Winter in Bermuda

[DoomsDave 8,654]

Do, please, post more pictures of the protected areas, and heaven forbid the "funky" parts of town.

24 square miles?  You guys aren't metric yet?  Good.  Me neither.

Gadzooks, that's really gemutlichkeit, as the Germans would say.

Intimate, (crowded?)

dave

[happ 140]

Michael

Thanks for the mini-tour of Bermuda    would love more photos

Your climate has temps similar to coastal California except minimums  :laugh: critical for growth

Hope my palms look as good some day

[Chuck B 5]

Thanks for those nice shots.I would never have thought about Howeas growing there.I guess since temps don't get so hot there,they do fine.Here in Puerto Rico,we'd have to coax them gently through in the dshade,and then they're even slower than there normally slow growth rate.I'd rather see pictures like this any day,than thumb through some travel guide.

[spockvr6 22]

Thanks for the great photo tour Michael!  Burmuda has always been one of those "mysterious" place to me, and now its a bit less so!

[Tyrone 1,974]

(Palm Guy @ Jan. 27 2008,20:11)

QUOTE

Thanks for the warning mate!!! I was going to dress in black and sneak out there every weekend! You saved me years of frustration.

I'm glad to see I'm not the only crazy person who thinks up devious schemes to get palm seed. I'm in my element on this forum with similar minded palm lovers, who understand.  

regards

Tyrone

[Toby 22]

(Palm Guy @ Jan. 27 2008,15:07)

QUOTE

I tried to get a better pic of the crown...i have a feeling it my be a Syagrus...not too sure if its naturally clumping or intentially planted as triple...

My foot for reference...

I have some seeds which are bean shaped. I'll take some pics of them later...

Pretty sure this is Gaussia maya.

Best, TOBY

[merrill 406]

H, Mike:  Thank you very much.  We can understand the lack of interest there in the only native palm - you certainly can grow a wonderful palm flora there.  

QUOTE:  They don't get very large in height but are generally more robust in comparison to other sabals. They have a nice bluish green to silvery green color. I would say they can get to about 30ft but very slowly. I know of some big individuals on the island and I'll take some pics for ya. Their definitely not the local favorite palm but they can look good if properly cared for.

Cheers,

Mike F

THANKS, MIKE!

Best Wishes, merrill

[Palm Guy 34]

So I took my camera to work with me...this is getting bad. I just wanted to post some of the Dictyosperma near my job and some relatively large Sabal Bermudana. I only had about twenty minutes b4 sunset so I had to rush. Here goes...

Some large boys...I'd say close to 30 ft.

Shot of the crownshaft...

Some of the larger Bermuda Palmetto in town. I was actually in my car going around a round-a-bout (Traffic Circle) when I took this pic...not recommended...

[Palm Guy 34]

Pretty sure this is Gaussia maya.

Best, TOBY

Toby, I concur. I would've never thought these were on the island. First time I noticed. Thanks!

[Palm Guy 34]

These are the seeds from the Gaussia Maya...they kinda look like beans...Toby you probably have seen these often... do they look like Gaussia Maya seeds?

[Palm Guy 34]

Dave,

To my knowledge we have only two types of Archontophoenix on the island. I'm following a Bermuda garderner's guide book and according to the book they are  A. Alexandrae and A. cunninghamiana. I would agree with you that it does look more like yellowish A. purpurea than either of them... but I have never seen purpurea here b4. hmmm... it also doesn't have a silver tinge to the bottom of the leaflets. I'm beginning to wonder if its something other than Archontophoenix?

[brodklop 14]

(Palm Guy @ Jan. 27 2008,15:02)

QUOTE

Anybody know what this is??? I think its a rather common Chamaedorea but don't know which one...

