Looking for Florida Nursery to visit

[MDPalm]

A couple years ago I wanted to drive to Florida and bring back some palms, plants, etc. but mostly palms.  I never made it but am seriously thinking about doing down in the next month or two.  I was looking for suggestions on what nurseries to visit.  I was looking on PlantANT and was going to contact some people to see if they would sell to me but thought I would come here for some suggestions first.  I would need a place that would give me all the proper papers to take them out of Florida and I am guessing that is limiting me to wholesalers? Or would any decent nursery be able to provide that?  Looking at the prices on PlantANT it's amazing how cheap palms are and what can be purchases down there.  All the times I have been to Florida I have never gone to a nursery.

Is there anyone on here that owns a nursery that I could contact about coming to visit? 

Thanks!!!

 

[Keith N Tampa (ex SoJax)]

You don't need papers to take them out of Florida.  If they were shipping them for you, they'd have to treat for Fire Ants and an Ag inspector would then give them a phytosanitary certificate for shipping.  You won't need that but it would be a good idea to make sure you don't get plants with ants!

What kind of palms/plants are you wanting to purchase?  How far down into FL are planning to come?

[MDPalm]

I thought from another topic a few years ago I was told that if you are in a truck you had to stop for inspection before leaving the state.

I would prefer not to go all the way down to the Miami area but seems like that is the area to go to.  Being from Maryland my availability to buy anything other than Majesty's is limited.  I am always so disappointed when I see them everywhere in the stores, even during winter! I am hoping for palms that are starting to get a trunk but short enough to bring into a sunroom for the winter.  Right now I have some Adonidia's and a foxtail that are about 9' in the pot.  The Adonidia is the look I am going for but open to pretty much anything.

[Keith N Tampa (ex SoJax)]

I cannot imagine being stopped on the way out.  But I can imagine being stopped entering another state if you had a truck.  But I'm not an expert on these things.  Other palms that would work as indoor-outdoor would be KENTIA, many ptychosperma, pinanga, Licuala, rhapis, even Phoenix roebellenii.  Some like Veitchias and carpentaria would be better bought as seedlings because they grow so fast.  Bring your palm id book along for reference.

Look up Mike Evans here on Palm Talk.  He could hook you up with some nice things.  He is in St Petersburg & He might also know how to get the phytosanitary certificate; he probably has some cold hardy stuff too.  If you are going that way, contact Tom Broome at Cycad Jungle.  He's in a class by himself when it comes to cycads and could help you select some of them too.  He's just off I-4 not far from Lakeland.

[RedRabbit]

Mike Evans is by far the best in the Tampa Bay area. Here's his site: http://wctropicals.com/

[rick]

If you are heading down 95, here in Palm Beach County you can visit Caribbean Palms, D'Asign Source Botanicals, and Dale Holton nursery all in Loxahatchee.  They each have great selections of palms. If you head further south to Broward, a stop at Searle Brothers is a must. 

[Keith N Tampa (ex SoJax)]

Rick's right.  And that's not bear as far as Homestead/Miami.  

[IHB1979]

GTC Palms in Merritt Island which is near Melbourne. 

Here's a link to one of their sales, the link is old but their sale list does not vary much from sale to sale.

http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?/topic/43612-palm-cycad-sale-merritt-island-fl-oct-25th/

Edited April 4, 2016 by IHB1979

[nitsua0895]

Sorry about changing the original topic but it reminded me of a question I've been wanting to ask. Do any of you know of a nursery in the northern part of the Florida panhandle that field grows a large amount of Butias? When I drive down highway 331 to Destin/Ft. Walton Beach I always notice the field of palms a few miles after I go through Florala. It seems I remember it being near a very small town called Svea. 

[nitsua0895]

Correction- It was actually Florida Highway 85 where I saw that field of palms growing.

[Silas_Sancona]

On 4/3/2016, 7:12:57, MDPalm said:

I thought from another topic a few years ago I was told that if you are in a truck you had to stop for inspection before leaving the state.

I would prefer not to go all the way down to the Miami area but seems like that is the area to go to.  Being from Maryland my availability to buy anything other than Majesty's is limited.  I am always so disappointed when I see them everywhere in the stores, even during winter! I am hoping for palms that are starting to get a trunk but short enough to bring into a sunroom for the winter.  Right now I have some Adonidia's and a foxtail that are about 9' in the pot.  The Adonidia is the look I am going for but open to pretty much anything.

My personal experience with the FL Ag station, both when we came to Florida..and left went like this:

When we moved there, we stopped as directed. After seeing what plants were visible on the moving truck, the on duty inspector told me to contact the local Ag extention as soon as we had a place. Following their directions, i called several times/left messages trying to get an appointment set up to have all my stock inspected. After a couple weeks and no response, i stopped placing calls.

Before we left, i'd been told i'd likely be stopped and that i should pursue paperwork declaring that my stuff was both Nematode and Fire Ant free. Other people id talk to would tell me id be fine and likely wouldn't have any issues, especially since i don't have anything that Florida or Arizona would have concern over. Strangely enough, we didn't have Fire Ants in the part of Bradenton i lived.( We'd have had to move since my Basenji would not be able to deal with them on a daily basis) and nothing i had that looked suspect or possibly infested with Nematodes went onto the truck.

Needless to say, when we pulled up to the Ag station near where 75/ I-10 intersect, the inspector in the booth asked the usual questions and waved us on. There is no Inspection station anywhere along 10 as one enters Arizona from the east. Other experiences i have had with the inspection station at the CA/AZ border years ago were issue-free as well.

I also have sold close to 4K of larger 15-30Gal palms/ some smaller tropical stuff to a group of customers in town from Iowa who had no issues when heading back home from FL. Beyond the issues with Lethal Yellowing and introducing Fire Ants into RIFA free areas, i think the biggest concern the Ag dept has is transportation of plants that are hosts for Citrus Greening and the Red Bay Ambrosia Beetle. Just a guess though.

Regarding places, yes,.. if you get down to Tampa/St Pete.. Check out RedRabbit's suggestion (and Kopsick as well). Still kicking myself for not stopping in when i had the opportunity. If you get further south.. On top of the many other excellent suggestions, maybe stop by Redland. Everything i got from them held up well during the move and looks good, even if i really gotta get a few things stepped up.

No matter what, enjoy your trip and check out some parks/ palmy places.

[Caribbean Palms]

If you get down near West Palm Beach I'm in Loxahatchee Groves about 12 miles west of I95. I'd be happy to Show you around the nursery & talk palms.

Mike

Caribbean Palms Nursery

Loxahatchee Groves, Florida

 

[MDPalm]

Thanks for the replies.  It's such a busy time of year, I am still trying to figure out when I can get away for a few days to drive down.  And thanks for the info about ag inspections.

In the mean time I have found one nursery who has an empty truck heading north and gave me a good deal on shipping. I am hoping to find some other local people who would want to buy some palms and have some sent up.  It's not the same as going down and getting them myself but might end up being cheaper.  But that doesn't mean I still can't ride down and look around.  :)

[MDPalm]

I think I am going to head down this weekend.  I found a few wholesalers who told me that they would sell to me.  I also called around and ended up talking to an officer at the agriculture inspection station on I95.  I was told that I would have to stop and if asked provide a receipt with the nursery stamp.