Why so few naturalized Coconut Palms in South Florida?

[chinandega81]

I have been looking out for naturalized coconut palms in natural areas of South Florida from the Everglades to the uninhabited bay islands in Key Biscayne and other areas along local waterways and I cannot understand why more coconut palms have not naturalized throughout this southern coastal areas of the state?

 

To be fair, there are a few here and there, but they are few and far between, especially considering the large amount of planted and fruiting coconuts along the bay and beaches that have been planted and that have coconuts that actually fall into and float away in the water.

 

I have seen videos of uninhabited areas of Key Biscayne and there are tons of dried coconuts scattered about different areas but none have sprouted and you can't see any large coconuts in the "natural" environments. I am obviously excluding areas in parks where they have been planted like Crandon Park where they do sprout readily in some non-coastal areas that have been allowed to grow over but this is the exception rather than the rule.

 

Yet when looking across South Florida in general for naturalized coco palms, there is a dearth. There are plenty of other exotics that have naturalized but I am not sure why the coconut palm has not. Does anyone have any ideas? I would love to see it naturalize our coastal habitats and waterways moreso.

 

[ck_in_fla]

Think about it, it's not like birds can fly around distributing the seeds.  :-)

The only places I would look for (or expect) naturalized Coconut palms would be right on a body of water where the coconuts could float around and establish themselves.

There have been Coconut palms in the Southern half of the Florida peninsula for so many years that if they were going to naturalize, we would see it.  It has to be the size and weight of the coconuts that prevents what we all consider normal naturalization.

[chinandega81]

So how did they spread in their natural range? We have waterways for dispersion here just like in the South Pacific. I just don't get why we don't have them naturalized here as they are in many other tropical and subtropical coastal regions around the world.

[JLM]

I would suspect that coconut palms are mainly used for residential or commercial use. They would cut all the nuts off before hurricane season to avoid danger, so there wouldnt be so many naturally grown cocos. As said above they would be more likely to naturalize along coastal areas as they float onshore and take root on the beach.

[ck_in_fla]

4 hours ago, JLM said:

I would suspect that coconut palms are mainly used for residential or commercial use. They would cut all the nuts off before hurricane season to avoid danger, so there wouldnt be so many naturally grown cocos. As said above they would be more likely to naturalize along coastal areas as they float onshore and take root on the beach.

Bingo!  

When I was a very young child, my father was stationed at Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii.  Hawaii was not even a state yet (yes, I know I am old).  We had two tall Coconut palms in our back yard.  I can remember them coming around a few times each year and cutting all of the coconuts down.  I believe they were afraid that just letting them fall naturally might do damage to whatever they fell on.  Or, even hurt some poor unsuspecting person.

In today's world, I suspect there are lots of people who just don't want to deal with the liability posed by falling coconuts.  :-)

[Zeeth]

I've seen them naturalize as far north as Sarasota on the west coast and Merritt Island on the East coast, and as far island as Jerome Florida (on the side of a waterway that connects to the gulf down in Everglades City). Part of what prevents it is unsuitable habitat in areas where they can reach (either sea walls, dense mangrove thickets, or artificially widened beaches), part is human intervention (I've seen sprouted coconuts in suitable habitat being swiped by humans a few times), part is incorrect variety (Jamaican tall is suited to naturalizing, Malayan dwarf is not, Panama tall is okay but not great, Maypan is a mix of the latter two), part is climate, and part is random chance. 

[chinandega81]

1 hour ago, Zeeth said:

I've seen them naturalize as far north as Sarasota on the west coast and Merritt Island on the East coast, and as far island as Jerome Florida (on the side of a waterway that connects to the gulf down in Everglades City). Part of what prevents it is unsuitable habitat in areas where they can reach (either sea walls, dense mangrove thickets, or artificially widened beaches), part is human intervention (I've seen sprouted coconuts in suitable habitat being swiped by humans a few times), part is incorrect variety (Jamaican tall is suited to naturalizing, Malayan dwarf is not, Panama tall is okay but not great, Maypan is a mix of the latter two), part is climate, and part is random chance. 

I think you make some good points. Ironically where I have seen them sprout is in random places where people seemingly threw away coconuts ( side of I-95 in Miami) and in freshwater canals and lakes behind houses where coconut palms hang over the water and the nuts fall and the wind blows them to shore eventually.

