Some photos of the ol' homestead

[PalmatierMeg]

So I've been sick much of the past 2 months and when I saw my internist yesterday, he told me to drink extra fluids and get lots of rest. That means no digging, planting, mulching, weeding in the hot FL sun. I always obey my various doctors, but he didn't forbid photography. So this afternoon I grabbed my trusty Samsung camera and shot some photos of some of my gardens. Hope to take more in the following days.

In front of the house next to the driveway is my Sabal miamiensis - or whatever it is called nowadays. It will always be S.m. to me. It came from Rusty on Pine Island in May 2008 in a cone, almost croaked over the winter but sent up a alternate growing point. Now it is fully palmate and looking good.

Sabal miamiensis

In fall 2009 I bought a Cocos nucifera dwarf red spicata from a grower in east Naples. I gamely protected it with blankets during the record winter of 09/10. When it did nothing in the spring of 2010 I figured it was a goner but come June it put up a new spike and never looked back. Now it is too big to protect. Unfortunately, my grower lost all his coconuts that winter. Love the yellow/orange petioles and lime green leaves.

Cocos nucifera dwarf red spicata

Close by the Cocos is one of the most distinctive of my numerous Coccothrinax, C. montana. It's a tough, relatively fast growing Cocco and its stem has a fantastic cross-hatching pattern of fibers.

Coccothrinax montana

Before I continued on toward the back yard I took this view of the Caribbean garden looking from the southeast.

This is a view of part of my shade garden from the northeast. Some of the palms are Livistona nitida in very front. Right to left: Archonotophoenix cunninhamiana, Ptychosperma robusta, Dypsis lutescens, Chamaedorea cataractarum, tops of Kentiopsis o. and Dypsis teddy/triangle hybrid.

At the path leading into the shade garden is this Syagrus romanzoffiana x flexuosa I received from Mark Heath.

Syagrus romanzoffiana x flexuosa

Across from the Syagrus hybrid is one of my two Kentiopsis oliviformis. It's so tall I could focus in only on its towering fronds. What a fantastic palm!

Kentiopsis oliviformis

Several years ago I bought this Dypsis teddybear/triangle hybrid at a sale in Homestead. It's getting big.

Dypsis leptocheilos x Dypsis decaryi

This is my largest Dypsis sp Malagasy. Fronds are plumose and I would swear the stem is tristichous.

Dypsis sp. Malagasy

Neoveitchia storckii

This is the smaller of my two Howea fosteriana and it looks fantastic, considering this genus hates FL hot, humid summers. I planted both of them deep in the shade garden. The density of foliage keeps this area 15 degrees or more cooler even on the hottest days, just enough to keep this palm happy. I've wanted to grow Howeas since before I even knew their Latin name.

Howea forsteriana (the smaller)

Schippia concolor

I know Dypsis plumosa, aka, D. fine leaf, aka fakey is considered ugly by many palm afficionados, I must respectfully disagree on mine.

Dypsis plumosa

Finally, last up for tonight is my only Howea belmoreana. I got it as a 1g in Dec. 2008 and its had its struggles but is finally holding its own in the shade garden. It is still much smaller than its two Howea cousins.

Howea belmoreana

Now I have to follow doctor's orders. Hope to post more tomorrow. Enjoy!

[Cindy Adair]

Great palms AND hope you feel better soon!

[DoomsDave]

Great pics, and feel better soon.

Get better soon.

This illness nonsense gets to be a real pain in the ass after a while . .. .

[Bill Austin]

Looks great Meg hope you are able to be back in your garden soon.

[Jeff in St Pete]

Really nice collection Meg. Thanks for the photos.

Get plenty of rest and I hope you feel better!

[TropiPalmGuy]

Beautiful garden Meg! I really love the coccothrinax montana! I have a new coccothrinax on my wish list now. I hope you get to feeling better.

[Jason in Orlando]

Thanks for sharing your garden Meg! The teddy/triangle is one of my favorites and yours looks great! Get feeling better soon!

Jason

[M@ximus]

Auguri Meg!I

I echo others and I'm sure you feel better soon

Your palms looking great , thanks for sharing this great pics

When you feel better , think about to come in Rome for a week , roman country side is famous for help body and soul

All the best M@x

[Moose]

Awesome Meg! Looks like you are on your way to creating a micro-clime for future cold events. The fatter the Red Spicata gets, the better it will protect your meristem.

[Rusty on Pine Is.]

