My Newly Planted Florida Strangler Fig

[Mr. Coconut Palm]

Here's a photo of my newly planted Florida Strangler Fig.  I planted it adjacent to my Pineapple Guava.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1700494110192814&set=a.1698232970418928.1073741828.100006967231159&type=3

 

[Yunder Wækraus]

2 hours ago, Mr. Coconut Palm said:

Here's a photo of my newly planted Florida Strangler Fig.  I planted it adjacent to my Pineapple Guava.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1700494110192814&set=a.1698232970418928.1073741828.100006967231159&type=3

 

Very nice! You should plant one in a tree too!

[Mr. Coconut Palm]

6 minutes ago, Yunder Wækraus said:

Very nice! You should plant one in a tree too!

Alex, I don't have a tree I am willing to sacrifice, though, so I am just going to grow it as a stand alone tree.  If I had an old palm stump, especially an old sabal stump I would plant it on it, but I don't have one.  I gave another Strangler Fig about the same size to a friend in La Feria in the Rio Grande Valley.  He plans on planting his on an old Washingtonia post in the ground or on an old railroad tie.  I am sure his will get bigger than mine since his winters are a little milder than mine.

[Yunder Wækraus]

Just now, Mr. Coconut Palm said:

Alex, I don't have a tree I am willing to sacrifice, though, so I am just going to grow it as a stand alone tree.  If I had an old palm stump, especially an old sabal stump I would plant it on it, but I don't have one.  I gave another Strangler Fig about the same size to a friend in La Feria in the Rio Grande Valley.  He plans on planting his on an old Washingtonia post in the ground or on an old railroad tie.  I am sure his will get bigger than mine since his winters are a little milder than mine.

Neither you nor I will live long enough to see any tree host killed by a strangler fig! :-)

[Mr. Coconut Palm]

7 minutes ago, Yunder Wækraus said:

Neither you nor I will live long enough to see any tree host killed by a strangler fig! :-)

Oh, yeah, I thought they are very fast growers, especially in your climate, a little less in mine.

[Yunder Wækraus]

8 minutes ago, Mr. Coconut Palm said:

Oh, yeah, I thought they are very fast growers, especially in your climate, a little less in mine.

No. I've seen very few dead cabbage palms with mature strangler figs growing around them. Someone else could probably chime in and give us the exact facts, but I would guess that the time from the first leaf of the fig to the last "breath" of the host plant is on the order of 50-100 years (depending, of course, on the size, age, health, etc. of the host).

[Mr. Coconut Palm]

Just now, Yunder Wækraus said:

No. I've seen very few dead cabbage palms with mature strangler figs growing around them. Someone else could probably chime in and give us the exact facts, but I would guess that the time from the first leaf to the last "breath" of the host plant is on the order of 50-100 years (depending, of course, on the size, age, health, etc. of the host).

Maybe so, I am judging by the growth rate of other ficus that are commonly grown in the Rio Grande Valley.  Some of the ficus there grow 4 to 5ft. + per year if adequately watered, so they can grow from being just a small sapling a couple of feet tall to a full grown tree 25ft. + tall in just about 5 years.  Maybe the growth rate of the Strangler is slower.

[Yunder Wækraus]

8 minutes ago, Mr. Coconut Palm said:

Maybe so, I am judging by the growth rate of other ficus that are commonly grown in the Rio Grande Valley.  Some of the ficus there grow 4 to 5ft. + per year if adequately watered, so they can grow from being just a small sapling a couple of feet tall to a full grown tree 25ft. + tall in just about 5 years.  Maybe the growth rate of the Strangler is slower.

No, I don't think that's the case. But becoming a decent-sized tree does not equal killing the (generally strong Sabal) host. I mean, if I understand things correctly, it's the being starved of sunlight and nutrients that eventually weakens and kills the host. So you could probably just prune back enough fig branches to to keep the host's crown drenched in sun for part of the day and add some palm-specific fertilizer to keep the host living forever. If strangler figs were able to kill the host in under 30 years, there should be a lot more stand-alone strangler figs with hollow trunks to be found in FL. I'd say 90% of the trunking strangler figs I've seen in my neck of the woods are on a living (generally healthy host), and that includes some figs that look really big and must be older than I am.

[Mr. Coconut Palm]

5 minutes ago, Yunder Wækraus said:

No, I don't think that's the case. But becoming a decent-sized tree does not equal killing the (generally strong Sabal) host. I mean, if I understand things correctly, it's the being starved of sunlight and nutrients that eventually weakens and kills the host. So you could probably just prune back enough fig branches to to keep the host's crown drenched in sun for part of the day and add some palm-specific fertilizer to keep the host living forever. If strangler figs were able to kill the host in under 30 years, there should be a lot more stand-alone strangler figs with hollow trunks to be found in FL. I'd say 90% of the trunking strangler figs I've seen in my neck of the woods are on a living (generally healthy host), and that includes some figs that look really big and must be older than I am.

Interesting.  If I had an old Sabal trunk to put it on, I would do that, but I really don't want it growing on any of my ornamentals, though I do like their natural look in their habitat.  I wonder if mine will ever seed here.  If that happens I may end up with some volunteers on another tree or two.  Maybe I should have just planted it on the Brazilian Pepper I am trying to get rid of on the other side of it.

[Yunder Wækraus]

10 hours ago, Mr. Coconut Palm said:

Interesting.  If I had an old Sabal trunk to put it on, I would do that, but I really don't want it growing on any of my ornamentals, though I do like their natural look in their habitat.  I wonder if mine will ever seed here.  If that happens I may end up with some volunteers on another tree or two.  Maybe I should have just planted it on the Brazilian Pepper I am trying to get rid of on the other side of it.

