w i n t e r 2 0 1 1
From Inspiration to Reality The personalities behind the Garden’s creation
published by fairchild tropical botanic garden tropical gourmet foods home décor accessories eco-friendly and fair trade products gardening supplies unique tropical gifts books on tropical gardening, cuisine and more
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Photo by Gaby Orihuela/FTBG contents
5 FROM THE DIRECTOR 8 EVENTS 9 NEWS 11 TROPICAL CUISINE 13 WHAT’S BLOOMING 15 EXPLAINING 19 VIS-A-VIS VOLUNTEERS 27 PLANT SOCIETIES 49 SOUTH FLORIDA GARDENING 50 BUG BEAT 52 GIFTS AND DONORS 53 WISH LIST 54 VISTAS 59 WHAT’S IN STORE 60 GARDEN VIEWS BETTER CHOCOLATE 64 FROM THE ARCHIVES THROUGH GENOMICS 28 66 CONNECT WITH FAIRCHILD Raymond J. Schnell, et. al.
FROM INSPIRATION 34 TO REALITY 21 43 The personalities behind Georgia Tasker Javier Francisco-Ortega, et. al. the Garden’s creation Georgia Tasker
10901 Old Cutler Road, Coral Gables, FL 33156 • 305.667.1651, ext. 3305 • www.fairchildgarden.org • shop online at www.fairchildonline.com Fairchild’s 9 th Annual INTERNATIONAL ORCyHxáàI|DätÄ Friday, Saturday and Sunday March 11, 12 and 13, 2011 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Showcasing the spectacular forms and stunning colors of the world’s most coveted plant.
ADMISSION: Free for Fairchild members and children 5 and under.Non-members: $25 for adults, $18 for seniors 65 and up and $12 for children 6 -17.
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fairchild tropical botanic garden from the director
ur garden came into existence through an unusual confluence of remarkable personalities. Robert and Nell Montgomery, Marjory Stoneman Douglas and David Fairchild were all famously brilliant, independent and strong-minded individuals. OWhen circumstances brought them here more than 75 years ago, they were able to look across an abandoned fruit grove, rocky berm and marl prairie and together envision a world- class botanic garden.
Our founders dreamed of a stunning landscape that would delight and inspire the public, but they all agreed that the garden’s greatest contributions would be in science and education. They gathered the world’s finest tropical botanists as collaborators and began building an extraordinary collection of rare tropical plants. Through hard work and strong support from public and private entities, the garden embarked on a trajectory of rapid growth. In this issue Georgia Tasker takes us back to the very beginning to explore the thoughts and inspiration that coalesced into Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden.
Although our founders had a clear, surprisingly accurate vision of what the garden would become, they could not possibly have imagined how deeply Fairchild would become connected to its local community. During the past 75 years Miami has blossomed into a vibrant, exceptionally diverse city with strong cultural ties to the tropics. Our environmental education programs have a special resonance in South Florida, where young people are eager to understand and preserve the tropical world. We have a unique opportunity to engage talented local students in our work and help them develop careers in science and the environment.
We have just broken ground on the greatest construction project in our history, the Paul and Swanee Di Mare Science Village. Components of the new project include the Joyce and Tony Burns Building, the Clinton Family Conservatory and the Jane Hsiao Tropical Plant Laboratories. These new facilities will be our academic center for teaching science to students of all ages. They will also be the venue for cutting-edge research on tropical plant biology, ecology and conservation.
As we construct our new buildings we are also expanding our science and education programs. Six new students joined our Graduate Studies program this year (see “Graduate Studies in the Garden,” p. 15) and we will continue to recruit additional students. Melissa Abdo, our international conservation officer, received a new grant from the MacArthur Foundation to expand our Caribbean exploration and conservation work. The Fairchild Challenge, supported by the Batchelor Foundation, is delivering science education to more than 100,000 local K-12 students this year. With these programs and more on the way, the Science Village will be buzzing with activity from day one.
This is an exciting time for Fairchild, for science and for our community. It is the perfect moment to remember what extraordinary people have done and continue to do to support our mission. I hope you will join me in celebrating science, discovery and continued growth at Fairchild.
Carl Lewis, P.h.D.
www.fairchildgarden.org 5 contributors GEORGIA TASKER was the garden writer for The Miami Herald for over 30 years, and now writes and blogs for Fairchild. She has received the garden’s highest honor, the Barbour Medal, and a lifetime achievement award from Tropical Audubon Society. She is also an avid photographer, gardener and traveler. Georgia graduated cum laude from Hanover College in Hanover, Indiana, and received the first certificate in tropical commercial botany from Florida International University.
JAVIER FRANCISCO-ORTEGA , RichardRichard Lyons’Lyons’ NurseryNursery inc.inc. a molecular plant systematist has a joint appointment between Florida RareRare && UnusualUnusual TropicalTropical TreesTrees && PlantsPlants International University (FIU) and FloweringFlowering • • FruitFruit •• NativeNative •• PalmPalm •• BambooBamboo •• HeliconiaHeliconia Fairchild and is currently the manager HummingbirdHummingbird • • BonsaiBonsai && ButterflyButterfly of the Fairchild Challenge Program. He is a native of the Canary Islands PROUD MEMBER OF and has developed several research and educational projects in the West Indies, Galapagos Islands, Hawaiian www.RichardLyonsNursery.comwww.RichardLyonsNursery.com Archipelago, Hainan Island, [email protected]@RichardLyonsNursery.com Macaronesia, Socotra and @lycheeman1@lycheeman1 onon TwitterTwitter South Florida. Nursery:Nursery: 2020020200 S.W.S.W. 134134 Ave.,Ave., MiamiMiami Phone:Phone: 305-251-6293305-251-6293 •• fax:fax: 305-324-1054305-324-1054 AMY PADOLF is Fairchild’s director Mail:Mail: 12301230 N.W.N.W. 7th7th StSt •• Miami,Miami, FLFL 3312533125 of education and oversees all of the education programs at the garden including the award-winning Fairchild Challenge and the Graduate Studies program. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh and a Master’s in Science Education from Duquesne University. Amy began her career as the director of education at the National Aviary in Pittsburgh and has more than 20 years of formal and informal education experience.
DR. RAY SCHNELL is the lead scientist for an international genetic improvement program for Theobroma cacao, located at the Subtropical Horticulture Research Station in Miami. Since 1987 he has been a research geneticist working on tropical/subtropical fruit crop breeding and has extensive experience with DO YOU HAVE POND PROBLEMS ? cacao, mango, avocado and many miscellaneous tropical fruit IS YOUR REAL PROBLEM YOUR crop species. POND SERVICE COMPANY? ON THE COVER Call Dr. Jeff Murray, Pondologist Left to right: Dr. David Fairchild, Nell Montgomery, WE DO IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME! Marian Fairchild and Col. Robert Montgomery 305-251-POND(7663) | www.PondDoctors. NET Archives/FTBG Licensed/Insured
Your Water Garden Professionals Growing with the community
South Florida is a place where beautiful things grow. It’s a place where the roots of the community are deep. Baptist Health has been a part of that growth — and of this community — for 50 years. With a reputation for great care, we score higher than all other hospitals in Miami- Dade and Monroe counties in patient satisfaction, based on the latest U.S. government survey of hospital patients. Satisfaction like that doesn’t just happen. Our success is due to the dedication and professionalism of our caregivers. So, we give thanks to our people, who make all the dierence. And we thank our patients, who gladly recommend us. We pledge to give you the best possible care.
Committed to our faith-based charitable mission of medical excellence
For a free referral to a Baptist Health physician, call 786-596-6557 weekdays, 8 a.m.- 5:30 p.m. Or, if you prefer, go online 24/7 at baptisthealth.net. The official publication of Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden editorial staff editor in chief chief operating officer Nannette M. Zapata design Lorena Alban production manager Gaby Orihuela ART AT FAIRCHILD MEMBERS’ LECTURE AND PLANTS AND PEOPLE: feature writers Through May 31, 2011 MOONLIGHT TOUR AN INTERACTIVE GARDEN The art of Les Lalanne and Yoko Wednesday, February 16 Monday, March 21 Georgia Tasker Ono’s Wishing Grove 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. Saturday, March 26 Jeff Wasielewski 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. The Everglades: Past, Present, 11:30 a.m. Reservations required staff contributors Future: The Big Picture! for this free program for people Kimberly Bobson JANUARY 2011 Presented by Leon Howell, living with Alzheimer’s, Stephanie Bott PLANTS AND PEOPLE: Everglades National Park Ranger. 305.667.1651, ext. 3388 AN INTERACTIVE GARDEN Exclusively for members Erin Fitts Monday, January 3 PLANTS AND PEOPLE: APRIL 2011 Marilyn Griffiths Saturday, January 8 AN INTERACTIVE GARDEN SPRING GARDEN TEA Noris Ledesma 11:30 a.m. Reservations required for Saturday, February 19 Sunday, April 10, 3:00 p.m. Carl E. Lewis, Ph.D. this free program for people living 11:30 a.m. Reservations required for For more information call Amy Padolf with Alzheimer’s, 305.667.1651, this free program for people living 305.663.8059 copy editors ext. 3388 with Alzheimer’s, 305.667.1651, PLANTS AND PEOPLE: MOMMY AND ME TEA ext. 3388 AN INTERACTIVE GARDEN Rochelle Broder-Singer Sunday, January 9, 3:00 p.m. FAIRCHILD CHALLENGE: Monday, April 11 Kimberly Bobson For more information call RESEARCH PROJECT SHOWCASE 11:30 a.m. Reservations required Mary Collins 305.663.8059 Saturday, February 26 for this free program for people Paula Fern ández de los Muros MEMBERS’ LECTURE AND 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. living with Alzheimer’s, Ann Schmidt 305.667.1651, ext. 3388 MOONLIGHT TOURS FIRST LADIES TEA advertising information Wednesday, January 19 MEMBERS’ LECTURE Sunday, February 27, 3:00 p.m. Mari Novo 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. For more information call Wednesday, April 13 Ecuador through the Eyes of a Plant 305.663.8059 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. 305.667.1651, ext. 3357 Nut . Presented by Georgia Pythons, Lionfish and Sacred Ibis: previous editors Tasker, followed by a Moonlight PLANTS AND PEOPLE: Biopollution in the River of Grass. Tour. Exclusively for members AN INTERACTIVE GARDEN Presented by Larry Perez, Marjory Stoneman Douglas 1945-50 TH Monday, February 28 Lucita Wait 1950-56 5 ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL Everglades National Park Ranger. 11:30 a.m. Reservations required Exclusively for members Nixon Smiley 1956-63 CHOCOLATE FESTIVAL for this free program for people Lucita Wait 1963-77 Friday, Saturday and Sunday, living with Alzheimer’s, PLANTS AND PEOPLE: January 21, 22 and 23 305.667.1651, ext. 3388 AN INTERACTIVE GARDEN Ann Prospero 1977-86 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Saturday, April 16 Karen Nagle 1986-91 THE FAIRCHILD CHALLENGE MARCH 2011 11:30 a.m. Reservations required Nicholas Cockshutt 1991-95 for this free program for people PRESENTS: HIGH SCHOOL MEMBERS’ LECTURE Susan Knorr 1995-2004 living with Alzheimer’s, ENVIRONMENTAL DEBATES Wednesday, March 9 305.667.1651, ext. 3388 Saturday, January 29 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Guangxi, A Little Known Plant PLANT SHOW AND SALE The Tropical Garden Volume 66, Presented by the Bromeliad Number 1. Winter 2011. PLANTS AND PEOPLE: Paradise in Southwestern China The Tropical Garden is published quarterly. AN INTERACTIVE GARDEN Presented by Dr. Hong Liu, Society of South Florida Subscription is included in membership dues. Monday, January 31 Fairchild Research Ecologist. Saturday and Sunday, © FTBG 2010 ISSN 2156-0501 April 16 and 17 11:30 a.m. Reservations required for Exclusively for members All rights reserved. No part of this 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. this free program for people living FAIRCHILD’S 9 TH ANNUAL publication may be reproduced without with Alzheimer’s, 305.667.1651, INTERNATIONAL ORCHID THE FOOD AND GARDEN permission. ND ext. 3388 FESTIVAL FESTIVAL FEATURING THE 32 Friday, Saturday and Sunday, ANNUAL SPRING FEBRUAR Y 2011 March 11, 12 and 13 PLANT SALE Saturday and Sunday, GALA IN THE GARDEN— 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Accredited by the American Association of April 30 and May 1 A RENAISSANCE GARDEN THE ORCHID TEA ROOM Museums, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Saturday, February 5, 6:30 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday, is supported by contributions from members and friends, and in part by the State of VALENTINE’S CONCERT March 11, 12 and 13 Florida, Department of State, Division of AT FAIRCHILD 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Cultural Affairs and the Florida Arts Council, Monday, February 14 the National Endowment for the Arts, Institute of Museum and Library Services, Miami-Dade 7:00 p.m. For more information This schedule of events is subject to change. For up-to-the-minute County Department of Cultural Affairs, the please call 305.663.8044 information, please call 305.667.1651 or visit Cultural Affairs Council, the Mayor, and the www.fairchildgarden.org/Events Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners , and with the support of The City of Coral Gables. 8 THE TROPICAL GARDEN news
The joint team from the University of the West Indies, Montgomery Botanical Center Nelly A. Flórez, assistant regional coordinator of the GPI for the and Fairchild at the National Herbarium of Trinidad & Tobago (UWI). Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama, and Jeanine (R-L) Winston Johnson, Keisha Manaure, Juan Rivera, Melissa Abdo, Yasmin Baksh- Velez-Gavilan of the University of Puerto Rico. Comeau, Larry Noblick, Beverly Adams-Baptiste, Uta Rampersad and Felicia Forbes. THE UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO AT MAYAGÜEZ JOINT TRINIDAD EXPEDITION LEADS TO NEW LAUNCHES THE GLOBAL PLANTS INITIATIVE IN PLANTS, OUTREACH OPPORTUNITIES PARTNERSHIP WITH FAIRCHILD During October, Fairchild and the Montgomery Botanical Center As Fairchild continues its role as the regional Caribbean coordinating conducted a joint field expedition to Trinidad. The expedition institution for the Global Plants Initiative (GPI), it is a great pleasure was carried out in close collaboration with our partners from to welcome the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez’s Herbarium the National Herbarium of Trinidad and Tobago, based at the (MAPR) to the Initiative as a partnering institution. University of the West Indies (UWI) St. Augustine campus. The National Herbarium of Trinidad and Tobago is led by Curator MAPR’s work in support of the Global Plants Initiative is being Yasmin Baksh-Comeau. Fairchild's international conservation led by Jeanine Velez-Gavilan, who has been collaborating with officer, Melissa E. Abdo, and the Fairchild Challenge’s Juan Rivera Fairchild’s Global Plants Initiative project manager, Melissa E. partnered with renowned palm biologist Larry Noblick of the Abdo, to facilitate and launch this important botanical initiative in Montgomery Botanical Center. Throughout the expedition, local Mayagüez. A consortium of herbaria and natural history museums experts from the National Herbarium of Trinidad and Tobago around the world is developing the Global Plants Initiative. The joined the team. The trip was highly successful and resulted in aim of this major project is to bring together online content, digital significant new plant accessions for the Garden and ex situ tools and people interested in plant science. collections, including a number of rare palms. Outreach was also an important component of the trip, and thus presentations on During the Latin American Botanical Congress held in Chile during science and education-related endeavors at Fairchild and early October, Velez-Gavilan moderated and participated in a Montgomery were shared with the National Herbarium of Trinidad bilingual roundtable that focused on bringing together scientists and Tobago, the Department of Education of UWI, the Trinidad and others who are leading the way forward in the development and Tobago Field Naturalists’ Club and the Royal Botanic Garden of this ambitious and innovative online botanical resource. We of Trinidad and Tobago. congratulate her for sharing her collections management expertise and enthusiasm for the Global Plants Initiative with the broader Latin American botanical community, and look forward to continuing our collaboration with the University of Puerto Rico into the future.
