Mule palms officially date back to 1932 in FL

[Palmə häl′ik]

ohboy was it tricky to access this one...

but I share none the less...

this ought to work:

http://www.fshs.org/Proceedings/Password%20Protected/1973%20Vol.%2086/470-473%20(BUSH).pdf

Does Fairchild still have these three bruisers in Plot 3

~Ray.

[virtualpalm]

I get an error when I click the link, Ray.

Jody

[Palmə häl′ik]

their onto me

[Palmə häl′ik]

http://www.fshs.org/Proceedings/Password%20Protected/1973%20Vol.%2086/470-473%20(BUSH).pdf Edited December 25, 2011 by Palmə häl′ik

[Palmə häl′ik]

try to drag and drop my link into your web browser.

it's fsus server, and it's pw protected.

direct links won't work.

~ray.

[Palmə häl′ik]

alright. check it:

470-473 (BUSH).pdf

[Palmə häl′ik]

[George Sparkman]

Thanks for posting this Ray.

It sure is a very interesting read.

Happy growing,

George Sparkman

Cycads-n-Palms.com

[Palmə häl′ik]

Here are the ones in front of the FSU main libray...

[Palmə häl′ik]

I'll betcha that one that Sarasota Alex posted a couple months back is the one referenced in that article...

~Ray.

[Palmə häl′ik]

...and here are a couple of the ones on the circular drive on Call St. at FSU

[Walt]

I've found some interesting butiagrus palms here in Highlands County and also in Hardee County, Florida. I have a friend who owns (along with his three sons) a nursery (Buckhorn Nursery) in Hardee County and they get Butias by the 100s in maybe 3 gallon containers, and place them in long rows in full sun. My friend says he can walk the rows and spot a butiagrus with no problem, and pulls it (for later and more expensive sale) from the others.

Just the other day I took the first photo below of some local butiagrus palms. I've been photographing them for years, but have yet met the owner(s) to inquire about these palms.

The second photo below is of the tallest butiagrus so far I've come across here in Highlands County. This palm is located in Sebring, Florida. I spoke with the owner and he told me the palm was already planted when he bought his home back in the early 1980s. He told me some landscaping business offered him $500 for this palm -- and he laughed in their face! I estimate his butiagrus had about 23 feet of clear trunk.

[Palmə häl′ik]

yessir walt.

those ARE nice ones!

~ray.

[Walt]

When I first moved to Highlands County in 1997 (I was living near Avon Park), the butiagrus palm (two of them) in the below photo were the first ones I had ever seen. In fact, I didn't even know what a butiagrus palm was, but to me, at the time, being a neophyte (with respect to palms) I knew this was not a queen palm. And to me, at the time, it looked similar to a coconut palm.

I took this photo in 2005 and reallly need to update it. However, I just looked at these palms on Google Earth "street scene" and they don't appear to have grown much at all.

[Walt]

The below mule palm is growing alonside a highway in Hardee County. If I'm ever over that way again I will take a current photo, as surely this palm (if it's still there) has grown some in almost eight years since this photo was taken.

[Walt]

There is a mobile home park about 1-1/2 miles from me with butiagrus palms in it. I need to drive over there and see how these two have grown since nine years ago.

[ErikSJI]

Good reading. So correct me if I am wrong Gervin Pringle was pumping out 50,000 Mule palms a year in 1949. He said 5% of Millions of liners were hybrids. It appears Mr. Pringle was the president of the FNGLA back in 55 56.

[Palmə häl′ik]

Apparently their around Erik. I dunno about 50 thousand of 'em... But I'm starting to see more and more now that I know what I'm lookin' at.... The majorty of them are inland. I've seen a few in Z-Hills (zephyrhills), but never have my camera with...

Lotsa 'old folks' up that aways... Their the ones that planted 'em...

There's a few here in Brandon.

SnowBird territory up and down 301 holds lotsa large old butias and mules aswell... Remember I75 wasn't around til the 80's...

He must've been pushin' the hybrid back then...

I'll betcha all the older large ones we see are from his efforts.

Your time to shine will come...

~Ray.

[_Keith]

So, is it just me, or do those palms look a bit ragged. Sure hope mine grow up to be prettier.

[pindo]

Thanks for sharing guys

It's funny .... in the United States you can see more mules that we in the natural habitat ....

Regards

[Walt]

I have only one butiagrus palm. I got it during the summer of 2002. It was in a 15 gallon concrete pot. The palm was totally (and I mean totally) root bound in the pot -- and suffering from mineral deficiency (probably nitrogen and iron and potassium) as evidence from it's anemic color. I was going to take a sledge hammer to the pot so as to extricate the root ball from it, but my wife wanted me to keep the pot, so I painstakingly used various tools to run down the insides of the pot, and also used a heavy rubber mallet to beat on the pot so as to free the root ball. I finally freed the palm after about a 1/2 hour of work (and painted the pot green for my wife, and she uses this pot to this day).

