The Serenoa repens of Anastasia State Park

[NC_Palms]

Yesterday I visited Anastasia State Park in nearby Saint Augustine, Florida and I was amazed by all the ghostly looking Serenoa repens ‘cinerea’ and many were trunking at heights around 5ft. 

 

[NickRB223]

Incredible!

[PalmatierMeg]

Beautiful habitat photos. Those silver Serenoa must be ancient. I haven't seen trunking ones before. Thanks.

[kbob11]

I'm just curious, when you say ancient, how old are we talking?

[PalmatierMeg]

31 minutes ago, kbob11 said:

I'm just curious, when you say ancient, how old are we talking?

Hard for me to say exactly. But considering some of those 5' tall stems have crawled along the ground for yards and yards before going aerial, I would say that cluster is many decades old. Most Serenoa that large and old now likely exist only in State and Federal parks and preserves. You have to consider that only 20-30 years Serenoa repens was considered a nuisance trash plant targeted for elimination. The native plant movement has benefited this palm immensely.

[Estlander]

Beautiful pics indeed. I’m lucky to have many large trunking Serenoas in my yard as well acting as a privacy fence between properties. They’re 5-7ft tall and so closely together forming an impenetrable jungle. 

The largest ones I’ve seen in my area in NW FL have been around 15ft. high with straight vertical trunks up to 10 ft. tall like the one below I took a photo of. 
If you keep them somewhat clean from dead fronds, they’re absolutely beautiful, imo. 

Edited November 4, 2019 by Estlander

[Estlander]

Of few pics of my personal Serenoa jungle. I’m happy the lot I bought had so many of them, and I tried to keep as many as possible when clearing the land for construction and incorporate them into my landscaping. 

[Estlander]

[Estlander]

[Estlander]

[Estlander]

[Estlander]

[Meangreen94z]

Peckerwood Gardens in Texas has large trunked Serenoa Repens. From what I gathered they are likely about 35 years old.

[Rickybobby]

Just amazing 

[Estlander]

1 hour ago, Meangreen94z said:

Peckerwood Gardens in Texas has large trunked Serenoa Repens. From what I gathered they are likely about 35 years old.

Wow, amazing! I take it these have been planted there once since Serenoa are not native to Texas?

[Meangreen94z]

Yes, the owner John Fairey bought 20 acres of former farmland in the early 70’s to start Yuccado Nursery. A tornado pretty much destroyed everything significant on the property in the early 80’s. He reinvented the nursery and landscaping to include xeric plants and palms. His garden is known for its spectacular Sabal Uresana, among others

Edited November 4, 2019 by Meangreen94z

[Estlander]

1 hour ago, Meangreen94z said:

Yes, the owner John Fairey bought 20 acres of former farmland in the early 70’s to start Yuccado Nursery. A tornado pretty much destroyed everything significant on the property in the early 80’s

 

 

 

 

 

Wow, in just a few decades they’ve grown into monsters like that.
S. Repens is  supposed to be a slow grower. I wouldn’t call that slow.

[NC_Palms]

10 hours ago, kbob11 said:

I'm just curious, when you say ancient, how old are we talking?

I once read that S. repens has one of the longest life expectancies in the palm family.  There are some populations in Florida well past 500 years old. 

http://www.indefenseofplants.com/blog/2017/1/25/ancient-saw-palmettos-in-the-heart-of-florida

[Stevetoad]

I love habitat shots. So cool

[Darold Petty]

Thanks to all for these great images !