Jump to content
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT LOGGING IN ×
  • WELCOME GUEST

    It looks as if you are viewing PalmTalk as an unregistered Guest.

    Please consider registering so as to take better advantage of our vast knowledge base and friendly community.  By registering you will gain access to many features - among them are our powerful Search feature, the ability to Private Message other Users, and be able to post and/or answer questions from all over the world. It is completely free, no “catches,” and you will have complete control over how you wish to use this site.

    PalmTalk is sponsored by the International Palm Society. - an organization dedicated to learning everything about and enjoying palm trees (and their companion plants) while conserving endangered palm species and habitat worldwide. Please take the time to know us all better and register.

    guest Renda04.jpg

A Palm Garden I found Today!


plantapalm

Recommended Posts

Today while I was at a friends house in a little private community, he mentioned that the man that built the community was a plant guy. He said there were a lot of palms at the club house so on my way out I pulled through and my jaw dropped. What a collection! Here are some of the pictures from today. I know what some of them are but I am hoping that some of you guys can name the 1's that I could not. Here is the first set, I know the easy 1 The Washingtonia, but the other 2 I am not sure.

SANY9371.jpg

SANY9373.jpg

SANY9372.jpg

Then this guy also. I have a bunch!

SANY9365.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Post more. This is a very old garden!

Len

Vista, CA (Zone 10a)

Shadowridge Area

"Show me your garden and I shall tell you what you are."

-- Alfred Austin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Post more. This is a very old garden!

Hi Guys,

Your right there Len, It a Very

Old Garden, and a Beauty thats

For sure, Excellent Pic's.

Regards Mikey.... :)

  • Upvote 1

M.H.Edwards

"Living in the Tropic's

And loving it".............. smilie.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Where is this garden? Ft. Pierce? Wow...if so, it really has survived a lot...hurricanes, freezes, fires, floods!

Nice collection....is the original owner still living on the property?

I believe the Gru Gru is actually a Zombia. Nice old specimen!

Rick Leitner

Fort Lauderdale, Florida

26.07N/80.15W

Zone 10B

Average Annual Low 67 F

Average Annual High 84 F

Average Annual Rainfall 62"

 

Riverfront exposure, 1 mile from Atlantic Ocean

Part time in the western mountains of North Carolina

Gratefully, the best of both worlds!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What a beautiful collection of some very mature palms. It would be nice if you could find out some history of maybe who was responsible for planting these palms, when were they planted, and how many different species are planted there. But thanks for sharing.

Jeff

Searle Brothers Nursery Inc.

and The Rainforest Collection.

Southwest Ranches,Fl.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow! Thanks for sharing. What a find.

Yes - please tell us more - location, history, etc. It is great to see that many mature specimens. Those are some really tall Paurotis, and it is nice to see Copernicias that large outside of a botanical garden.

Bob Johnson
Orlando, Florida, USA

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great find! Its interesting to see some of those species with a trunk underneath!!! :D

Zone 10a at best after 2007 AND 2013, on SW facing hill, 1 1/2 miles from coast in Oceanside, CA. 30-98 degrees, and 45-80deg. about 95% of the time.

"The great workman of nature is time."   ,  "Genius is nothing but a great aptitude for patience."

-George-Louis Leclerc de Buffon-

I do some experiments and learning in my garden with palms so you don't have to experience the pain! Look at my old threads to find various observations and tips!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Bob,What a Palm garden! That Copernicia macroglossa has to be in the 40 year range.Look's like you got a little Fay!

What you look for is what is looking

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This place is located in south Vero Beach, from what my friend told me the same man that started Mckee Jungle Gardens, lived on this piece of property. Which is now a 55+ gated community. Fay had a large section flooded out to bad for me to get into but these were the palms around the club house area. #of palms not to sure a this point. Next time I will make sure it has dried out and will explore.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How old is the community? The homes don't look as old as the palms. Very nice mature growth!

"If you need me, I'll be outside" -Randy Wiesner Palm Beach County, Florida Zone 10Bish

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the further information.

Mid 1980s? Is it possible for some of those palms to get that large in a 20 years? I wonder if some of the palms pre-date the community - perhaps part of the founder's estate?

Bob Johnson
Orlando, Florida, USA

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lovely stills of fentastic palms and i simply love your big stills(hi res)mode

And i truely wish to see more...And by the way the visual man(Me)is very happy!

thanks & love,

Kris :)

love conquers all..

43278.gif

.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Echo everything everyone said above. More, more, more.

In my post I sometimes express "my" opinion. Warning, it may differ from "your" opinion. If so, please do not feel insulted, just state your own if you wish. Any data in this post is provided 'as is' and in no event shall I be liable for any damages, including, without limitation, damages resulting from accuracy or lack thereof, insult, or any other damages

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just looked at your yard in Ft Pierce! You've done a fantastic job w/ pics!!! I travel to Ft Pierce quite often and worked there for a cpl of months w/ my company while i stayed in a hotel. I wish i had known you at that time, i would've loved to have toured your garden! Most impressive!! I would love to see your place sometime soon! I know, i'm flowing w/ too much water myself!!

Mark

Orlando, Florida

zone 9b

The Pollen Poacher!!

GO DOLPHINS!!

GO GATORS!!!

 

Palms, Sex, Money and horsepower,,,, you may have more than you can handle,,

but too much is never enough!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

very enjoyable pix,looking forward to more!

the "prince of snarkness."

 

still "warning-free."