I also wonder if they are actively removed by the County in MIami Dade because all of the coastal habitats along the beaches in the county parks are exclusively sea grapes and other coastal vegetation. There are some coconut palms planted but they are usually on the sand or grassy areas and not planted among the native plants-

I will say though that occasionally I have seen sprouting coconuts in Haulover Beach Park and Key Biscayne where the sea grape isn't too thick. It just seems like there should be more because you will see tens of dry coconuts on the ground in undisturbed areas and just one sprouting or growing nut. 

It also seems like coconut should have colonized the Cape Sable area with all of the coconuts in the Keys and SW coast of the state in populated areas. It is a state park so I can't imagine too many people yanking up a sprouting coconut in those areas...but who knows.

[PalmatierMeg]

We get dozens of coconuts float to the end of our canal every year - end lot is undeveloped so no seawall. Most of them are non-viable but a few each year arrive already germinated. I currently have two, probably one yellow Malayan and one green Malayan, growing in pots. What to do with these rescues? I don't want to fill my yard with orphan coconuts - I have plenty aready. I would gladly give them away but my neighbors say, "enough already". 

[palmfriend]

Hi,

I hope it is ok to chime in as a not Floridian - I am living in the south of Okinawa with a climate close to Key West - but since I have spent a lot

of my time to find out about naturally grown cocos nucifera over here as well:

and

 

and finally

...

I might add one or two thoughts. To keep it short, what I think I have found

out about an unsuccessful naturalization of the cocos nucifera species is simply the weather during fall and winter. It is just too

chilly for them to sprout as they could do without any interruption like in the more southern areas. If the seeds drop off at the 

"wrong time", they are gone. This three/four months window is interrupting their natural (sprouting/growing) circle somehow

significantly and that keeps them away from getting naturalized in other areas.

 

Just my two cents -

best regards from Okinawa

Lars

 

Edited July 19, 2020 by palmfriend

[mgmccabe]

My main thought is that they wash up on the beaches down here and get cleaned up by the county. The beaches here are wide, pruned and empty. Certainly not a natural, tropical beach landscape. 
 

I agree that lots of it down here too involves the locals attitude towards cocos. Lots of trees are trimmed, and when a coconut does fall, gets picked up quickly so it doesn’t sprout and create more need for clean up.
 

In my experience, most coconuts that fall naturally do sprout down here. Even the ones that I thought were taking too long and never would...sprout. They grow like the most beautiful weeds you’ve ever seen. Haha. I love it. 

[NOT A TA]

2 hours ago, palmfriend said:

. It is just too

chilly for them to sprout as they could do without any interruption like in the more southern areas.

This past winter I conducted a winter germination experiment outdoor, in ground. 12 of 17 Green Malayan Dwarf germinated by spring. They took longer to pop than during summer by roughly a month.

There's probably a combination of factors that reduces naturalization. And different varieties may have adapted over long periods of time to their natural environment through natural selection. That differentiation may not coincide with the typical S FL environment. As an example, I've found the Green Malayan Dwarfs from the same palm as the ones used for the winter germination mentioned above have a very low germination rate in full sun.

 

[palmsOrl]

4 hours ago, palmfriend said:

Hi,

I hope it is ok to chime in as a not Floridian - I am living in the south of Okinawa with a climate close to Key West - but since I have spent a lot

of my time to find out about naturally grown cocos nucifera over here as well:

and

 

and finally

...

I might add one or two thoughts. To keep it short, what I think I have found

out about an unsuccessful naturalization of the cocos nucifera species is simply the weather during fall and winter. It is just too

chilly for them to sprout as they could do without any interruption like in the more southern areas. If the seeds drop off at the 

"wrong time", they are gone. This three/four months window is interrupting their natural (sprouting/growing) circle somehow

significantly and that keeps them away from getting naturalized in other areas.

 

Just my two cents -

best regards from Okinawa

Lars

 

I have noticed that the two Jamaican tall Cocos at Kopsick in St. Pete seem to start dropping ripe nuts as early as August and until November(haven't checked later than this).  Thus, if this is the schedule that coconuts tend to ripen on in Florida, then it would make sense that many/most might end up sitting on the ground over the fall and winter and never germinate due to temperatures that are too low.  Granted, these are only two palms in one specific location of Florida.

[Mr. Coconut Palm]

On 7/18/2020 at 10:47 PM, chinandega81 said:

So how did they spread in their natural range? We have waterways for dispersion here just like in the South Pacific. I just don't get why we don't have them naturalized here as they are in many other tropical and subtropical coastal regions around the world.