Really cool pics Meg...i can tell everyone that nothing can compare seeing your place in person, it is really spectacular!

BTW, last time i looked at the Kew plant list, Sabal miamienisis is recognised as accepted, three star confidence level.......at least for now............

Hope you feel better soon!

Rusty

[tjwalters]

Meg,

Hope you are soon feeling as awesome as your garden looks!

[Trava]

Meg,yours palms are very healthy,I hope you will be too.God Bless you.

[PalmatierMeg]

Thanks all for the kind words and thoughts.

Continuing the tour of my densely planted shade garden....

Ptychosperma waitianum (I think)

Rhapis excelsa variegated: I have 6 or so plants scattered through the shade garden

Rhapis laosensis

Linospadix monostachya (in pot). This is my smaller palm. This genus is known to hate hot, humid summers like mine. But I move both palms deep into the shade garden where temps stay 15 or more degrees cooler than ambient air and they survive till fall's relief. Can someone tell me why these palms send up inflorescenses but never set fruit/seeds?

Rhapis sp variegated. When I bought this palm the seller told me it wasn't R. excelsa but wasn't sure what it was.

Areca vestiaria, orange crownshaft. This is my only Areca still in the ground. All other species either succumbed to winter or were dug up and repotted.

Chamaedorea klotzchiana. What a great palm. I got it from Jeff Searle last October and it's done great in the shade garden. One look at those fronds and love at first sight.

Rhapis sp. Another "who am I?" Rhapis and a great one. It stands over 4' tall and has cool architecture to its skinny black stem.

Chamaedorea neurochlamys. Another skinny, solitary Cham and easy to tuck in a small space.

My Veitchia winin is getting a bit too cozy with the Cham neuro. It was given to me by Rusty on Pine Island after my little V.w. fell victim to the winter of 09/10. This guy was in kind of rough shape at first but now is doing great.

Veitchia winin

Gaussia princeps

Ptychosperma salomonense

Hyophorbe indica. I keep hearing how fast and tough this palm is - not for me. I have two that have moped and flirted with death while in full sun. But not it's in shade this one is doing better for whatever that's worth.

Burretiokentia hapala. This poor thing has been scorched by summer the past several years. Last year I planted a couple piccabeens nearby for shade. My idea worked. Not a bit of sunburn this summer. A bit slow-growing though.

Archonotophoenix cunninghamiana. This is one of a number of these palms I planted around the shade garden because they grow quickly and increase canopy initially provided by my queens. They've done their jobs outstandingly.

We've now traversed the depths of my shade garden. Two Veitchia joannis palms mark the northern entry. Perhaps this is a good stopping point.

Veitchia joannis x2

More to come. Stay tuned.

[PalmatierMeg]

Now for a tour of the shade garden's perimeter

Bromeliads shaded beneath a lemon tree

Archonotophoenix alexandrae v Beatreace

Ptychosperma robusta

Chamaedorea oblongata - Such a gorgeous palm. I'm amazed more people don't grow them.

Here are some of the potted aroids etc. underneath a hurricane palm

Dictyosperma album v rubrum

Veitchia spiralis from Catherine/Creekside

Veitchia spiralis (l) Chamaedorea plumosa ®

Dypsis cabadae - powder blue stems

Chamaedorea radicalis - trunking female with seeds, non-trunking male with inflorescense

Veitchia metiti

Pinanga coronata

Licuala parviflora

Views of the shade garden from the west

[PalmatierMeg]

Across the walk from the shade garden is what I call "Back Yard West" for lack of a better term. While it is protected somewhat by the house, it is more open to northwest winds that sweep across the flat topography of Cape Coral in the winter. I've lost or almost lost a number of palms to those cold winds: Bentinckia nicobarica, Veitchia joannis, Borassodendron machodonis. This area is less densely planted and with smaller palms.

Dypsis pembana - I've already raved about this great palm

Ptychosperma elegans

Livisonta jenkinsiana

Chambeyronia Houilou

Livistona nitida

Carpoxylon macrosperma - I've had two larger specimens keel over and die like clockwork in July. This is my last attempt with this species. It spent nearly 2 years growing in pots. I planted it in mostly shade this summer. So far, so good.

Archonotophoenix maxima - not the fastest king palm but reliable

Chambeyronia macrocarpa grove

One of the small Chambeyronia in the grove was opening a new red leaf. Can't have too many red leaves.

Rhapis excelsa

Normanbya normanbyi - my last seedling grew too large to sell. So I planted it even though this species is tricky for me. So far, so good.

