LEAVING FOR FLORIDA!!!

[CHOMPERS]

Hey guys - I've been doing a lot of plant stuff down here and am one hour North of Tampa - and the rain has been in the night only, so it has been perfect! I was really really surprised to see ALLLLLL the Saw Palmettos (Is that what the "weed" palms are?) everywhere!!!
What are the palms that get HUGE and THICK - with a bluish gray "trunk" with light blue green leaves? (Not the deep green leaves) ? I found many babies of this plant and need an ID on it.
Well... more updates to come! If anyone has ideas for me to go places to see DIFFERENT types of trees/plants let me know!
Thanks

Yep, that is the Cabbage Palm. One of them would make enough cole slaw for an entire town. Palmettos are the short ones that grow really thick and cover acres on end. Toward the swampy areas, the tall skinny ones with round heads are the cabbage palms. Pony tail palms or Queen palms are the ones with long droopy fronds. As you head south, the palms get more interesting. Date palms are the best looking. They have the long flowing fronds with a trunk that is bright green at the top. You'll know them when you see them. They are common from Ft. Lauderdale to the Keys.

Btw, if you brought a tent, you can camp on Bahia Honda Key at the national campground for really cheap. All of the campsites are beach front. It is just before Big Pine Key.

Coconut trees are limited to South Florida too. When you start to see the date palms, you will start to see coconut trees too.

 

[santoury]

COOL THANKS!

I don't think these are Cabbage Palms (I am seeing those, too - tall and skinny)

These were in a planting (A long line) and are medium height (around 10') and THICK with the old leaves still stuck on them all the way down to the ground (cut back) They were all in various stages of fruiting. The fruits become bright orange apparently. Would these be the Queen Palm?

Off to South! (Or at least on my way!)

 

[CHOMPERS]

Yep, probably. All of their fruits or berries turn orange though. Dr. Joe or Nick from N-E Cichlids would know exactly which ones they are (their area).