Survivor Palms

[Cindy Adair]

Well when I left for a brief trip to the States Fiona was not yet born.  I had done the basics one does during peak hurricane months but nothing like what I would have done had I been home when she “visited”.

Still since the rain, not the wind was the issue this time, my little plants in pots in a strong shadehouse are fine. 

I am choosing to post the positives at least to start.

Look at these survivor palms that did not lose a leaf!

Licuala cordata

Asterogyne martiana 

 

Licuala mattanensis ‘mapu’ now seeding, but collected the ripe seed before I left.

Chambeyronia macrocarpa

In fact, when I looked more closely, most of the severely leaning palms are less than 4 feet tall and have evidence of obvious rhinoceros beetle damage. Of course they could not stand tall in the wind and rain. 

Some may live as I can prop them up and apply imidocloprid hopefully tomorrow.

My flight home was to be on the day Fiona (and María five years ago) hit, so obviously I had to make other plans.

I am very happy that even originally paying the lowest fares SW and Cape Air were VERY nice and got me home Tuesday by dark. 
 

Bad but not María on my land and in fact City water returned today versus 3 months without following María. 

Got smart with a small push button propane generator so no need to wait in gas lines.

Bamboo and Tropical Almond and Cecropia trees are expected to crash down and I have been removing and cutting but still plenty to fall last Sunday. 

My big Roystonea borinquenas dropped leaves which crush some plants but the trunks usually survive and they push out odd yellow leaves soon after.

Need to get through the rest of September and all of October before relaxing a little. 
 

I remember Irma that was so bad for us (and poor FL got nailed) but before we could clean up and exhale María charged in. 
 

I never lost internet (so credit cards work) and kept phone service with this one which has also been a huge plus.  I live in the mountains away from water so my house and car are dry.

Certainly many in PR had to be rescued due to flooding and landslides and many roads still impassable.

Below is one of two seedling Copernicia fallaensis from Mike Harris of Caribbean palms in Loxahatchee FL.

Both with Cuban genetics were also perfect and probably just appreciated all the extra water and now even more sun!

 

Back to clean up/rescue.

[Fusca]

Great to hear that you came through OK!  I was wondering how you were doing over there.  We're watching the disturbance just south of you now for possible entrance into the Gulf.  Interesting time of the year!  🙄

[Barry]

Cindy,

Glad to hear you came out good on this one. I was wondering how you fared? Looks like you are safe from 98L, but we will be watching closely over the coming week.

Cordata and Mapu look amazing! Very jealous of those.

[DoomsDave]

Cindy hell with the palms 

glad you’re okay!

Worried about you …..

but glad the palms are okay too!

[PalmatierMeg]

Cindy, glad to hear missed Fiona and that your palms are OK. Tim & I thought of you when the storm headed to PR. Looks like we may have Charley/Wilma/Irma deja vu with Hermione. Now we have to decide how to "get ready" right away before everyone else here gets a clue. Considering how many clueless Yankees have flooded in the past two years, it won't be pretty. 

Just another day in Paradise.

[DoomsDave]

4 hours ago, PalmatierMeg said:

Cindy, glad to hear missed Fiona and that your palms are OK. Tim & I thought of you when the storm headed to PR. Looks like we may have Charley/Wilma/Irma deja vu with Hermione. Now we have to decide how to "get ready" right away before everyone else here gets a clue. Considering how many clueless Yankees have flooded in the past two years, it won't be pretty. 

Just another day in Paradise.

Be safe!

I'll help someone with earthquake panic out here, when the time comes.

[Cindy Adair]

Meg,  I have been too busy here trying to save trees, but did hear about the worries for SW FL. So sorry!

Sadly I know you have much experience with preparation so hope all goes well!

One day we will get power back but in the meantime more propane to be delivered tomorrow.

Long gas lines but not out for cars but I am happy to avoid them so far.

I am very happy to have scored new shadecloth (better than what I had before a big limb blew down from my neighbor’s place and tore it up). Amazingly  the one store with it was open AND the roads to get there were OK!

[realarch]

We all think of you when hurricanes approach PR. A big WHEW1

Oh man, that L. cordata………killer specimen.

Tim

[JohnAndSancho]

Glad you're safe Cindy!

[Cindy Adair]

Clean up ongoing.

Not surprisingly no electricity here yet, but with this sunset view just now from my house, I can’t complain.

My heart goes out to those hit by Ian!

 

[Cindy Adair]

Really, an earthquake… I felt this one for sure but no damage. 

[Cindy Adair]

Good thing I have learned to allow extra time for surprises such as this big downed bamboo blocking my long driveway pre dawn on the way to go to the IPS Biennial.

 

As I had 15 minutes “extra” I just walked back to my house and grabbed a work shirt, gloves and my sawzall and went to work using my car headlights to see.
 

Still no power but hoping it will be back on by the time I return home.

I made MANY supports with pvc pipes over the last couple of weeks. 

Here’s a Beccariophoenix alfredii special to me as the seeds were gifted by Alfred himself in Madagascar. 
 

 

Very few palms needed help but others did not fare as well. Below is a volunteer white flowering Bauhinia that I had to chop severely. Notice the new growth already and the rhipsalis I tied on remaining. As this tree has survived a landslide I think it will live to bloom again.

 

My only mangosteen (grafted) in the ground needed help too. So slow from seed, but as they grow up eventually I will plant out more.

 

And last for now, before Fiona I had one little waterfall and now I have two!

 

[palmfriend]

Cindy,

my thoughts were with you when the storm that hit you showed up even on the news over here and I am glad that you are well! 

I am wishing you wonderful days at the Biennial and looking forward to see one or two pictures taken there...

Have a safe flight!

 

Lars

 

[Cindy Adair]

To follow up on this topic, Thanks to all who had been concerned about me and to those who posted about my many survivors. 

I was very glad to see Meg’s topic on her Ian attack and her perseverance!

I arrived back home to Puerto Rico late afternoon last Monday after 5 flights (over 26 hours of travel) which began in Hilo HI with a convenient shuttle to the airport (included in the Biennial cost).

I had heard that my little rural neighborhood’s power had been off and on but it was definitely off when I arrived. 
 
Happily it came back on two days later and so far so good! I have even stored my little, but excellent portable generator in the porch bathroom and hoping the cover can stay on!

I have seen no new hurricane related issues with my rescued plants although some new rhinoceros beetle attacks.

I heard that happens after the extra rain following a hurricane.
 

I am hoping for help as I was able to connect with the HI based CRB who is fighting the coconut beetle invasion in HI trying to at least keep this pest off the Big Island.

See this topic if you want that whole story:

But I digress. 

What follows are a few more survivor photos. First my formerly nice volunteer white flowering Bauhina. Here is the chain sawed look I posted earlier as the tree was too heavy to prop up and blocking the path of my car. 

And this is what it looks like now, only less than three weeks after the first photo.  Amazing!

Next is a favorite grafted red apple cashew  that also seems to be determined to live.

This tree had exposed roots and had fallen down flush with the steep slope below. Thanks to the two very strong helpers and the improvised bamboo prop still in place!

Well there is much left to do as you see a sample of remaining issues below. The photos don’t show the dangerous slope nor convey the full height of this invasive bamboo. But not an emergency so little by little I will clear the mess. 

 

In closing more survivors to celebrate upon my return from my wonderful HI adventure.

 

I wish all those in recovery (from whatever 2022 environmental challenge) strength, positivity and patience.