sometime between 2013 and 2017.  The mosque was still under construction in July 2013 and the oldest photos I can find of them are in August 2017:

August 2017:

May 2018: Shows the damage from the Jan. 2018 Freeze

April 2022: Shows the damage from the Jan. 2022 cold snap

[pj_orlando_z9b]

16 hours ago, kinzyjr said:

They must have been planted sometime between 2013 and 2017.  The mosque was still under construction in July 2013 and the oldest photos I can find of them are in August 2017:

August 2017:

May 2018: Shows the damage from the Jan. 2018 Freeze

April 2022: Shows the damage from the Jan. 2022 cold snap

Hopefully they recover. I can't tell if there is any green. 

[pj_orlando_z9b]

I'm happy that you can now see my coconut emerging above the house line when driving down the street. Also my beccariophoenix just gets bigger each frond. Orlando needs more of these palms planted. No damage in 2018 28F or from the persistent Christmas cold. 

[Eric in Orlando]

2 Cocos growing at a house a few blocks east of Leu Gardens...

[kinzyjr]

Another microcosm of the shift due to Lethal Bronzing.  At the entrance to the Orlando Vineland Premium Outlets:

Before (02/2020): Phoenix dactylifera in the median, some obviously dying from Lethal Bronzing.

After (03/2023): These palms have recently been replaced by crownshaft palms.

[Merlyn]

@kinzyjrit's definitely hitting the North side of Orlando now.  The highway plantings of Sylvestris and Dactylifera are dying or already dead in most locations.  So far almost all the deaths have been within a mile of a major highway (417, 429, I4, etc), which is really odd.  A local Hyundai stealership planted about 30 Dactylifera when they built the place, I spotted one 75% dead one last week.  The rest will probably follow soon.  

[kinzyjr]

1 hour ago, Merlyn said:

@kinzyjrit's definitely hitting the North side of Orlando now.  The highway plantings of Sylvestris and Dactylifera are dying or already dead in most locations.  So far almost all the deaths have been within a mile of a major highway (417, 429, I4, etc), which is really odd.  A local Hyundai stealership planted about 30 Dactylifera when they built the place, I spotted one 75% dead one last week.  The rest will probably follow soon.  

I imagine a few are already infected when they buy them, but they aren't showing symptoms at that point.  Once they're in the ground, they just start dropping off as it spreads.  This particular area of Orlando is a good place to use a few crownshaft palms.  From looking at the WeatherUnderground captures on the Florida winter threads, it generally stays milder than most non-coastal areas in Central FL there on the radiational cooling nights .

At the Plantae-palooza sale at Hollis Gardens, I spoke with at least a dozen people who wanted to know why most of the date palms in the area were dead or dying.  The conversation started with Lethal Bronzing and ended with "please plant something else."  One individual ended up buying an Archontophoenix alexandrae after it was explained that they had less chance of losing it to unusual cold than losing a Phoenix sylvestris to Lethal Bronzing.  No doubt that the same advice will be handed out at the Leu Gardens 2023 Spring Plant Sale this weekend.

The tour guides from the city at the CFPACS 2022 Fall Meeting agreed planting Phoenix canariensis, dactylifera, or syslvestris on the I-4 corridor is basically a 6-month to 1-year rental agreement at this point.  They just had to remove three huge Phoenix dactylifera from in front of the Bank of America building because they were starting to decline.  When they planted the Wodyetia bifurcata triple there, it would have been a safe bet to assume the date palms would outlive the Foxtails.  The first one to get infected is in the box:

[Merlyn]

@kinzyjra few years ago I would have bet on the Dactys too.  I think in most of Orlando you could get away with several different Archontos, Royals, several Dypsis/Chrysolidocarpus (Lastelliana, Leptocheilos, Lanceolata, etc), Elaeis Guineensis, and probably a lot of other similar-sized Phoenix replacements.  I was really surprised at how hardy the Elaeis are, I have a normal and a whole leaf here that took minimal damage in the mid to upper 20s.  I think most non-palm-people would see an Elaeis and not be able to tell it's not a Phoenix...

I stopped by the stealership today and it looks like the two "dying" Dactylifera are actually fresh plantings.  They may be infected, but it's hard to say.  It could be transplant shock, it could be LB...

[Little Tex]

17 hours ago, Merlyn said:

I think most non-palm-people would see an Elaeis and not be able to tell it's not a Phoenix...

Its funny some elaeis look like a phoenix/syagrus hybrids, well how I would imagine them too look since its not possible.

[pj_orlando_z9b]

On 3/5/2023 at 11:01 AM, kinzyjr said:

I imagine a few are already infected when they buy them, but they aren't showing symptoms at that point.  Once they're in the ground, they just start dropping off as it spreads.  This particular area of Orlando is a good place to use a few crownshaft palms.  From looking at the WeatherUnderground captures on the Florida winter threads, it generally stays milder than most non-coastal areas in Central FL there on the radiational cooling nights .

At the Plantae-palooza sale at Hollis Gardens, I spoke with at least a dozen people who wanted to know why most of the date palms in the area were dead or dying.  The conversation started with Lethal Bronzing and ended with "please plant something else."  One individual ended up buying an Archontophoenix alexandrae after it was explained that they had less chance of losing it to unusual cold than losing a Phoenix sylvestris to Lethal Bronzing.  No doubt that the same advice will be handed out at the Leu Gardens 2023 Spring Plant Sale this weekend.

The tour guides from the city at the CFPACS 2022 Fall Meeting agreed planting Phoenix canariensis, dactylifera, or syslvestris on the I-4 corridor is basically a 6-month to 1-year rental agreement at this point.  They just had to remove three huge Phoenix dactylifera from in front of the Bank of America building because they were starting to decline.  When they planted the Wodyetia bifurcata triple there, it would have been a safe bet to assume the date palms would outlive the Foxtails.  The first one to get infected is in the box:

The CIDPs at Semoran and Lee Vista get replaced once a year. You would think they'd learn by now. 

Edited March 13, 2023 by pj_orlando_z9b

[pj_orlando_z9b]

The beccariophoenix phoenix at the entrance to Leu Gardens is a monster. I thought mine was getting big until I was reminded this weekend. That trunk is almost the size of my wagon!

The ones inside are also looking nice 

 

Edited March 13, 2023 by pj_orlando_z9b

[donalt]

Great to see beccariophoenix alfredii getting some size ! Maybe 5 years more we will be seeing some real beauties around Florida.