South Florida Palm Society - Holiday Party 2018

[Palmarum]

South Florida Palm Society - Holiday Party

December 3rd, 2018 - Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

 

Last night, the South Florida Palm Society held their annual Holiday Party at Fairchild Gardens. It took place in the Garden House Auditorium, which has just enough space for this eagerly awaited palm-related-event. As far back as I can remember, this has always been one of the main auctions (and parties) for the palm world in S. Florida. The style may have changed over the years, but the allure has always been the same; one never knows what rare species may show up to tempt the palm-crazy attendance.

- 7:09PM - My group arrived shortly after seven o'clock and entered the auditorium to find the party well underway. Attendees were talking, mingling, and looking through the auction plants. (B) In the center of the second photo and doing said mingling was IPS Director and Forum member Larry Noblick (Noblick).

- Dinner is served. The food tables were packed with a wide selection of entrees, appetizers, snacks and everything in between. Of course, I headed to inspect the desserts first. (C) A ginger-bread house carried the holiday theme to the dessert table. Notice the Key Lime pie in the upper left? Well, the cake in the lower right is a Key Lime 'cake' and it was incredible.

- The silent auction consisted of various items, palm related and otherwise. They had their own tables along the west edge of the room. (B) I took interest in that Zombia poster. It was a souvenir of the 1992 IPS Biennial in Miami, remember that one? It was delayed due to Hurricane Andrew. The poster featured the rescheduled dates of the Biennial in November of that year. The attendance was a mixture of faces representing the palm world, both new and familiar.

- The selection of auction material was at least 98% palm, but any plant may show up for bid. A few of the notable palms on display included a 10 gal. Red Sealing Wax Palm, Cyrtostachys renda, a seldom-seen oil palm, a 7 gal. Attalea maripa (the mainstay species of the old genus Maximiliana), and a 3 gal. vibrant, flawless Phoenicophorium borsigianum that featured a perfect, chocolate-colored, new emergent leaf.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- The selection of auction plants spanned multiple tables, the front of the stage behind the tables and the floor. There was a lot to look at. Many required a closer look as certain plants were missing labels and some may have been mislabeled. A 3 gal. Corypha lecomtei was touched and inspected over and over again as it was at the front of one table. (B) A well-grown 7 gal. example of Licuala peltata var. sumawongii occupied most of one table by itself. (C) Palms of all sizes were on display; from one-leaf seedlings to established container specimens.

- Late arrivals get a spot on the floor as the tables were full. An overgrown Silver Date Palm, Phoenix sylvestris, stands at the rear of the pack. A few species arrived as multiples, including a batch of 3 gal. Leucothrinax morrisii towards the left and a quintet of 3 gal. Dioon edule towards center-right. (B) A view down the aisle between stage and tables shows a veritable gauntlet for the palm nut to pass through.

- The center pieces featured a tall glass vase and a decapitated Lady Palm sucker. (B) The auction was a great way to both start and continue a palm collection. From left to right: a #1DP Cyphophoenix elegans, a 3 gal. Chamaedorea klotzschiana, and a 2 gal. Licuala grandis.

- The silver undersides of a 3 gal. Coccothrinax miraguama glow brightly thanks to the flash.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- Up on the stage, one gets a wider perspective on the situation. A few plants came with sleeves, which were either removed, pushed down, or reused as a drop cloth. Turns out playing with plants can be messy and the staff at Fairchild can be edgy when it comes to a loose speck of potting soil. (B) Auction attendees like to challenge themselves with identification before looking at the tag. It was nice to hear the process of them whittling it down from one genus to the next, then further from species to species. A 7 gal. Bailey Palm, Copernicia baileyana, was a subject of at least one of those ID contests.

- "Ooooh..." Hiding up on the stage, a 7 gal. Dwarf Betel Nut Palm, Areca catechu cv. 'Dwarf', still had the eye of many. The crownshaft was rubbed so much I was afraid the green was going to come off. (B) A tall, five gallon-sized pot is a convenient size and shape for palms that need the room for a deep root system, e.g. Talipot Palm, Corypha umbraculifera.

- The entire leaves of a tall Verschaffeltia splendida could be seen from every point in the room. The seven gallon pot it was in was running out of space for stilt roots.

- As I was taking photos up on the stage, I got the feeling that soon, attendees would be set upon the food. And I was right.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- Dinner was underway. The spread was diverse and catered to a wide variety of tastes. There was something for everyone. Lines formed on both sides of the tables. There was plenty of food, so there was no reason to get in line now. It was a better use of time to capture the action and to photograph plants.

- A 3 gal. Itaya amicorum holds down one table corner. (B) Resting on the floor, a 7 gal. Coccothrinax mystery awaits further attention. It resembled a Coccothrinax borhidiana but was labeled as a C. crinita. Later during the auction, the identity was debated back and forth. It was settled on to call it a C. borhidiana 'hybrid'.

- The colorful petioles on a 7 gal. Heterospathe cagayanensis grab the attention of many.

