Remarkable palms of Tampa Bay

[Zeeth]

Not "remarkable" per se, but this coconut on the beach dunes on Lido key has always caught my attention. It gets some extra water by being right next to a foot washing station so it always looks super healthy. It seems to be the result of someone tossing a coconut back into the dunes that had washed ashore

[Tradewinds1971]

I was amazed at the abundance of seed pods on this Beccariophoenix Madagascarensis at the Kopsick Arboretum this past weekend.

[cocoforcoconuts]

https://www.google.com/maps/@27.3046293,-82.5559791,3a,75y,116.55h,100.17t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1smVYkCwbDZ2-sXzYUuPA5_w!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

Check out this cool strangler fig on Siesta Key with the remains of its "strangled" host still in it!

Does anyone know which species of Ficus this is?

Edited November 15, 2023 by cocoforcoconuts

[kinzyjr]

9 hours ago, cocoforcoconuts said:

Does anyone know which species of Ficus this is?

Maybe Ficus microcarpa?

[Silas_Sancona]

Checking on a few things at the old house in Bradenton via street view, noted a little something local folks might be interested in checking out if / when passing through the area..

Remember all the buzz about plans for major development of the Ag fields within the.. and southwest of.. 53rd Ave West / El Conquistador Pkwy Corridor  shortly before leaving the area.. 

Appears that is finally starting to oocur, ....at least south / southwest of El Conquistador,  and includes a giant, artificial Lagoon.


Bird's eye views..





From what i can see from the road ..and zooming in from the vantage point of where street view stops ( shot #2 ), appears they did not skimp on use of Veitchia, Royals, a few Foxtails, and Coconuts for this development.





Couple years from now, this should look pretty amazing.

[RedRabbit]

I came across a few older coconuts in the middle of Pinellas Park today. Previously, I didn’t think this area was warm enough since it is far from the Gulf and the Bay. Evidently, it still has a pretty solid climate. 
 

Two are pictured here, then there was one more on the other side of the street.

[kinzyjr]

It's finally visible now that it's had a few good years.  A fruiting Malayan Dwarf coconut on the north shore of Scott Lake ~210 feet of elevation.

 

[RainforestCafe]

On 12/16/2023 at 12:20 PM, Silas_Sancona said:

From what i can see from the road ..and zooming in from the vantage point of where street view stops ( shot #2 ), appears they did not skimp on use of Veitchia, Royals, a few Foxtails, and Coconuts for this development.

I know this post is a few months old, but that area is actually exactly where my old house is so I felt inclined to post. I still have it, but moved about 30 minutes east, and just rent it out so my garden continues on! That whole area is one of the best microclimates that I've seen. As I'm sure you know, there's extremely large mango trees, old royals, veitchias, and coconuts, etc. Especially when you drive back in the old neighborhoods around there, you'll see towering archontophoenix, royals, all kinds of stuff. Very obviously zone 10. My neighbor had been there since 1999 and said she'd never seen frost.

It would always kill me when I'd see somebody planting something like queen palms in that area 😂 I'd be like "really?! You can plant anything you want here!" Lol my palms never saw any cold damage there and I even had coconuts, dictyosperma, and archontophoenix out in the open.

I think one of the unique things about that area is that the proximity to the ocean keeps it from getting too cold overnight, but because you're a mile or two inland, it has a lot better daytime heat in the winter than when you drive across the bridge to Anna Maria Island. The best of both worlds. I'll have to go get some pictures sometime of some hidden gems I've found in my drives around there and post them here.

 

[Silas_Sancona]

5 minutes ago, RainforestCafe said:

I know this post is a few months old, but that area is actually exactly where my old house is so I felt inclined to post. I still have it, but moved about 30 minutes east, and just rent it out so my garden continues on! That whole area is one of the best microclimates that I've seen. As I'm sure you know, there's extremely large mango trees, old royals, veitchias, and coconuts, etc. Especially when you drive back in the old neighborhoods around there, you'll see towering archontophoenix, royals, all kinds of stuff. Very obviously zone 10. My neighbor had been there since 1999 and said she'd never seen frost.

