Remarkable palms of Tampa Bay

[kinzyjr]

2 hours ago, 813PalmsnCycads said:

I am hoping someone can identify the species of coconut palm in this  picture. I’m guessing Malayan Gold?  Seems to be doing well on the border of 9B/10A with little to no care.  This is close to my house and I am debating whether or not to experiment with coconut palms. 
 

Also wondering if there is a relatively “common” coconut palm in Sanibel, FL?  I collected a bunch of coconuts in that area 2 years ago and some have taken root. They were in a trash pile and I didn’t expect them to sprout, but they are growing now!

Thanks!

If the petioles are a golden color, then it is probably a Golden Malayan as you had guessed.  My eye for subtle botanical differences is not that great, so others may opine differently and more correctly.  The coconuts most commonly planted in Florida at the Green and Golden Malayans.  Once in a while, you'll come across Jamaican Tall or a Panama Tall.  Outside of those, you're probably looking at someone who collects coconut varieties.  Maypan (hybrid between Green Malayan and Panama Tall), Red Spicata, and Fiji Dwarf are gaining popularity.  There are other varieties being grown as well.  In my own home garden, there are Jamaican Tall, Panama Tall, Maypan, Green Malayan (for now), and Fiji Dwarf.  If you decide to grow a few, you'll be OK most years - but any year could be "the year".

[BillAndy]

1 hour ago, kinzyjr said:

If the petioles are a golden color, then it is probably a Golden Malayan as you had guessed.  My eye for subtle botanical differences is not that great, so others may opine differently and more correctly.  The coconuts most commonly planted in Florida at the Green and Golden Malayans.  Once in a while, you'll come across Jamaican Tall or a Panama Tall.  Outside of those, you're probably looking at someone who collects coconut varieties.  Maypan (hybrid between Green Malayan and Panama Tall), Red Spicata, and Fiji Dwarf are gaining popularity.  There are other varieties being grown as well.  In my own home garden, there are Jamaican Tall, Panama Tall, Maypan, Green Malayan (for now), and Fiji Dwarf.  If you decide to grow a few, you'll be OK most years - but any year could be "the year".

Thank you Kinzy Jr.!  I think I must have Golden Malayans growing at the house.  I will likely give these away and look for a more cold hardy variety.  Many thanks for sharing your wealth of knowledge!!

[cocoforcoconuts]

22 hours ago, 813PalmsnCycads said:

Thank you Kinzy Jr.!  I think I must have Golden Malayans growing at the house.  I will likely give these away and look for a more cold hardy variety.  Many thanks for sharing your wealth of knowledge!!

The way I see it, a sprouted coconut is so cheap/easy to obtain (they're free if just go looking underneath a large unmaintained tree) that I see it as a "why not?" palm if you are 10A or even warm 9B. If you're in south Tampa, I'd definitely go for it, and if we do get a bad 2010 winter, just get some kind of heater for when that time comes.  Even if you don't bother and it croaks in a 2010 winter, at the end of the day it was minimal financial investment

[kinzyjr]

On 3/17/2023 at 5:16 PM, 813PalmsnCycads said:

Thank you Kinzy Jr.!  I think I must have Golden Malayans growing at the house.  I will likely give these away and look for a more cold hardy variety.  Many thanks for sharing your wealth of knowledge!!

If you want a good idea of what to expect, the Google Street View of N. Nebraska and E. Bryan has a coconut with a short trunk and remnant damage from the January 2022 Freeze.  You can adjust the date to go back through time and look at it (or the one it potentially replaced).

This one one at Nebraska and Knollwood did OK for being a relatively recent planting (2020 or 2021):

The one on Van Dyke is doing alright as well:

[RedRabbit]

I spotted two roughly 25’ veitchia in Westchase. They’re about 3 blocks from my house, but they’re well tucked away behind some queens so I’ve never noticed them.

I have no idea how long they’ve been here, but it’s clearly been here awhile which is surprising given how far inland we are.

[Brian M]

Nice "double" royal in Hyde Park.

[Zeeth]

This B. alfredii in South Tampa always catches my attention.

