Palms in the Azores (Saõ Miguel island)

[Gunnar Hillert]

Aloha - This year, we got off the island of Hawai‘i and travelled to the closest thing Europe has to offer, the Azores, an island group in the middle of the Atlanta that is part of Portugal. I know it is not totally the same, as it is much further north in the Atlantic. The closest in climate (in my gestimates) that Hawaii has to offer is Volcano on the Big Island or the higher cloud forest elevations of Kaloko Drive in Kona (Big Island). Maybe somewhat close to the climate is also Waimea (Big Island).

We are staying right next to the Terra Nostra Park (Parque Terra Nostra) in Furnas on the island of Saõ Miguel. That place is truly amazing! It is a 150 year old botanical garden, with several thermal (hot) pools you can take a bath in. Anyway, I will start posting a few (mostly palm-) images below that we encountered. It might be the only place in Europe (Please correct me if I am wrong!) where you can see a fairly dense palm forest as well an abundance of large tree ferns. Furthermore, the garden's collection of huge Araucaria spp. (plus 2 Wollemia nobilis!) as well as their cycad collection are quite neat.

I just wish their palm collection was a tad more diverse, their website states that the collection contains 19 palm tree species. In that climate you ought to be able to grow way more different palm species 🙂. Maybe they need to hire a palm-nut from this forum!!

Fun fact: The garden was started by US Vice Consul to the Azores Thomas Hickling. From Wikipedia: "In 1795, he was appointed by Thomas Jefferson, then Secretary of State, as vice consul of the United States (a position continued by his son), beginning the oldest continuously functioning American diplomatic representation in the world (in Ponta Delgada on the island of Sao Miguel). Sadly, in the current political climate, it was decided that 12 diplomatic posts of the US to be permanently closed, incl. Ponta Delgada.

[SHEP]

Thank you for taking the time to post pictures.  Cecile

[Shoowow]

Welcome to the Azores! Lots of things to see around S. Miguel for sure, including the gardens and parks around Ponta Delgada, the main city.

[lzorrito]

Enjoy your stay! And do visit "Mata-Jardim José do Canto" by the Furnas lagoon. It's a must go, must visit.

 

 

[Gunnar Hillert]

Here are some palm pictures from our visit to the Jardim António Borges botanical garden. It is a free 2.5ha garden in the city of Ponta Delgada. It is a pretty garden but its palm collection consists of mostly common palms: Chamaerops humilis, Butia capitata/odorata, Phoenix reclinata, Livistona chinensis, Archontophoenix cunninghamiana, Syagrus romanzoffiana, Chrysalidocarpus lutescens.

Some observations:

• Here on Saõ Miguel I have strangely enough not seen any North-American genera of palms (Sabal, Rhapidophyllum)
• I have seen Bismarckia nobilis grow in fairly high (cool) elevations (3000ft/900m) in Hawaii, but none in the Azores 😞