I planted my butia and fortified the planting hole with Dynamite slow release fertilizer, and then used a palm special combintion fast/slow release fertilizer from there on out. The palm greened up very fast.

Today my butiagrus has 7 feet of unbooted trunk. I plan to get some more butiagrus palms.

[Palmə häl′ik]

That thing looks happy Walt!

That's what I need out back, 'hassle free' palms...

I have no canopy out back...

Just feed it and go!

~Ray.

[Mark Heath]

Thanks Ray for starting this thread. When i started producing the XButiagrus it was out of being aggrevated for not being able to find any other nurseries than Rockledge Gardens who only had a few to sell per year.

I have only sold a handfull but i have allways wanted to sell later in life when retirement came and that was my nestegg. But tough times have hit us all and now i'll sell some if that oppurtunity comes about.

It is cool to see that the Mule palm has been produced WAY before any of knew about it! That would explain all the Mule palms that i see while driving around Orlando suburbs and also where Walt was talking about.

Thanks for the info, it answers alot of questions!

[ErikSJI]

Apparently their around Erik. I dunno about 50 thousand of 'em... But I'm starting to see more and more now that I know what I'm lookin' at.... The majorty of them are inland. I've seen a few in Z-Hills (zephyrhills), but never have my camera with...

Lotsa 'old folks' up that aways... Their the ones that planted 'em...

There's a few here in Brandon.

SnowBird territory up and down 301 holds lotsa large old butias and mules aswell... Remember I75 wasn't around til the 80's...

He must've been pushin' the hybrid back then...

I'll betcha all the older large ones we see are from his efforts.

Your time to shine will come...

~Ray.

Roy Amerson who was mentioned on the last page of this article is 10 miles down the road from Mule Palm Nursery. The guy who taught Mark Lynn how to pollinate is the one who was pulling these hybrids out of the Butia field for Roy in the 80s and probably would have never started pollinating if it were not for Roy buying these hybrids that he picked out of the field. He grew a field of mule palms that he sold in the late 90s. This field is now Mule Palm Nursery. The late 90s is when Mark Lynn took over. Here is one of the runts that was not sold out of the field planted in 1988. It is great to see all of this in writing.

[merrillwx]

Ross Laffler was foreman for Mr. Pringle. Ross provided the largest XButyagrus still surviving near McCarty Hall at U. F. It seems unlikely that Pringle/Laffler produced such astronomical numbers of XButyagrus.

It is interesting that the XButyagrus I gave Huntington B. G. has produced several F2's, all of which seem to be selfs of F1's.

Hi, Walt:

I'm glad to hear Buckhorn Nursery is still functioning!

Best Wishes,

merrill

[_Rich]

The below mule palm is growing alonside a highway in Hardee County. If I'm ever over that way again I will take a current photo, as surely this palm (if it's still there) has grown some in almost eight years since this photo was taken.

Hey Walt!

If that's the same tree I'm used to seeing, then it's on 64 in Hardee County? If so, it's up over the power lines now. I always admired it on the way to my bro-in-law's house in Zolfo Springs.

Thanks for posting,

Rich

[_Rich]

Thanks Ray for starting this thread. When i started producing the XButiagrus it was out of being aggrevated for not being able to find any other nurseries than Rockledge Gardens who only had a few to sell per year.

I have only sold a handfull but i have allways wanted to sell later in life when retirement came and that was my nestegg. But tough times have hit us all and now i'll sell some if that oppurtunity comes about.

It is cool to see that the Mule palm has been produced WAY before any of knew about it! That would explain all the Mule palms that i see while driving around Orlando suburbs and also where Walt was talking about.

Thanks for the info, it answers alot of questions!

Walt,

If you are in the market for more mules - then Mark Heath is your man. He's got a great grove of mules in Central FLA. I would highly recommend Mark if you add to your Butiagrus collection.

Thanks,

Rich

[Walt]

Ross Laffler was foreman for Mr. Pringle. Ross provided the largest XButyagrus still surviving near McCarty Hall at U. F. It seems unlikely that Pringle/Laffler produced such astronomical numbers of XButyagrus.

It is interesting that the XButyagrus I gave Huntington B. G. has produced several F2's, all of which seem to be selfs of F1's.

Hi, Walt:

I'm glad to hear Buckhorn Nursery is still functioning!

Best Wishes,

merrill

Hi Merrill,

Ron Lambert (the old man, not the son) of Buckhorn Nursery told me he knew you. Ron told me about some trunked Sabal etonia he knows about (at least he thinks they are) up in Avon Park he wants to show me. Ron says the Nursery is doing fine.

Walt

[Walt]

The below mule palm is growing alonside a highway in Hardee County. If I'm ever over that way again I will take a current photo, as surely this palm (if it's still there) has grown some in almost eight years since this photo was taken.