APGA PLANT COLLECTIONS SYMPOSIUM—DENVER 2010 The American Public Gardens Association offered a symposium for its members in October, held at Denver Botanic Gardens. Fairchild Plant Recorder Marilyn Griffiths was fortunate to attend this fact-filled and inspiring meeting.
Plant recorders, curators, collection managers and directors of gardens from Hawaii to New York participated in the symposium. They addressed topics including working with volunteers, prioritizing collections, seed banks, ex situ conservation and climate change. Curators of the Denver Botanic Gardens gave a behind-the-scenes visit to the horticulture facilities and brief tours of selected collections. It was time well spent, in an environment of learning and beauty.
www.fairchildgarden.org 9 news fairchild board of trustees 2010 - 2011
Bruce W. Greer PRESIDENT
Louis J. Risi, Jr. SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT & ASSISTANT TREASURER Charles P. Sacher TREASURER
EASTERN SCREECH OWL UPDATE FAIRCHILD RESEARCHER FEATURED Suzanne Steinberg VICE PRESIDENT Since 2005, Fairchild has been releasing young IN PRESTIGIOUS SCIENCE owls into the wild through a process known as MAGAZINE Jennifer Stearns Buttrick “hacking back.” This is a highly successful Fairchild plant conservation researcher VICE PRESIDENT cooperative venture between the Falcon Dr. Hong Liu, also on the faculty at Florida L. Jeanne Aragon Batchelor Bird of Prey Center and Fairchild. International University, spent the past two VICE PRESIDENT & “Hacking” involves a process in which young years working on the ecology of endangered ASSISTANT SECRETARY wildlife are allowed to survey and adjust to the wild orchids in a remote nature reserve in surroundings of the release site before the actual southwestern China. The respected academic Joyce J. Burns release date. They are fed and provided fresh journal Science featured a prominent article on SECRETARY water on a daily basis while in a “Hack Box.” her work and study system in its September Leonard L. Abess 24, 2010, issue (pages 1592-1594). The article Henry N. Adorno, Esq. Since the program’s inception, more than 80 birds reported on assisted colonization (also known Alejandro J. Aguirre have been released into the garden. This year, for as assisted migration or managed relocation). Raymond F. Baddour, Sc.D. the first time, the owls are being banded. A small The article not only draws attention to Nancy Batchelor silver band is placed on the right ankle of each Fairchild’s plant conservation efforts, it also owl. You can help us track them by calling helps raise awareness amongst the Chinese Norman J. Benford 305.663.8084 to report banded bird sightings or to conservation community. Faith F. Bishock let us know if you spot a downed or injured bird. Leslie A. Bowe Swanee DiMare José R. Garrigó Kenneth R. Graves Willis D. Harding Patricia M. Herbert Robert M. Kramer, Esq. Lin L. Lougheed, Ph.D. Bruce C. Matheson Robert A. McNaughton, M.D. Clifford W. Mezey David Moore Stephen D. Pearson, Esq. Robert J. Petzinger T. Hunter Pryor, M.D. Jean Ellen Shehan Janá Sigars-Malina, Esq. James G. Stewart, Jr., M.D. Vincent A. Tria, Jr. 14885 S.W. 248 St. Homestead, FL 33032 Angela W. Whitman Ann Ziff Stop by and try our deliciously fresh and locally grown fruit smoothies and buy tropical fruit from Fairchild’s collection. Carl E. Lewis, Ph.D. DIRECTOR Saturday and Sunday 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Year-round tropical cuisine Passion Fruit, a Climbing Butterfly Vine By Noris Ledesma
Brazilian Passion Fruit Pudding
Ingredients: assion fruit, Passiflora edulis , is definitely a showstopper among tropical plants, and its 2/3 cup ripe passion fruit aromatic fruit and beautiful flowers will ignite your horticultural passion. The passion (approximately 8 fruit) fruit, unlike most tropical fruits, is not a tree but instead a climbing vine. This vine is 1 tbsp cornstarch multifunctional, providing fruit and habitat for some of South Florida’s most handsome 1 quart whole milk P Heliconius charitonius 1/3 cup sugar butterflies, including the Zebra Longwing, .
There are several species of vines in the Passiflora genus that will attract butterflies, but P. edulis Pour the cornstarch and 1 cup of has the added benefit of bearing fruit. Within this species, there are two distinct varieties of milk into a bowl and stir to fruit: the more-common purple and the rarer yellow. Both are native to South America, where dissolve. Set aside. the fruit is known by names including granadilla, parcha and maracuyá. The purple variety In a saucepan, add sugar and originated in southern Brazil and is found across Paraguay and northern Argentina. Less is remaining 3 cups milk and bring known about the yellow variety, but most believe it originated in the Amazon region of Brazil. to a boil over medium heat. Both varieties of passion fruit are almost perfectly round and filled with tiny edible seeds Remove from heat. Whisk the wrapped in a golden jelly-like flesh that is extremely juicy. The intensely tropical pulp is cornstarch and milk mixture into excellent in fruit desserts like sorbets, beverages and savory sauces. The purple passion fruit is the hot milk, then return to the preferred for eating fresh. The yellow passion fruit is best suited for juicing and making preserves. heat and stir over medium-low When ripe, the fruit starts to wrinkle on the outside. heat, stirring constantly for 4 In addition to bearing delicious fruit, the flowers of P. edulis are also handsome, sporting petals minutes. Remove from heat. that range from lavender to white with a purple-pink center. The flowers must be hand- Cut 3 of the passion fruit in half, pollinated in order to get fruit, as the insects that typically perform this task do not live in South scoop out the seeds, and rub Florida. The best time to pollinate the blossoms is when they begin to exude a delicious lemon through a sieve over a bowl, scent, as soon as they open in late morning. Pollinate these flowers with a simple, small discarding the seeds. Add to the paintbrush, preferably using pollen from a neighboring passion fruit. Each flower only lasts for mixture; stir until it reaches a one day, opening in the morning and closing at sunset. Plants will produce flowers the second pudding-like consistency. year after planting and are able to fruit from June to November with hand pollination. Divide into individual cups. Find a site for your passion fruit in full or near-full sun and plant vines 10 to 15 feet apart. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or The vines will need support, so provide a trellis sturdy enough to support a large vine. If left until set. Cut the remaining 5 unchecked, the vines are capable of climbing and possibly smothering nearby desirable trees passion fruit in half, and spoon and shrubs, so prune them regularly by removing less vigorous growth and occasionally equal amounts of the fruit over pruning back vigorous growth to promote flowering. the puddings. Serve chilled. Passion flower vines are easily propagated from seed; however, vegetative propagation from cuttings or grafting is the only way to ensure the parent plant’s characteristics will be preserved. The highly endangered Amorpha herbacea var. crenulata
Calling all citizen scientists Have you seen this plant? Citizen scientists can play an important role in conserving rare plants. You can help Fairchild determine how many of the endangered crenulate leadplants may be growing on private land. If you have this plant growing in your yard or have seen it elsewhere, and are willing to participate in our study, please send your name, address or the address where you have seen the plants and the number of plants to Joyce Maschinski at [email protected]. We will use this information to create a map showing the number and locations of this highly endangered plant. The plants growing on private land have the possibility of significantly increasing the total number of plants in this population while helping connect these to the wild populations currently growing in public parks or other open spaces. It’s what we call our Connect-to-Protect Network. But it all starts with you, our citizen scientists.
Visit www.fairchildgarden.org/ConnectToProtect for more information. Participate in our study to find crenulate leadplants. Send your name, the address where you’ve seen this plant growing and the number of plants to Dr. Joyce Maschinski at [email protected] (Your contact information will be kept confidential.)
FAIRCHILD TROPICAL BOTANIC GARDEN Photo by J Maschinski/FTBG Fairchild’s Arboretum is filled with plants from all parts of the world. We‘ll be looking at plants that have graced our garden for years and ones that are recent additions. Plot numbers are given and can be found on the Plot Map of the Garden available online (www.fairchildgarden.org/maps) and at the Visitor Center. So wander through our arboretum to find these winter flowering plants and make Dombeya x ‘Seminole’ new plant discoveries of your own. what’s
blo Text and photos bmy Marilyn Griffitihs ng Holmskioldia sanguinea Dombeya x ‘Seminole’ blooms through the winter with warm pink flowers, clustered together and surrounded by deep green leaves. ‘Seminole’ is a cultivar created in 1965 at the Agricultural Research Station of the USDA. Designed to thrive in our South Florida climate and soils, it has been used as a traditional landscape plant in Miami. A member of the Hibiscus family (Malvaceae), Dombeya x ‘Seminole’ can be found in plot 35 in the Arboretum. The genus Dombeya is native from tropical Africa to the Mascarenes, including Madagascar.
Holmskioldia sanguinea , Chinese hat plant, is one of our most attractive shrubs, and is an excellent hummingbird attractant. The distinctive flower has fused sepals, which appear as a round disk. The petals form a small trumpet, which provide nectar to visiting hummingbirds. It is native from India to Burma. Our oldest specimen, planted in 1939, can be found in plot 3a.
Jacquemontia pentanthos Jacquemontia pentanthos , sky blue clustervine, is one of the most stunning Florida natives. This vine has grown beautifully up the railing of the grand staircase to the ballroom of the Visitor Center. It is in the morning glory family (Convolvulaceae). The clear blue flowers form in dense clusters. The seeds provide food for birds and the flower nectar attracts sphinx moths.