It would always kill me when I'd see somebody planting something like queen palms in that area 😂 I'd be like "really?! You can plant anything you want here!" Lol my palms never saw any cold damage there and I even had coconuts, dictyosperma, and archontophoenix out in the open.

I think one of the unique things about that area is that the proximity to the ocean keeps it from getting too cold overnight, but because you're a mile or two inland, it has a lot better daytime heat in the winter than when you drive across the bridge to Anna Maria Island. The best of both worlds. I'll have to go get some pictures sometime of some hidden gems I've found in my drives around there and post them here.

 

No worries, feel free to post whatever goodies you know of from that area..


Maybe not in my specific neighborhood ( ..Other than what i'd left , if any of it is still there ) definitely lots of uncommon stuff in that area for sure..  Good - sized Copernicia macroglossa next to an eye doctor's office, Pink Pseudobombax,  Plumeria  ....galore.. 

BIG Mangoes, and some of the bigger Guamanchil i've seen anywhere in some f the neighborhoods not far from the house as well.

...Silver Tabebuia ..and a Brachychiton, ( possibly a cross between bidwillii and acerfolius, about a block from the house ), 

....and possibly the rarest thing i'd see fairly often when driving to / from work,  this Cassia afrofistula  pictured below, Possibly the only specimen around since it appears the one at Selby has been removed for their expansion.



I'd had a light frost on a morning or two when we lived there but, beyond that ..never got cold.  Lay of the land in that corner of Bradenton seemed to influence things very nicely.

Agree ..beyond  100% ( if that's possible )  WHY anyone would plant Queens there, when much better things can be grown? ...so far beyond my comprehension i don't even care to wonder.  Bad enough they're planted here, lol

Aside from watching that Cassia for seed, do wish i could access the trimmed Gumbo Limbos planted in front of the Oyster Bar at 14th ( Hwy 41 ) and 69th W.   Should have tried to start a bunch of cuttings from them when i had the opportunity.  

[RainforestCafe]

@Silas_Sancona I think I know exactly the Copernicia Macroglossa you're talking about, it's over there kind of by SCF, right?

It was funny living there because I was unknowingly (at the time) spoiled. I took it for granted that there were huge, mature sea grapes, buttonwoods, and silver tabebuia all over. I thought those were just things that grew easily all over Florida when I first moved there. And then I started getting into gardening and explored further inland and found out that those things can actually defoliate and/or die fairly easily when you get away from the coast 😂

Did you ever see the massive gumbo limbo up at DeSoto monument? Wasn't it one of the biggest in the state or something like that? I remember it being there but it's gone now.

And yeah Selby had several cool things removed for the expansion. I remember a really cool Dictyosperma Album var. Conjugatum back in an old, forgotten corner I'd always go check up on... gone now. I actually liked the look and feel better when it was the dirt parking lot. Now it seems so modern.

[Silas_Sancona]

6 minutes ago, RainforestCafe said:

@Silas_Sancona I think I know exactly the Copernicia Macroglossa you're talking about, it's over there kind of by SCF, right?

It was funny living there because I was unknowingly (at the time) spoiled. I took it for granted that there were huge, mature sea grapes, buttonwoods, and silver tabebuia all over. I thought those were just things that grew easily all over Florida when I first moved there. And then I started getting into gardening and explored further inland and found out that those things can actually defoliate and/or die fairly easily when you get away from the coast 😂

Did you ever see the massive gumbo limbo up at DeSoto monument? Wasn't it one of the biggest in the state or something like that? I remember it being there but it's gone now.

And yeah Selby had several cool things removed for the expansion. I remember a really cool Dictyosperma Album var. Conjugatum back in an old, forgotten corner I'd always go check up on... gone now. I actually liked the look and feel better when it was the dirt parking lot. Now it seems so modern.

Real bummer to hear about the Gumbo Limbo up at DeSoto.. Remember it very well.  Do recall talk regarding it's declining health, but figured maybe they'd figured out how to save it. I hope someone was able to start some cuts off it ..to replant there later. 


If you hadn't been out there yet,  some good sized Gumbo Limbo specimens at Emerson Point, growing on one of the bigger Shell Mounds w/ Ficus aurea  and a bunch of other stuff some might not expect to find that far north. 

