How Do Coconuts Fair Here? (Inland South Florida)

[PalmTreeDude]

I know there are a few palmtalk members who grow coconuts within this area, but for the most part (in general), inside of the blue line, how do coconuts fair? I would assume all inland South Florida coconuts (South of lake Okeechobee) would do well, do they? 

[PalmTreeDude]

Yes, I know a lot of that is in the Everglades. 

[RedRabbit]

Good question! I saw a very nice grove of mature coconuts about 20-30 miles inland in Palm Beach County. It looked like a scene out of rural SE Asia. I didn't think they'd do well that far inland but apparently they're fine.

I can't speak to how they'd be in other parts of the blue area. I saw royals the whole way across the state between Palm Beach and Ft Myers, but I don't recall seeing coconuts too far west of Belle Glade.

[bubba]

To add to RedRabbit, the area you have highlighted to the east of Lake O is all agricultural. This is miles and miles of sugar cane interspersed with winter vegetables ( celery, lettuce, corn, etc...). No problem with coconuts. To the south, you are in the “River of Grass” (Glades). From a strict climactic point of view, I see no problem but the ability to verify may be a bit difficult. I have seen numerous large coconuts in Clewiston and further west in LaBelle. While not within your blue area, I have seen many large and mature coconuts in Okeechobee.

RedRabbit’s reference to SE Asia is apt. I had a Navy Seal friend, who spent too much time in Vietnam, who commented that many times when driving through this area, it was like a flashback to the bad old days. One additional thing to keep in mind about Cocos nucifera culture throughout interior South Florida and beyond (see Walt) is that the coconut is a warm blooded tropical specimen. It is much more reliant on an abundance of heat, humidity and rainfall than any other variable. Couple that with latitude (28-25 degrees North) and notwithstanding arctic incursions like we have recently experienced, the quick bounce back in temperature cannot be discounted. Simply stated, the extension of Cocos nucifera culture in interior areas of Florida is far greater than specified by your blue outline.

[Mr. Coconut Palm]

Can anyone post some photos of the interior Florida Coconut Palms?  I am sure a lot of us would love to see them, especially post winter photos of them.

John

[JASON M]

Hey John, I don’t have any post 2018 winter pictures, but in August of last year I drove down 27 through Lake Placid and saw a few coconuts. 

 

As a bonus, here’s some nice healthy royals a bit further north in Lake Wales:

 

[kinzyjr]

There are some coconuts in Sebring and Lake Placid, especially as documented by @Walt on other threads in this forum.  In my travels, I have seen them in Moore Haven and Clewiston as well.  My experience is similar to @RedRabbit overall.  I've seen them in Sebring, Lake Placid, Moore Haven, and Clewiston, but the real show starts once you hit Belle Glade.  Pahokee is in the "Lake Okeechobee Freeze Shadow", and has a climate more like Palm Beach than inland Florida.  Most of those locations are not within the blue area outlined by @PalmTreeDude, but the climate is very similar to the areas listed; with very hot summers, mild winters, and freak freeze events as @bubba mentioned.  Coconuts tend to grow to maturity in this area unless killed by a particularly nasty freeze.

[kinzyjr]

This YouTube video documents some of the larger coconuts in the area outlined by @PalmTreeDude in the original post:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvvwErAL-5w

[Mr. Coconut Palm]

On 5/19/2018 at 3:19 PM, JASON M said:

Hey John, I don’t have any post 2018 winter pictures, but in August of last year I drove down 27 through Lake Placid and saw a few coconuts. 

 

As a bonus, here’s some nice healthy royals a bit further north in Lake Wales:

 

Jason,

Thanks for the pics.  I am sorry for such a late response, but I just tonight saw this, after almost 5 years.  I had no idea you had posted this back then.  It was probably in my list of notifications from Palmtalk sent to my email, but I am pretty low tech and sometime don't check my email for days or even a week at a time.

John