- The lines moved through quickly. An attendee or two even had to skip the dessert table. I was trying to photograph the entire length of both lines to get a count of those in attendance, but someone got in my way.

Ryan

[dmc]

Looks like a great time with great people! And some nice plants!

Dominic 

[Palmarum]

- The lines formed around the corner of the room. As people waited in line, the conversations never ceased and the combination of voices boomed off the walls as they echoed. The spread of food had so much to choose from, those small plates filled fast.

- I went back and forth between watching dinner unfold and checking out the plants. An uncommon Bahamian Thatch, Coccothrinax inaguensis, waits for its turn at the auction in a three-gallon pot. (B,C) One of a few different Dypsis on display, Dypsis sp. 'Lafazamanga' was inspected by the Dypsis fans in the gathering. On closer inspection, there is a sucker forming, leaning towards the right within the oldest leaf base. The spotted scales are reminiscent of D. lutescens, but the palm had a different look and feel to it. It is hard to tell by the photo, but the leaf bases have a slight tristichous arrangement. You can feel the flat-sided triangle with your fingers.

- As a rare Sabal for the auction, this 7 gal. Sabal × brazoriensis deserved respect as a hard to find plant in S. Florida. It is a natural hybrid between S. minor and S. palmetto and was discovered growing near the Brazos River in Texas about 8 years ago. It has appeared in a few auctions before. (B) The leaves are very thick and extremely stiff. They are hard to bend or move by hand. It was described as having a legendary cold tolerance, which is understandable and worthy of an equally legendary test. (C) A 3 gal. Copernicia berteroana, in an easy-to-carry travel size.

- A new, copper-red leaf emerges from a Heterospathe elata sitting on one table, with its leaves laying astride the walkway. Apparently, its name was George.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- From floor level, I took an additional pair of photos of the Dwarf Betel Nut Palm seen above. A few questions ensued from interested parties that were focused on the palm. They wanted to know how its form rated as a dwarf. I thought it was a good form, not as upright as the feather-duster type, but still desirable. It has been grown in a significant level of shade, so exposure to more light will make the crown a bit more compact.

- The first time it got quiet all evening. As attendees sat down to dive into dinner, the volume level decreased as one course after another was enjoyed.

- From the right side of the auditorium, I photographed the middle of dinner. Attendees continued to talk, eat and be merry. Grower Steve Stern can be seen standing in the first photo, talking with those at the table.

- Those who had finished early returned to the palm tables to look at plants and to the silent auction area to check on the bidding. From the left side of the room, everyone's attention turned to the front area as the planning for the main auction was being worked out. (C) In the right side of the third photo, FM. Ellis Brown (EllisB) stands at the ready, waiting for the auction to begin.

Ryan

[Elvis Cruz]

Ryan, thank you so much for documenting this wonderful event!

[Palmarum]

19 hours ago, Elvis Cruz said:

Ryan, thank you so much for documenting this wonderful event!

The party is always a fun time. Between the palms, the palm fandom and the gathering of all the great palm and plant people it has always been one of the premiere events. With more publicity I feel it will get more attention and more attendees next year. 

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- Before the main auction began, it was crunch time for the silent auction. A pair of wooden statues were on display next (B) to a 10 lb. (4.5kg) box of fresh Stonecrab claws, the 'jumbos'. The bidding on the stonecrab claws was steady with higher and higher increments.

- In the last few minutes before 'pens down' there was a flurry of activity at the side tables. It was a dance between those who were placing their high bids and those trying to outbid others at the last second.

- With an announcement, the silent auction was over. The bids were collected and attendees came over to see if they had won. (B) As the silent auction wrapped up, people began to focus their attention on the front part of the auditorium as the main auction was getting organized. They took their seats with some choosing a better or closer spot to the front while others simply turned their chairs around.

- 8:26PM - With the selection of the first palm up for bid, a 3 gal. Asterogyne martiana, the main auction was underway; with Jeff Searle as the auctioneer. With mic in hand, Jeff went from plant to plant, item to item. (B) The second palm in the auction was a 1 gal. Calyptrocalyx elegans, in one of its many forms. Travis Searle holds the plant as Jeff points out the bids from around the room. (C) The auction was fast paced as there was a lot of material to go through in one night.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- Tall and ready for a larger pot, an Attalea cohune was next. There were questions about the plant, Jeff went in turn answering them and pointing out other details about the American Oil palm.

- The term "Wild Collected" has been used to describe palms and plants grown in cultivation. The phrase is often applied to palms where the seed source may be in question, referring to how easy the source may be hybridized. In this instance, it is used to describe a 4-inch. seedling of Copernicia fallaensis, which was the next item up for bid. The seed were collected in Cuba and this fact caused a 'awed hush' to move through the crowd. Even with the heightened popularity of this palm, it is still difficult to find specimens of any size in cultivation. (B) The bidding was strong and the bidding paddles (paper plates) went up and down around the room. (C) When the potting soil dust settled, I believe the seedling went to FM. Bill Olson (Bill Olson) in the left of the photo. The plant was being delivered via a volunteer as Society Board Member and FM. Lenny Goldstein (Leonard Goldstein) writes the bidder's number and winning bid on a post-it-note. The note would then be taken to the table in the far rear-center of the photo, where it is catalogued with other bid amounts, awaiting payment at the end of the auction.