Cocos nucifera Panama Tall - Peter Pacific gave me this palm as a germinated seed a couple years ago. It survived the winters of 09/10 & 10/11 with protection but now it's on its own.

Dypsis hovomantsina

Beccariophoenix madagascariensis

Butiagrus - one of my two mule palms

Hyphaene thebaica - The largest branch of my Doum palm has itself branched. This palm is finally large enough to help block those icy winter winds. It laughs at my winters.

Two branches from one.

[Stevetoad]

Beautiful palms meg! I hope you feel better soon. Btw dypsis plumosa is one of my favorites too!

[PalmatierMeg]

East side, west side, all around the yard. Saw my internist yesterday and the status quo continues - no digging, planting, weeding, mulching, yadda, yadda. So back to photos - more's the pity.

On the edge of the vacant lot to the east, we decided to plant a wildflower garden. This 80x125' plot of sand on an 80' freshwater canal is owned by an elderly lady in southeast Cape, who, to our knowledge has never stopped by to view her investment in the 20 years we lived here. Back in the building boom she almost unloaded it on some unsuspecting schmuck for $150K. Apparently, she doesn't realize we've had a building bust for nearly 5 years because we heard she now wants $40K for it - not in my lifetime. Back in 2008 when I was still in my seed-germinating phase, I had seedlings of Sabal palmetto, maritima, mauritiiformis, causiarum, domingensis. So I decided to plant some of them at the edge of that lot to form a privacy barrier. At the time I didn't bother to tag them and now I'm not sure what is what, except some of them are getting much bigger than others. Although no one has knocked on my door to demand that I remove all these Sabals, I realize they may have to go if/when that lot is developed. Or maybe the owner will decide to keep them as free landscaping.

Here are photos of my Sabal screen starting with a grouping from south to north. If anyone wants to play the Sabal species guessing game, feel free.

Oh, keep in mind that all these palms are the same age, give or take a couple months.

[PalmatierMeg]

Tucked in among the group of Sabals is this very handsome Butia odorata. I got it as a remainder at a local Big Box store. Butias aren't terribly common around here. I think I'm at the southern end of its range and it would prefer a more "rugged" winter.

Butia odorata

Back on our property we've planted palms on the east side of the house.

Archonotophoenix tuckeri - a rocket

Carpentaria acuminata - another rocket but hates winter

Coccothrinax barbadensis - a bit stretched out because it gets morning sun only but still nice.

Beautiful golden hastula

Chamaerops humilis argentea (cerifera) - It wants more sun, less humidity.

Serenoa repens silver - I've had trouble keeping silver saw palmettos alive but this one I raised from seed seems to be doing okay.

Leucothrinax morrisii

Sabal minor - raised from seed

[PalmatierMeg]

Now to the west side of our homestead.

Attalea butyracea - struggles with winter but is still hanging on

Elaeis guineensis - has that "Jurassic Park" look

Heliconia "Lobster Claw"

Livistona decora

Arenga engleri - got this from Jeff Searle's nursery in 2008 in a 4" pot.

Ravenea rivularis

Hyophorbe verschaffeltii

Latania lontaroides

[Zeeth]

Attalea butyracea - struggles with winter but is still hanging on

Didn't you sprout that from seed from a local palm? I find it odd that it'd have trouble with winter in that case.

[PalmatierMeg]

Attalea butyracea - struggles with winter but is still hanging on

Didn't you sprout that from seed from a local palm? I find it odd that it'd have trouble with winter in that case.

The mother palm is in the Fort Myers riverside palm park and it is a monster. I think that as seedlings the offspring are cold-sensitive. That should change as it gets larger. Also, the micro-climate along the river might have helped the mother reach her current size. I have a smaller seedling planted on our new property in the center of a heliconia bed. I also have an A. phalerata in another planter bed. I will protect both until they grow too large.

[Jeff in St Pete]

Wow, lots of good photos to look at. That Ravenea rivularis is a beauty Meg. I hardly ever get to see them in Costa Rica. Yours looks picture perfect with a nice fat trunk.

[GTClover]

Beautiful Meg! Sure looks you did a whole lot of digging, planting, mulching & weeding for a long time to have such gorgeous plants! Having time to just admire your work (and share) can't be all bad. Thanks so much!

Susan

[Bill Austin]

Meg your dypsis hovo.looks really great it takes a long time to get them to that size,but they pick up speed from that point you certainly have a wonderful garden.