Hey Walt!

If that's the same tree I'm used to seeing, then it's on 64 in Hardee County? If so, it's up over the power lines now. I always admired it on the way to my bro-in-law's house in Zolfo Springs.

Thanks for posting,

Rich

Rich,

I believe that may be the palm, as I believe it was on Rt. 64, about 10 miles west of Avon Park. The owner of Buckhorn Nursery, Ron Lambert, showed me that palm the day I was visiting the nursery, and we went driving around looking at some local palm specimens he wanted to show me. I will ask Ron if the palm is still there when I next talk to him.

Walt

[Walt]

Thanks Ray for starting this thread. When i started producing the XButiagrus it was out of being aggrevated for not being able to find any other nurseries than Rockledge Gardens who only had a few to sell per year.

I have only sold a handfull but i have allways wanted to sell later in life when retirement came and that was my nestegg. But tough times have hit us all and now i'll sell some if that oppurtunity comes about.

It is cool to see that the Mule palm has been produced WAY before any of knew about it! That would explain all the Mule palms that i see while driving around Orlando suburbs and also where Walt was talking about.

Thanks for the info, it answers alot of questions!

Walt,

If you are in the market for more mules - then Mark Heath is your man. He's got a great grove of mules in Central FLA. I would highly recommend Mark if you add to your Butiagrus collection.

Thanks,

Rich

Rich,

I'm aware that Mark Heath is a grower of mule palms. He's probably the closet source to me, also. I will contact Mark when I'm ready to buy.

Walt

[_Keith]

alright. check it:

Now, that I actually read this I am curious as to why you picked out the date of 1932, instead of 1903 when it first reported in literature.

[ErikSJI]

alright. check it:

Now, that I actually read this I am curious as to why you picked out the date of 1932, instead of 1903 when it first reported in literature.

If they accepted that date they may have to change the name of the palm. As well as make the Mule Palm the state tree of Florida. LOL

Anyone know the exact date Paul Nabonnand first did his cross in the early 1900s?

[Palmə häl′ik]

I should rename the thread topic to Mule palms officially date back to 1908 in France...

~Ray.

[Brad-Tampa]

The below mule palm is growing alonside a highway in Hardee County. If I'm ever over that way again I will take a current photo, as surely this palm (if it's still there) has grown some in almost eight years since this photo was taken.

Hey Walt!

If that's the same tree I'm used to seeing, then it's on 64 in Hardee County? If so, it's up over the power lines now. I always admired it on the way to my bro-in-law's house in Zolfo Springs.

Thanks for posting,

Rich

Rich,

I believe that may be the palm, as I believe it was on Rt. 64, about 10 miles west of Avon Park. The owner of Buckhorn Nursery, Ron Lambert, showed me that palm the day I was visiting the nursery, and we went driving around looking at some local palm specimens he wanted to show me. I will ask Ron if the palm is still there when I next talk to him.

Walt

Hi Walt and Rich,

I think Dad took a picture of that mule in June, 1971

[Walt]

The below mule palm is growing alonside a highway in Hardee County. If I'm ever over that way again I will take a current photo, as surely this palm (if it's still there) has grown some in almost eight years since this photo was taken.

Hey Walt!

If that's the same tree I'm used to seeing, then it's on 64 in Hardee County? If so, it's up over the power lines now. I always admired it on the way to my bro-in-law's house in Zolfo Springs.

Thanks for posting,

Rich

Rich,

I believe that may be the palm, as I believe it was on Rt. 64, about 10 miles west of Avon Park. The owner of Buckhorn Nursery, Ron Lambert, showed me that palm the day I was visiting the nursery, and we went driving around looking at some local palm specimens he wanted to show me. I will ask Ron if the palm is still there when I next talk to him.

Walt

Hi Walt and Rich,

I think Dad took a picture of that mule in June, 1971

That looks like it (with the orange grove and power pole in background). I went on Google Earth (street scene) the other day and confirmed it's the same mule palm. The palm is located on the north side of Rt. 64,approximately 700 feet before you get to Maude Road (same side of Rt. 64 as the mule palm).

[Matthew92]

On 1/2/2012, 3:52:01, Walt said:

That looks like it (with the orange grove and power pole in background). I went on Google Earth (street scene) the other day and confirmed it's the same mule palm. The palm is located on the north side of Rt. 64,approximately 700 feet before you get to Maude Road (same side of Rt. 64 as the mule palm).

That is one GORGEOUS mule. Looks the most coconut-like of any I've seen. What makes it is the thin trunk.

https://www.google.com/maps/@27.5588074,-81.6760403,3a,37.5y,320.04h,92.74t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sO9_7FJhd82rzH_dWKhrK1A!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Edited November 30, 2015 by Opal92