Common Names:Hurricane palms

[NatureGirl]

I was reading on the PACSOA that Dictyosperma was given it's name because of it's ability to survive hurricanes.

From PACSOA:

Hurricane Palm,

Princess Palm

Distribution & Habitat:

Coastal forests on the Mascarene Islands of Mauritius, Reunion, Rodrigues, and Round Island.

Description:

Attractive, tall (to about 10m) feather palm with prominent crownshaft and swollen base to the trunk. Very similar in appearance to Archontophoenix alexandrae . It is quite a variable species, with several very distinct (and colourfull) varieties.

General:

Almost extinct in its native environment, because the palm heart is highly regarded for eating. It gets its name from its ability to withstand very strong winds (not because it was the only species of tree still standing at a park in Homestead, Florida, after 1992's Hurricane Andrew; its had its common name for far longer than that).

Can anyone verify this statement? Was anyone around Miami when Andrew hit and do you know if the Fairchild Dictyosperma's were toppled? I'm in a hurricane prone area and am thinking about planting one.

Thanks for any info.

Charlene

[Jeff Searle]

Charlene,

        I can tell you without a doubt, Dictyosperma's did not do well at ALL during Hurricane Andrew at Fairchild Tropical Gardens. I went into the gardens 4 days after it passed, with the permission from Chuck Hubbuch who was palm curator of the gardens at the time. I also helped in the clean-up for one day there too. And I remember very well how poorly these palms faired, with the common name that they have. I can't speak for other ones growing in Miami, but I do remember very well those in the garden.

Jeff

[NatureGirl]

Thanks Jeff,

That's exactly the info I was looking for, I was hoping you would remember.

Charlene

[TikiRick]

Charlene,

I live on the New River in Ft. Lauderdale with full north, east, and south exposures to the water. For this reason, I have used the "Hurricane" palm in abundance since I have the wind tunnel on high speed most of the time. As for the past three summers: although not hit DIRECTLY from the Atlantic ( 3 side swipes and a direct cross from the west coast (WILMA)) I can say that I did not have one frond broken from any of my hurricanes. Veitchias were stripped to the spear, coconuts fell over or their crowns bent over, and many other pinnate palms were trashed and did not survive....[Don't ask about my 15 foot Pritchardia---it was a sail---I think it was spotted in downtown Nausau, Bahamas!]

I would plant them if you are considering the hurricane factor. Jeff is right though, Fairchild's did not do well in Andrew. But then again, they were in the eye wall of a Category 5, Andrew.

PS They don't grow as slow as suggested...food, light, and water!!

[ZoneTenNut]

Yeah, I'd have to agree. I think when you're talking a Cat 5, ALL bets are off. My brother lived in Kendall when Andrew hit and even Royals got flattened and they are probably some of the most wind resistant palms.

I got the bulls eye of Wilma and the eyewall of both Francis and Jeanne and my Hurricane was fine, as were other very old and established ones around town. But then, these were only Cat 1 & 2 hurricanes, although some feel Wilma had low Cat 3 winds in places. Mine lost quite a few fronds, but didn't look too bad. The palm that really did the best for me, was the good old common native Sabal Palmetto.

Overall, I'd say they have very good wind resistance.

Roger

[Dave-Vero]

I didn't get to Fairchild until long after Andrew (I was busy coordinating some assistance from Jacksonville).  But a research project done by Carol Horvitz of the University of Miami sheds some light on Andrew's winds.  

Matheson Hammock, just across Old Cutler Road from Fairchild, was damaged but relatively intact after Andrew.  It was treated to remove fast-growing vines, and recovered pretty fast.

Another hammock farther south (I forget which) was messier.

Castellow Hammock, quite a bit farther south, was smashed.  I saw it in its demolished condition--you'd think a tornado had hit.  Hector Perez, a new assistant professor in the University of Florida's Environmental Horticulture Department (restoration and plant ecology program) was one of Dr Horvitz's field data collectors.  He reminded me last week that Castellow suffered 70% mortality of its trees.  

John Dowe, plant ecologist and palm systematist from Townsville, Queensland, spent a month last summer at the Montgomery Botanical Center studying wind resistance in palms (Montgomery had damaged palms, of course).  His seminar indicated that the perfect wind-resistent crown is like a Sabal palmetto or a Livistona from a cyclone-prone area.  Feather leaves are inherently inferior.  It'll be interesting to see his finalized conclusions.

[NatureGirl]

Thanks for the responses. I think you're right, all bets are off in a Cat 5. We got hit with Frances, then Jeanne in 04, also Wilma the next year. I lost a few palms including my huge Copernicia alba. Now I'm nervous about what palms I plant near the house. I'm convinced, it's going in the ground!

[PalmGuyWC]

I visited Miami a month after Hurricane Andrew swept through S. Fla.  We drove down to Holmstead and that area where the eye of the hurricane went threw.  The devistation was unbeliveable. Hardly anything was left standing.  It looked like some giant hand had wiped the landscape and buildings away.

A month later the buldozers were at work and there were piles of mangled trees and buildings 50 feet high on the sides of the roads. A pall of smoke hung in the air as the the piles of debris were being burned. Most of the native pines were blown down or snapped off midway. I learned later that the few pines that did remain standing died a year or two later because the roots were so violently shaken and broken.

There are no palms or trees on earth designed to take a direct hit of a catagory 5 hurricane.

I understand the heavy, thick wooden sign in front of Fairchild Tropical Gardens was found in Perrine, many miles south of the Gardens. You can only imagine the devistation to the Gardens. It was still closed when I visited there.

I was in Miami a few months ago and I have never seen so many tall construction cranes dotting the skyline as more very tall skyscrapers are being built. I mean Manhattan tall skyscrapers!  I shudder to think what a direct hit of a cat. 5 hurricane would do to downtown Miami. It would make New Orleans look like a cake walk.

Dick

[Tyrone]

As stated, Dictyosperma comes from the Mascarene Islands, a very cyclone prone part of the Indian Ocean around 20S. In winter, even though it really doen't get a winter, the Mascarene Islands can get prevailing SE tradewinds. So Dictyosperma should handle tropical to subtropical windy conditions, but as already stated, not much will survive a Cat 5 cyclone unscathed.

regards

Tyrone