[Mandrew968]

Meg your dypsis hovo.looks really great it takes a long time to get them to that size,but they pick up speed from that point you certainly have a wonderful garden.

I agree with Bill. It looks very happy--have you had any trouble with this palm? I don't know of very many(any, other than yours) in South Florida.

[tjwalters]

Meg,

All your palms look wonderful! Weren't you growing Sabal palmetto 'Lisa'? Are you on a canal where you could grow Nypa fruticans?

[Adrock15659]

Meg, where did you get your Chamaerops humilis argentea (cerifera) ? I live in (SW) Cape Coral also and haVe had my eyes out for one but to no luck so far.

[PalmatierMeg]

I didn't get lost. Had a procedure by my pain management doc last Fri. Then our computer went down and had to go see its doc. I still have another batch of photos to post on this topic.

Off the top of my head, Dypsis hovomantsina has been a happy, if slow camper for me. I got it from Jeff Searle about 2 years ago. I think it went in the ground a couple winters past. I was concerned it might be one of those snippy "I hate FL heat & humidity" Dypsis but it bides its time in the shade until winter, when sun is weaker & days are dry.

I have a Sabal Lisa in the front garden and a smaller one on our new property. The front garden will feature in the next batch of photos. I'll start a new topic about the adjunct garden. And while I'm on the subject of Sabal Lisa, City of Fort Myers maintenance crews hurricane cut and hacked off the infructescenses of the two S.L.s that were transplanted to a City palm park last year - probably in advance of Hurricane Isaac. Abomination of abominations! Hey, Ken Johnson, why do morons hurricane cut Sabals but leave royals, Washies, Dypsis, etc., etc. alone? If any palm can deal with hurricanes, Sabals can.

[PalmatierMeg]

Meg, where did you get your Chamaerops humilis argentea (cerifera) ? I live in (SW) Cape Coral also and haVe had my eyes out for one but to no luck so far.

Welcome to PalmTalk. I bought my Chamaerops from a vendor at Fleamasters Flea Market several years ago. Unfortunately, vendor is long gone. But the orange and blue Big Boxes carry them at least once or twice a year, usually heading into winter. Often you find them in blue plastic pots (blue for "cold hardy"). Make sure you have it in full sun. Mine gets morning sun, mopes and gets scale in the shade but the Livistona and Archonotophoenix one either side have grown tall enough to let the sunshine in. They also prefer less humidity but have all dry season to get over that.

[palmislandRandy]

Just Beautiful Meg. Thanks for giving the Samsung a workout.

[PalmatierMeg]

Now for the final lot of yard photos. These feature my front garden, aka the Caribbean Garden, though a few international interlopers have snuck in.

Coccothrinax argentata - I've had this palm nearly 20 years but it is only 3' tall with 2' of bare trunk. Earlier this summer I harvested the first crop of seeds from it.

Why it's called the "Florida silver palm"

Hastula

Coccothrinax crinita brevicrinus - also produced its first crop of seeds

Coccothrinax fragrans

Coccothrinax macroglossa Azul - So slow. The bluish wax on the leaves turns yellow over winter.

View of the "Coccothrinax Jungle". Good thing Coccos are mostly unarmed.

Copernicia macroglossa

Pseudophoenix ekmanii - I don't think it's grown a lick since I photographed it last year.

Leucothrinax morrisii

Sabal palmetto Lisa - what else can I say? Look at that leaf

Kerriodoxa elegans - a gorgeous interloper

Ravenea xerophila - another interloper

Hemithrinax ekmanii - my "largest". But all 5 originals are still alive.

[Moose]

Meg - the Cocothrinax argentata is called "Florida Silver Palm" due to the glaucous silver coloring on the underside of the leaves. This feature usually does not manifest until the palm obtains some maturity. Since yours is trunking, you should be able to see some glaucous bloom on your palm. Like most native Florida palms, this is a fairly slow palm but is a bit faster once it has achieved the size you have.

Your Sabal palmetto var. 'Lisa' looks outstanding. How long has it been in the ground? Here is the Sabal palmetto var. 'Lisa' #2 I got from you. Just planted it yesterday. I can not recall - does the #2 retain its leaf base boots?

[PalmatierMeg]

Hey Ron, I saw your other posting. Your palms look great. Sabal Lisa #2, the smaller one on the east side of I75, did hold on to its boots. But they were all cut off when the palms were transplanted. The palm in the above photos has been in the ground about 3 years. It started going palmate last year. I have another one from the same batch as yours planted on our new property about a year ago.