Uncarina grandidieri , mouse trap tree, is one of our more unusual plants. Native to Madagascar, its species name comes from naturalist Alfred Grandidier, who studied the island for many years. The brilliant yellow flowers produce a large fruit with recurved barbs. These barbs attach to passing animals, which then disperse the seeds, giving it the common name of mouse trap tree. Look under the branches to see an interesting caudex (a stout, succulent stem). We have two large specimens of this plant, one at the north end of the Madagascar exhibit (plot 31) and one closer to the south end.
Pittosporum moluccanum Uncarina grandidieri Our specimens of were grown from seed collected by Dr. David Fairchild at the beginning of the Cheng Ho Expedition in 1940. When he saw it on Tagapulo Island in the Samar Sea of the Philippines, Fairchild thought it could be a possible ornamental addition to the South Florida landscape. It’s not only an attractive tree—the flowers are also delightfully fragrant. Our trees in plot 21, south of the overlook, were planted in July of 1945.
A plot map of the garden is available when you arrive at Fairchild. There is also a current list of flowering plants as well as a complete list of plants that you can find in the garden. Browse through the botanical names or the common names to locate plants of interest.
Our Web site is an invaluable resource for plant information, horticultural advice and news of plants at Fairchild. Visit www.fairchildgarden.org/Blooming to find what’s blooming this month.
Pittosporum moluccanum www.fairchildgarden.org 13 Learning at Fairchild Engaging more than 100,000 learners and gro wing! Celebrating nature • Cultivating minds • Inspiring action Learning is at the heart of virtually every program at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. Educational opportunities are available for all ages, including general and specialized audiences, locally and around the world.
For information about our programs, please visit www.fairchildgarden.org.
FAIRCHILD TROPICAL BOTANIC GARDEN Photo by Education Staff/FTBG explaining Graduate Studies in the Garden By Amy Padolf
Through a variety of airchild Tropical Botanic Garden, with its unique collections, award- winning educational initiatives and world-renowned science programs, programs, Fairchild provides has a unique opportunity to advance environmental and biological lifelong learning Feducation. We do so at every level, for members of the South Florida community and beyond. Through a variety of programs, Fairchild provides opportunities, helps grow lifelong learning opportunities, helps grow diversity in science-based careers, diversity in science-based and is a catalyst for change in the environmental education field. careers, and is a catalyst for In partnership with Florida International University and the University of Miami, Fairchild has created the template for an education continuum that change in the environmental extends from Pre-K to post-secondary schooling. Together, we hope to education field. increase the number of students pursuing advanced degrees in the sciences and successfully bring them into careers dedicated to the environment. These are goals that must be addressed at multiple points in the educational process.
We begin with the Field Studies and Fairchild Challenge programs at the K-12 levels, through which we spark enthusiasm for nature and encourage creative and intelligent thought about the environment. More than 100,000 South Florida school children and teachers participate each year.
Working with local universities, we are recruiting talented Fairchild Challenge alumni into college programs in Biology and G B T
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Fairchild’s 2010 graduate students and their advisors. Our Graduate Studies program has a 12-year history of hosting and mentoring (L-R) Nora Oleas, Dr. Javier Francisco-Ortega, Brett Jestrow, Brian Machovina, Evan Rehm, Dr. Kenneth Feeley, Tonya students in tropical plant conservation and biodiversity. Fairchild's education Fotinos, Dr. Eric von Wettberg, Catherine Bravo, Jason department administers the Graduate Studies Program in close association Downing, Wuying Lin, Dr. Joyce Maschinski, Dr. Hong Liu, with FIU and Fairchild researchers, including Dr. Javier Francisco-Ortega, Prof. Carol Horvitz and Robert McElderry. Dr. Kenneth Feeley, Dr. Eric Von Wettberg and Dr. Hong Liu.
Graduate students in our program have access to professional laboratory facilities and office space at Fairchild, as well as extraordinary living collections and a world-class staff of scientists. They have access to our network of collaborators throughout the tropics. In return, they share their knowledge and experience with non-professionals through education programming and special events at Fairchild.
www.fairchildgarden.org 15 We are constantly creating new Studying at the Garden opportunities for graduate students to Fairchild’s 2010-11 graduate students. conduct cutting-edge research. More
importantly, we offer a unique level of Catherine Bravo —focusing on the community engagement not offered by dynamics of cloud forests in the Central Andes of Peru. other graduate programs. Our graduate students can learn from our education Cara Cooper —studying the biology of and horticulture teams, join expeditions the invasive grass Melinis repens . to remote regions of the tropics, collect and protect fragile habitats and Jason Downing —researching the participate in community events. naturalization of a tropical specialist bee, which could be a potential pollinator of the shrub Byrsonima lucida. Since 1998, 14 graduate students hosted at Fairchild have obtained master’s or Ph.D. degrees at FIU. Currently we have nine graduate students with Tonya Fontinos —using molecular research topics focusing on plants from China, South Florida, Ecuador, Peru markers to investigate the genetic and the Caribbean. Past students have developed their research locally and structure of populations of the cactus all over the hemisphere, in places such as the Galapagos Archipelago, Pilosocereus robinii. Cocos Island (Costa Rica), the Caribbean Islands, Mexico and Peru. Our students have earned their degrees based on studies of tropical fruit, cycads Brett Jestrow —using molecular tools to and tropical palms. Our graduate students’ work has resulted in 32 research understand the systematic relationships papers with findings on such varied topics as the discovery of among West Indian endemic plants biogeographical links between the Galapagos and Caribbean Islands, closely related to crotons. tracking plant colonization routes in the Caribbean region, understanding the classification of palms and cycads and the conservation biology of Wuying Lin —studying the population Jacquemontia reclinata , a threatened morning glory restricted to the coastal dynamics of Geodorum eulophioides , an sand dunes of Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach. orchid species rediscovered three years ago at the Yachang Nature Reserve in In September, we welcomed the largest group of incoming graduate students Southwestern China. in the garden’s history. In a reception at Fairchild, Dr. Brad Bennett, FIU professor of biological sciences, spoke to the group about the importance of Brian Machovina —studying the roles of botanic gardens for learning botany and conservation. agroecology in rainforest conservation, likely conducting studies in the We are constantly creating new opportunities for graduate students to Caribbean region. conduct cutting-edge research. More importantly, we offer a unique level of community engagement not offered by other graduate programs. Our Robert McElderry —working to graduate students can learn from our education and horticulture teams, join understand differences in choices of the expeditions to remote regions of the tropics, collect and protect fragile host plants used by a common and rare habitats and participate in community events. They can be role models for leafwing butterfly. This work has students, teachers and undergraduates enrolled in our other education implications for butterfly conservation in programs. In the process they become top-level scientists with the ability to South Florida pine rocklands. become community leaders for conservation. This is a unique opportunity for us to build a new workforce of professionals who will improve science Nora Oleas —using DNA data for and communities worldwide for future generations. systematics, the study of the diversification of life. She is working on population genetics and species niche modeling of Phaedranassa (Amaryllidaceae), a small genus of 10 species, six of For more information about the Fairchild Graduate Studies Program, visit them endemic to Ecuador. www.fairchildgarden.org/GraduateStudies Evan Rehm —studying tree-line dynamics in the Peruvian Andes and the role of high-elevation birds as seed dispersers.
16 THE TROPICAL GARDEN Supporting Fairchild. It’s Simple. Fairchild’s annual giving program provides support for our critical work in tropical plant conservation, tropical science and research, horticulture and education. Fairchild’s education programs reach more than 100,000 students annually, and with your help, we could reach even more students and help them learn about the importance of science and environmental stewardship, as well as experience Fairchild, one of the few remaining green spaces in Miami. Our scientists are saving native plants right here in South Florida. On an international scale, Fairchild is working with over 20 partners worldwide on conservation studies and wildlife management plans. We are also your community garden —a place of beauty and connection with nature. But we need your help! Please take a moment and support the vital work of Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. It’s simple. Please send your gift in the enclosed envelope or you can call 305.667.1651, ext. 3377 or give online at www.fairchildgarden.org/DonateNow.
FAIRCHILD TROPICAL BOTANIC GARDEN Don’t miss the tours at Fairchild
Tram Tours Guided Walking Tours Enjoy the beauty of the garden on this complimentary, Discover the Tropics Walk Corridor narrated tour of Fairchild’s 83 gorgeous acres. Monday through Friday, through May 30, 2011 Year Round Find out what makes the tropics so special on this All tours last approximately 45 minutes each. informative walk. Tours do not run during festivals. 10:30 and 11:30 a.m. beginning at the Visitor Center. May cover the vine pergola, arboretum, Regular Schedule native plants, flower garden. Monday through Friday 1:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. beginning at Cycad Circle. Start on the hour 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. May cover the Palmetum, Rainforest and cycads. Saturday and Sunday Tours last approximately 45 minutes. Start on the hour 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Butterflies and their Host Plants Walk Spanish Tram Tours Every Saturday and Sunday Sundays beginning at 2:30 and 3:30 p.m. Learn about butterflies and the plants that sustain them. January through April, 2011 there will also be Spanish 10:00 a.m. beginning at the Visitor Center. tours at 2:30 and 3:30 p.m. on Saturdays. Tours last approximately 1 ½ hours. Spanish tours are also available on weekdays for groups who make reservations. Two week advance notice is required. FAIRCHILD TROPICAL BOTANIC GARDEN Photos by Gaby Orihuela/FTBG and Volunter Department Staff/FTBG vis-a-vis volunteers Growing Fairchild’s Membership By Stephanie Bott, Photos by Volunteer Department Staff/FTBG
Membership volunteers educate visitors about the many benefits of becoming a member of Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden
Some of Fairchild’s membership volunteers attended a welcome back breakfast in October to get ready for the season Membership phone committee volunteers like Joanne ahead. FRONT ROW (L-R) Christine Pedersen, Barbara Lalevee, Joan Kaufman, Beverly Agardy, Yonna Levine, Joanne Leathe make renewing annual membership easy for Leathe. SECOND ROW (L-R) Gary Diamond, Sam Sampera, Annick Pichardo, Patricia Shaw, Marilyn Brockner, Fairchild members. Evelyn Finley, Richard Stuart, Karen Mathers, Dorothy Sibley, Kay Chouinard, Joan Kurucz, Caryl Chassman.
familiar refrain greets Fairchild visitors as they enter the Fairchild’s popular festivals, including The Ramble and the garden: “Welcome to Fairchild! Are you a member?” It Chocolate, Orchid and Mango festivals, offer another opportunity comes from Fairchild’s membership volunteers, who are for the garden to communicate the important role of plants to Aamong the first people visitors are likely to encounter at the garden. increasingly diverse audiences. membership volunteers like Yonna With friendly faces, they greet members and their guests. Levine are always on the frontlines of these events. Yonna Membership volunteers educate visitors about the many benefits of particularly enjoys hearing the reaction of first-time visitors who becoming a member of Fairchild, and, in return they get to “interact attend an event, discover the beauty and wonder of Fairchild and with delightful people who are pleasant and excited to learn about all decide to join. “Their feedback is always so positive,” she says. the garden does,” says membership volunteer Joanne Leathe. Two years ago, a group of membership volunteers took on another These volunteers also play a fundamental role in helping to further important function by volunteering for the membership renewal Fairchild’s important mission and programs. As membership phone campaign. As their membership comes up for renewal, Manager April Dominguez says, “membership volunteers serve as members receive a friendly reminder phone call from one of these frontline ambassadors for Fairchild and help create a solid base of volunteers. This personal contact has led to a notably high retention support within the organization. Our volunteers are imperative to rate of current members, as volunteers are able to communicate membership’s success.” directly how important member support is for Fairchild’s future.
You can often spot membership volunteers enthusiastically Membership volunteers invite visitors to become part of the conversing with visitors about membership benefits such as free Fairchild community, and they present a view of the garden as a admission to Fairchild, moonlight tours and reciprocal memberships place of exploration and enjoyment. When visitors become to other gardens and science museums, along with the unique members, Fairchild becomes “their” garden, and they become opportunity to support programs in science, education, horticulture, invested in its mission and future. conservation and research. They help visitors understand that when they become members of Fairchild, they join an organization with Fairchild continues to grow every day thanks to the thousands of a rich history, scientifically important plant collections and a hours given each year by the dedicated membership volunteers. commitment to educating the public about the importance of plants Keep up the good work and thank you membership volunteers! and plant conservation. Sharing this message about the role of science and education in the garden, says membership volunteer Marilyn Brockner, is one of the best parts of her job. www.fairchildgarden.org 19 You’veYYoou’ve builtbuilt youryour sanctuary.sanctuary. NowNow findfind youryour peace.peace.
