Category: Did You Know?

Rare & Unusual Tropical Trees & Plants, Flowering, Fruit, Native, Palm, Bamboo, Heliconia, Hummingbird, Butterfly

Plants Toxic to Dogs and Cats—Redux

The U.S. is a nation of pet owners, and most of us feel a duty to protect those pets from various threats. Among the risks are toxins found in certain plants. Richard Lyons’ Nursery has addressed this subject before—just 18 months ago—but considers it important enough to merit repeating. Here is an expanded version of…
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July 21, 2018 0

Update on Avocado and Citrus

Over the past few years, Richard Lyons’ Nursery has reported from time to time on disease problems in avocado and citrus that have imperiled the future of both fruits as commercial crops in Florida. It is time for another update. Avocados have been hit hard by laurel wilt, a disease spread by Xyleborus glabratus, the…
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July 14, 2018 0

Have we finally found Mrs. Calabash?

Students of television history know that entertainer Jimmy Durante closed his weekly variety program with the cryptic message, “Good night, Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are.” Theories abounded as to whom, or what, the salutation applied. Durante’s first wife? A restaurant in North Carolina? An old flame? We at Richard Lyons’ Nursery are sad to report…
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April 21, 2018 0

Let’s Get Back to Basics

As you know, April is one of the most stressful months on the calendar, and it has nothing to do with the dreaded income tax deadline. Homeowners in southern Florida also need to worry about the cumulative effects of the long dry season. In a normal winter, April is not only mostly sunny, but also…
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April 14, 2018 0

Our Trees Six Months After Hurricane Irma

It’s a little bit hard to believe that Hurricane Irma occurred six months ago. Many trees in southern Florida, including some in the ground at Richard Lyons’ Nursery, took a walloping thanks to a number of factors previously addressed in this space (see “Lessons Learned from Irma,” September 30, 2017). Now, half a year later,…
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March 17, 2018 0