Idea of a Ficus / Gumbo Limbo " Woodland " that resembles the Oak Woodlands i grew up around back in CA was pretty eye opening. Actually liked the look, lol.   Some Tropical Almonds over there as well, ..Assuming they're still there of course.


Agree, liked the old dirt parking lot rather than what it looks like they're putting together now.  Of course they'd remove something rare like the Dictyospermas, lol 🤦‍♂️ Did notice the tree ferns near the entrance are still growing though.  The big Bombax ceiba still there?


Yep, that's the same Cuban Petticoat. If my memory is right, pretty sure i'd stumbled upon it while wandering around the neighborhood one day not terribly long after moving there. Only one -that i recall seeing-  outside Kopsick's specimens. Has been mentioned a few times thru the years by other PT members who lived in the general area.

Some decent -sized FL. Thatch palms in front of a house a few blocks down from where i'd lived as well.

Actually worked out by Lakewood Ranch for a few months when i first moved there and agree, there was a pretty obvious gradient between what you'd see west of the 75, vs. what was growing east of it. Same idea whenever i'd head to some of the nurseries located east of Sarasota. 

Looks like that whole area near where i'd worked out there has been developed quite a bit since i moved in '16.  See the Tropical Crepe Myrtle ( Lagerstroemia speciosa ) in front of the CVS at the 70 and Creekwood Blvd. is still there.

 

[cocoforcoconuts]

On 4/13/2024 at 7:40 PM, RainforestCafe said:

I know this post is a few months old, but that area is actually exactly where my old house is so I felt inclined to post. I still have it, but moved about 30 minutes east, and just rent it out so my garden continues on! That whole area is one of the best microclimates that I've seen. As I'm sure you know, there's extremely large mango trees, old royals, veitchias, and coconuts, etc. Especially when you drive back in the old neighborhoods around there, you'll see towering archontophoenix, royals, all kinds of stuff. Very obviously zone 10. My neighbor had been there since 1999 and said she'd never seen frost.

It would always kill me when I'd see somebody planting something like queen palms in that area 😂 I'd be like "really?! You can plant anything you want here!" Lol my palms never saw any cold damage there and I even had coconuts, dictyosperma, and archontophoenix out in the open.

I think one of the unique things about that area is that the proximity to the ocean keeps it from getting too cold overnight, but because you're a mile or two inland, it has a lot better daytime heat in the winter than when you drive across the bridge to Anna Maria Island. The best of both worlds. I'll have to go get some pictures sometime of some hidden gems I've found in my drives around there and post them here.

 

Lol glad to see I'm not alone, just seems like such a waste of a good climate.

Personally I hate queen palms, particulalry in areas like that. They just scream "not tropical"  to me and even for 9A/9B climates, I still just don't think they are a particularly nice looking palm. Idk what it is, something about themn just turns me off.

If I'm in a firm 9A area, I'm planting palmettos over queens all day.

[cocoforcoconuts]

On 4/13/2024 at 9:17 PM, RainforestCafe said:

@Silas_Sancona I think I know exactly the Copernicia Macroglossa you're talking about, it's over there kind of by SCF, right?

It was funny living there because I was unknowingly (at the time) spoiled. I took it for granted that there were huge, mature sea grapes, buttonwoods, and silver tabebuia all over. I thought those were just things that grew easily all over Florida when I first moved there. And then I started getting into gardening and explored further inland and found out that those things can actually defoliate and/or die fairly easily when you get away from the coast 😂

Did you ever see the massive gumbo limbo up at DeSoto monument? Wasn't it one of the biggest in the state or something like that? I remember it being there but it's gone now.

And yeah Selby had several cool things removed for the expansion. I remember a really cool Dictyosperma Album var. Conjugatum back in an old, forgotten corner I'd always go check up on... gone now. I actually liked the look and feel better when it was the dirt parking lot. Now it seems so modern.

I was not aware of this, what a shame

[RainforestCafe]

Interesting place I stumbled across in Lakewood Ranch today east of 75, it's an office building but whoever did the landscaping used quite a few things you don't see too often around here. 