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Once, this pine rockland ecosystem covered more than 161,000 acres in Miami-Dade County.
n the inner Miami neighborhood of Wynwood, you can find a landscape that is a step back in time. It’s a pine rockland, recreated as it might have been prior to settlement, a landscape that sings with the wind shushing through pines, that undulates like the sea that once covered it. It glistens with flowering muhly grass and Elliott’s lovegrass. Its solution holes are bare but open to being populated. It sparkles with wildflowers such as coreopsis, ruellia, yellowtop and the extremely rare hoary pea Ivine that has so taken to its new home it is spreading like wildfire. Fruit is covering the wild coffee, snowberry, beautyberry and quail berry. Sabal palms, silver palms and dwarf palmetto, locust berry and indigo berry grace the higher elevations. And right down the middle is a wagon path.
Once, this pine rockland ecosystem covered more than 161,000 acres in Miami-Dade County. Today, after development has swallowed up most of it, some 375 fragments remain outside of Everglades National Park. However, that tiny number may be increasing. Inspired and guided by a program called Connect to Protect, pine rockland once again inhabits Wynwood.
When Lin Lougheed, a Fairchild trustee, discovered Connect to Protect, which was developed by Joyce Maschinski and the conservation team at Fairchild, he knew he wanted to join. The program helps homeowners and municipalities recreate pine rockland areas so that multiple small islands of this globally imperiled ecosystem might help save the scarce plants and animals that inhabit it; like a bridge over troubled limestone.
Lougheed, who also supports the Spiny Forest of Madagascar exhibit in the garden and the Plants and People project that offers Alzheimer’s patients and their caregivers an interactive day at the garden, owns a house in Wynwood. When he was able to buy the property directly behind his “CasaLin” he thought, “This is my moment.” Lougheed worked with Devon Powell, a Fairchild field biologist who oversees the Connect to Protect program, and received a list of pineland plants. “I took the list, went to the TOP LEFT: Dr. Lin Lougheed, Fairchild Board of Trustees member Internet and a few books and looked at each plant and asked if it would fit my criteria,” Lougheed says. Those criteria were: “is it good to look at? Does it have a scent? Will it TOP RIGHT: The state wildflower, coreopsis or tickseeed, shines against coontie attract wildlife? How long will it stay beautiful? How hardy is it? “ Zamia integrifolia . ABOVE: Crushed shells create a wagon trail, Stan Matthews, owner of Plant Creations nursery in Homestead, had worked on with Elliott’s lovegrass growing down the middle. Lougheed’s original Wynwood property and offered to make some “grottos” in the underlying limestone. With his list of pine rockland plants in hand, Lougheed went to
22 THE TROPICAL GARDEN “We need to make not only officials aware of it for medians, vacant lots and to beautify Miami, but also school kids. That’s why I put in the labels and hope soon to have kids from local schools, to see what Miami used to look like 100 years ago.” Lin Lougheed
Matthews and showed him a small drawing. Matthews gave the project over to Dave Schroeder, a backhoe expert. “Dave looked at it and just multiplied it to the excellent thing is it today,’’ Lougheed says.
Some temporary irrigation was installed to get the plants off to a good start, and the Plant Creation staff knew to add mycorrhizal fungi to aid the pines’ health. These are fungi that take up residence in plant roots and help them absorb mineral nutrients. Then, “copious” amounts of pine needle mulch were added to the plantings which “will serve to inoculate the soil with additional mycorrhizal fungi,’’ says Ken Cook, a member of the Plant Creations staff.
Will this recreated vignette of pine rockland actually function as such? Says Cook, "Pinelands keep their open character by fire. Our little recreation of a pineland may only exist for as long as it is maintained by humans, or until it turns into something else, under the principles of ecological succession." Because pine rockland depends on fire to get rid of unwanted plants and help seeds germinate, and since fire cannot be used in the inner city as a maintenance tool, it may require intensive hand weeding to keep the system intact. Still, the plants are labeled, and Lougheed hopes that the project serves as educational role in the community .
“This Connect to Protect program is deplorably unknown, underexploited and under- realized,” Lougheed says. “We need to make not only officials aware of it for medians, vacant lots and to beautify Miami, but also school kids. That’s why I put in the labels and hope soon to have kids from local schools, to see what Miami used to look like 100 years ago.”
Lougheed’s pine rockland is one of several being created around the county. For instance, the city of Cutler Bay also has joined Connect to Protect. Using Fairchild’s recommendations for native plants, Rosenberg Gardner Design will install pine rockland plants between SW 97th Ave. and SW 87th Ave. A pine rockland garden is also planned TOP: Narrowleaf yellowtop, Flaveria linearis , is a nectar plant for a long list of butterflies. for the intersection of Marlin and Old Cutler roads. ABOVE: Man-in-the-ground, a rare morning glory, blooms at the Wynwood site. For information on how to join Connect to Protect, go to our website, fairchildgarden.org/ConnectToProtect.
www.fairchildgarden.org 23 corridors IN THE plants OF THE
pine Bry Geoorgia cTaskekr land pine rockland
hen planted plantation-style in rows like corn, pines can become so thick that they shade out any other plant life in the understory. Grasses and flowers disappear, and without their host and nectar plants, so do birds, butterflies and other pollinators. If you remove large areas of the pines, will the grasses, flowers, shrubs and other life return to a savanna-like opening? Yes, says Nick Haddad, an associate professor of ecology and conservation biology at WNorth Carolina State University. Haddad has been working for almost two decades to show that corridors between fragments of habitat increase plant and animal diversity. He has been experimenting with the U.S. Forest Service in South Carolina’s Savanna River Site. Because of the density of pine plantings in his study area, there was no close seed source or butterfly habitat to jump start the recolonization, he says, making them not unlike sterile urban areas containing fragments of habitats. In his experiments, Haddad found that corridors, over a five-year period, increased plant diversity by 20 percent.
“This is a huge difference over a short time,” he says. “Furthermore, the plants that benefited are those we most wanted to conserve. We work in a longleaf pine savanna. In those [original] woodlands, there’s a whole suite of flowering plants and grasses targeted for conservation and they are the species that increased. In our experiment, we found consistently that corridors increase butterfly dispersal. So they are using our corridors to make it between larger patches of habitat.”
Jaret Daniels, a butterfly expert with the University of Florida, suggests that a butterfly of the pine rockland may be able to travel a couple of miles between habitat fragments. Haddad agrees. “A couple of miles is about right. That may be a bit far, but in the right range,” he says.
A study done by one of Haddad’s students is of particular relevance to Connect to r e k
c Protect. The student looked at a coastal skipper that inhabits an area of grasses just a h T
. behind the dunes of a 30-mile strip of North Carolina oceanfront. Coastal development F
n i
m was creating fragments of this strip. “She found that urbanization alone didn’t necessarily a j n e
B fragment butterfly populations,” Haddad says. “If people restored their yards with dune
y b
o
t vegetation, the butterflies could use them for stepping stones to get to larger habitat.” o h P The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s multi-species recovery plan for South Florida’s pine Native grasses add to the authenticity rocklands says, “Potentially, pine rocklands can also be restored where they have been of the newly created pine rockland. destroyed.… Potentially, pine rocklands can also be created from scratch.”
While the understory herbs and shrubs of the pine rockland can be recreated “fairly easily,” the pines themselves often sicken after several years. “This may be to a lack of mycorrhizal fungi in the pine roots,” the report says. And in fact, Jack Fisher, retired palm biologist from Fairchild, has suggested that a few shovels of pine rockland soil— containing fungi that colonize roots and help them absorb minerals—can be added to a pine planting to help the pines stay healthy.
24 THE TROPICAL GARDEN plants OF THE
pineTex t anrd phootos cby Gekorgia lTasaker nd
Jacquemontia curtisii , pineland Muhlenbergia capillaris , muhly grass, is a jacquemontia, is a vine that bears delicate, lovely, wispy grass with the slenderest of leaf crystal-white funnel-shaped flowers. Their five blades. It is highly rewarding to grow at this fused petals have a tongue-shaped ridge down time of year, when breezes gently move the their centers, and five stamens protrude above beautiful lavender plumes of flowers that rise the petals. The vine takes to rocky outcrops or above the blades. In fall in the Everglades, the runs along the ground of the pine rockland. sight of muhly grass sweeping across a fresh The leaves are tiny, flowers appear throughout water prairie is not easily forgotten. the year and bees love it. It’s also called pineland clustervine. Eragrostis elliottii , Elliott’s love grass, has a wider blade than muhly grass and flower Ipomoea microdactyla , man-in-the-ground, is heads that are creamy-white. The grass can be a member of the morning glory family that cut back at the end of winter to come up fresh bears rosy red, trumpet-shaped flowers in the for spring. summer. It may die back in winter and reappear around February. It is endangered in Tetrazygia bicolor , West Indian lilac, can South Florida. become a small tree but usually is seen as a shrub on the edges of pine rockland and Tephrosia angustissima , hoary pea, is rocky hammocks. The white flowers are extremely endangered but has been terminal and have bold yellow stamens. The propagated at Fairchild’s nursery for leaves have a distinct quilted pattern of veins. reintroduction into the wild. A vine, it bears Compost will help this shrub grow. rounded leaflets and delicate pink pea flowers. Sabal palmetto , Sabal palm or cabbage palm, is among the most versatile of our native plants Randia aculeata , white indigo berry, has quite and grows from the beach to rockland. It is a glossy leaves and pretty five-petaled flowers. stately palm, without being massive like the It is a shrub that bears white berries with blue royal. Still, it can grow to 50 feet or more. The pulp inside. Indigo berry can grow to 10 feet leaves are costapalmate, with a central midrib or so. It’s a nectar plant for the Schaus’ that causes the edges of the fronds to bend swallowtail butterfly in North Key Largo as slightly up and inward as the leaf radiates well as atala butterflies. The indigo pulp once around the rib. Ferns, bromeliads and orchids was used for dye. sometimes take root in the old leaf bases.
Crossopetalum ilicifolium , quailberry, has Pinus elliottii var. densa , South Florida slash small holly-like leaves and bright red fruit in pine (also known as Dade County pine), has a the fall. It’s a tiny subshrub that spreads like a grassy stage when young (it is densely ground cover. Full sun and excellent drainage covered with needles) that protects it in fire, are required for it to thrive, as for most of the and thick bark when older to do the same pineland plants. It grows slowly and is thing. It once was called Dade County slash drought tolerant. pine because Dade County extended over this pine’s range, south from Lake Okeechobee to Chiococca alba , snowberry, is a sprawling the end of the peninsula. Sensitive to root shrub that likes to lean on a support. It flowers damage, the pine can tolerate seasonal in the summer and produces round white flooding. But without fire to cleanse the berries in the fall. If it doesn’t lean against a pineland, evergreen hardwoods can fence, it behaves like a ground cover. eventually replace pines.
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kebana is the Japanese art of flower arrangement. So much more than simply placing flowers in a container, it is a disciplined art form that brings together nature and humanity. Ikebana is one of the traditional arts Iof Japan and has been practiced for more than 600 years. As is true of all other arts, Ikebana is creative expression within certain rules of construction.
The Ikebana International Miami Chapter 131 recently celebrated its 40-year anniversary. It is part of worldwide organization founded in Japan in 1956, which has more than 9,000 members in more than 50 countries. The organization has made a great difference to many people for more than half a century with its peaceful mottos “Friendship through Flowers” and “Love of Nature.” The Miami Chapter’s meetings are held monthly at Fairchild. Members enjoy studying Ikebana in various styles and participate in exhibitions, demonstrations and other Japanese culture events.
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THROUGH GENOMICS
A genome map created in part at Miami’s Subtropical Horticulture Research Station is helping make better cocoa. By Raymond J. Schnell, Cecile L. Tondo, David N. Kuhn, Don Livingstone III, Stefan E. Royaert and Juan Carlos Motamayor The authors were part of a team of scientists around the world who sequenced the cacao genome. Cacao pods grow directly from the tree's branches.
es, chocolate does grow on trees, at least in major suppliers of cocoa beans, but losses from Ya manner of speaking! Theobroma cacao , the fungal diseases moved production to West Africa cacao or chocolate tree, is a tropical understory and South Asia. The two main disease culprits in the tree whose seeds are used to make chocolate. tropical Americas are known as witches’ broom and And like any important crop, cacao is the subject of frosty pod. Both are confined to Central and South much research. On September 15, 2010, scientists America, but commercial cacao trees in West Africa publicly released a preliminary sequence of the cacao and South Asia are highly susceptible. A third fungal genome—which contains all of the tree’s hereditary disease, black pod, is found worldwide. The three information. This marked a milestone in the scientific diseases together are responsible for yearly losses understanding of this crop. amounting to hundreds of millions in U.S. dollars.
