Historic Bok Sanctuary

[Fred Zone 10A]

In my thread about Gaylord Palms, Dave-Vero mentioned the Florida coonties (Zamia integrifolia) at the entrance to the visitor center of the Historic Bok Sanctuary.  When I attended last Saturday's meeting of the Central Florida Palm and Cycad Society I took a few photos around the visitor center.

Although Sabal palmetto is a very common palm to you Floridians, it's not seen very often here in Southern California.  I think they are much more attractive than our skinny, shaggy, spiny Washingtonia robusta.

Here's a lovely grouping of palmettos.  Around the palmettos is a mass planting of coonties and to the right side there are awesome silver Serenoa repens.

Here's a closeup of the coonties with Serenoa repens in the background.

I wish my garden looked like that.

[paulgila]

maybe i'm missing something or its just the horrendous food coma(brazilian BBQ--yum) but whats a "Bok"?

[Walter John]

(pohonkelapa @ Oct. 04 2006,15:10)

QUOTE

maybe i'm missing something or its just the horrendous food coma(brazilian BBQ--yum) but whats a "Bok"?

A bok is a South African rugby union player. Tackle on sight.

Lovely palms and very old too I'd say.

[Kris]

Dear Fred  

those stills are terrefic and one of my favouriate

palms is the sabal Sp. and sabal palmetto & mexicana

happen to be my love.

thanks for those lovely palms.

love,

Kris.

[SubTropicRay]

Hi Fred,

I've collected seed from those Sabals.  The tag near the base says Sabal umbraculifera.  I believe the name has been absorbed by S. domingensis.

The squirrels will eat out of your hand at Bok.

Ray

[Dave-Vero]

Sabal palmetto in Florida landscaping suffers from several problems:

1.  People are convinced they're full of roaches, roof rats, and other vermin.

2.  This probably contributes to the demand for brutal trimming of leaf bases and leaves.

3.  There's also a weird notion that the leaves fly away in hurricane winds, so most of them have to be cut for safety.

4.  In the land of reality, the fruits are messy.  

Bok's entry garden is a great combination of design and maintenance.  There's enough space for potted plants that can be moved in or out, seasonally.  

Mr. Bok was a Dutch immigrant who thrived as a an editor and publisher in Philadelphia (Ladies Home Journal).  The belltower and garden was intended as sort of a gift to the country.  The garden has recuperated nicely from hurricane Charley, and it's keeping up a significant plant conservation program.  Bok was one of the first members of the Center for Plant Conservation, a group of botanical gardens interested in doing for American and Puerto Rican plants some of the things zoos do for rare animals (except, of course, you can maintain large "captive" populations of plants or their seeds more easily than you can  animals).

[Fred Zone 10A]

The tag near the base says Sabal umbraculifera.  I believe the name has been absorbed by S. domingensis.

Thanks for the ID.  I didn't even see the tags.  I thought they were awfully big for Sabal palmetto.

[BS Man about Palms]

Fred!

I saw your name as the topic starter and after our trip to the Huntington, I thought the title was "Historic BOOK sanctuary"  lol :laugh:

[PalmsZA]

Hi Wal

A bok is a South African rugby union player. Tackle on sight.

Wal is correct, Bok is a buck/antelope in Dutch. I suppose it has another meaning here.

Now all I need is a Wallabie to put on the barbie!

Cheers

Dennis