This is a tripple planted Guasia Maya

Great photos

Thanks  Brod

[brodklop 14]

Woops wrong photo and quote. The one with the thatch and pigmy palm is the one I ment to comment on

[PalmGuyWC 1,480]

Michael,

Thanks for the beautiful photos of your island. Everything looks so neat and orderly. I have a few questions. I had heard that Mayor Bloomberg had a place in Bermuda. I'm wondering if there are any large estates with grounds in Bermuda? Also, surely there must be some plant nurserys. Does anyone feature palms, and are any plants from the mainland (USA) allowed to be shipped to the island? Or from Europe?

Since you have cool, but not cold winters, I would imagine all of the Loard Howe palms would grow in Bermuda, as well as Kentiopsis and some of the other New Caledonia palms. Also, if you could get your hands on one, Jubaeopsis should grow well there. Most of the Chamaedoreas should grow well for you, as many of the new palms from Madagascar.

Thanks again for showing us Bermuda. Cheers.

[Paul The Palm Doctor! 8]

Dear Mike:

I, too, thoroughly enjoyed your wonderful, palmy essay of Bermuda!  

What a bastion of civility in an incomparable mid-Atlantic setting!  Truly a blessed by nature botanical wonderland!  Again, many thanks to you, Michael!

Pablo :cool:

[deezpalms 56]

Great pictures Michael! Please post more of the surrounding area and the more natural n' wild sections of Bermuda!!

[Palm Guy 34]

Thanks for the beautiful photos of your island. Everything looks so neat and orderly. I have a few questions. I had heard that Mayor Bloomberg had a place in Bermuda. I'm wondering if there are any large estates with grounds in Bermuda? Also, surely there must be some plant nurserys. Does anyone feature palms, and are any plants from the mainland (USA) allowed to be shipped to the island? Or from Europe?

Richard,

Mayor Bloomberg has a house in Tucker's Town, a very ritzy part of Bermuda with many large estates. Many other famous people live in that area and interestingly, Michael Douglas opted not to live there. Douglas is actually a Bermudian living in a rather modest location (though I haven't seen his house which I assume is large). He comes from the Dill family which owns a hotel here in Bermuda. Very funny down to earth man. He loves the fact that he can walk around and live a relatively normal life here without all the paparazzi after him. Most Bermudians just leave him be. Ross Perot also lives in Bermuda, he actually has a post office named after him.

Now on to Palms. Yep there are three major nurseries on the island and a few smaller ones. Two of them really focus on selling palms, gingers, bananas, and heliconias. Very tropicalscape oriented. Although, I wish that they would bring in more variety of palms, as they tend to focus on species that hold up in windy, saline, and alkaline soil conditions that we have in Bermuda. Those would be the cocos, pritchardia thurstonii, bottle, spindles, hurricane, solitaire, christmas palms, phoenix species and sabal bermudanas.

Unfortunately, our customs office is very strict and there is a very hefty (33%) import duty on plants in general. Once I tried to order a dwarf citrus variety from Florida and they wouldn;t let me. We cannot bring in anything from Florida as many of the diseases that exist there could affect Bermuda's citrus and palm species. They especially made note of the pink mealy bug in Florida that they are trying to avoid. Also LY is on their minds too. So the probability that you can import anything other than seed is slim to none.

Cheers,

Mike

[amazondk 82]

Mike,

Thanks for the pictures of Bermuda.  I always wondered what it was like there.  I look forward to seeing more.

dk

[PalmGuyWC 1,480]

Hi Michael,

Thanks for your reply and information. You mentioned that only about 60 species of palms are found on the island. If only seeds can come in, I would expect the nurserys would be clamering to bring in new species, since there are many palms that would thrive in your soil, climate, etc.

I asked about large estates, because usually in such a nice climate, where so many things can be grown, money + space usually means palms and exotic plants. From what I read on a thread on Palmtalk, it seems the rich and famous in S. Calif. grow a lot of exotic Cycads and they seem to be the rage in S. Calif. Since you live on a rather affluent island, I would expect there would be a demand for such plants. Sometimes nursery people need to be prodded to try something new instead of the tried and true.

Thanks again for your tour of the island and we hope to see more.

