Similarities between S Fl and Hawaii

[DoomsDave]

why,jeff...that is so....gosh danged beautiful...i love ya,man. (sob)

Me, too.

Urk!

[tropicbreeze]

We are in the true tropical region... and poincianna is beautiful here.... So, don't generalise... not all tropical places are the same...

Sorry, equatorial, my bad.

The climate here (Ari's climate) under the Köppen system is equatorial savanna (as opposed to equatorial rainforest). Not all equatorial climates are the same.

[Rick Santos]

Here in my part of the equatorial tropics the poincianas really do not put on much of a show. But, there are lots of other trees that do. A yellow tabebuia in full flower towering out of the canopy of the rainforest is an incrediblee sight for sure.

dk

Hi, Don

Speaking of tropical trees : Could you identify this tree in the Amazon? It has a very thin white trunk and pink leaves. Do you know what it might be?

Here is the picture for you:

http://www.palmpedia.net/wiki/File:Igapo_Maues.jpg

That is the most pretty tree I have seen. And if Miami can grow this, that would be so awesome.

Edited January 12, 2012 by Rick Santos

[chinandega81]

On 1/11/2012 at 9:42 PM, Rick Santos said:

I'm not sure but could it be Tabebuia rosea? If so they are rare but occasionally seen in Miami. 

 

Hi, Don

 

Speaking of tropical trees : Could you identify this tree in the Amazon? It has a very thin white trunk and pink leaves. Do you know what it might be?

 

Here is the picture for you:

 

http://www.palmpedia.net/wiki/File:Igapo_Maues.jpg

 

 

That is the most pretty tree I have seen. And if Miami can grow this, that would be so awesome.

 

[Exotic Life]

Interesting conversation going on here. 
I am a Northwestern European guy but have travelled quite a bit to (sub)tropical regions like Thailand, Indonesia including Borneo, Northern parts Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, Mexico (Yuccatan region) and last year to Florida for a roadtrip. From all my travels I can say besides some inland or Urban spots in other countries I have the feeling that I sweat the most or fastest in Florida. 
Maybe it was just a moment snap as I travelled Florida for 3 weeks when the Hurricane smashed the Bahamas so there was almost no wind for three weeks.  Anyway I loved it and would go back in a eyeblink. 

Edited August 24, 2020 by Exotic Life

[palmsOrl]

Hawaii is beautiful and has almost all the climate types wrapped up into one archipelago.  The entire chain is within the tropics latitudinally-speaking, but some of of the higher elevations have temperate or even alpine climates.  Of all the islands, I most enjoyed Kauai and hiking through the rainforest on the Napali Coast.  What an amazing view!

None of South Florida is in the tropics from a latitude standpoint but the entirety of the region has a tropical climate, ranging from Tropical Savanna in much of the western part to Tropical Monsoon over most of the eastern section with a narrow area of Tropical Rainforest climate running north/south from roughly Miami to Jupiter.

The geography of South Florida allows it to enjoy a borderline (in most of South Florida, the Keys are more "deeply tropical") tropical climate.  This is mainly due to its being situated on a Peninsula with the Gulf Stream to its east and the warm Gulf of Mexico to its west.  In addition, as we all know, South Florida is flat and the entirety near sea level.  Finally, being far enough south as to be close to the Tropic of Cancer helps too.

From what I have read, the small area of South Florida that has a tropical rainforest climate has no true tropical rainforests (except Redant's sizable property) due to the topography of the land.  In addition (and admittedly this is my opinion, it might have some truth), the area of South Florida with a Tropical Rainforest Climate receives too little annual rainfall versus the amount of annual evapotranspiration to support a tropical rainforest, even if the topography was conducive to support one.  I believe what would exist instead is a Monsoon Forest (a distinct classification of tropical forest existing in areas below the precipitation threshold for a tropical rainforest).

-Michael