[ruskinPalms]

Decent coconut here in Parrish that does not benefit from any kind of urban heat island. It did fine in the Jan 2018 freeze. There was a smaller one next to it but I guess it either died or the owners removed it. 

https://maps.app.goo.gl/iewS1eKj5AVr3Hnj9?g_st=ic

[ruskinPalms]

Triple royals fairly newly planted at one of the new developments around here

https://maps.app.goo.gl/p9LpuptbAzmWXbAV6?g_st=ic

[cocoforcoconuts]

Can anyone think of any contenders to this tree for best looking coconut palm in Tampa? (city proper, not the greater Tampa Bay area)

This one appears to be a 2010 survivor too

[BillAndy]

That’s a nice looking coconut palm!  Seems like there should be a few more comparable to that on DI. I can’t remember any that look better but will be on the lookout 👀.    

[RedRabbit]

2 hours ago, 813PalmsnCycads said:

That’s a nice looking coconut palm!  Seems like there should be a few more comparable to that on DI. I can’t remember any that look better but will be on the lookout 👀.    

 

11 hours ago, cocoforcoconuts said:

Can anyone think of any contenders to this tree for best looking coconut palm in Tampa? (city proper, not the greater Tampa Bay area)

This one appears to be a 2010 survivor too

There are others that size in Davis Islands, Harbor Island, Beach Park, and a few elsewhere in South Tampa. But you said best looking… My personal favorite is the one on Rocky Point since it’s in a nice beachy scene. 

I’ve always liked these on Davis Islands too.

Edited April 25, 2023 by RedRabbit

[conceptualizeme]

On 4/24/2023 at 9:23 AM, cocoforcoconuts said:

Can anyone think of any contenders to this tree for best looking coconut palm in Tampa? (city proper, not the greater Tampa Bay area)

This one appears to be a 2010 survivor too

Wow that coco is amazing, for any place! Surprising they can do well in a warm 9b

Edited April 25, 2023 by poof

[RedRabbit]

13 minutes ago, poof said:

Wow that coco is amazing, for any place! Surprising they can do well in a warm 9b

That area is 10a, they don’t do this well in a true 9b.

[BillAndy]

On 4/24/2023 at 11:18 PM, RedRabbit said:

 

There are others that size in Davis Islands, Harbor Island, Beach Park, and a few elsewhere in South Tampa. But you said best looking… My personal favorite is the one on Rocky Point since it’s in a nice beachy scene. 

I’ve always liked these on Davis Islands too.

I visited the coco on Rocky Point today and snapped a picture from a different angle. 

[RedRabbit]

1 hour ago, 813PalmsnCycads said:

I visited the coco on Rocky Point today and snapped a picture from a different angle. 

Thanks, I really like that one. Rocky Point has a decent microclimate, but I remember this coconut took a lot of damage in the 2018 freeze so longer term I’m doubtful it’s going to survive there. 

[flplantguy]

On 2/18/2023 at 1:17 PM, flplantguy said:

Here is the coconut and foxtail in briar oaks northwest pasco county (by aripeka).  Looks better than the first time i saw it 2 weeks ago but im sure its time is limited.  And in a county right of way doesnt help.

The plants in this neighborhood are all recovering well.  The coconut the least of all (not surprising) but everything else is starting to come back.  Most people here dont really care for their plants well, so even queen palms have wind burn all around, and most of it was christmas freeze damage.  If the coconut survives i will be surprised, it would have a chance at coming back if it was fertilized and babied a bit.  The local "landscapes" do not show whats possible either but im hoping that changes.  The county needs to invest in the area and revitalize it to help that along.

[aabell]

This caught my eye on a recent drive, all by itself at the entrance of a brand new development in Parrish. bermudana possibly?

https://goo.gl/maps/weQc9gNrnWtdRopM9

[RedRabbit]

These have probably been shared before, but here are 4 large coconuts that have done very well in inland Sarasota since at least 2007.

Edited May 21, 2023 by RedRabbit

[RedRabbit]

I spotted a group of coconuts planted on the shoulder of I-275 southbound just past St. Petersburg. First time I’ve seen FDOT use them!

 

[cocoforcoconuts]

On 5/21/2023 at 11:39 AM, RedRabbit said:

I spotted a group of coconuts planted on the shoulder of I-275 southbound just past St. Petersburg. First time I’ve seen FDOT use them!

