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Central Cuba Palms in Habitat


GMann

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Well, I did catch some royals in the distance.  This is not far at all from the famous Coccothrinax 'azul', which says a lot about local diversity of bedrock and soils.  I've traveled quite a bit since this visit, mostly not natural history (didn't make it to the Biennial in Colombia due to overload with other activities).  Cuba stands out as an amazing place, biologically, geologically, and culturally.  

Royal palms, not far from Coccothrinax %22azul%22-1.jpg

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Fla. climate center: 100-119 days>85 F
USDA 1990 hardiness zone 9B
Current USDA hardiness zone 10a
4 km inland from Indian River; 27º N (equivalent to Brisbane)

Central Orlando's urban heat island may be warmer than us

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Wow! I had no idea the Cuban countryside was so beautiful. Amazing pics of palms in habitat. I do wonder if inland Cuba sees some frost in winter after some of the more vigorous arctic fronts push through Cuba after crashing through Florida. 

Parrish, FL

Zone 9B

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1 hour ago, ruskinPalms said:

Wow! I had no idea the Cuban countryside was so beautiful. Amazing pics of palms in habitat. I do wonder if inland Cuba sees some frost in winter after some of the more vigorous arctic fronts push through Cuba after crashing through Florida. 

I would personally doubt it.  The lowest recorded in Key West was 41F and there's 90 miles of warm water between Key West and Havana.

Lakeland, FL

USDA Zone 1990: 9a  2012: 9b  2023: 10a | Sunset Zone: 26 | Record Low: 20F/-6.67C (Jan. 1985, Dec.1962) | Record Low USDA Zone: 9a

30-Year Avg. Low: 30F | 30-year Min: 24F

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Yeah probably right. But it looks like a harsh, fairly dry overall environment that could radiationlly cool away from the coast. (Like Florida)

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Parrish, FL

Zone 9B

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Havana has long weather records and has gotten pretty cool.  The Cuban winter drought is more extensive than south Florida's.

While the Cuban countryside as a whole can be beautiful (and there's lovely hills and mountains, not to mention beaches), some of the most exciting botany is on what we in the US would call serpentine barrens.  There's examples toward the Pacific coast (Santa Cruz, Crescent City, among other places) and Atlantic coast (Soldiers Delight near Baltimore).  Serpentine areas look as though they are under some evil curse.  They're not lush.    But the plants living on them in Cuba (or New Caledonia or California) may exist nowhere else.  

Here, Cuba.  First inland with a Plumeria in front, Coccothrinax to rear.  Second, Playa Pilar, scrubby because of beach.  Coccothrinax littoralis. There's an Iberostar resort out of sight.  I did not edit the water color.

 

Plumeria,_serpentine_barren,_Cuba_(1_of_1).jpg

Playa Pilar con palmas Coccothrinax litorralis  (1 of 1).jpg

  • Upvote 3

Fla. climate center: 100-119 days>85 F
USDA 1990 hardiness zone 9B
Current USDA hardiness zone 10a
4 km inland from Indian River; 27º N (equivalent to Brisbane)

Central Orlando's urban heat island may be warmer than us

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  • 1 month later...

Forgive the intrusion into central Cuba but it seemed silly to start a whole new thread for just one photo.

When I was in Baracoa, in Guantánamo province (eastern Cuba), I bought this painting by José Velasquez, a local artist. It's a view looking west toward El Yunque. The painting resonated with me not only because of my fondness for palms but coincidentally I had walked past this spot and enjoyed the view only a few hours earlier.

 

20181205_152833-1-1.jpg

Edited by Manalto
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On 10/27/2018, 8:36:02, ruskinPalms said:

Wow! I had no idea the Cuban countryside was so beautiful. Amazing pics of palms in habitat. I do wonder if inland Cuba sees some frost in winter after some of the more vigorous arctic fronts push through Cuba after crashing through Florida. 

I thought I saw a figure once that it got to 28 deg in the January 1985 cold event somewhere in Cuba. However looking on the web now I could only find a couple figures saying that it got to 33 deg in the February 1996 cold event, and 35 deg in the January 1981 cold event.

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