- One of the 3 gal. Coccothrinax miraguama found in the selection received high bids from the start.

- The plants were selected mostly at random, mixing back and forth between rare palms and common species, pinnate to palmate, etc. whatever seemed to fit the moment. I was selecting the order at one or two points in the evening. An attractive 5 gal. Licuala grandis was next. It didn't need much of an introduction. The bids came fast as many in the room were familiar with the species. (B,C) The bids came from everywhere, keeping Jeff on his toes looking all the way to the back tables.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- Humor and the frivolity found among plant-crazy people are a great part of events like the Holiday Party. It is nice feeling when you can share your palm fanaticism with others. It was one joke or anecdote after another. Jeff responds to one of them, as Travis holds a 1 gal. Coccothrinax scoparia, while showing it to the crowd, a moment before they will have a chance to bid on it. (B) A couple of plants went through the auction machine before they reached the flawless 3 gal. Phoenicophorium borsigianum.

- "Oh, look at that spiny thing." The reaction from the crowd was mixed. (B) Travis avoided the spines as he held the palm as high as he could without getting stabbed. The bidding bounced back and forth, before it got down between two bidders, with Jeff pointing at one of them. (C) It became one of the highest auctions of the night. As the palm was won, it was passed to Payne for its delivery to the winner. Lenny moves forward to verify the bidder's number.

- 8:41PM - The attendance during the evening was hard to place, as a few left early while others arrived long after dinner was over. It was a regular thing, with new attendees arriving with others leaving. Some went outside to chat and look around the garden and one or two of the late arrivals heading first for the remaining food. The auction continued at a quick pace. The tables up front began to show signs of thinning out. I took a photo looking down into the Phoenicophorium borsigianum, just because I could.

- A detailed description followed the introduction of a 3 gal. Pseudophoenix sargentii subsp. saonae before it vanished into the crowd. (B) A regular Staghorn Fern, Platycerium bifurcatum, came up to bid as another non-palm. It seemed to fight back, as it reached for Travis's face. George, the Heterospathe elata, was presented to the crowd.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- With a sense of eagerness from the crowd, the Dwarf Betel Nut Palm, Areca catechu cv. 'Dwarf', was taken off the stage and placed on the front table. People began to move forward to get closer, others ended side conversations, and one or two took their phones out to record video. The palm didn't need much of an introduction as most of the remaining attendees were waiting for it.

- Jeff continued his description of the varied cultivars within the Betel Nut Palm complex as I looked around at the dais from the stage. The bidding started high and went higher. (B) As the price kept rising, I went to capture some of the attendee reactions when I noticed the expression of long-time collector and grower Carol Graff (center). I was focused on her for the photo, when FM. Scott Cohen (Scott Cohen) ran into the shot to fondle the crownshaft. I believe this palm was the winner for the highest bid of the night.

- No time to wait for the excitement to wane, following the Dwarf Betel Nut Palm was a 7 gal. Chamaerops humilis. (B) It was time to auction the group of Attalea maripa, one of which was seen earlier in the topic. Since there were five plants, they were auctioned off to those with the highest bids in order, with the highest bidder getting their choice of plant.

- With a stretch of the auction featuring smaller plants, some rare some common, the next item to get an audible gasp (B,C) was the 10 gal. Red Sealing Wax Palm, Cyrtostachys renda. Even though it was late in the evening, there were still high bidders to fight for it.

Ryan

[Palmarum]

- With about thirty minutes left in the evening, the crowd did appear to thin out a bit. Next up, the impressive Licuala peltata var. sumawongii had its time before the masses.

- Several palms and plants later, the unmistakable Verschaffeltia splendida had its moment in the limelight, no pun intended. The bids were high, mixed with discussions about how one could get it home. This included last minute barters with friends to get possible cargo space in their vehicle in exchange for something. (B) Another group was next. It was the load of 3 gal. Leucothrinax morrisii. They were a bit shade grown, but definitely healthy.

- 9:47PM - The last few plants were auctioned off, one at a time until the tables were clear. It was amazing the amount of material we went through. (B) As the auction was over, the Holiday Party began to wind down. The remaining attendees formed a line at the round table to pay for their new palms and plants. In the center paying for his plants, attendee Darryl Windham made the long trip over from the Naples Zoo to look for new palms. (C) Jeff rests the worn-out microphone down on the table, then turns and shakes Lenny's hand before doing the same with Society President Rick Johnson on the left. They thanked each other for another successful auction and it certainly was from my point of view. Any time with palms is a good time indeed.

 

Ryan

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