I wonder how that works. Almost all of the strangler figs I've seen are on cabbage palms. Perhaps they need the boot pockets in order to get established.

[Cocoa Beach Jason]

10 hours ago, Yunder Wækraus said:

No. I've seen very few dead cabbage palms with mature strangler figs growing around them. Someone else could probably chime in and give us the exact facts, but I would guess that the time from the first leaf of the fig to the last "breath" of the host plant is on the order of 50-100 years (depending, of course, on the size, age, health, etc. of the host).

In Cocoa Beach there is a strangler fig about the size of a full grown oak tree. It is massive. I need to look in and see if there was a once-alive anything in there. I will try to get some pics next time I am over by that lot. 

[Mr. Coconut Palm]

1 hour ago, Yunder Wækraus said:

I wonder how that works. Almost all of the strangler figs I've seen are on cabbage palms. Perhaps they need the boot pockets in order to get established.

I think so.  Many trees probably don't have enough of a pocket or crevice in their bark for the Strangler seed to take hold.  In fact, come to think of it, the only time I have ever seen one growing on anything other than a Cabbage Palm, was on about 20 inches long total (trunk, leaves, and root) growing out of a crack in the side of the hotel my parents and I stayed at in St. Thomas back in 1986!  Somehow, the seed had gotten wedged into the crack on the outer wall of the hotel about 20ft. above ground level, and with enough rainfall and humidity there, started growing.

[Mr. Coconut Palm]

1 hour ago, Cocoa Beach Jason said:

In Cocoa Beach there is a strangler fig about the size of a full grown oak tree. It is massive. I need to look in and see if there was a once-alive anything in there. I will try to get some pics next time I am over by that lot. 

Thanks, Jason.  We would appreciate that.  I am curious, by the way, what is your normal high/low temp for Jan. and what is your normal lowest low temp each winter there?

[Cocoa Beach Jason]

27 minutes ago, Mr. Coconut Palm said:

Thanks, Jason.  We would appreciate that.  I am curious, by the way, what is your normal high/low temp for Jan. and what is your normal lowest low temp each winter there?

According to something I found on the net:

 

The last time I personally remember the temp getting to 32 was 2009 or 2010.

Edited January 23, 2016 by Cocoa Beach Jason

[Mr. Coconut Palm]

3 hours ago, Cocoa Beach Jason said:

According to something I found on the net:

 

The last time I personally remember the temp getting to 32 was 2009 or 2010.

If I am reading the chart right, it looks like your average high/low for Jan. is around 68F and 53F.  I am curious though about what is your normal lowest temp each winter.

[Cocoa Beach Jason]

1 hour ago, Mr. Coconut Palm said:

If I am reading the chart right, it looks like your average high/low for Jan. is around 68F and 53F.  I am curious though about what is your normal lowest temp each winter.

My lowest yard measurement last year was 37, year before that 41, prior to that I didn't pay attention. My guess is 37ish but just a guess. I will see what I can find.

Edited January 23, 2016 by Cocoa Beach Jason

[Mr. Coconut Palm]

2 hours ago, Cocoa Beach Jason said:

My lowest yard measurement last year was 37, year before that 41, prior to that I didn't pay attention. My guess is 37ish but just a guess. I will see what I can find.

Okay, thanks.  That's actually milder than what I figured your area would be.  I figured you would normally get down to around 34F or 35F at least once each winter.

[Cocoa Beach Jason]

1 hour ago, Mr. Coconut Palm said:

Okay, thanks.  That's actually milder than what I figured your area would be.  I figured you would normally get down to around 34F or 35F at least once each winter.

34-35 is not super rare. In 2009-2010 that happened a lot. But that winter was unusual. I need to try and find the average lowest. 

[Mr. Coconut Palm]

3 minutes ago, Cocoa Beach Jason said:

34-35 is not super rare. In 2009-2010 that happened a lot. But that winter was unusual. I need to try and find the average lowest. 

Thanks Jason.  Let me know if you find it.  I am fascinated by the climate of coastal Central Florida and I always like to compare it to my area and the RGV.

[Cocoa Beach Jason]

Here are some from around town that I photograped today from my cell:

[Cocoa Beach Jason]

[Cocoa Beach Jason]

You can see the size of the adult sabal on the left in this last pic

[Cocoa Beach Jason]

Hiding is also an invasive epiphyte schefflera

Edited January 24, 2016 by Cocoa Beach Jason

[Mr. Coconut Palm]

3 hours ago, Cocoa Beach Jason said:

Hiding is also an invasive epiphyte schefflera

Nice photos.  I love the Strangler Fig.  Mine will probably get to about 15 -17ft. tall in overall height here in my climate, but there are some 40 ft. tall ficus not too far from me on the Texas A&M Corpus Christi campus, but they have a perfect microclimate on an island on the south side of Corpus Christi Bay.

John

[Cocoa Beach Jason]

54 minutes ago, Mr. Coconut Palm said:

Nice photos.  I love the Strangler Fig.  Mine will probably get to about 15 -17ft. tall in overall height here in my climate, but there are some 40 ft. tall ficus not too far from me on the Texas A&M Corpus Christi campus, but they have a perfect microclimate on an island on the south side of Corpus Christi Bay.

John

Here is how big it is with a condo for scale, behind the cocos:

[Mr. Coconut Palm]

On ‎1‎/‎24‎/‎2016‎ ‎2‎:‎34‎:‎03‎, Cocoa Beach Jason said:

Here is how big it is with a condo for scale, behind the cocos:

Nice, and of course I like the coconuts in front of it too.