The genome was mapped as part of one of the Naturally, researchers would like to breed disease- world’s largest cacao research programs, which resistant cacao. But breeding the tree through began in 2000 under the auspices of the USDA traditional methods is a slow process. It takes more Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and candy maker than 10 years to evaluate the success of a seedling or Mars, Inc. The program combines traditional breeding family grown from a desirable set of “parent” plants, and new biotechnology-based techniques towards the and many of the seedlings within a family will not be long-term goal of genetically improving this important productive or useful. Most cacao breeding programs tropical tree crop. Like cacao, the breeding project have only made modest improvements. is international, and includes collaboration with national agricultural research organizations in Brazil, ADDING BIOTECH TO Costa Rica, Ecuador, Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, TRADITIONAL BREEDING Cote d’Ivoire, Malaysia and Papua New Guinea, Researchers felt that a biotechnology-enhanced as well as Hawaii and Puerto Rico. Developing breeding program might offer a faster path to genetic countries, in particular, have much to gain from improvement. The work began by identifying genetic improvement of cacao. Since farmers in molecular markers on the cacao tree’s DNA. the developing world are important cacao producers, Researchers at Miami’s Subtropical Horticulture genetic improvements can directly increase their Research Station (SHRS) then used several hundred income in an environmentally sustainable way, molecular markers to produce a genetic recombination aiding in poverty alleviation. roadmap of the cacao genome. This map allowed the association of specific molecular markers to observable The USDA ARS/Mars program seeks to address a or measurable traits, such as disease resistance. number of issues, among them fungal diseases that Armed with that information, it is much easier to have caused major crop losses around the world. In identify plants with desirable traits without waiting 10 the past, Central and South America were the world’s years for them to grow. Researchers need only look
www.fairchildgarden.org 29 Matina 1-6, the cultivar for the right molecular markers in the trees’ DNA and than 10 years) required for the human genome chosen for sequencing. use those trees in traditional breeding programs. That sequencing project. Fortunately, DNA sequencing has (L-R) Dr. Raymond Schnell saves time and money in the quest to develop seen many advances since then, and the cacao (geneticist, ARS Miami), Jeffrie Marfu (plant breeder, disease-resistant strains. Cacao was one of the first genome is about one-fifth the size of the human CCI PNG), Dr. Peter Epaina tropical tree crops where this type of biotechnology- genome. It made our task less daunting. (plant breeder, CCI PNG) and Mr. James enhanced breeding was used successfully to select for Butubu (plant breeder, CCI disease resistance. Known as Marker-Assisted The cultivar chosen for sequencing was Matina 1-6 PNG) and two members of the horticultural team, Selection (MAS), the practice is common for most from Costa Rica, a grandparent of most of today’s stand in front of KA2-101, temperate annual crops. commercially grown cocoa. Matina 1-6 breeds true- one of the parent plants of an important to-type and is almost completely homozygous (both mapping population. While the MAS program for cacao has been the maternal and paternal copies of the genome are Photo, courtesy of USDA. successful in selecting for disease resistance, the nearly identical), which was important for the progress on other desirable traits has moved more assembly of the genome. In contrast, humans are slowly. Markers associated with traits such as fat extremely heterozygous, which made assembly of the content, bean size, tree architecture, early flowering human genome much more difficult. and fruiting, pod size and yield have been found, but it wasn’t always clear which genes the molecular We worked with scientists at several universities and markers pointed to. By the map analogy, researchers non-profit institutes in the U.S. and approached the knew which county the genes were in, but didn’t genome sequencing project with a three-pronged have a street address. attack: whole genome shotgun sequencing, construction of a physical map of the cacao genome In 2007, this problem surfaced during a conference in and alignment of the physical map to the existing San Jose, Costa Rica. After intense debates, the genetic recombination map. consensus was that the easiest way to resolve the issue would be to sequence the complete cacao Shotgun sequencing is just what it sounds like: You genome. Mars agreed to fund the project with the blast the big chromosomes into little pieces and Cacao Genetics Group at the SHRS in Miami leading sequence each of the pieces. If you sequence enough the effort and IBM technology firm assisting with gene pieces, usually 10 times the number that you would discovery. The cacao genome sequencing project was need to make up the whole genome, you hope that a formally announced in June 2008. It took a little more computer will be able to put all the pieces of the than two years to release the draft genome. genome back together again correctly. This process is called genome assembly. MAKING THE MAP We also made what is known as a “physical map” of Assembling a complete genome sequence is a the genome, to accelerate the process of mapping the complex endeavor, as witnessed by the large number entire genome. To make a physical map, the of scientists, equipment, resources and time (more
30 THE TROPICAL GARDEN The genetic recombination chromosomes are cut into very large pieces, inserted BREEDING BETTER CACAO map, displaying regions containing traits of interest into individual bacteria and reassembled into With the cacao genome map in hand, we can expect (green block), is used to chromosome-size pieces in the lab. Our excellent orientate combined BAC rapid progress in the international Marker-Assisted (bacterial artificial chromosome) physical map was produced at the Clemson Selection program. With more molecular markers contigs (a set of overlapping University Genomics Institute. Ultimately, points on DNA segments derived from a tagging genes of interest, we will be able to select single genetic source) the physical map were matched up with points on the desirable individuals early in the cultivar by using molecular markers genetic recombination roadmap that had been (red lines A-H) to create the development process, saving time and money. Its “pseudomolecules” of the completed at the Subtropical Horticulture Research results can be applied, through traditional breeding, Physical map 5) Cacao DNA is Station in Miami. By aligning the two maps, we were “blown apart” and shot gun to genetically improve a tropical tree crop that sequenced (purple lines) 6) also able to more rapidly orient and order the data provides environmentally sustainable income for Small pieces of sequences are from the shotgun sequencing. Only by putting all the aligned and combined into millions of small farmers in developing countries. sequencing contigs 7) Finally, data together, with the help of lots of IBM computing sequencing contigs are ordered power, were we able to come up with a complete The success of the cacao genome sequencing project on the physical map by aligning to the sequenced BAC genome sequence. A simplified diagram of the has highlighted it as a model for collaborative efforts ends generating a draft of the mapping, sequencing and assembly process is between industry, government, scientific institutions genome. illustrated above. and producers. And cacao could become the model tree for fruit crops. In addition to sequencing, the full Matina 1-6 genome, we also have sequenced many of the The genome sequence data was publicly released to individual genes that we know produce the proteins the cacao research community. On our website, vital to the cacao tree. These individual genes were www.cacaogenomedb.org, you can find out more extracted from leaves of 15 cacao trees that about the sequencing project, and links to our collectively represent the known genetic diversity in collaborators worldwide in the national agricultural this species. New sequencing technologies enabled research services. Public response to the cacao us to identify around 34,000 unique cacao genes, and genome sequence release has been uniformly positive, we found 48,000 variants of those genes. These and is summed up perfectly by one respondent’s variants are currently being used as genetic markers comment: “Thank you, I love chocolate.” to identify the “street addresses” for genes governing key cacao traits—our original goal. These markers are relatively simple to assess, so that researchers in cocoa-producing countries can analyze them with relatively inexpensive equipment. Our collaborators at the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana have already begun using these molecular markers to select plants for their traditional breeding program.
www.fairchildgarden.org 31 A Festival you don’t want to miss! presented by Fairchild’s 5 th Annual International
with
Coffee & Tea By Richard J. Campbell. Photos by Gaby Orihuela.
hocolate has been on our minds and in our hearts for more There is much more to cacao than meets the eye (or the palate). We than 1,000 years. Once again this year, we will celebrate celebrate cacao fully aware that the plant is poorly adapted to our obsession at Fairchild with the 5th Annual International South Florida soils, temperatures and overall climate. Growing CChocolate Festival. The little cacao plant— Theobroma cacao —from cacao will be a challenge to even the most experienced of which we make chocolate has been the focus of wars, love stories gardeners, who will have to address the need for high humidity and and vast fortunes throughout our history. It has witnessed the rise moisture, protection from the cold and limitations of our soils. We and fall of powerful civilizations and experienced its own ups and are, at the end of the day, a Caribbean climate, not analogous to the downs at the hands of destructive pests and diseases and South American rainforest from which cacao emerged. agricultural practices. Its natural beauty has long been admired and captured in art and culture, gracing tables and walls from mud- We focus therefore on education, fomenting a deeper appreciation and floored huts to extravagant mansions. The museums of our understanding of cacao and chocolate, its victories and the challenges hemisphere display our affair with chocolate in clay, stone, ink, that lie ahead. By delving deeper into cacao and its science and paint and fabric. culture we can attain an even greater appreciation of our beloved chocolate. The Fairchild Chocolate Festival is much more than Cacao is native to the humid forests of South America, and through fondue and tasty treats (although these are quite nice); it is science natural and human selection there has been a grand proliferation of and education, albeit chocolate-coated and downright decadent. diversity, producing plants large and small, with a variety of adaptations and a wide rage of fruit (pod) color, shape, size and Celebrate all that is chocolate January 21, 22 and 23 at Fairchild’s 5th quality. Yet, most of us would be hard-pressed to correctly identify a Annual International Chocolate Festival with Coffee and Tea. Don’t cacao fruit, let alone one of the hundreds of local and international miss chocolate samples, cacao tree sales, the ChocoKids area, cooking varieties used in making chocolate. We are, almost to a person, demonstrations, our ChocoWalk, informative lectures and more. focused on the final product—rich and comforting for all occasions.
From Inspiration to Reality The personalities behind the Garden’s creation BY GEORGIA TASKER | PHOTOS, ARCHIVES/FTBG Pres. Dwight Eisenhower greeted David and Marian Fairchild in 1947.
Exploring for plants July 19, 1934 Montgomery to collect palms. It was through Brett that would benefit that Montgomery met Dr. David Fairchild, who in Dear Marjory, his book Exploring for Plants wrote that palms are the country’s When I was taking a bath this morning I had an “the greatest single glory of the tropics.” That book agriculture idea. It would be a lasting disgrace to all of us if we was an account of the six years Fairchild spent do not provide for a permanent tropical garden was the life work of collecting plants in Morocco, Tenerife, Italy, Ceylon, bearing David Fairchild’s name. Sumatra, Java and the countries of West Africa, and David Fairchild. Montgomery was apparently inspired by it to think Col. Robert H. Montgomery’s letter to Marjory of honoring Fairchild with a botanical garden. Stoneman Douglas was written just two years after he acquired and built his estate in Coconut Grove During those Exploring for Plants years, Fairchild, as to start his own palm collection with help from head of the USDA’s Office of Foreign Seed and Plant David Fairchild. His engagement to Eleanor Foster Introduction, sailed as the guest of Allison V. Armour. had just been announced. Armour outfitted a 230-foot yacht with a crew of 30, a 26-foot motor launch, a 21-foot launch, space Douglas replied: for two or three automobiles, dinghy, life boats, nine rooms and six baths on the shelter deck, and Dear Colonel, even refrigerator capacity for 8 months’ provisions. Well sir, I think you’ve got it. I think that the For Fairchild, Armor equipped the yacht with a lab Fairchild Garden is a purely swell idea. Impending filled with microscopes, seed-drying equipment, a matrimony certainly sharpens the wits. Or perhaps darkroom and library. Unhappily, it required new it was the bath. Anyway, I think you’ve got it. engines and dry-docking for much of the trip, and The exchange not only records the exact moment did not go all the way to the Moluccas as intended when Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden was (although the Fairchild Garden Expedition on the Cheng Ho envisioned, it also tells worlds about the delightful did reach those islands in 1940). relationship between journalist Douglas and Exploring for plants that would benefit the country’s financier, accountant and visionary Montgomery, agriculture was the life work of David Fairchild. By who gave the land, palms and funding to establish bringing to the United States such commodities as the garden. dates, soybeans, Egyptian cotton, even barley and A mere four years later the garden was dedicated. hops for American brewers, Fairchild and his office The founding organizers were savvy, most of them of Foreign Seed and Plant Introduction greatly were wealthy, and the Great Depression did not expanded America’s food and fiber crops. stand in the way of realizing their goal. In fact, the Fairchild was born in Michigan in 1869. He grew once-unemployed men of the Civilian Conservation up in Manhattan, Kansas, where his English Corps did the labor. professor father, George, became president of Montgomery’s friend George Brett, head of Kansas Agricultural College (now Kansas State Macmillan Publishing Company, inspired University). After earning a degree in botany,
36 THE TROPICAL GARDEN Marian and Dr. David Fairchild
Fairchild went to work briefly for the United States Marian, daughter of Alexander Graham Bell, had a Department of Agriculture. But at 24, he decided to home outside of the District of Columbia called pursue graduate studies in Europe. On the ship to Into the Woods. When they purchased eight acres Italy, he met Barbour Lathrop, wealthy grandson of a in Coconut Grove in 1916, Fairchild called it The governor of Virginia, James Barbour. Lathrop believed Kampong, a Malay word for family compound. The that plants from other countries should be introduced Fairchilds moved to The Kampong when Fairchild in the U.S. and wanted Fairchild to help him retired in 1928, spending summers in Nova Scotia. accomplish this. That meeting changed Fairchild’s life. At the Kampong, Fairchild continued to correspond After three years of study (in Italy, then Germany with scientists and plantsmen around the world, and Java), and another spent traveling with Lathrop, continued to keep a day journal of his cell studies Fairchild returned to Washington, D.C. and the USDA and plants and was a magnet for South Florida’s in 1898. Then, with help from plant physiologist early residents, such as Robert Montgomery, Walter Swingle, Fairchild persuaded Congress to Charles Torrey Simpson, George Brett, Ernest Coe, create the office of Foreign Seed and Plant Charles Deering and others passionate about plants Introduction, which he headed from 1904 until 1928. and the environment.
