Of the palms suitable to cultivation in southern Florida, the genus Ptychosperma is among the most successful. Its 30 or so species are Asian in origin, native mostly to New Guinea and Australia. Though they’re primarily rain forest species, some, such as the ubiquitous Solitaire Palm (Ptychosperma elegans), have proven successful in sunny exposures. A few species are single-stemmed,…
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Does this name fail to ring a bell with you? Fret not; you aren’t alone. Biscayne Prickly Ash is among the rarest, and least known, of our state’s native flora. While the small tree occurs naturally from the western Caribbean into Florida, from Palm Beach County south, coastal development has been making it vanish. (It…
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If you’ve been driving around town in the past month, your gaze might have been diverted by a dazzling plant in full flower. It’s the one covered from top to bottom with 2-in. wide blooms ranging from purple to lavender to white – simultaneously! You’re looking at Brunfelsia grandiflora, commonly called Yesterday-Today-and-Tomorrow. While this species is very dependable…
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Recently Florida’s Commissioner of Agriculture, Adam Putnam, distributed a story that had been reported on a Tampa-area television station. It quoted some fairly astonishing statistics regarding citrus production in Florida: The most recent growing season yielded 104 million boxes of oranges. Only 11 years ago, 243 million boxes were picked! Some of the difference was…
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This weekend marks the 74th edition of the Ramble, one of Old Miami’s most revered horticultural celebrations. It has long since ceased being just a plant show, though. The modern Ramble features cooking classes, rare books, a furniture design show, antiques, art, and a beer garden. And as for the plants, they have come a…
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