I-Drive Coconut and Royal palms in Orlando still thriving

[Eric in Orlando]

Last week I got updated photos on the big plantings of mature coconut and royal palms along International Drive in Orlando near Sea World They appear to have suffered little or no damage after last winters cold. The hotel was formerly the Sheraton but is now Doubletree. They did a major relandscaping and planted some more royals at the south entrance to the property. The other royals and coconuts have been growing there around 10 years.

here are the newly planted royals that have been added. That is Bambusa vulgaris 'Vittata' planted behind it. In fact they lined the entire property with a screen of this. This is a big timber bamboo that can grow 60ft and has golden canes with green stripes. What a sight it will be in a few years.

here are the 2 coconut palms

[Eric in Orlando]

and here are the royal palms

[Eric in Orlando]

and a big Traveler's Tree, Ravenala madagascariensis

[Eric in Orlando]

and a Roystonea planted down the street at the Orange Co. Convention Center

[LauraAnu]

Nice pics

Laura

[edric]

Great work Eric, Ed

[floridagrower]

Eric,

I saw these for myself just a few days ago. I also went to Leu Gardens and took hundred of pictures. Keep up the good documentation of Orlando palms!

[palmsOrl]

Looking good Eric. I've been keeping an eye on those for the last 7 or so years, and I've never seen them significantly cold damaged.

-Michael

[Dave-Vero]

I need to check out the Orange County convention center a bit more carefully.

Here in Vero Beach, the young coconuts of a few years ago are growing so fast, the town's beginning to look as if it always had them.

I've seen only three that look as though they could have survived the 1989 freeze. A fair number of royals did survive, but only in the past five or six years have there been major plantings on street medians and similar sites.

[Paul The Palm Doctor!]

They all look healthy, Eric!

Paul

[Eric in Orlando]

I need to check out the Orange County convention center a bit more carefully.

Here in Vero Beach, the young coconuts of a few years ago are growing so fast, the town's beginning to look as if it always had them.

I've seen only three that look as though they could have survived the 1989 freeze. A fair number of royals did survive, but only in the past five or six years have there been major plantings on street medians and similar sites.

Dave, this is along the front at the south end of the complex now

[PalmGuyWC]

Eric,

Those Coconuts and Royals look great in Orlando, but I remember the 80's in Orlando, and it wasn't pretty. I remember acre after acre of citrus that were not just damaged, but killed.

I wonder if any citys in central Florida are using mules as street trees, or are they to expensive? I imagine they would have to be a fair size to be used as street trees. That avenue of Livistona decoras you posted some time back sure looked nice.

Dick

[Trópico]

Eric, the Fishbones restaurant in Sand Lake Road by I-drive is planting large coconuts, royals and Adonidia merrillii.

[Eric in Orlando]

Eric,

Those Coconuts and Royals look great in Orlando, but I remember the 80's in Orlando, and it wasn't pretty. I remember acre after acre of citrus that were not just damaged, but killed.

I wonder if any citys in central Florida are using mules as street trees, or are they to expensive? I imagine they would have to be a fair size to be used as street trees. That avenue of Livistona decoras you posted some time back sure looked nice.

Dick

Around here I have never seen Mules used as a street tree. Expense might be one reason but yet they use lots of Phoenix dactylifera 'Medjool' and these aren't cheap. Another reason is that its hard to find a group that is "uniform" and look the same. If they don't all look the same and same height then they dont get used.

[Eric in Orlando]

Eric, the Fishbones restaurant in Sand Lake Road by I-drive is planting large coconuts, royals and Adonidia merrillii.

Cool, I will have to check it out !

[Palmə häl′ik]

Puttin' O-Town on the palm map!

[DoomsDave]

Those are beautiful.

Enjoy while they last, like youth and beauty . . . .

[Paul The Palm Doctor!]

That's depressing, Dave!

Paul

[ck_in_fla]

Eric, the Fishbones restaurant in Sand Lake Road by I-drive is planting large coconuts, royals and Adonidia merrillii.

Did anyone ever get down to that Fishbones restaurant on Sand Lake Road to take some pictures? There is a Bonefish Grill right near 434 and I-4 in Longwood that used to have a Coconut palm planted against the building. I got some frond damage from the one cold incident where some places in town got down just under 30F. I think it would have survived but they removed it. The Foxtails and Manilas (Adonidia) are all still there and looking great.

Some pictures from that Fishbones would be great. Since that is relatively close to Coconuts and Royals near 528 and International Drive, they should do well as that is a warmer area of town.

Pictures would be appreciated.

[Trópico]

I work across the street from it. Here are the pics

[Trópico]

Sorry for the thumbnails :/

[Trópico]

For Kris

[Trópico]

They've been tied for a number of weeks now

[Trópico]

Triple!

[Trópico]

This looks like an Archontophoenix and a large Veitchia. Am I correct?

