What are your favorite Trees and Flowers ? (Miami, Fort Lauderdale: condominium, gardens)

[cixcell]

"Has anyone else noticed that the coconuts in the Keys and right at the beach usually resist LY better than the inland coconut palms? Do you all think this is merely because these trees are getting their injections? Or is it less stress from the colder inland night temps?"

the insect vector that carries LY is a leaf hopper that normally feeds on grass which is why when the LY plague initially wiped through florida the ones on the beaches died last.


"There is nothing sadder than seeing a thriving 4 or 5 year old coconut succumb to LY. And now the Ficus are being attacked. I have also noticed in Broward that the Royal Poincianas are being affected by some disease...they drop their leave and their branches curve upward as oppsoed to downward and they are toast. What disease is that? God, I would hate for yet another icon of subtropical beauty to be infected."

the cold affected the poincianas bad these past 2 winters. i havent seen any disease attack them.

[Chelito23]

The Poinciana disease seems to infect young trees, under 10 years old. The dead ones are noticeable by June when they are totally bare. This started before the cold winters of recent years so I don't think it is from the cold, although that probably did a number on them as well.

Who would think it's so tough to grow beautiful exotics in South Florida?? If only we were a couple hundred more miles south....

[cixcell]

chelito: historically florida has been killed to the ground by frosts at least 3 times in history and each time recolonized from the caribbean

[Reptoid Humidian]

I have to say my absolute favorite Florida tree is the Coconut palm. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING says "tropical" like a Coconut palm! When I was down there I noticed quite a variation in the Coconuts. Some had deep dark green fronds with green petioles. Other's had nearly fluorescent green foliage with orange petioles and a new growth look that makes the leaves look almost translucent. Those were my favorite types. There was a couple of the latter type by Birch Towers, and a lot of the Coconuts at Matheson Hammock are like this. Greener than Green! There were times when I could swear that Coconut palm population could account for at least part of the characteristic "South Florida Smell"!

[Reptoid Humidian]

Here are some more beautiful Coconuts. One of the things I love about these three pictures is that if you look carefully you will notice the CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS in each one of these pictures!! These were taken mid winter and not only are these trees green. They're NEW GROWTH translucent SUPER GREEN!! This is something you'll never see in San Diego. Don't get me wrong. San Diego stays Green in the winter --- SOMEWHAT!!! Actually San Diego stays more of an Olive Drab. Because of the slow growth rates, San Diego palm leaves do not have anywhere near the same level of translucency as the Miami palms. Everything here looks pretty dormant -- the current month excepted--(actually San Diego THIS summer is looking fairly decent).

[cixcell]

Originally Posted by Reptoid Humidian

I have to say my absolute favorite Florida tree is the Coconut palm. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING says "tropical" like a Coconut palm! When I was down there I noticed quite a variation in the Coconuts. Some had deep dark green fronds with green petioles. Other's had nearly fluorescent green foliage with orange petioles and a new growth look that makes the leaves look almost translucent. Those were my favorite types. There was a couple of the latter type by Birch Towers, and a lot of the Coconuts at Matheson Hammock are like this. Greener than Green! There were times when I could swear that Coconut palm population could account for at least part of the characteristic "South Florida Smell"!

its nutrition. theyre healthier with a nice layer of mulch under them and some palm fertilizer.

[Asagi]

Royal Palms actually do quite well in San Diego, but don't fruit because of the lack of heat and humidity...

There the 4th most common palm in Brownsville area of Deep South Texas, where they reach fruiting maturity...

By the way, Roystonea elata has been lumped into R. regia.
Sorry for going off topic.

[Kinetic_A]

Originally Posted by cixcell

its nutrition. theyre healthier with a nice layer of mulch under them and some palm fertilizer.

I like the 'foliage' in the first picture.....

Were you REALLY taking pictures of the trees?

[perry335654]

YouTube - summerfest Orchid & Tropical Plant Sale

[Optional Angel]

Nice pictures Reptoid. I agree, coconut palms are sexy. I don't like palmetto trees, they always look all brown and dead. I don't understand why they even plant those ugly things. I like it when trees are bright green.