Yes, and they are even naturalized THROUGHOUT the beaches of Bermuda, the Bahamas, the Caribbean Islands, and the beaches of Central America and northern South America.  I have always wondered the same thing.  The ONLY think I can think of is they have not been in South Florida as long as they have in the other areas I just mentioned, and therefore, when they really took off in popularity for landscaping in South Florida, that corresponded with the massive increase in tourism over the last 40+ years in Florida, so I am sure that a LOT of viable nuts lying on the beaches, and especially sprouted nuts have probably been grabbed by tourists and taken home with them as soon as they spot them!!!

John

[Mr. Coconut Palm]

19 hours ago, Zeeth said:

I've seen them naturalize as far north as Sarasota on the west coast and Merritt Island on the East coast, and as far island as Jerome Florida (on the side of a waterway that connects to the gulf down in Everglades City). Part of what prevents it is unsuitable habitat in areas where they can reach (either sea walls, dense mangrove thickets, or artificially widened beaches), part is human intervention (I've seen sprouted coconuts in suitable habitat being swiped by humans a few times), part is incorrect variety (Jamaican tall is suited to naturalizing, Malayan dwarf is not, Panama tall is okay but not great, Maypan is a mix of the latter two), part is climate, and part is random chance. 

Excellent explanation, Keith.  I think you Hit The Nail On The Head!!!

John

[chinandega81]

16 hours ago, palmsOrl said:

I have noticed that the two Jamaican tall Cocos at Kopsick in St. Pete seem to start dropping ripe nuts as early as August and until November(haven't checked later than this).  Thus, if this is the schedule that coconuts tend to ripen on in Florida, then it would make sense that many/most might end up sitting on the ground over the fall and winter and never germinate due to temperatures that are too low.  Granted, these are only two palms in one specific location of Florida.

Seeing other posts I think it's a combo of having the 3 or 4 non-summer months break the natural germination cycle or at least keeps them in check a lot....as well as the mangroves which are impenetrable.

 

Ironically they do grow away from beaches in forgotten areas....but never massive groves just one or two sprouting ones. Hopefully with a warming world we will have more coconuts and you will have them more in South Texas as well! I would love to see them ring the Gulf of Mexico some day...

[Mr. Coconut Palm]

On 7/20/2020 at 7:14 AM, chinandega81 said:

Seeing other posts I think it's a combo of having the 3 or 4 non-summer months break the natural germination cycle or at least keeps them in check a lot....as well as the mangroves which are impenetrable.

 

Ironically they do grow away from beaches in forgotten areas....but never massive groves just one or two sprouting ones. Hopefully with a warming world we will have more coconuts and you will have them more in South Texas as well! I would love to see them ring the Gulf of Mexico some day...

I would like to see that too, but the corresponding climate change consequences due to such extreme warming would be beyond disastrous, because for that to happen, the Polar Icecaps would probably almost completely melt!!!

John

[Mr.SamuraiSword]

On 7/20/2020 at 5:14 AM, chinandega81 said:

Seeing other posts I think it's a combo of having the 3 or 4 non-summer months break the natural germination cycle or at least keeps them in check a lot....as well as the mangroves which are impenetrable.

 

Ironically they do grow away from beaches in forgotten areas....but never massive groves just one or two sprouting ones. Hopefully with a warming world we will have more coconuts and you will have them more in South Texas as well! I would love to see them ring the Gulf of Mexico some day...

Theres some scattered around on the coast south of Chokoloskee and north of the keys, that being said i assume any groves died off in the LY pandemic of the 70s, and the stragglers and nuts that washed up afterwards are the only remainder.  after all, there were attempts at big coconut farms in the teens and twenties down there.

[Donald Sanders]

I always thought that when the coconuts washed up on what is now Palm Beach, they naturalized in large groves.   I have seen some old photos of coconuts in huge amounts growing in Florida.   In the late 60's I was looking for coconut sprouts in the Palm Beach area and there were still some very old pieces of property that was undeveloped with some large amounts of coconut trees that looked pretty wild to me.    I found lots of sprouts.    I too, am surprised that there are not any huge wild groves like we have here in Hawaii.    One of the many beautiful things about Florida is the huge amount of coconut trees planted there.   

[PalmTreeDude]

Plenty of seemingly naturalized coconut palms in Ocean Reef Park, right along the beach in Palm Beach County. Unfortunately, most of Southeast Florida is a city now, which would be the prime place for naturalized coconut palms. I took these pictures in 2018. 

 

 

Edited July 23, 2020 by PalmTreeDude
Added Pictures

[PalmTreeDude]

Edited July 23, 2020 by PalmTreeDude
Added Pictures

[PalmTreeDude]