Alachua

[SunnyFl]

Just curious....

I know that Sabals and Butias (capitata & eriospatha) are grown up there, but what else?  Any crownshafted palms, or does it get too cold?

Thoughts?

There's a botanical garden there but I'm not sure of its name - something like Kanapaha ? - near Gainesville, right?

[SubTropicRay]

Sunny,

The native Serenoa and Rhapidophyllum, Trithrinax, Chamaerops, Trachycarpus, Nannorhops, and some species of Phoenix and Livistona will grow well in Alachua County.  Merrill Wilcox has been growing palms in north central Florida for decades.  Hopefully he will see this and chime in with his expertise.  For the record, Kanapaha is a great botanical garden and well worth the visit.

Ray

[palmmermaid]

And while you are in the area, if you have time, check out Payne's Praire and Devil's Millhopper parks.  Nice views of Florida before the white man came.  There are buffalo in Payne's Prairie.  Yep, they used to roam the state before we killed them all.  Devil's Millhopper is a giant sinkhole.  Very interesting look into the geology of he area.

[SunnyFl]

Thank you for your replies.  

Ray, I have had the botanical garden on my weekend-wishlist for awhile - somehow I haven't managed a visit yet, but after reading what you said, I hope to see it soon.  Sounds as if a nice collection of palms can grow up there, but my favorites wouldn't make it through the year

Kitty, I'm so glad you mentioned Devil's Milhopper - I looked it up in a book I have of FL's parks, and it looks intriguing - must remember to take the camera when we go up there.  Payne's Prairie sounds like another place to visit.  Trying to imagine the buffalo, what a shame they were killed off.

[bubba]

Payne's prarie is an incredible place.In the 1890's, it was a lake. It dissapeared in three or four days when a sink opened up leaving incredible numbers of dying fish.It now hosts an incredible population of gators, snakes,  buffalo  and who knows what else.While at the University of Florida, we used to go snake hunting with a guy who knew more about snakes than anybody I ever met. We drove on a road at the South end of the prarie called Wachoota road at night with the car lights off and four or five guys on the hood. The real snake hunter with us had a bright light that he only would turn on if he saw a snake.I personally saw him jump on a seven foot Diamond Back Rattler.The snakes were attracted to the road because of the warmth from the day's heat. It was quite a battle but he ended up with it and placed it in a snake bag. That thing hissed and struck the rest of the night. The snake guy kept the rattlers in a large cage outside his house. He sold the venom to a well known herptologist(Ross Allen) who made snakebite anti-venom. Snake guy would release rattlers after a couple of months back in the prarie.This insured that he would have more Diamond backs to catch.

[NBTX11]

Probably about the same things that will survive here:

Any Sabal

Any Butia

Washingtonia Filifera, Robusta, and Filibusta

Lots of Phoenix species, canriensis, dactylifera, sylvestris, etc.

Syagrus Romanzoffiana, outside of the big freezes.

Several Braheas

Livistona Chinensis

Pretty much anything rated 9a a or hardier (with 9a being marginal in severe freeze years).

[bubba]

I apologize for being off topic in this thread about Alachua, but Kitty brought up Payne's Prarie and it provoked my normal running off at the mouth. However, it caused me to do some additional research and in the process I found an incredible book titled "Paynes Prarie" written by snake guy himself, Lars Andersen. The book details the history of the Prarie and is published by Pineapple Press, Inc., of Sarasota , Florida.It is an incredibly informative book about the"Prarie"by a guy who knows his stuff.

[SunnyFl]

Thanks, Bubba, I will look for it.  Definitely want to take a weekend trip up there to explore the Devils Milhopper, Kanapaha (sp - oh phooey), and I'm adding Payne's Prairie to the list.  Bet it's a great place for some bird-watching, gotta bring the old SLR.

visiting is one thing - but am still praying not to have to move anywhere approaching z9a, alachua's better than ga but not by much   :*(