 

As you can infer by my username, I LOVE THIS! lol

I wonder what the northernmost FDOT planted cocos are. They could go further up the east coast but I don't know if I've seen any further north on highways.

Edited May 23, 2023 by cocoforcoconuts

[RedRabbit]

9 minutes ago, cocoforcoconuts said:

As you can infer by my username, I LOVE THIS! lol

I wonder what the northernmost FDOT planted cocos are. They could go further up the east coast but I don't know if I've seen any further north on highways.

I don’t recall seeing them anywhere else to be honest, but I haven’t been to South Florida in awhile. I too am curious where else they’re being used.

[RedRabbit]

Found another possibly pre-2010 coconut in Lakewood Ranch today.

 

Zillow image from 2019:

Edited June 4, 2023 by RedRabbit

[kinzyjr]

@RedRabbit

It definitely went through Jan. 2018.

You can be reasonably sure it was there for at least December 2010 since it looks like it was there on the May 2011 street view.  This area has a lot of years and months in the street view, so you can follow the progression.

 

[kinzyjr]

The Spindle on Lincoln Ave from this September 2020 post is still doing well and flowering:

 

[ruskinPalms]

On 6/4/2023 at 4:44 PM, RedRabbit said:

Found another possibly pre-2010 coconut in Lakewood Ranch today.

 

Zillow image from 2019:

I know that coconut well. It got frond fried in 2010 but it made it. There are other coconuts in this area that made it through 2010.  The 1980s were not really tested well in these more inland areas because only cabbage was growing here then. 

[RedRabbit]

10 hours ago, ruskinPalms said:

I know that coconut well. It got frond fried in 2010 but it made it. There are other coconuts in this area that made it through 2010.  The 1980s were not really tested well in these more inland areas because only cabbage was growing here then. 

I only know of two that survived 2010 in Lakewood Ranch. Not much, but it seems like it should have been a total kill like inland Central Florida. LW doesn’t seem to have anything going for it with a microclimate.

[kinzyjr]

A few coconuts on Trapnell Road in Plant City near the intersection with Jap Tucker Rd.  These appear to have been planted as trunking specimens.  They didn't look too bad today considering how cold it was at Christmas time in spots around this area.

February 2019:

November 2019:

January 2021:

August 2022:

[cocoforcoconuts]

I came across some old Tampa photos and saw these Bayshore royal palms. Not really remarkable palms per se but with this being the de facto TB palm thread, I figured I'd ask here, does anyone know when these were removed?

 

 

[ck_in_fla]

11 hours ago, cocoforcoconuts said:

I came across some old Tampa photos and saw these Bayshore royal palms. Not really remarkable palms per se but with this being the de facto TB palm thread, I figured I'd ask here, does anyone know when these were removed?

 

 

I may have some additional information concerning this thread...

Back in late 1999, in a conversation on an old Palm message board, I met a gentleman whose name was "Christopher".  He posted a story that began with Royal Palms lining Bayshore Blvd. in Tampa.  The story was that, over the years, cold weather killed some of these trees and that the remaining ones "may have increased hardiness to cold weather".  Christopher actually gathered seeds from the remaining Royal Palms and germinated them.  Sometime in 2000, he had some seedlings that he wanted to have people plant in marginal climates to see if they would survive.

He offered to bring me three seedlings.  Since I was working, I arranged for him to drop them off with my wife.  Sp, she met him.  I never actually met him in person. 

So, I get home from work and there were three Royal palm seedlings waiting for me.  I waited until the following spring to plant them out.  So, they went in the ground in April of 2001.  I chose to plant them between my home and the house next to me.  When they were small, any time it was forecast to go below 30F, I would build little greenhouses over them and put an incandescent flood light in each one.  This protected them.  I did this until they just got too big to protect.

In December of 2004, I had a fire at my home and my family and I were displaced into an apartment while we rebuilt our home.  So, I was not really able to do anything other than tell the construction crew to use the other side to move equipment around the house.