Some sort of Coccothrinax, not sure of the exact type but it was about 7' of clear trunk in complete shade and looked really happy:

A nice clump of licuala spinosa:

 

Another nice clump of licuala spinosa on the other side of the sidewalk:

Archontophoenix:

A nice, healthy Arenga Engleri in between some sabals:

some Buddha belly bamboo:

Another Archontophoenix:

What look like a clumping ptychosperma, maybe Macarthurii?

And then finally, some really tall ptychosperma elegans:

 

Kind of surprised to see all of this in one spot over in Lakewood ranch

[RedRabbit]

1 hour ago, RainforestCafe said:

Interesting place I stumbled across in Lakewood Ranch today east of 75, it's an office building but whoever did the landscaping used quite a few things you don't see too often around here. 

Some sort of Coccothrinax, not sure of the exact type but it was about 7' of clear trunk in complete shade and looked really happy:

A nice clump of licuala spinosa:

 

Another nice clump of licuala spinosa on the other side of the sidewalk:

Archontophoenix:

A nice, healthy Arenga Engleri in between some sabals:

some Buddha belly bamboo:

Another Archontophoenix:

What look like a clumping ptychosperma, maybe Macarthurii?

And then finally, some really tall ptychosperma elegans:

 

Kind of surprised to see all of this in one spot over in Lakewood ranch

There are a few older coconuts in Lakewood Ranch too. That area seems to be z10 (by the old standard) and I don’t understand why. 

[RainforestCafe]

12 hours ago, RedRabbit said:

There are a few older coconuts in Lakewood Ranch too. That area seems to be z10 (by the old standard) and I don’t understand why. 

Yeah I've seen several large coconuts in neighborhoods in Lakewood Ranch. It's a hard area to figure out climate-wise, because it's undergone so much change that there isn't much old growth around to base things off of. Everything is new. Even though I see some pre-2010 coconuts around in exposed locations, I still wouldn't plant one 😂 too risky. I've also seen some very old Dypsis Lutescens and Traveler's palms in places around here as well. But I haven't seen any tropical stuff that's like 40+ years old like you see along the coast here, so that's why I think it's a warm 9B. 

[Merlyn]

@Silas_Sancona I just read an article on the DeSoto gumbo limbo tree.  Apparently it was damaged in hurricane Irma, and ended up being removed due to an incurable Ganoderma infection.  They had a "limb giveaway day" and lopped off over 500 pieces to give to people.  According to the article, a lot of the other gumbo limbo trees in the area were cuttings from that one or the previous biggest one in the monument.

[Silas_Sancona]

1 hour ago, Merlyn said:

@Silas_Sancona I just read an article on the DeSoto gumbo limbo tree.  Apparently it was damaged in hurricane Irma, and ended up being removed due to an incurable Ganoderma infection.  They had a "limb giveaway day" and lopped off over 500 pieces to give to people.  According to the article, a lot of the other gumbo limbo trees in the area were cuttings from that one or the previous biggest one in the monument.

Irma = Final nail in it's coffin makes sense though discussion regarding eventual removal due to the Gano issue was occurring when i moved back there in '14.

Good ( ..and a  little bummed i missed out, lol ) to hear they passed around limbs / branches for people to start rather than just trash the entire tree after Irma came calling. 

If you look at current ( ..as of '22 and 23... ) Street View captures, unless you knew where the tree was located, hard to tell  it was even there to begin with.  Next largest specimen on-site ..and the rest of the other specimens look good. Imagine a few of the smaller trees are starts from the " landmark " specimen.

[howfam]

On 9/13/2019 at 11:41 AM, kinzyjr said:

A few of the many clumps of Dypsis in the area.  These are on South Blvd. near Lake Morton.

Link 1

Link 2

Dypsis are nice, but the tall Livistona Chinensis are Awesome !!

[kinzyjr]

The soon-to-open Twin Peaks has some interesting choices for landscaping palms:

This one is WAY over-trimmed:

[flplantguy]

Seen across the street from Aloha Gardens in Holiday.  Nearby are tall mangoes and other tropicals that nade it through the last round of freezes. In fact most in the west coast area made it or sailed through and look perfect after a freeze free winter.

[flplantguy]

On 4/30/2023 at 5:55 PM, flplantguy said:

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.