[Trópico]

Royal

[Dave-Vero]

In coastal Florida, you lose garden plants to hurricanes and freezes. In NE Fla, it's prudent to plant freeze-resistant species, but starting about Indian River County, there's a fair number of tropicals in the native flora (including some that periodically get whacked by cold). You have to think about trade-offs between longevity and attractiveness even if you're growing an all-native yard.

Georgia Tasker provides the best guidance for creating gardens that will persist through hurricanes. Hint: create a canopy of sturdy native trees.

In my town, many of the royal palms died in 1989, though not one that's visible from my house. I haven't yet seen a convincing pre-1989 coconut palm. It took years for local residents to begin planting cold-sensitive palms. But by now, the town's full of coconuts with nice trunks, many rows of royals, and bismarckias and foxtails all over. On the other hand, Rhapis excelsa must have been popular years ago, to judge from huge, thriving patches near older buildings. People don't seem to plant them anymore. What gives?

[Eric in Orlando]

This looks like an Archontophoenix and a large Veitchia. Am I correct?

Nice plantings!!!

The smaller palm is Dictyosperma album, the bundled palm is either Adonidia or Ptychosperma elegans.

I can see Popeyes next door, so this is near the intersection of I-Drive and Sand Lake ?

[fastfeat]

This looks like an Archontophoenix and a large Veitchia. Am I correct?

Looks like a Dictyosperma album and perhaps a Veitchia or fat Ptychosperma elegans (tied up).

[Trópico]

This looks like an Archontophoenix and a large Veitchia. Am I correct?

Nice plantings!!!

The smaller palm is Dictyosperma album, the bundled palm is either Adonidia or Ptychosperma elegans.

I can see Popeyes next door, so this is near the intersection of I-Drive and Sand Lake ?

Yes.

[Dave-Vero]

That Dictyospermum album is a beauty.

You fast food guys should be on the lookout for myna birds. They love french fries (not that I want to insult these nice birds from south Asia).

Retail and restaurant landscaping, which is changed fairly often, offers a lot of opportunities to plant palms that might eventually not survive a rare freeze.

[Trópico]

It was quite impressive the cold protection job that they did. They protected the small stuff with about 50 blankets. The two large coconuts and the royal were left to fend for themselves.

I passed by on our way to lunch and saw only superficial burning on some leaves of the large palms. Otherwise everything looks fine for now.

[Dave-Vero]

Looks as though the Orlando heat island was protective. Thanks for the report!

[Eric in Orlando]

I may go out to Sea World on Sun so will get photos and of the ones at Sea World.

[Trópico]

The report:

(Fishbones)

-Large coconuts burned but pushing green fronds.

-Royal moderate burn and thriving.

-Dictyosperma album laughed.

-Adonidias moderate to severe burns but alive.

-Small coconuts dead.

(Elsewhere)

To my disappointment the University Blvd cocos (10 ft or so of clear trunk) looks dead.

The Altamonte Springs royals all dead

The I-4 royals (super exposed) all dead

The Lee road H. verschaffeltii no activity yet

...but the Hiawassee royal might make it

and the Edgewater Dr. Archontophoenix is thriving.

[palmsOrl]

Thanks for the update Tropico, I was wondering how these longstanding specimens fared this past winter when it was all said and done. The warm spot at the south end of town is quite amazing, as I have seen some royals and cocos that are more damaged down here in South Florida than the ones at the Sheridan (called something else now) near Sea World. I am saddened to hear that the University cocos looks dead, I have been following its progress for 7 years and kind of thought it would never perish from cold. Not surprised about the (extreme north) Altamonte Royals, and the ones on I4 were quite malnourished, so they were already at a disadvantage. I ended up losing all three of my in-ground cocos, two just becoming clearly dead within the last few weeks. Time to replant!

-Michael

[Mark Heath]

Hey Eric,

I have been working at the Doubletree resort doing tile work. I noticed the palms that you posted pics of in March and was amazed at how little of cold damage they recieved.

Orlando has some heat island effect going on for sure!

Dave,

If last winter did'nt take these guys out, then it would take another 1989 cold blast to do so! Those Cocos and Royals are here to stay! I just wish some of that super microclimate would spread to me!

[Eric in Orlando]

The big coconuts at the house near Leu Gardens appear dead though the big royals the planted only suffered minor damage. That big Royal over by Dubsdread was damaged but growing back fine. There were a few big coconuts in College Park and they all look dead, too. Virtyally all the adonidias and bottle palms also appear dead though a few have green pushing out. The big bottle palm on Lake Underhill is growing and alive.

[Dave-Vero]

Any surviving spindle palms? They did really well here in Vero, where quite a lot of coconuts died.

[palmsOrl]

My Spindle developed spear-pull a couple months back, and I immediately chopped it down. Once far into cutting it down, I regretted doing so because (besides the spear-pull) the palm looked really healthy on the inside. Oh well, I will replace it too.

-Michael