Palm Nurseries in the Ft. Myers, FL Area?

[Scot from SC]

I apologize in advance if I am posting this in the wrong forum, but this forum seemed to be the closest fitting to my topic.

I have relatives in Fort Myers, Florida, and I visit them a few times a year. Even though I am somewhat familiar with the area, I could use the help of someone better acquainted with the area.

I am looking for any local nurseries that sell one to seven gallon cold hardy palms. Most of the nurseries I visit there have plenty of field size palms, but very few have anything in the size that I am looking for, much less cold hardy sabals, etc.

My relatives, even though they have nice specimens in their yard, are not knowledgeable about nurseries, so I have been going at this quest on my own.

I know the Edison mansion/estate sometimes has plant sales, but it seems like I can never find dates for upcoming ones, even on their website.

Also, does anyone have a definite address for the Sabal Lisa in the area? The last information I have is that it has been relocated to a park on MLK Blvd. Here is the information posted by PalmatierMeg back in November of 2013 on this forum: "The palms are in a city palm park on Martin Luther King Blvd next to the railroad museum at the edge of downtown Ft. Myers and 2 miles before Fleamasters Flea Market."

Here is the link to that conversation: http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?/topic/39544-where-is-the-sabal-lisa-in-fort-myers/

Thank you in advance!

[Palmaceae]

The address of the park that have the lisa's is:

2330 Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd

Ft Myers, FL

There are a few nurseries in the area, one that may have Sabal minor is at www.allnative.biz

Another cool nursery is http://www.riverlandnursery.com/

I will add to the list when I get more time later.

Thanks

[PalmatierMeg]

I second Riverland. They are inland from me and experience 9a/9b winters. Their palms tend toward coldhardy: Needles, Butia, Phoenix, possibly some Sabals. They also have lots of bamboo, fruit trees, succulents.

Other nurseries that may interest you: Top Tropicals, off Buckingham Rd, Bayshore Nursery, off Bayshore Rd in N. Ft. Myers, All Native near Page Field in FM, Driftwood Nursery on US 41 in Estero. Be aware that most local nurseries here truck their plants in from Homestead. One area that grows its own plants is Pine Island, west of Cape Coral. I know there are farms & nurseries along Stringfellow Rd (the main drag) but I don't know any names. But if you make the hunt a daylong adventure, you might find it a lot of fun. Visit PI during the week as nurseries will probably be closed on weekends.

As a last resort, you can try some of the despised Big Boxes, but I suggest you look a bit north or east of Ft. Myers: Port Charlotte, Lehigh Acres. A difference of just 20 miles really makes a difference. Garden Centers shy away from the uber tropical.

You may find Sabals other than minor in short supply. Nurseries tend not to grow them because they are so slow growing.

[Scot from SC]

Thank you two very much! This information gives me a place to start. There is so much eye candy in the area for a palm nut like me that I sometimes get overwhelmed! From what I understand the Lisa is in a public park, so I guess getting permission to maybe get a seedling or two is out of the question. Do any area nurseries ever offer Lisas, or is that too specific? I wonder if there are any seeds left from this past year? I can always look on the ground...lol.

[Palmaceae]

I was at Riverland this past weekend and they did have a small Sabal minor and several Sereona's. They also had small Butia capitata's, couple larger Syagrus/Butia hybrids and some needle palms. Some of the stuff is a bit pricey but a nice place to go. I was also shocked that they just got in a real nice Heterospathe elata in a 10 gallon, wanted $159 for it.

The last time I was at the park off of MLK blvd the lisa's were blooming, that was late summer, so I doubt any seeds would be available. I am looking for a "lisa" myself.

There is a real cool native plant nursery on Sanibel Island, it is called SCCF.

http://www.sccf.org/

They will have most of the native Florida palms in a small size, good prices too. Plus Sanibel is cool to visit anyways.

Have fun!

[PalmatierMeg]

The Lisas in the park may have leftover seeds but they are too high to reach. You will have to hunt on the ground for seeds. Unfortunately, City maintenance workers mow & weed so seedlings may be impossible to find. If you do go to that park, also check out the original palm park down on Edwards Drive across from the marina. It has gigantic old Sabals, Arengas, Elaeis & Attalea that have probably been there since 1955. You should be able to score seeds/seedlings off the ground (but no Lisas there). If you go to Sanibel, R.S. Walsh Landscaping has a nursery not far from Ding Darling Wildlife Preserve (also worth a visit) on Sanibel-Captiva Rd.

If you are out Cape Coral way you are welcome to come by to tour our .61 acre paradise.

[Walt]

Thank you two very much! This information gives me a place to start. There is so much eye candy in the area for a palm nut like me that I sometimes get overwhelmed! From what I understand the Lisa is in a public park, so I guess getting permission to maybe get a seedling or two is out of the question. Do any area nurseries ever offer Lisas, or is that too specific? I wonder if there are any seeds left from this past year? I can always look on the ground...lol.

If you want some small sized cold hardy palm species, I would advise you to make a short trip up to Labelle, Florida, to Perkins Nursery. Perkins has an abundance of cold hardy palms in small container sizes for you to drive back to S.C. (if that is your intent).

Here is Perkins Nursery's website where you can view their stock. I've bought from Perkins many times and they have very reasonable prices. While they don't list them now on their website, I bought two very nice Beccariophoenix alfredii from Perkins two years ago. I think they were 7 gallon sizes. I planted them and they are now about seven feet overall.

http://www.perkinsnursery.com/

I have two 7 gallon sized Sabal palmetto 'lisa' if your interested (cheap), but you would have to drive up to Lake Placid to pick them up. In any event, Perkins is the place to go for cold hardy palms in small container size.

[NorthFlpalmguy]

X2 on perkins. I've bought from them and they have top-notch service too. Very unusual in this biz.

[Moose]

http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?/topic/15369-faulkners-palms-christian-faulkner/

[Moose]

Scot - And this guy is having a monster sale this weekend. You would be hard pressed finding a nursery with a wider selection of palms. Not in Fort Myers but a quick shot across Alligator Alley and well worth the commute in my opinion.

http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?/topic/15358-rainforest-collection-jeff-searle/

http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?/topic/44865-the-17th-annual-spring-searle-brothers-plant-extravaganza-%E2%97%8F%E2%97%8F%E2%97%8F-march-6th-7th-8th-13th-14th-15th-2015-%E2%97%8F%E2%97%8F-s-florida/

list of available palms here: http://www.palmpedia.net/forum/threads/the-17th-annual-spring-%E2%80%98ganza-croton-and-palm-lists.5257/

[Scot from SC]

Wow guys and gals, thank you for the outpouring of information, offers, etc.

Pastor Randy, thank you for the details and information. Sanibel is a fun place to visit. I loved seeing the coconut palms there.

Meg, thank you for the offer. One of these days I may shoot you an e-mail to see if it is okay to take a tour of your place.

Walt, thank you for the information and link. It sounds like Perkins is a place I need to check out! I think you are about seventy miles north of Ft. Myers, but if I can somehow make a run that way on the way back to SC I will give you a heads up of course...if the offer is still available.

Bryant, thanks for the plus one on the Perkins nursery. It sounds like a winner!

Ronald, thank you for the link and information. You guys in south Florida are blessed with awesome weather and great nurseries!

[Ken Johnson]

I know where you can get 100 "Lisa"...

[TK Small]

What size are those Sabal Lisa,Ken?

[Peter Pacific]

Don't forget to talk to Derek and Justin at Seabreeze!