I did lose the two outer trees, either to cold or to other reasons.  But, to this day, the middle tree continues to flourish.  It is more than 40 feet tall and has flowered several times.  But, it has never set any seed.  Perhaps it needs some other trees near it in order to pollinate the flowers.  I have others who have expressed an interest in any seeds that are produced by this tree.  But, I don't think that is going to happen.  

When I read this story, suddenly the story Christopher told me came back to me.  I believe my surviving tree is from seed collected from the remaining trees along Bayshore Blvd. in Tampa.

My location is in Winter Springs, FL about 20 miles Northeast of Downtown Orlando.

That's my story.  Is there anyone else out there who may have participated in Christopher's experiment all those years ago?

[kinzyjr]

Since we're on the topic of Royal Palms (Roystonea regia), these have been around practically forever.  Bet that frond hitting the roof sounded like thunder. :

2023

May 2011 (Google Street View) - You can see Dec 2010 beat them up, but they made it

Dec. 2007 (Google Street View)

Near the same area, there is an enormous Majesty Palm (Ravenea rivularis).  It is easily the same height as the live oak next to it.  You can see it from across the lake if you look close and it is full of red fruit since there are other large specimens in the area:

The view from across the lake - easily 40 ft. overall height:

Red fruit:

A few others in the area:

 

[cocoforcoconuts]

On 7/2/2023 at 8:07 PM, kinzyjr said:

Since we're on the topic of Royal Palms (Roystonea regia), these have been around practically forever.  Bet that frond hitting the roof sounded like thunder. :

2023

May 2011 (Google Street View) - You can see Dec 2010 beat them up, but they made it

Dec. 2007 (Google Street View)

Near the same area, there is an enormous Majesty Palm (Ravenea rivularis).  It is easily the same height as the live oak next to it.  You can see it from across the lake if you look close and it is full of red fruit since there are other large specimens in the area:

The view from across the lake - easily 40 ft. overall height:

Red fruit:

A few others in the area:

 

Is this Lakeland?

[kinzyjr]

1 hour ago, cocoforcoconuts said:

Is this Lakeland?

Yes.  Specifically, this is in the Lakeland Highlands area near Waterview Lake.

[flplantguy]

I just passed an old defunct nursery on US 41 north of SR 52 with surviving royals.  They were planted after a 2016 view and defoliated in 2018.  Some are surviving today and it appears they were untouched between 2018 and 2022.  Posting partly to remind myself to find the street views and location when im not a passenger in the car.

[Zeeth]

Spotted this coconut growing not far from my house in Tampa. Looking at the map it's been there since 2015.

[flplantguy]

Found this today screening a removal.  This is on the water in Hudson Beach.  Adonidia facing west survived 2010 till at least 2021.  I'm assuming it would have survived recent freezes as well but not sure since it did well in 2018.

[RedRabbit]

5 hours ago, flplantguy said:

Found this today screening a removal.  This is on the water in Hudson Beach.  Adonidia facing west survived 2010 till at least 2021.  I'm assuming it would have survived recent freezes as well but not sure since it did well in 2018.

Nice find!

[RedRabbit]

On 10/29/2023 at 4:31 PM, Zeeth said:

Spotted this coconut growing not far from my house in Tampa. Looking at the map it's been there since 2015.

 

Check this one out, roughly in the same area:

 

I used to occasionally cut through this neighborhood on my way to the office. I don't remember how old it is, but it was definitely planted after 2010.

On a related note, did you move to this area?

Edited October 30, 2023 by RedRabbit

[Zeeth]

10 hours ago, RedRabbit said:

Check this one out, roughly in the same area:

 

I used to occasionally cut through this neighborhood on my way to the office. I don't remember how old it is, but it was definitely planted after 2010.

On a related note, did you move to this area?

I'm in Seminole Heights, so not quite the same area, but not too far. I do have one small coconut in the ground but since my neighbor took out their large camphor tree it no longer has overhead canopy so I've been protecting it. I've got another area of the yard with good canopy I'm thinking about planting another one in that spot to see how long it lasts. 

[kinzyjr]

A large clump of Chrysalidocarpus lutescens (formerly Dypsis lutescens) that has eclipsed the top of a large, two story house here in the friendly confines of the Swan City.  The trunks are pretty thick for this particular species.