This coconut is now gone in a summer street view, likely the extremes we have had since 2022 did it in.  That means the coconut zone is still where its always been, no new frontiers for planting on this coast.  Hopefully the local nursery pushing them learns a lesson and changes to other cool stuff.  All other palms in this yard recovered excepet one that was removed for some other reason as that was not sensitive to cold.

[kinzyjr]

1 hour ago, flplantguy said:

This coconut is now gone in a summer street view, likely the extremes we have had since 2022 did it in.  That means the coconut zone is still where its always been, no new frontiers for planting on this coast.  Hopefully the local nursery pushing them learns a lesson and changes to other cool stuff.  All other palms in this yard recovered excepet one that was removed for some other reason as that was not sensitive to cold.

Seems to be hit or miss.  In the same general area, this one made it:

[kinzyjr]

Observed these coconuts towering over the house in the neighborhood.  They are fruiting and overall height is over 20 feet.

[flplantguy]

Im hoping all these palms are tall and still here when im old, because that means most of my plants will be too! Just not the Verschaffeltias lol.

[ck_in_fla]

I have told this story a number of times on this forum...

Back in 1999, I received an email from a gentleman Christopher Carley.  He had seen some of my posts detailing my zone pushing efforts here at my Orlando area home.  He explained that he had collected seed from the few remaining Royal palms along Bayshore Blvd. in Tampa.  He told me that originally, the street was lined completely with Royal palms.  Over the years, cold had killed off most of them.  His idea was that the remaining Royal palms might be more cold resistant.  So, he collected seed and sprouted them.  When he reached out to me he had lots of seedlings and wanted to place them around Central Florida with people who would give them special attention while they were small and vulnerable.  He said he would bring them to me.  Well, one day I came home from work and my wife said that "some guy came by an dropped off some trees for me".  I walked out to the covered entry by my front door and there were three Royal palm seedlings each in 1 gallon pots.  They were each about 3 feet tall.  Since it was late fall, I kept them in the pots and brought them into my garage when it got cold.  There were only 2 or 3 cold snaps that winter.  In the Spring I planted them on the side of my house (between my house and the house next to me).  Over the years I babied these trees.  Each time it got cold I would build a mini greenhouse over each tree and place an incandescent spot light in it to keep the tree warm.  I did this until the trees were just too large to protect.  All three of these trees thrived.  But once they were too large to protect, I did lose the two trees on the ends.  But, the middle tree thrived.  If you look at my avatar, you can see the original three trees.  I have attached some additional images of the surviving tree which is now more than 40 feet tall.  It has bloomed many times but has never set any fruit.  I suppose the reason for this is that there are no other Royal palms close enough to allow the insects to pollinate the open flowers.  One of the problems when you have the only Royal palm in the area.  I have tried to contact Mr. Carley over the years but have been unable to find him.  I'm sure he would find the results of his testing to be interesting.

[HudsonBill]

The first picture is from Northern Port richey just south of 52 just west of little road. The 2nd picture is new port richey inland a few miles.  The 3rd picture is in northern hudson towards aripeka. 

The coconuts in new port richey and port richey where planted as small plants. The home owner of the yard with the royals and coconuts said they have never used anything but Christmas lights to protect them. 

[RainforestCafe]

@ck_in_fla That's such a cool story about those Royal palms. So the one palm that's still remaining has been living there in Winter Springs for 25 years now? That's pretty impressive. What's the lowest temperatures that it's seen unprotected?

[ck_in_fla]

On 11/21/2024 at 5:39 PM, RainforestCafe said:

@ck_in_fla That's such a cool story about those Royal palms. So the one palm that's still remaining has been living there in Winter Springs for 25 years now? That's pretty impressive. What's the lowest temperatures that it's seen unprotected?

I think the lowest has been 27 or so.  Just to the North of where I am located is Lake Jessup.  It is a very large lake that is actually part of the St. Johns river system.  I believe this large body of water helps to moderate the cold winds that blow from the North.  Also, I'm sure it helps that the growing point is now at least 40 feet above the ground level.  And. let's not forget that there may be a genetic component in play here.  I still get people who ring my doorbell and ask me what kind of tree is that?