Make your own zone map!

[kinzyjr]

Not sure what kind of Ficus it is, but here it is in Frostproof, FL:

https://www.google.com/maps/@27.7496638,-81.5305776,3a,49y,250.44h,99.96t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sebPYf8l5UPkCCvKVLAj6tg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Potentially Ficus aurea in Babson Park:

https://www.google.com/maps/@27.814198,-81.5486947,3a,39.8y,243.15h,95.74t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s4l74xTv3Xhb0IxRLp3tnOw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

[chinandega81]

11 hours ago, kinzyjr said:

Not sure what kind of Ficus it is, but here it is in Frostproof, FL:

https://www.google.com/maps/@27.7496638,-81.5305776,3a,49y,250.44h,99.96t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sebPYf8l5UPkCCvKVLAj6tg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Potentially Ficus aurea in Babson Park:

https://www.google.com/maps/@27.814198,-81.5486947,3a,39.8y,243.15h,95.74t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s4l74xTv3Xhb0IxRLp3tnOw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

I love that ficus in Babson Park. It looks so beautiful, plus the view in the background. Looks a little like wine country or the Mediteranean.

[kinzyjr]

6 hours ago, chinandega81 said:

I love that ficus in Babson Park. It looks so beautiful, plus the view in the background. Looks a little like wine country or the Mediteranean.

I'll have to get a more recent photo of it.  This one is from 2011... so it is probably a lot larger.  I suppose that officially puts Frostproof and Babson Park in the warm 9b/borderline 10a category.  I hunted down what I believe to be the Ficus aurea observation south of Lake Arbuckle since I know they pique @RedRabbit's interest.

https://www.google.com/maps/@27.6644765,-81.3773413,3a,41.4y,50.95h,92.5t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1scGvTzEf8_LTXC_9UNgZM_w!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

There are a few additional observations on iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/120934-Ficus-aurea

[RedRabbit]

5 hours ago, kinzyjr said:

I'll have to get a more recent photo of it.  This one is from 2011... so it is probably a lot larger.  I suppose that officially puts Frostproof and Babson Park in the warm 9b/borderline 10a category.  I hunted down what I believe to be the Ficus aurea observation south of Lake Arbuckle since I know they pique @RedRabbit's interest.

https://www.google.com/maps/@27.6644765,-81.3773413,3a,41.4y,50.95h,92.5t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1scGvTzEf8_LTXC_9UNgZM_w!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

There are a few additional observations on iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/120934-Ficus-aurea

Another great find @kinzyjr!

[Jimbean]

On 9/23/2021 at 6:12 PM, RedRabbit said:

I like this idea for a number of reasons. Horticultural barometers I go off of are ficus aurea (or microcarpa since I proved here I can’t tell them apart), pre-2010 royals, pre-2010 coconuts, pre-1980s royals, and pre-1980s coconuts. If I lived further north I might include queens or Washingtonia… The only way to draw this map is first-hand knowledge of the area though so I could do on for Tampa Bay pretty easy, but there may be some important nuances in places like New Smyrna Beach that I won’t be knowledgeable of.

 

I can do this for Brevard, and roughly for the Treasure coast as well.  Volusia I don't know very well.

[RedRabbit]

4 hours ago, Jimbean said:

I can do this for Brevard, and roughly for the Treasure coast as well.  Volusia I don't know very well.

That would be useful! Do you agree with using those palms/trees as barometers for the area?

[Jimbean]

9 hours ago, RedRabbit said:

That would be useful! Do you agree with using those palms/trees as barometers for the area?

I've done this before on my own account when I drew my 2009 map.  I think it just gives a rough idea, which I will give examples soon. 

[Jimbean]

Let's start with references:

These are the areas where I took pictures shown by the circles

[Jimbean]

Beach pictures

[Jimbean]

FIT pictures

[Jimbean]

Melbourne mall (not highlighted on map)

[Jimbean]

Near Palm Bay Rd / neighborhood area

[Jimbean]

Around my neighborhood

[Jimbean]

Near I-95, which I will explain this in a little bit

[Jimbean]

This is a bit time consuming, but fun.

Tropical hardwoods and where I have seen them grow in Brevard.

I'm sure that there are more locations for these, but this is what I personally have seen. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 28, 2021 by Jimbean

[Jimbean]

Annona glabra

 

[Jimbean]

Ardisia escallonioides

[Jimbean]

Bursera simaruba

[Jimbean]

Chrysobalanus icaco

[Jimbean]

Coccoloba diversifolia

[Jimbean]

ficus aurea

[Jimbean]

Ficus citrifolia

[Jimbean]

Myrsine cubana

[Jimbean]

Simarouba glauca

[Jimbean]

The red line is where I expect to find tropical hardwoods growing naturally to full size (except for Ficus spp, Schefflera arboricola, Bursera simaruba, stopper species, etc.)

The brown line is where tropical hardwoods are much more common

The orange circles are areas that I don't expect to find such trees in the wild, but I get surprised from time to time.

