New Year 2021 in the (World's smallest) Jungle

[PalmatierMeg]

I try to take photos of our yard every New Year's Day. I usually start great guns in our back yard jungle but often get sidetracked by my daily bucket list before I complete the whole 0.61 ac Paradise. This year I hope to be more diligent. Uh-huh. I started with general views of the jungle beginning from the vacant lot across the canal.

World's Smallest Jungle, Cape Coral, FL 2021

[JohnAndSancho]

I really want to just put a hammock up in your jungle and take a nap and drink rum out of a coconut while looking up in awe. 

[RyManUtah]

[BigWaveDav3]

5 hours ago, JohnAndSancho said:

I really want to just put a hammock up in your jungle and take a nap and drink rum out of a coconut while looking up in awe. 

Yes! Or sit in one of those chairs with a cup of coffee while taking in the morning beauty 

[Jim in Los Altos]

I wish my jungle was .61 acres. That’s a big lot. I’ve had to squeeze my jungle into .25 acre. Yours looks fantastic, Meg! 

[Kris]

Dear Meg,

Beautiful Garden,Thanks for the visuals.

Love,

Kris.

[subsonicdrone]

thanks for the tour!

[Reeverse]

So Awesome!!! Always like seeing your jungle 

[tjwalters]

Wow!  Stunning!

[Palm Tree Jim]

Well done Meg!

[PalmatierMeg]

More Bungle in the Jungle! These photos focus on some of the individual palms.

Veitchia arecina (tallest), Veitchia metiti (left) & Cocos (right)

Cocos nucifera - I can't remember if I actually purchased it or if it drifted down the canal already sprouted. Most of my Cocos were drifters. My husband pots them up even though we don't have room for them. I'd give them away if someone picks them up.

Cocos nucifera Panama Tall - A gift from Peter in Guatemala. It is fruiting

Pritchardia pacifica - I have several, two in the jungle. Very cold sensitive and will look ratty by spring.

Dypsis sp Malagasy - An unnamed, tristichous Dypsis. Very attractive trunk. Mine are ~12 years old and have yet to flower

Ptychosperma waitianum - flowering but yet to produce viable seeds

Adonidia x Veitchia - or so I was told

Satakentia liukiuensis & Ptychosperma waitianum

Chambeyronia macrocarpa - I once had 6-7 of them in a "grove" but several died off

Dypsis leptocheilos - or is it lastelliana?

Carpoxylon macrospermum

Dictyosperma album v rubrum

Chambeyronia Houailou

 

 

 

 

 

[Cocoa Beach Jason]

Fantastic jungle! What killed the Chambeys? 

[tjwalters]

I like the little Anole on your flowering P. waitianum.  Do any of your P. waitianum cluster?  My potted one has multiple trunks, including a couple that flower.  It has produced viable seeds.

[PalmatierMeg]

The oldest part of my jungle is on the east side of the walk leading down to the dock.

Dypsis pusilla - a nifty and easy growing little Dypsis in the Vonitra complex. Its trunk generally splits and sends up two stems covered in long fibers. New leaves are bronzy-red. Wish I could find more of them as they love life in FL.

Beccariophoenix madagascariensis - Not thrilled with all the shade. The area was bare when I planted it.

Dypsis pembana - my original I got at Jeff Searle's circa 2009 as a 3g. It took down to 28.5 in Jan. 2010 with hardly a cold spot. Best Dypsis for FL I know of. Dump those Golden Canes/faux Arecas/Dypsis lutescens. This one clusters minimally and is drop dead gorgeous.

Hydriastele dransfieldii - This tropical palm is entering its third winter planted in the jungle after it outgrew the lanai. Lots of canopy, a canal and the south side of the house have kept it alive so far.

Howea forsteriana - is loving life now cooler weather is here. It limps along all summer long under deep jungle canopy just to reach winter. This species is unsuited for FL but I've loved it all my life. I grew it from a germinated seed I received in 2004 just before Hurricane Charley

Howea belmoreana - even more unsuited for my jungle. I got it as a 1g in late 2005 post-Wilma and it has yet to trunk. My mutant African oil shields it from sun all year.

Rhapis excelsa 'Koban'

Areca concinna

Ravenea julietieae

Dypsis malcomberi

Areca catechu semi-dwarf

Kerriodoxa elegans - each leaf is 5-6' diameter. Petioles are black

 

[PalmatierMeg]

23 minutes ago, Cocoa Beach Jason said:

Fantastic jungle! What killed the Chambeys? 

I'm not sure. They just started declining over time until they croaked. I had a mix of macrocarpa & Hookeri. All the Hookeri and maybe one macrocarpa died. I haven't been able to any Hookeri alive long term but macrocarpa and Houailou do fine. I wonder if Hookeri is a higher altitude palm that can't cope with FL weather. I know I can't grow Lepidota for that reason.

[PalmatierMeg]

31 minutes ago, tjwalters said:

I like the little Anole on your flowering P. waitianum.  Do any of your P. waitianum cluster?  My potted one has multiple trunks, including a couple that flower.  It has produced viable seeds.

It has stayed solitary.

[Cocoa Beach Jason]

On 1/2/2021 at 11:25 AM, PalmatierMeg said:

I'm not sure. They just started declining over time until they croaked. I had a mix of macrocarpa & Hookeri. All the Hookeri and maybe one macrocarpa died. I haven't been able to any Hookeri alive long term but macrocarpa and Houailou do fine. I wonder if Hookeri is a higher altitude palm that can't cope with FL weather. I know I can't grow Lepidota for that reason.

That is interesting. My one pure hookeri is noticeably slower than my macrocarpas but otherwise doing well (so far). 

[Merlyn]

On 1/1/2021 at 5:30 PM, PalmatierMeg said:

World's Smallest Jungle, Cape Coral, FL 2021

Is that a giant Sumawongii?

[Tassie_Troy1971]

Looks fantastic not much light for weed growth is a big bonus

[PalmatierMeg]

On 1/23/2021 at 8:55 PM, Merlyn said:

Is that a giant Sumawongii?

Pritchardia pacifica.

[sonoranfans]

Beautiful jungle meg!  Its a work of art and a labor of love.  A great place to put a zero gravity recliner and relax.  And I know all the memories of planting it and watching it grow are priceless!

[PalmatierMeg]

Tom, my husband says I should do that more but I have a hard time doing that. I'm always checking out something or other and can't sit still.

[sonoranfans]

Meg, on this one I'll side with your husband.  Take some time and just enjoy it, especially this time of year when the weather is so wonderful.