So Many Dishes

We see palm trees of all types on our walks. Coconut palms are hard to miss. You can often see a cluster of palms on the tree, or find them on the ground below.

The tall, gracefully bent palms that graced countless postcards from Florida were the Jamaican tall variety. Unfortunately, these trees were decimated by a disease known as lethal yellowing. The disease first appeared in the Florida Keys in the 1950s, and spread rapidly through the state in the 1970s and ‘80s.

To replace the beautiful palms, people planted the Malayan dwarf variety of coconut palm because it was thought to be highly resistant to lethal yellowing. It turns out that the variety is still susceptible, but does have some resistance.

The name Malayan dwarf is misleading. These palms can grow just as tall as their predecessors, just at a slower rate. They also flower and bear fruit earlier than the tall varieties. Their trunks can still be sinewy, which is one of the things that makes them so attractive.

Can you tell that I got a botany lesson on a walk this week? 😂