 

There are many species that I did not list, because I can't think of their scientific names

 

Edit:

 

I should include North Merritt Island, but I am not as familiar with that area.  The general idea is that tropicals mostly stop at Cape Canaveral

Edited September 28, 2021 by Jimbean

[Jimbean]

So let's talk about the photos I took

The picture of the big sea grape are common along the beach, and will get to that size when cultivated pretty much anywhere in Brevard except for northern Brevard.  The smaller sea grape is an example of the size you will most likely encounter anywhere else if growing wild along the Indian River

[Jimbean]

I wonder if the clouds indicate where the gulf stream is

The next picture is a gumbo limbo growing wild on the beach.  Most of these trees are small in the wild.  

[Jimbean]

I have done a rough forest profile of the area:

1.) Beach sand dune

2.) Sand pine scrub near US-1

3.) Eastern pine flatwoods

[Jimbean]

Invasive species (yes, I believe Dypsis lutescens is becoming invasive) 

 

[Jimbean]

For next post, I will reference a map with size of ficus trees.  Please note that different species of Ficus have different cold tolerances, so I'll be referencing Ficus aurea, Ficus microcarpa and Ficus elastica for I think they roughly have the same cold tolerances. 

Red line for saplings (first picture)

Purple line for small trees (pictures two through five)

Brown line for large trees (pictures six though eight)

Edited September 28, 2021 by Jimbean

[Jimbean]

Here's the map.  Notice that the size ranges do not correspond exactly with zones, but roughly 'warm 9B'

[Jimbean]

There's more details to go into, but I have to do other things today.  I'll be glad to answer any other questions about Brevard.  I'll do a rough one for the Indian River, St. Lucie, and Martin counties later

[Jimbean]

On 9/27/2021 at 7:24 AM, RedRabbit said:

That would be useful! Do you agree with using those palms/trees as barometers for the area?

Coming back for a little bit...

Another good indicator, at least for here are Dypsis lutescens.  They are planted all over the place and their size says something about winter temps

 

The first picture is what I would call medium size, the the second tall.

 

Even though technically it is a zone 10 palm, it is practically a warm 9B palm.  The red line shows where they get to be mature size like in the first photo, and the brown line shows where they get to be 25+ feet tall (in old neighborhoods). 

[kinzyjr]

9 hours ago, Jimbean said:

There's more details to go into, but I have to do other things today.  I'll be glad to answer any other questions about Brevard.  I'll do a rough one for the Indian River, St. Lucie, and Martin counties later

Thank you for sharing all of your documentation of Brevard and the surrounding area.  That took a lot of time and effort that you didn't have to put forth.

[RedRabbit]

11 hours ago, Jimbean said:

There's more details to go into, but I have to do other things today.  I'll be glad to answer any other questions about Brevard.  I'll do a rough one for the Indian River, St. Lucie, and Martin counties later

Thanks, wow, there’s a lot to digest here. It’s interesting to see tropicals going up the Indian River towards Titusville, I didn’t think they’d make it that far.

I’ll look at your posts in more detail when I get some time. I’m not familiar with all the species you posted; they might be something I can look out for the west coast too.

Edited September 29, 2021 by RedRabbit

[Jimbean]

I'll add a little more

There were at least three mature royals here, but were fenced off.  They were obviously planted, however I noticed a bunch of volunteers that I wanted to take pictures of.  In areas were there are mature royals around enough shade and moisture you'll see volunteers, which is not surprising.  The interesting idea here is that if given enough time without a 1989 event, royals will eventually naturalize in Brevard.

 

[Jimbean]

I shot this video at the location you see circled.  The neighborhood was built in the mid 90's I believe.  This is typical of what people will plant in South and Central Brevard and coastal areas/Merritt Island

[Jimbean]

Maybe @Silas_Sancona can help me identify some of these:

 

 

[Silas_Sancona]

1 hour ago, Jimbean said:

Maybe @Silas_Sancona can help me identify some of these:

 

 

#1 Bischofia javanica

#2 Sissoo, ( Dalbergia sissoo )

[kinzyjr]

On 10/5/2021 at 10:34 AM, Jimbean said:

I shot this video at the location you see circled.  The neighborhood was built in the mid 90's I believe.  This is typical of what people will plant in South and Central Brevard and coastal areas/Merritt Island

Nice work on the pictures and videos.  Excellent documentation.

For documentation of the more favorable inland climates here in Polk, I'll just use the posts on the Remarkable Palms of Tampa Bay thread. 

In this regard, the area meets one of @RedRabbit's four metrics (to my knowledge):

pre-2010 royals, pre-2010 coconuts, pre-1980s royals, and pre-1980s coconuts.

I have not seen any coconuts that survived 2010 here.  The palms I thought had a shot were in the Edgewater Beach area (not the city, the neighborhood here in Lakeland).  They were starting to trunk at the time.  They either didn't make it due to the freeze or were cut down because they looked awful.  I'm not aware of anymore that were older and large enough to have a shot of survival.  There are currently some trunking coconuts just south of this area on Main St.

We do, however, have  pre-2010 Adonidia merrillii and Hyophorbe lagenicaulis if that means anything.