Throughout those years, Fairchild sent his Robert Montgomery’s “explorers’’ to search for useful plants in such Garden Inspiration countries as China, Arabia, Japan, Panama and Russia. While teaching his explorers how to look Robert Montgomery, three years younger than for, collect and ship back plants, Fairchild set up Fairchild, was a self-taught accountant and lawyer. the official system for keeping track of the His minister father moved frequently and, introductions. He also put in place a network of according to the late Fairchild historian Bert “cooperators” who would grow the seeds and Zuckerman, Montgomery did not have a formal plants in various parts of the country and report education. He never finished high school, but got back on their success or failure. his first job at 14. Nonetheless, he would become a founding partner of the accounting firm Lybrand, He tasted everything new, and bemoaned the fact Ross Bros. & Montgomery, which today is Price that Americans would not, which meant he not Waterhouse Coopers. He was admitted to the only introduced plants but often sought out recipes Pennsylvania Bar and New York Bar, and practiced for their use as well. law for many years. He wrote 40 books on accounting, finance and taxes. Serving on the War Tall and blue-eyed, he personally was fascinated by Industries Board in 1918, he earned the title tropical fruits, such as mangos and mangosteens, colonel. In 1921, President Warren Harding but ornamental plants were also of interest. He appointed Montgomery to the U.S. Shipping Board even introduced the flowering cherry trees to to oversee liquidation of ships built for the First Washington, D.C. from Japan. He and his wife World War.
www.fairchildgarden.org 37 Robert Montgomery, 1938. Photo by Harold Loomis.
According to the writings of Montgomery’s third wife It didn’t take long for Montgomery to also see the Eleanor, whom everyone called Nell, one evening he historic and cultural value of his garden idea. By read an article in Atlantic Monthly by George Brett, September of 1934, he would write Douglas: “Now head of Macmillan Publishing Co., about collecting that I have started something, I feel more than ever conifers at his home in Connecticut. Montgomery that we must have a Fairchild Garden.” also collected those trees at his Connecticut estate, and the two men became friends. Astute businessman that he was, Montgomery methodically set out to quiet the airplanes and convince “Mr. Brett’s winter home was on Old Cutler Road, the War Department to turn over Chapman Field to the about a mile north of here,” Nell wrote. “He had USDA (and move airfield operations to Homestead). become a close friend of David Fairchild and had He also had to interest Miami in a botanical garden. begun to collect palms.” To that end, he hired Douglas, who wrote for The Miami Herald , of which her father was editor. At Brett’s urging, Montgomery moved to Coconut Grove. In 1932, he bought his Coconut Grove In one letter, Montgomery wrote to Douglas, “This property. With the help of Fairchild and Tom is very much of a rush job, so I will appreciate it if Fennell, who was then head of the plant you will drop everything else you are doing and introduction garden at Chapman Field air base, send it up to me tomorrow.” She dutifully penned Montgomery selected his site and began collecting “Reasons Why the Department of Agriculture palms. By incorporating as the Coconut Grove Needs All of Chapman Field.” Montgomery wrote Palmetum, Montgomery could receive seeds from her back, “Many thanks for your letter and botanical gardens around the world. The only memorandum. I think it will do the trick.” catch: a still-active airfield next door. Two years later, in August of 1936, Douglas Marjory Douglas would write 40 years after the proposed writing “about the great arboreta (is that garden was dedicated, “The inciting cause of the the plural?) of the world” as a selling point for the idea was an unending personal irritation.… botanical garden. “I could get the dope in N.Y. Delighted as he was with his new estate, the house easily. More I think of it, the more I think that a he had built and his fine collection of palms and completely fresh start would be good, and a very cycads, he suffered daily from the noise from the interesting point of view. There’s your due bill with army airplanes flying directly over his roof.… me to be worked out, you know.”
“His vague thoughts about a botanical garden in Montgomery suggested she go to the New York South Florida leaped into flame with the idea that Botanical Garden for research. “I am a director, such a garden might be built at Chapman Field if and I think I can get them to do almost anything for the War Department could be prevailed upon to us,” he told her. give up the land for so much quieter a purpose.”
38 THE TROPICAL GARDEN Marjory Stoneman Douglas at her 94 th birthday.
“David Fairchild was By October, 1936, Douglas wrote “you will certainly not Marjory Stoneman Douglas— one of the people be surprised to note that it isn’t finished yet.” Then Putting the Idea Into Words added, “It’s a lot bigger piece of work than I even Marjory Stoneman Douglas, a legendary who stimulated my expected.… The argument for the garden in Florida is conservationist who wrote Everglades, River of interest in local flora clear enough. And if you like the plan of it, I will, honest Grass , which first explained in sparkling prose what the and truly hope to die, finish it this next week.” and fauna, which in Everglades ecosystem is all about, recalled in Voice of turn stimulated my In a PS, she added: “All my paragraphs begin with ‘I.’ the River , “David Fairchild was one of the people who interest in the Shocking.” stimulated my interest in local flora and fauna, which in turn stimulated my interest in the Everglades.” Everglades.” The pamphlet, really more of a short booklet, was High-spirited, full of wit and bent on making a living entitled: “An Argument for the Establishment of a Marjorie Stoneman Douglas as a writer, Douglas actually had come to Florida in Tropical Botanical Garden in South Florida.” 1915 to get a divorce. Her newspaper editor father, Montgomery was pleased. “You hit the nail on the Frank Stoneman, gave her a job as a society columnist. head,” he wrote to her. During World War I, she went to Key West to do a It was a big hit around the state. “After I wrote it, I was in story on the first woman to enlist in the Naval great demand for speeches at the local garden clubs,” Reserve and ended up being the first woman to enlist she said in Voice of the River , the autobiography she in the Naval Reserve. wrote with John Rothchild in 1987. After being discharged in 1918, Douglas joined the Montgomery, meanwhile, had to convince Fairchild that American Red Cross and was sent to France. After the his name should be attached to the garden. It took some war, while still in the Red Cross writing publicity doing, but as usual, he succeeded. He wrote to Harvard stories about its work, she was sent to Italy, Albania University zoologist Tom Barbour that the Fairchilds and Turkey, back to Italy and France, and then were “naturally very sensitive about the matter,” but that returned to Florida in 1920. She again worked for The “Dr. Fairchild is to give me the names of half a dozen of Miami Herald as assistant editor and columnist, then his most hard-boiled and skeptical friends. If any one quit to write short stories. She got to know everyone thinks that it is unwise, I will not go ahead. This struck in town, and was, along with David Fairchild, on him as being very fair.” the Everglades Park Committee. She once taught
www.fairchildgarden.org 39 Robert and Nell Montgomery at their estate in Cos Cob, Connecticut.
“It is the men short story writing at the University of Miami. was an enduring and greatly creative thing. Its themselves, after all, Douglas knew the Fairchilds well, even prodded outstanding issue, because of his wife’s devotion to David for stories about mangos that she could turn his great idea and her own unique and irreplaceable that I remember, into articles for the Saturday Evening Post, and contribution to its growth, was FTG itself.” those two once ended a letter to him, “Meanwhile, my affectionate regards to all the Fairchildren.” Nell Foster was 32 years younger than her husband, remarkable, vigorous but her enthusiasm for his vision was unwavering. often difficult In working with Montgomery, she said, “I came to She served as the first president of the garden, she personalities, who know and like and respect him enormously.” That instituted The Ramble, she founded the Fairchild does not mean she was without character enough Fellows and conceived of the medals that the garden meeting, like the to stand up to him. When he telegraphed her while would award to prominent environmentalists. striking of flint and she was in Haiti to ask if she could come home and steel, produced the do some work for him by the following Tuesday, She used her charms and connections to help promote she telegraphed back: “No. Busy. Why.” the garden around the country. David Fairchild’s book, spark that lighted the Garden Islands of the Great East , recounting the perpetual and When news of the Colonel’s engagement broke, Fairchild Garden Expedition aboard the Cheng Ho in enduring fires of Douglas instantly sent a hand-written note: “Hey, 1939-40, was published in 1944. Nell Montgomery wotta man!” A little later in that congratulatory wrote to him, “We will ask [New York bookstore] FTG.” message, she added “It’s the nicest thing I’ve heard Brentano’s to put a big display in their Fifth Ave. of in a long time. I think you are both grand.” window. Perhaps we could ask them to let us do a Marjorie Stoneman Douglas tropical window, you could send up some unusual Douglas became the garden’s first secretary, and things and Hillaire Dean and I could do the arranging!” the first editor of the garden’s Bulletin, an idea that Arthur Brentano succumbed to her charms. she proposed to Montgomery in the early 1940s. She would recount many years later the Nell grew into her role as godmother of the garden, personalities of Fairchild and Montgomery: just as she grew into her social position, welcoming her husband’s friends with grace. Smart and “It is the men themselves, after all, that I remember, creative, she was not without spunk, a trait she those two remarkable, vigorous often difficult exhibited early and throughout her life. personalities, who meeting, like the striking of flint and steel, produced the spark that lighted the She was born in Copperhill, Tennessee, moving perpetual and enduring fires of FTG.” with her parents to Coconut Grove in 1910. As a young woman, she survived the hurricane of 1926 Nell Montgomery’s with her mother and brother in a friend’s home on Unwavering Enthusiasm Bayshore Drive, playing a phonograph at top pitch to drown out the noise. The roof remained intact The softening influence on Robert Montgomery was over only two rooms, both built of ships’ timber. Nell Foster. As Douglas observed, “The marriage Col. Montgomery made late in his life to Nell Foster For some years, her parents divided their time
40 THE TROPICAL GARDEN Nell Montgomery at an early Ramble, which she instituted.
between North Carolina and Coconut Grove. Nell’s “Don’t wear yourself out writing answers to mother, Isabel Foster, once ran a mica mine, then a sympathy letters,’’ Nell Montgomery said to Marian summer camp called Camp Happiness near shortly after David Fairchild’s death. “Each time I Hendersonville in North Carolina. Her father Mac wrote one, and I didn’t do many since I sent out the variously oversaw mica and gold mines. Nell ran a cards, it tore me all to pieces, and even now I find tearoom in Coconut Grove. it hard to answer them.”
After she married Montgomery, the couple visited A month after that letter, she again wrote Marian: “I the Fosters in North Carolina. In an autobiography had the loveliest feeling when I read Ed called Isabel , her mother told of a neighbor staring Menninger’s splendid editorial. D.F. is not dead. at Robert Montgomery and finally saying, “Well, But I am selfish enough to wish that we could have Miz Nell, your husband looks like a good man. If I kept Bob and him with us for much longer. was going to marry, I would rather marry a good However, it will be a satisfaction to continue with man than one that is good-looking.” the work they both loved.”
Gracious, with straight posture and a warm She would remarry and become Nell Jennings. But personality, Nell Montgomery was a faithful she established the Montgomery Foundation to correspondent to her friends, telling of the couple’s keep her first husband’s name alive, and appeared summers in Cos Cob, Connecticut, of piano annually at The Ramble to greet members until her lessons, painting lessons and even her tonsillitis. death in 1990. She, too, addressed David and Marian Fairchild as “Dear Fairchildren.” Letters of news and encouragement went back and forth for years between the Montgomery and Fairchild families. Robert Montgomery died in 1953; David Fairchild in 1954.
www.fairchildgarden.org 41 FAIRCHILD’S
AN INTERACTIVE GARDEN
Unearthing a world of experiences for people living with Alzheimer’s
Fairchild is pleased to present Plants and People: An Interactive Garden, unearthing a World of Experiences for People Living with Alzheimer’s. This program is free of charge. Early registration is encouraged as there is limited seating. Join us for these 2011 dates: January 3, 8, 31; February 19, 28; March 21, 26 April 11, 16; May 2, 16 For more information, please call 305.667.1651, ext. 3388. 24/7 Alzheimer’s helpline: 1.800.272.3900 . Support is generously provided by Lin Lougheed, the Aaron I. Fleischman Foundation and the Alzheimer’s Association.