Dick

[KyleNcal 1]

Thanks for the nice pics, didn't know rain water was the only source of water.

I especially like your native palm. I hear it's slow, but doesn't mind cool weather, maybe a good Sabal for N coastal California?

[Peter 232]

Thanks for the tour Michael.  I have a cousin getting married to a local  and I'm trying to get there for the wedding in June-nice to get a preview!

[Palmy 13]

Hurricanes seem to always  miss bermuda. Has a hurricane ever made a direct hit?

[Gileno Machado 200]

Que lindas palmeiras, Mike !

I was also surprised by the Gaussia maya triple look. I've only seen mature palms like those in pictures but the sight of their small upright crowns and the inflorescences along different levels is very distinctive, no doubt.

I've often flown near and above Bermuda but never stopped there for a visit. Most flights from NE Brazil to Northern USA are direct now. In the past, Boeing 707 jets from Rio to New York would sometimes have a scale in either San Juan or Barbados, sometimes away from the direct route.

The gardens in your pictures have a fine landscape and the palms look well cared for. Keep the pictures coming please...

I guess we have so much in common in terms of weather, with lots of saline exposure and constant breeze...I'm looking forward to see more palm photos of Bermuda, especially from near the beaches and neighborhoods. Thanks.

[Palm Guy 34]

Thanks for the tour Michael.  I have a cousin getting married to a local  and I'm trying to get there for the wedding in June-nice to get a preview!

Hi Peter, thats cool man. You should check me out if your coming down, I'll give you a tour of the island.

Kyle, I believe that Sabal Bermudana should do fine in Northern California.

Gileno, thanks for the compliments. Salt and wind are definitely something we both have to consider. I'd like to know how your Bentinckia's are holding up.

And now, for some more photos of our Botanical Gardens. Found some palms that aren't regularly seen on the island and some more tall Sabal Bermudana for you all.

[Palm Guy 34]

Don't have many Veitchia on the Island, in fact I think this is the first specimen I've seen. Anybody know which one it is?

the fruit...

[Palm Guy 34]

What's this guy?

[Palm Guy 34]

Dypsis Lutescens...very very common around here

Blue Latan in flower?? Never seen this one before...I havent been to the botanical gardens in years..

Shot of the Palm section...They better make room for the Tahina I plan on donating to them.

[Palm Guy 34]

Butia Capitata??

another shot...

[Palm Guy 34]

Prichtardia thurstonii...quite common here

overcast day...72 F

Another Latan palm I don't see often...Red Latan??

[Palm Guy 34]

My girlfriend came down for the week so expect lots of palm photos. Thats her under a Yellow Latan.

[Palm Guy 34]

[Palm Guy 34]

A tall cocothrinax argentea

Small Kentia

[Palm Guy 34]

anybody know what that suckering palm is next to the fishtail palm?

A shot of the area with a Gaussia Maya in the center...

Something for Kris...the CIDP of course...not my girlfriend...

[Palm Guy 34]

Large Ficus we found in an unkempt area of the gardens, bamboo in the back ground and sabals and chinese fan palms growing wild...

Sabal Bermudana

I dont think this guy was intentially planted here...

[Palm Guy 34]

Lots of open area

That's me getting some palm lovin... Tall Sabal Bermudana

Here is the G Rated version...

[Palm Guy 34]

Nice hurricane/princess palm...

Some of our wild Roosters on a traditional Bermuda stone wall...

Formal area with Palms in the mix...still under construction...

[Palm Guy 34]

Phoenix hybrid I believe...

various...

Queen

Queen Seeds

[kylecawazafla 959]

great photos! i had no idea how similar Sabal bermudana looked compared to Sabal palmetto. I have only seen smaller Sabal bermudana before. Do you ever get island fever living out there in the middle of the ocean??

[Palm Guy 34]

Gaussia Maya

My girlfriend trying to pull me away from the palm section...

[Palm Guy 34]

Able to fire away a few more b4 leaving...