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Very Old Serenoa repens in Polk County FL

Matthew92

By Matthew92
in DISCUSSING PALM TREES WORLDWIDE

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Matthew92 Veteran

Matthew92

Posted
Posted (edited)

Went for a small hike at Crooked Lake Prairie in Babson Park, FL (just south of Lake Wales). Beautiful, endangered scrub habitat with lots of pine, scrub oak, and palmetto. Saw these unusually looking old saw palmetto throughout the trail- largest I've ever seen. I wonder how old they are.

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Some more typical saw palmetto throughout the trail

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Apparently they can branch a lot along the trunk

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It also looks as if the trunk can root in the ground as it grows horizontally, as this one appeared to be cut from the main stem and still growing.

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They looked like snakes on the ground

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Edited by Opal92
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kinzyjr Grand Master

kinzyjr

Posted
Posted

Definitely a classic scrub land in southern Polk.  My uncle had similar terrain at the back end of his 5 acre lot back on a dirt road in West Frostproof.  Very nice pictures.  Serenoa repens is one of my favorites, and these are great specimens. 

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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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Eric in Orlando Grand Master

Eric in Orlando

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Posted

On hiking trails they call those half buried trunks "gator backs" . I have tripped on quite a few.

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Eric

Orlando, FL

zone 9b/10a

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PalmatierMeg Grand Master

PalmatierMeg

Posted
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Great habitat photos! Thanks.

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Meg

Palms of Victory I shall wear

Cape Coral (It's Just Paradise)
Florida
Zone 10A on the Isabelle Canal
Elevation: 15 feet

I'd like to be under the sea in an octopus' garden in the shade.

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Stevetoad Grand Master

Stevetoad

Posted
Posted

very cool! like palms on another planet

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"it's not dead it's sleeping"

Santee ca, zone10a/9b

18 miles from the ocean

avg. winter 68/40.avg summer 88/64.records 113/25

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  • 2 months later...
Hillizard Grand Master

Hillizard

Posted
Posted

As someone from a state that boasts of its ancient redwoods, I have more respect now for Serenoa repens!  ;)

From In Defense Of Plants: Ancient Saw Palmettos in the Heart of Florida: "Based on the rate of growth and spread, the estimated age of these clonal patches of saw palmetto range anywhere between 1227–5215 years!"  http://www.indefenseofplants.com/blog/2017/1/25/ancient-saw-palmettos-in-the-heart-of-florida

SawPalmetto.jpg

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TexasColdHardyPalms Grand Master

TexasColdHardyPalms

Posted
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There was an article somewhere that the giant clumps near cape Canaveral were giant neverending clones/offshoot 25,000 years old. Some of those trunks can be traced back 70'. 

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NC_Palms Mentor

NC_Palms

Posted
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Nice habitat photos. Trunking Serenoa repens are amazing to see.

I just planted a silver Serenoa repens a few days ago. Mine probably won’t grow anywhere near the size of the ones in Florida but still one of my favorite palms in my garden. 

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Zone 8a/8b Greenville, NC 

Zone 9a/9b Bluffton, SC

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