Palms at Terry Park, Ft. Myers, FL

[PalmatierMeg]

On Sunday my husband went to a bormeliad sale at Terry Park off Palm Beach Blvd in Ft. Myers. This was my first trip to this park. The weather on Saturday was horrid: wind, rain, cold. Even on Sunday, the dark clouds and chill lingered. When we parked I noticed an enormous African oil palm outside the steel warehouse that housed park staff. After making our purchases (I will post those in other tropical plants subforum), we crossed street to see the oil palm.

Lo, we discovered a palm garden squeezed into an area smalller than a residential lot. Most of the palms were labeled, some labels out of date, at least one plain wrong. I got out my camera and took loads of photos Engoy.

This little garden has a bench from which to contemplate the beauty of palms.

My husband Tim crosses the road toward the African oil palm (Elaieis guineensis)

ID tag

African oil palm crown views

[PalmatierMeg]

More Terry Park palms

Bottle palm

Butia capitata isn't often seen in SWFL. But this is a nice one.

Chamaerops humilis

[PalmatierMeg]

Chambeyronia macrocarpa sporting new red leaf

Coonties and ferns. I'm slipping in this non-palm photo

Copernicia macroglossa - horrendously mis-labeled as Coccothrinax crinita

Dypsis decaryi - very healthy and happy

Hydriastele beguinii

[PalmatierMeg]

Dypsis lastelliana

Trunk - note bottle palm in background

Terry Park has two spindle palms. The larger one has a fabulous blue-green crownshaft that didn't photograph well on this cloudy day.

Hyophorbe verschaffeltii #1

Hyophore verschaffeltii #2

[PalmatierMeg]

Terry Park has blue and red latans but no yellow. Fantastic palms

Lantania loddigesii (blue latan)

Frond and detail. Perioles are covered in felty tomentum(?)

Latania lontaroides (red latan)

[PalmatierMeg]

Latania lontaroides cont'd

Kerriodoxia elegans

Licuala grandis

Leucothrinax morrisii (formerly Thrinax morrisii per outdated tag)

[paulgila]

great pix,meg! is this garden maintained by the city or is it private?

[PalmatierMeg]

Phoenix sylvestris

Pseudophoenix sargentii

Ptychosperma elegans (tag lists common name as "Alexander palm" - say what?)

Rhapidophyllum hystrix - needle palm

Sabal causiarum

[PalmatierMeg]

Sabal palmetto, of course.

Syagrus schizophylla - Aikury palm

Thrinax radiata

Veitchia montgomeryana

THAT'S ALL, FOLKS!

[amazon exotics]

Hi Meg, Did you get any cool broms?

[PalmatierMeg]

great pix,meg! is this garden maintained by the city or is it private?

Paul, Terry Park is owned by Lee County. It was originally built in 1925 as a baseball spring training facility. It last hosted the KC Royals from 1968 to 1987, after which it fell into disrepair. It was mostly destroyed by Hurricane Charley in 2004. Since then the County has been rebuilding it. It now hosts college baseball tournaments.

I don't know who planted the palms but have heard an extension of UF may be responsible. Most of the palms are doing well, although some need fertilizer. But the County has money problems like everyone else.

[PalmatierMeg]

Hi Meg, Did you get any cool broms?

Some. I'll post pics tomorrow.

[Jeff in Costa Rica]

Thanks for the photos Meg. That C. macrocarpa is perfect!

[Kris]

Very nice visuals... And the blue latania's rock !

thanks & love,

kris

[Peter Pacific]

On Sunday my husband went to a bormeliad sale at Terry Park off Palm Beach Blvd in Ft. Myers. This was my first trip to this park. The weather on Saturday was horrid: wind, rain, cold. Even on Sunday, the dark clouds and chill lingered. When we parked I noticed an enormous African oil palm outside the steel warehouse that housed park staff. After making our purchases (I will post those in other tropical plants subforum), we crossed street to see the oil palm.

Lo, we discovered a palm garden squeezed into an area smalller than a residential lot. Most of the palms were labeled, some labels out of date, at least one plain wrong. I got out my camera and took loads of photos Engoy.

This little garden has a bench from which to contemplate the beauty of palms.

My husband Tim crosses the road toward the African oil palm (Elaieis guineensis)

ID tag

African oil palm crown views

[Peter Pacific]

Great pics Meg...do you have any photos of Sabal lisa? I have four germinated of the seeds you gave me. Best to you, Peter

[Peter Pacific]

On Sunday my husband went to a bormeliad sale at Terry Park off Palm Beach Blvd in Ft. Myers. This was my first trip to this park. The weather on Saturday was horrid: wind, rain, cold. Even on Sunday, the dark clouds and chill lingered. When we parked I noticed an enormous African oil palm outside the steel warehouse that housed park staff. After making our purchases (I will post those in other tropical plants subforum), we crossed street to see the oil palm.

Lo, we discovered a palm garden squeezed into an area smalller than a residential lot. Most of the palms were labeled, some labels out of date, at least one plain wrong. I got out my camera and took loads of photos Engoy.

This little garden has a bench from which to contemplate the beauty of palms.

My husband Tim crosses the road toward the African oil palm (Elaieis guineensis)

ID tag

African oil palm crown views

[PalmatierMeg]

Great pics Meg...do you have any photos of Sabal lisa? I have four germinated of the seeds you gave me. Best to you, Peter

Peter, my avatar is one of the parent wild Lisas of the seeds I gave you. I photographed it in late 2008. I will post more photos tomorrow.

[Moose]

Awesome photos Meg. Great little palmatum you discovered.

Thanks for taking the time posting the photos and sharing with us!

Kindest regards,

Ron.

[Kathryn]

Great pictures Meg! I've seen some amazing palm gardens around Florida in unexpected places. We don't have anything like that around here. Perhaps I need to find a place and start planting.

[Rusty on Pine Is.]

Meg, thanks for the wonderful pics....reminds me of why i love living here!

Rusty