 

san diego,california,left coast.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

According to the McKee Botanical Garden website, 80 acres were purchased by the McKee-Sexton Land Company in 1922, creating McKee Jungle Gardens. The 80 acres were sold to a developer after the original Jungle Gardens attraction closed in 1976, and all but 18 acres of the land were developed.

How close is this private community McKee? Perhaps the property was once a part of the McKee tract, hence the old, mature palms.

Bob Johnson
Orlando, Florida, USA

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In the first pic, the clustering palm near the water appears to be Arenga engleri. Several of the pics are of various Phoenix species, reclinata and perhaps some hybrids. The palm labeled Hypahaene crinita is a Hyphaene, but I am not sure of the species. After the Copernicia macrogossa is a Copernicia baileyana. Rick is correct on the one tagged Gru-Gru - it is really a Zombia antillarum. The last pic looks like Copernicia alba to me.

Edited by Bob Johnson

Bob Johnson
Orlando, Florida, USA

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It is located maybe 3 0r 4 miles south. I was told he live on this tract of property, but he died in the 50's McKee did. The land was bought by a developer and they put about 150 homes there in the 80's. So I do not know if the people that ran McKee after he died lived there or what maybe family? I will see what more of the background I can find out. I am a native Fort Pierce boy born in 79, but unfortunately I did not every make it there to McKee Jungle garden but I asked my mom another Ft Pierce native about it, and she said it was huge full of the most tropicals around along w/ a bear, alligator, parrots, and a bunch of monkeys. My mom has an old torn flyer for McKee Jungle gardens I am going to try to scan it at work today and post it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fascinating background and some pretty spectacular palms! Thanks for posting all the photos! :)

Leilani Estates, 25 mls/40 km south of Hilo, Big Island of Hawai'i. Elevation 880 ft/270 m. Average rainfall 140 inches/3550 mm

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes sir, this is what I'm talking about, how's the silver blue on that palm in the first pic ? Brahea ? and Arenga in the water ?

Happy Gardening

Cheers,

Wal

Queensland, Australia.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is a very cool, low key garden. The palm in the middle in the first picture is a nice Copernicia hospita. I saw a Livistona decipiens and something in the L. rigida complex as well, but those Copernicias are 40 years old at least.

Christian Faulkner

Venice, Florida - South Sarasota County.

www.faulknerspalms.com

 

Μολὼν λάβε

Link to comment
Share on other sites

that is the former estate of Bill & Moffie Bidlingmayer. He planted the majority of those older palms in the early 1960s so good eye Christian! A portion was also home to McKee Jungle Gardens, an oldie but goodie tourist attraction that was one of the last casualties of the Disney invasion. It closed in the '70s. He sold the remainder of his property in the early '80s I think, a bunch of condos were built off US 1 w/ the marketing slogan "come live in a botanical garden". Unlike most present day clearings the new owners actually built around the palms, oaks, etc. and what is now about a thousand Liv chinensis. Back in early 90s we toured the place, John Bishock (of course who else) managed to stomp thru the underbrush and discover what was at the time the largest Arenga pinnata in Fl. Also found that day was Acrocomia aculeata, again at that time registered as the largest in the state. Several of those palms pictured are seed donors to CFPACS. If you are growing Liv benthamii in Fla it came from Bill. Some other old palms not mentioned: Brahea brandegeei, Cocco. miraguama, a Latania of much debate that refused to disclose it's identity, several Livistona decora, australis, saribus; also many Phoenix (some true some not, that "reclinata w/ the red seed" is one), many Roystonea, Sabal domingensis and S.rosei. Look close at the pics, some may be in there. Easily one of my favorite haunts in our region, often transported to another land whilst wandering in there...

- dave

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It is located maybe 3 0r 4 miles south. I was told he live on this tract of property, but he died in the 50's McKee did. The land was bought by a developer and they put about 150 homes there in the 80's. So I do not know if the people that ran McKee after he died lived there or what maybe family? I will see what more of the background I can find out. I am a native Fort Pierce boy born in 79, but unfortunately I did not every make it there to McKee Jungle garden but I asked my mom another Ft Pierce native about it, and she said it was huge full of the most tropicals around along w/ a bear, alligator, parrots, and a bunch of monkeys. My mom has an old torn flyer for McKee Jungle gardens I am going to try to scan it at work today and post it.

Great shots of both the palm garden which has some very infrequently seen mature Copernicias and many other interesting palms I also looked at your really beautiful own garden blog. Thanks very much for sharing .

chris.oz

Bayside Melbourne 38 deg S. Winter Minimum 0 C over past 6 years

Yippee, the drought is over.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Tala, thanks for the background information. It truly is a jewel.

And thanks to everybody that complimented my blog, I am still very new to the palm world and learning more and more everyday, I only wish that I learned how cool palm trees were 10 years ago!

Did anyone ever make it to McKee Jungle Gardens before it closed?

The tourist flier my mom had was a little damaged but you can still see the picture of the rows of Royals. I unfolded it and scanned both sides, here are those pictures.

McKee2.jpg

McKee1.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

So I made it back to the garden today. I was able to meet the property manager. She told me that there has been someone stops in and picks up the Copernica macroglossa seeds. She also told me I was welcome to seeds. Sweet. I have another 20 pics I am going to post some now and some tomorrow. Here are the first round.

There are at least 8 Arenga's this size or bigger.

SANY0441.jpg

This was tagged as a Phoenix rupicola

SANY0454.jpg

I am assuming this is the Sabal domingensis

SANY0456.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now



  • Recently Browsing

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...