Author: Leonard Goldstein

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

Chinese Perfume Tree

The Chinese Perfume Tree, Aglaia odorata, differs from a lot of fragrant species in that its strongest scent is not confined to a certain time of day. Rather, its perfume waxes and wanes throughout the day. This evergreen shrub, which may reach 10-15 ft. slowly in southern Florida, produces small yellow, ball-shaped flowers whether planted…
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May 30, 2014 0

Palms to Herald the Rainy Season, Part IV

Below is the fourth, and concluding, installment of our survey of palms you should consider planting at the start of the rainy season: Livistona benthamii is a water-loving species native to Australia and New Guinea. It requires shade when young and light shade when older. As it grows, the brown trunk develops an attractive pattern…
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May 30, 2014 0

Palms to Herald the Rainy Season, Part III

Here is the third installment of our survey of palms you should consider planting at the start of the rainy season: Copernicia macroglossa, the Cuban Petticoat Palm, is noted for the distinctive skirt of old leaves that persists around the trunk of the plant for many years. Like many species in its genus, C. macroglossa…
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May 23, 2014 0

Palms to Herald the Rainy Season, Part II

We continue with our survey of palms you should consider planting at the start of the rainy season: Chelyocarpus chuco, a native of Bolivia and Brazil, is still uncommon locally. It produces glossy, circular palmate leaves and grow to 30-40 ft. in southern Florida. Seedlings need light shade, but older plants handle full sun. This…
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May 16, 2014 0

Palms to Herald the Rainy Season

The rainy season is just around the corner. We know that in southern Florida May 20 marks the usual beginning of the rainiest part of the year, but why? Heat and humidity build throughout the spring until they reach the point of generating rainfall without the intervention of a cold front. The dew point is…
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May 9, 2014 0