Copernicias in Cuba Habitat, 2014

[PalmatierMeg]

Cindy Adair's recent topic about a visit to Bornea in 2014 inspired me to go into my photos of an IPS post-tour of the palms of Cuba in 2014. One of the highlights for me was some of the spectacular native Cuban Copernicias in habitat. I'll post some of those photos again because it looks American palm lovers won't be visiting there anytime soon.

Holguin, 5/31/14 - Our overloaded chartered plane landed at the Holguin airport where we were met by our made-in-China bus (the US & Cuba have no official trade relations). We set off to look for palms.

Copernicia sp

Copernicia yarey

Moa 6/1/14 - an almost unearthly landscape full of strange, noxious plants. I contracted painful lesions on my hands that plagued me the rest of the trip. But the palms were worth it

Copernicia rigida

C. rigida and my husband Tim. I returned with C. rigida as my favorite Copernicia. They remind me of my dad's old time shaving brushes.

Me gazing at acres of C. rigidas. Our tour group had to walk past an abandoned hobo camp on our way to see these awesome palms. Had the authorities of this Workers' Paradise chased the inhabitants away before our visit?

Copernicia Valley - Our bus pulled over to the side of the road and let us out to view a miles-long valley of Copernicias: rigida, yarey, sp and countless hybrids

 

 

[dalmatiansoap]

57 minutes ago, PalmatierMeg said:

 

 

 

Stunning! Like from another planet!

[sonoranfans]

I almost never use the worse awesome, but what else describes awe?  Like great art, but from nature  

 

[Chris Chance]

Awesome pictures! I would love to visit some day! My wife's friend takes trips there and was trying to get us to go sometime. I told my wife if that happens I will have to spend at least a day looking for palms.

[PalmatierMeg]

The big problem is that most of these palms are located out in the hinterlands and our group of Americans and Australians was watched and babysat constantly by "guides/commissars" who made sure it stopped only when and where they wanted and that we had minimal to no contact with Cuban citizens. I doubt any American would be allowed to drive and travel at will into the countryside. Europeans can travel around and stay at private B&Bs but we had to stay/eat at gov't approved/run restaurants or hotels. The guides made sure we spent each morning on the road, at which time the head commissar would regale use with propaganda, I mean "history", of US oppression of Cuba going back to the mid-1800s, Including how the US Navy blew up its Battleship Maine in order to start the Spanish-American War.

Actually, neither side blew up the Maine. The explosion was a tragic accident.

[Cindy Adair]

What a trip that was Meg! I had a wonderful time. Thanks for the amazing photos.

[PalmatierMeg]

Las Tunas Botanical Garden, 6/1/14

Copernicia macroglossa

Camaguey area, 6/3/14 - Copernicia jackpot

Bulls and Copernicias

Copernicia baileyana

Me among the baileyana

Copernicia cowellii - another of my wanna haves

Me admiring a Copernicia cowellii

[PalmatierMeg]

Camaguey cont'd

Copernicia hospita

Copernicia rigida or hybrids

Copernicia gigas

Caya Coco, 6/4/14 - We finally saw the fabulous Copernicia fallaensis, which unfortunately wasn't seeding. Also unfortunately, we also faced a pelting rainstorm.

[Shiveringtropicals]

14 hours ago, PalmatierMeg said:

Look how thin it is near the base, how is that thing still standing