FAIRCHILD TROPICAL BOTAN IC GARDEN
Step into a paradise of tranquility, beauty and the embracing comfort of a secret garden Palm Hammock Orchid Estate, Inc.
Orchids, begonias, ferns, statuary, aroids, supplies, water lilies, butterfly plants, rare plants and more. Class schedule available on our website and at the nursery.
9995 Southwest 66 Street, Miami, FL 42 3173 (305) 274-9813 www.palmhammockorchidest.net Early Exploration Brought “Strange” THE SEARCH FOR Plants to European Collections
By Javier Francisco-Ortega, Arnoldo Santos-Guerra, Charles E. Jarvis, NEW PLANTS Mark A. Carine, Miguel Sequeira and Mike Maunder The publication of Species Plantarum by Carl Linnaeus in 1753 represented a major milestone in the history of plant sciences, laying the foundation for the scientific system of naming plants that we use today. However, long before Linnaeus, plant exploration was a major priority for the early botanic gardens established in Europe during the 16th and 17th centuries, which included “strange” plants in their
PREVIOUS PAGE living collections. Indeed, it appears that the search for new plants The lowland pine forest of La Palma in Las Nieves, Santa Cruz de La Palma. It is likely that James has been at the core of botanic gardens’ missions since their early Cuninghame collected plant material near this site between December 1697 and January 1698. establishment Photo by Arnoldo Santos-Guerra he Atlantic archipelagos of the Azores, Canaries, Salvages and Madeira are located relatively close to the European mainland. Yet, they have many endemic species that T are morphologically very different from those found on the mainland. Dr. David Fairchild visited the Canaries in 1925 and 1927 during his famous Utowana expeditions, and he referred to these islands with the following words: “I doubt if there is any other archipelago in the world that approaches this one in its wealth of ancient romance. The Canaries seem to have been in Homer’s mind as the islands beyond the Pillars of Hercules to which the souls of departed heroes were transplanted and which he called Elysius. Herodotus referred to them as the Gardens of the Hesperides.” In these archipelagos, European botanists found an exotic flora that could be studied directly without major investments in logistics. It is, therefore, not surprising that the unique plants of these islands have attracted the attention of botanists since Europeans colonized them in the 15th and 16th centuries.
ABOVE Atlantic archipelagos of the Azores, Canaries, and Madeira © 2010 Palheiro Estate
RIGHT Examples of endemics from the Canary Islands that were cultivated in public/private gardens from Europe before Linnaeus established the current system of plant nomenclature. Top left: Canarina canariensis ; Top right: Isoplexis canariensis ; Bottom left: Convolvulus canariensis ; Bottom right: Sideritis canariensis . Photos by Arnoldo Santos-Guerra
44 THE TROPICAL GARDEN (L-R) As part of our research on botanical history, we have been investigating early accounts of Folio 10 of volume 241 of the Sloane plant exploration in these archipelagos. Our findings include the oldest documented Herbarium showing herbarium specimens collected by James Cuninghame in La herbarium collections for Madeira and the Canary Islands. The direct result of these Palma. Arrow points to the specimen of the explorations was the early introduction of spectacular Canary Island endemics such as the Roccella vicentina lichen . Canarina canariensis Sideritis canariensis) Photo courtesy of the Natural giant bell-flower, , woody mints (e.g., , the Canarian History Museum, London. foxglove, Isoplexis canariensis , and the Canarian morning glory, Convolvulus canariensis , into private and public gardens of Europe. Indeed, based on our studies, we estimate that by First folio of James Cuninghame’s the early 16th century at least 91 plant species from these Atlantic Islands were relatively manuscript listing those plants reported in La Palma between December 1697 well known by European herbalists. and January 1698. Photo courtesy of the British Library. Chelsea Physic Garden is the second-oldest botanic garden in Great Britain, after the one at the University of Oxford. Based on two manuscripts found in the British Library we know that by 1694 both “trees” and seeds were apparently shipped to the Chelsea Physic Garden from the Canary Islands. The material was collected by “Thomas Simmonds” whom we believe was a merchant involved in the extensive wine trade that existed between Britain and the Canaries during the 17th and 18th centuries. The manuscripts list 68 accessions using, in many cases, Spanish vernacular names to identify the plants that were shipped to London. Research on the lists of living collections from Chelsea Physic Garden from that period show that Canary Island plants were a common component of the garden's collections before the publication of Species Plantarum by Linnaeus.
Other works included material from even further afield. Sir Hans Sloane, whose extensive collections were the foundation of the British Museum, was one of his era’s most important patrons of science. He was a strong supporter of botany in Britain and succeeded Sir Isaac Newton as president of the Royal Society when the latter died in 1727. Sloane published two books that are considered Pre-Linnaean masterpieces on the natural history of the West Indies. Both resulted from a 1687 trip to Jamaica following his appointment as physician to
www.fairchildgarden.org 45 View of Santa Cruz de La Palma taken by David Fairchild in 1925 showing the Utowana yacht anchored on the harbor. This town was visited by James Cuninghame during his visit to the island of La Palma between December 1697 and January 1698. Photo, Archives/FTBG
the island’s new governor. On the way out to Jamaica, Sloane’s ship (the Assistance ) stopped in Madeira for three days (October 21–23, 1687) during which he collected 38 herbarium specimens and recorded information concerning the plants, animals and people of the island. These specimens are preserved in Sloane’s Herbarium at the Natural History Museum in London, and their images can be seen at www.nhm.ac.uk/research- curation/research/projects/sloane-herbarium/index.htm. This material represents the earliest documented herbarium collection for the island of Madeira. In addition, the second volume of Sloane’s Natural History of Jamaica (1707) recorded 57 different species that he had observed in Madeira, along with 13 illustrations of them. Our studies indicate that the plants collected by Sloane would have been growing near Funchal, the capital and main harbor of the island. His records and herbarium specimens include endemic species such as the mints Bystropogon maderensis and Teucrium betonicum , but also a great number of weeds and cultivated species, confirming that by the end of the 17th century, most of the Funchal area was already seriously altered by human activities.
Trade routes also brought European collectors into contact with the Far East. James Cuninghame, a native of Scotland, was the first Western plant hunter to explore and collect in China. He worked for the East India Company as a surgeon, and in 1697-1699 and 1700- 1709 he made two trips to China. He shipped more than 600 specimens from this country to several people in Britain, the most important being James Petiver, a leading pre-Linnaean naturalist in Britain who became demonstrator of plants at the Chelsea Physic Garden Portrait of Sir Hans Sloane published in one of his between approximately 1709 and 1718. works concerning the natural history of Jamaica. Photo courtesy of the Institute of Jamaica. Before Cuninghame reached China, however, he gathered and sent to Petiver the earliest documented herbarium collection for the Canary Islands. As often happens in botany, the Canaries collection originated from what amounted to a detour during Cuninghame’s first voyage to China. A mutiny onboard the ship between December 1697 and January 1698 led some men to desert in the Canary Islands, on the island of La Palma. When the ship’s captain tried to recapture the deserters, Spanish authorities seized the ship and imprisoned the crew. Before the crew was released and the expedition was finally allowed to continue its journey in early February, Cuninghame developed a friendship with two influential local priests and was able to collect plants on La Palma. Most of this material was subsequently shipped to Petiver and now forms part of the Sloane Herbarium (Sloane acquired Petiver’s collections after the death of the latter in 1718.). Cuninghame also sent a 10-page catalogue (now among the Sloane manuscripts held at the British Library) listing some of the species that he recorded during this short visit. The plant material gathered by Cuninghame contains more than 110 species, including lichens, mosses, ferns and seed plants. It has the earliest
46 THE TROPICAL GARDEN known specimen for the Canary pine, Pinus canariensis — the key tree species of the pine forest and one of the island’s most significant vegetation types. His herbarium also includes material from the cloud forest such as Apollonias barbujana (Lauraceae), Gesnouinia arborea (Urticaceae) and Picconia excelsa (Oleaceae).
Images of at least two of the species collected by Cuninghame in La Palma—the lichen Roccella vicentina and the flowering plant Forsskaolea angustifolia (Urticaceae)—were subsequently published by Petiver in 1709. From Petiver’s accounts we know that some of the material sent by Cuninghame was eventually cultivated in Britain, including Semele androgyna (Ruscaceae), a common species of the cloud forest, which Petiver reported growing at the Royal Gardens of Hampton Court from material shipped by Cuninghame. It is clear from this that Cuninghame sent to England both herbarium specimens and seeds. Cuninghame’s collections from La Palma also provide insights into historical distributions. Among his plants is a specimen of Polygonum maritimum (Polygonaceae), a species that grows on sandy coastal beaches with a wide distribution in coastal areas of the Mediterranean Basin, Eurasia and North America. While it occurs on four other islands of the Canarian Archipelago, it is no longer present on La Palma. Indeed, Cuninghame’s account is the only record of this species for La Palma—suggesting that, though formerly native, it is now extinct on the island. It is likely that Cuninghame collected this species along the sandy beaches that still existed near the main harbor of La Palma (Santa Cruz de La Palma) at the end of the 17th century. Salsola divaricata (Chenopodiaceae) is another species Cuninghame collected that is now extinct in La Palma. These coastal habitats have been completely replaced by development involved with the expansion of trade and urban activities near the harbor. While there was a single record of this species from the island in 1891, Cuninghame’s collection appears to confirm that this Canary Island endemic was present on this island at least until the end of the 19th century.
These early herbarium and archive collections show how plant expeditions led European countries to inventory plant resources in the tropics. The endeavors of early plant collectors in the Atlantic islands were extremely important in the development of botanic gardens as educational and research institutions worldwide. Today, their collections also play a key role in local conservation efforts as they pertain to species extinctions in recent history.
ABOVE Three of the authors of this article examining herbarium specimens and relevant documents in the Sloane Herbarium, Natural History Museum, London. (L-R) Dr. Charlie Jarvis, Dr. Arnoldo Santos- Guerra and Dr. Mark Carine. Photo by Alfredo Reyes-Betancort
RIGHT Drawings published by James Petiver in 1709 showing specimens of the lichen Roccella vicentina (red arrow on image) and the flowering plant Forsskaolea angustifolia (blue arrow on image) collected by James Cuninghame in La Palma between December 1697 and January 1698. Photo courtesy of the Natural History Museum, London.
www.fairchildgarden.org 47 south florida gardening South Florida’s Winter Wonderland By Jeff Wasielewski G B T F / i k s w e l e i s a W
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The long tubular flowers of the firebush, Hamelia patens , are perfect for hummingbirds’ long beaks.
Growing things in South Florida is different from growing anywhere else in the world due to our soil, climatic conditions and plant choices. This new column will explore the unique challenges, joys and techniques of gardening in South Florida.
here is no better place to be in the winter than South Florida. dry season was arriving. As your Snowbirds and natives alike know that our weather turns favorite plants rest, some of your least from summer sultry to seasonal sublime sometime during the favorites will as well—the omnipresent garden fTall. Clear blue skies combine with perfect temperatures to make mischief makers known as weeds. Because weeds each day a spectacular jewel in Mother Nature’s well-worn crown. grow slowly and do not propagate themselves as quickly in the winter months, now is the perfect Wondrous weather means it’s time to get outdoors and enjoy all time to get ahead on garden maintenance like weed that South Florida has to offer. A great place to start is your own pulling and mulching. After removing weeds from garden backyard. Now is the time to hang the hammock, dust off the teak beds, immediately follow up with 6 inches to 8 inches of mulch. bench and fire up the barbeque, as both family and friends enjoy Mulch will help suppress future weed infestations and will add time spent in your carefully crafted garden. As you sip lemonade in beauty and organic matter to your garden. Eucalyptus mulch or tree your hammock, the view should be spectacular, with countless trimmer mulch are the most environmentally friendly. species of birds wintering or passing through this time of year. Hummingbirds begin to visit in October and stay through April. You You can also take advantage of the cooler weather by trimming can make sure they visit your yard by planting two of their favorite dead or damaged fronds off of palms and browning leaves off of nectar plants: the Bahama swamp-bush, Pavonia bahamensis , heliconias. Pruning of larger trees or shrubs is not recommended in which can reach heights of 15 feet and produces small, nectar filled the winter as the subsequent re-growth could be damaged by yellow-green flowers; and the native firebush, Hamelia patens , seasonal cold fronts. which can reach heights of 20 feet and produces small bright-red tubular flowers year round. The firebush will also attract songbirds So take time to enjoy and manicure your garden this season, as the and Zebra Longwing butterflies and makes an excellent screen. weather will make both activities worthwhile and rewarding.
