Glimpses of Florida Palms

[Cindy Adair]

Returned from fun visit to Florida.

Missed sleep last night watching election returns.

Flight delayed 4 hours (so far..).

Good thing PalmTalk is around to educate and entertain!

As my spur of the moment visit to Florida (centered to hear Larry Noblick's lecture on Seychelle's Palms) was not Borneo, I did not photograph everything! 

However I did get to multiple wonderful nurseries and experience heartwarming hospitality and kindness. Since I am limiting my posts to palms only, I will place them here rather than under Travel Logs I guess. 

Upon my arrival at 6 am, too early to check in, I headed to two wonderful nurseries (Mesozoic and Holton) both in Lake Worth en route to my hotel a couple of hours north of the airport.

I recall taking only a few photos as both nurseries are open only by appointment and adjoin their homes. I did not ask their permission so will not post here.

Suffice it to say that the owners were both charming hosts and wonderful growers! 

The next morning I headed out to Mounts Botanical garden. Most photos I took were of non palms, but I enjoyed my nearly private visit so much I decided to buy a membership. Admission is only a suggested donation of $5 (with free admission to those belonging to reciprocal gardens as I do), but I liked their publication plus now will receive notification of upcoming events should I see bargain airfares that entice me in the future. Of course I like to support gardens regardless.

Here is a Zombie palm and just one of their lovely views including palms.

[Cindy Adair]

It was wonderful to see so many familiar faces at the Palm Beach Palm Society meeting that evening.  I also learned more about Seychelles palms from Dr. Noblick to complement my visit there in October 2015.

On to a perennial favorite from decades of visits, Fairchild Gardens. No traffic going South to Miami if you leave by 4 am. It was raining off and on which made for no crowds but limited photos. Good for the plants! 

I always photograph all the double coconuts I can so here is their only one. Not too much longer before it hits the conservatory roof. I recall one that was outside but it is long gone.

 

[Cindy Adair]

Here are a few more "classics". I actually used my shoe size to check the distance between their Copernicia baileyanas to guess how I should plant my little ones. 20 of my shoe size will do it.

[Cindy Adair]

On my return trip north from Miami I stopped by Mike Harris's wonderful nursery, Caribbean Palms for a delightful visit. Again photojournalism was not the focus of this trip but if you visit, no appointment needed, you will not be disappointed.

Upon my return to my hotel I noticed that just looking up by the pool I saw 4 different palm species. Not sure they all showed in this photo, but there was a Dypsis lutescens, a Roystonea, Phoenix and Foxtail.

I texted the photo to friends who live where it is already cold to make them jealous.

I got a chance to educate a fellow traveler who asked me about the palms. They added a trip to Mounts Botanical Garden to their plans for the next day.

 

[Cindy Adair]

However, sitting by a pool is only something I do when everything else is done for the day. I headed the next morning early, not a surprise, to see a McKee gardens, also free for me.

While not palmcentric it is lovely. I am posting only a couple of palms for now.

On to McArthur Park as I could not visit Florida without seeing at least one beach! Not really a good beach day plus I am now spoiled by Puerto Rico Beaches. Too cold to go in the water and no overhanging coconut palms but would have been great for kayaking if I had not had other plans. I did see some lovely presumptive Sabal palmettos but the photo eludes me.

 

 

[Cindy Adair]

Yes, on the very same day I knew it was now or never (this trip) to see the West Palm Beach Ann Norton Sculpture Garden. I knew it had a couple of double coconuts so was worth the $10 admission even arriving an hour before closing. They kindly said not to rush because they would be open anyway for a reception and it is a small space at 2 acres so worked out fine.

Lots of nice views with many palms but no free wi fi in this airport so I will only post a few.

Copernicia borhidiana first.

Attalea cohune

Two Lodoiceas hard to photograph with dusk approaching and didn't want to trample surrounding plants. First the larger one:

This one looks pretty sad.

 

[Cindy Adair]

Copernicia fallaensis!!!!Worth 3 photos. 

[Cindy Adair]

This lovely palm did not fit my suitcase or wallet either but was lovely to admire at the Mounts sale the next day. Big Copernicia ekmanii palms!

[DoomsDave]

Great pictures, and would love to see more.

I still get the warm fuzzies remembering the palms the love shown when I visited back in 2007 - 2008.

[Cindy Adair]

Last, but certainly not least, I was given permission to post these photos from the fantastic botanical collection of Mike Harris in Cooper City. He put me in a couple to show size.

First an amazing Tahina spectabilis!

 

[Cindy Adair]

His double coconut growing well since I last saw it two years ago! Dusk approaches so photo quality decreases, sorry. Just a few more quicklyas my delayed flight takes off soon..

[BPK Palm Addict]

Fantastic Cindy.  Thanks for taking the time to share. It is prompting me to take a road trip out of the Keys and do some looking around in S. Florida. 

[rick]

Wow you really did have a busy trip! Great seeing you at Mounts even if the weather didn't cooperate. 

[waykoolplantz]

Good to see you. Thx for stopping by and recent IPS update 

that Tahina is the smallest of my 3

[Kim]

You are making me wish for a return trip to Florida, free-lance, like yours! Very cool trip and thanks so much for the beautiful palm pictures.

[Cindy Adair]

On November 11, 2016 at 12:57:55 AM, rick said:

Wow you really did have a busy trip! Great seeing you at Mounts even if the weather didn't cooperate. 

It was great fun to catch up with you Rick and happily I don't mind (warm) rain!

On November 10, 2016 at 11:52:29 PM, BPK Palm Addict said:

Fantastic Cindy.  Thanks for taking the time to share. It is prompting me to take a road trip out of the Keys and do some looking around in S. Florida. 

I have always enjoyed this area even before I planted my first palm! Still many places I have never seen and each season brings a different look at the botanical gardens.

 

9 hours ago, waykoolplantz said:

Good to see you. Thx for stopping by and recent IPS update 

that Tahina is the smallest of my 3

My Tahina is totally ashamed. Your place is one of a kind Mike. Please feel free to "stop by" my place with the same 30 minutes notice anytime!

 

6 hours ago, Kim said:

You are making me wish for a return trip to Florida, free-lance, like yours! Very cool trip and thanks so much for the beautiful palm pictures.

Kim, I have had an old fashioned paper file labelled Florida for years. Adding suggestions on PalmTalk and Google, etc. coupled with (for me) cheap airfares, I think I will be returning often without seeing it all.  You are welcome for the photos, some to Mike's credit.