The life cycle of the Atala Butterfly (Eumaeus atala), also known as the Coontie Hairstreak. This butterfly is native to southeastern Florida and the Caribbean Islands. In the state of Florida it is still considered endangered due to loss of habitat and to some extent loss of its host plant, Zamia integrifolia (Coontie). First, in…
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Looking outside from the front window of the nursery house, a tall slender palm tree with bright red fruits hanging downward in clusters has caught my eye. The palm tree is Gaussia maya, the Maya Palm Tree. This palm tree flowers from several sites up and down its trunk. The fruits start out green, but…
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Today’s post features 3 palms in the Genus Dypsis. Dypsis cabadae, (Cabada Palm), Dypsis lanceolata (Ivovowo Palm), and Dypsis leptocheilos (Teddy Bear Palm). Dypsis cabadae is a water-loving species that was almost unknown here 35 years ago. Its dark green stems with white rings marking where leaves once were gives this palm a bamboo-like appearance. …
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The survey of palm species available at Richard Lyons’ Nursery in 3-gal. containers concludes this week: Dictyosperma album var. album is commonly known as the Princess or Hurricance Palm. It is a pinnate, self-cleaning palm that features a yard-tall, waxy crownshaft. Endemic to the Mascarene Islands in the Indian Ocean, it is reported to be…
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The survey of palm species available at Richard Lyons’ Nursery in 3-gal. containers continues this week: Sabal mauritiiformis is probably the fastest-growing of the 20 or so species of Sabal. Native from northern South America to southern Mexico, this palm produces fairly large, deeply-split circular leaves — reminiscent of those of Licuala — even before…
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