Starting in November, your garden began to slow down as cooler temperatures and drier days signaled the plants that winter and the For more information on gardening in South Florida, visit www.fairchildgarden.org/Gardening. bug beat Caution, Warning, Danger Text and photos by Jeff Wasielewski
An Assassin bug hunts for aphids Newly hatched ladybugs emerge from their chrysalises This ladybug larva is a voracious predator
There are more than 1 million named species of insects but less than 1% of those do damage to plants.
esticides are big business. They are found everywhere from cases they will fully eradicate the pests. Pesticides are not necessary home improvement stores to the grocery store where you in a home garden if you allow natural predators to simply do their buy your family’s fruits and vegetables. They are, by their thing. As a homeowner, you must make the choice of letting nature Pvery nature, dangerous and environmentally unfriendly. When we take its course and having some minor damage on your plants or see the lowly aphid feeding in our garden, our first impulse is to using toxic chemicals. destroy it using pesticides that carry the ominous words Caution , Warning or Danger to describe their level of toxicity. Predators will keep pests under control in almost every case; however, pests can get out of hand and do major damage to plants There is a better way. Nature has been controlling pest populations if nature’s system is disrupted. This happens most frequently when since time began. For every pest, there are natural predators, such as pests hitchhike on plant material or wood products that make their ladybugs, parasitic wasps, assassin bugs and lacewings, that help way into a new area. The Ficus Whitefly, Singhiella simplex , is a control it. When pest populations build up, the predators are there to perfect example of this. The pest was accidentally brought to South keep them in check. It is interesting to note that when you spray Florida from China and proceeded to feed on every species of Ficus pesticides, you disrupt nature’s balance. Consider the it came across. Because the Ficus Whitefly’s major predators are aforementioned aphid and its primary predator, the ladybug. The back in China, it has done major damage, particularly to the ladybug in the larval stage looks nothing like the adult ladybug and ubiquitous hedge plant the weeping fig, Ficus benjamina . may be mistaken for just another bad insect. These young ladybugs are voracious feeders and a single one can wipe out droves of aphids. Because cases like the Ficus Whitefly are the exception and not the But ladybugs reproduce slowly relative to aphids: They lay about 12 rule, growing a lush garden in South Florida is entirely possible to 15 eggs at a time and take more than a month to repopulate. In without a single drop of chemical assistance. In addition to contrast, a single female aphid puts out 50 to 100 offspring in a allowing natural predators time to work, homeowners can also matter of weeks. Each female is ready to reproduce within five days. weaken pest populations by trimming leaves that are heavily If you spray the plant that is full of aphids and a single very hungry infested by insects, using water pressure to dislodge pests and ladybug, both populations will be reduced. But the aphids will choosing plants that are not prone to insect attack. rebound the quickest — not the natural predator that would have done an amazing job of cleaning up your plant. Insecticides are If you feel you must spray, there are less toxic options, such as seldom 100% effective, but natural predators often are. By using a mix of Ivory Soap and water (1 tablespoon of soap per introducing insecticides into nature’s realm, you are disturbing gallon of water) or horticultural oils. If you use an oil, make sure to nature’s delicate balance and actually doing more harm than good. spray early in the morning or evening, as it can burn your plants if used in combination with direct sunlight. Natural predators will do an excellent job of controlling pests if they are not disrupted by sporadic pesticide applications. It is Pesticides are not something you need to use in your garden. By certain that you will still have “bad bugs” in your yard and they allowing some minor damage on your plants and letting natural may do some minor damage to your plants. But natural predators predators control pests, you will alleviate the need for pesticides will eventually knock down the pest populations, and in many and the dangers they can represent. Perhaps it was the recorded song of the last Kauai under the Endangered Species Act led to reduced logging in large swaths of its habitat. That is in keeping with the act’s purpose, OO, a sad trill made by a male bird calling Fitzpatrick said, adding that the Endangered Species Act explicitly hopelessly for a mate only to find extinction in 1988. specifies its purpose as, “to provide a means whereby the ecosystems upon which endangered species and threatened species Perhaps it was a reminder about the Passenger depend may be conserved.” While the owl has been declining and Pigeon and the Eskimo Curlew, both extinct victims the protected habitat was reduced by the Bush administration, Fitzpatrick believes the 1973 Endangered Species Act remains the of hunters. Or perhaps it was the seemingly naive most important piece of legislation for conservation. notion that Birds Can Save the World. With that introduction, the lab director began connecting the dots Something caused our sympathies to well up and lock onto every of his thesis that birds can save the world: word delivered by Dr. John Fitzpatrick, director of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, in his keynote address at Fairchild’s Second Annual In 2001, birders spent $85 billion in the United States on “passive Bird Day. The James A. Kushlan lecture delivered by Fitzpatrick wildlife viewing,” that is to say, birdwatching. To capture the power electrified more than of this army of birders, Fitzpatrick’s Lab began to experiment with the 250 people who concept of citizen scientists. With the National Audubon Society, it came away from his developed the website eBird, which launched in 2002. The site rousing talk to allows people across the world to record the birds they see, along believe that birds with when and where they saw them. may indeed save the G
B Every month, citizen scientists submit 100,000 to 200,000 T F
/ world. a l checklists that include more than 1 million bird observations. e u h i r Combining these data with other landscape data, using newly O Fitzpatrick told the y b
a invented statistical tools and huge computational power, scientists G
crowd about how y b at the Cornell Lab are modeling in detail the annual distributions o t one group of birds o h P saved part of Hawaii. and movements of bird species, from the amazingly rapid spread of (L-R) Dr. Joe Barros, Dr. James A. Kushlan, The honeycreepers, the exotic Eurasian Collard Dove to the migration patterns of Dr. John Fitzpatrick, Dr. Carl Lewis which probably songbirds, raptors and shorebirds. Projects similar to eBird are now evolved from finches, are found only in these islands, and a couple at work throughout Central and South America and the Caribbean. of species are endemic to the rainforests of Maui. As their Maui The Avian Knowledge Network uses eBird’s data to study birds across habitat shrank and the watershed itself was threatened, the pall of the entire Western Hemisphere. Originally funded by the National extinction fell over the birds. They were victims of introduced pigs, Science Foundation, AKN scientists at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology cats, mongooses, disease and invasive plants. Federal, state and and other partner institutions are discovering new patterns that reveal private landowners got together to preserve and restore the tropical how human land uses affect bird distributions. Because birds are forest watershed, in turn saving the birds. Now, the Maui Forest such sensitive indicators of the ecological health of their habitats, the Bird Recovery Project is studying ways to reduce those threats and combination of bird-watchers and the Internet has begun to produce save the forest in which the birds reside. the first genuine process for measuring–in real time–how we affect The spotted owl is another species that was used to help save an the health of the planet. Ultimately, this could result in a new and ecosystem, old growth forest in the Pacific Northwest, beginning in more sustainable relationship between humans and the natural the early 1990s. The protection of certain species of spotted owls systems of the earth.
www.fairchildgarden.org 51 gifts and donors
The following gifts were made between August 16, 2010 and October 31, 2010. Please notify the Donor Relations Office at 305.667.1651, ext. 3373 if your information is incorrect. We apologize in advance for any errors or omissions.
MAJOR GIFTS TRIBUTE PROGRAM Mr. and Mrs. J. Paul Viau The Donald and Terry Blechman Fairchild Challenge Commemorative Gifts Mr. and Mrs. Edward L. Walenga Tram Fund The Fairchild Palms In Memory of David G. Anderson Dr. Chris Wunsch & Ms. Rosemary Aquino Bank of America Mrs. Nettie Belle Robinson Prof. Kathleen Mahoney Wunsch Mrs. Anna E. Combs Beckerich James A. Kushlan Bird In Honor of Heather Bettendorf and In Memory of Harold Steinbaum Mr. Mark S. Blechman Conservation Program Jacopo Barovier Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan W. Skipp Mrs. Terry Blechman Dr. James A. Kushlan Mr. and Mrs. Murray McQuaid In Memory of Sharon Tramer Mr. William J. Blechman FAIRCHILD GIFTS In Memory of Simone M. Gerard Ms. Carmen Woodbury Ms. Stephanie Bott & The following list combines Ms. Margie Bauer Tribute Bricks Mr. Cary Self membership and gifts to Fairchild at Ms. Kristina S. Bettendorf In Memory of Joseph R. Chatt, Sr. Mr. and Mrs. Barry Bronfin the $1,000 level and above. Ms. Beverly Borland Mr. Joe Chatt Mrs. Doris Cochran Dr. Marjorie T. Brown In Memory of Norma Davis Geomantic Designs, Inc. Platinum Fellow Mr. Trinity Chaney & Mr. Bruce W. Greer & Assurant Group Mr. Robert Ridley Mrs. Marie Chaney In Honor of Fairchild Tropical Ms. Evelyn Langlieb Greer FPL Corporation Ms. Susan Cumins Mr. and Mrs. Kaoru Koide Mr. George T. Neary Botanic Garden Ms. Pauline A. Goldsmith Dr. and Mrs. H. Carlton Howard Ms. Virginia B. Kopelman Gold Fellow Mr. and Mrs. Leonardo In Honor of Bruce and Evelyn Greer Ms. Lynda L. LaRocca The Shepard Broad Foundation, Inc. Hernandez Mrs. Marlin A. Feldman Ms. Nauma B. Levin Mr. and Mrs. Morris Broad Mr. and Mrs. Frank Lane In Memory of Lyssa L. Gorse Mrs. Linda Levenson & Mercedes-Benz of Coral Gables Ms. Carol Onstad Mrs. Linda Leeds Rabbi Danny Marmorstein Mrs. Angela W. Whitman Faith Ford Sandstrom & In Memory of Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Drs. Carl E. and Susanne Lewis Frederick Sandstrom L. Howard Dr. and Mrs. Bruce M. Mahaffey Silver Fellow St. Thomas University Mr. Glenn Moffett Ms. Cynthia Knight Dr. and Mrs. H. Carlton Howard School of Law In Honor of Jan Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Patton Fellow Mrs. Donna Torres Mrs. Laura Frohman Mr. and Mrs. Tom M. Privett Mr. and Mrs. John R. Anzivino In Memory of John B. Henderson In Honor of Ben Miller Mr. Philip Rudolph Mrs. Blanche T. August Dr. and Mrs. S. Allen Bradfor Mr. and Mrs. Alan W. Steinberg Mrs. Sandra Schoenfeldt Mr. and Mrs. Frederick R. Baddour In Memory of Elizabeth In Honor of Samantha Miller Ms. Linda Jackier Schugar Prof. and Mrs. Raymond F. Baddour Harrold Kendall Mr. and Mrs. Alan W. Steinberg Dr. Sandra Schultz Mr. and Mrs. Victor C. Balestra Mr. William C. Lewis, Jr. In Memory of Marie D. O'Domski Mr. William J. Shade & Mr. and Mrs. Alan S. Bernstein In Honor of Vicki Koller Ms. Ann J. Barlean Mr. John W. Pochopin Mrs. Terry Blechman Dr. Paul E. Damski & In Memory of Jeanne McGregor and Elizabeth Wilson Ms. Teresa Buoniconti Ms. Laura R. Weinfeld Dupree Patterson Smith Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Otto Busot In Memory of Rose Liedman Dr. and Mrs. Banning G. Lary Mr. Daniel Spring & Mr. and Mrs. Todd G. Cole Mrs. Eleanor Weiss In Memory of Constance M. Plunkett Mr. Jean DeSilva Dr. and Mrs. Alfred Damus In Memory of Antonio Mora Mr. William Plunkett & Mr. and Mrs. Alan W. Steinberg Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Eastlick Dr. and Mrs. S. Allen Bradford Ms. Beverly Middleton Mr. and Mrs. Theodore Weiss Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth R. Graves In Memory of Laura Moffat In Memory of Wanda M. Singer The Patricia Frank Memorial Fund Mr. and Mrs. Zeke Guilford Mr. and Mrs. Sam Morton Mr. and Mrs. Terry D. Shor Mrs. Aurea Alemany Commissioner Sally Heyman In Memory of Rafael Montoro In Memory of Wanda M. Singer Mrs. Blanche T. August Mr. and Mrs. Tom Huston, Jr. Dr. and Mrs. S. Allen Bradford Mrs. Cheryl Barnas Short Mrs. Jennifer Baldwin Mr. and Mrs. Jay I. Kislak In Memory of Marie D. O'Domski In Honor of Samuel Steiner Ms. Juanita E. Bayard Mr. and Mrs. Robert M. Kramer Mr. and Mrs. Tom Brown Mr. and Mrs. Tyler Gass Mrs. Doris Cochran Mrs. Barbara C. Levin Mrs. Caryl Chassman In Memory of Ellen Stutsman Mrs. Anna E. Combs Beckerich Dr. and Mrs. Richard Levine Ms. Patricia Kelly Dr. and Mrs. H. Carlton Howard Ms. Stephanie Bott & Mr. and Mrs. Jay W. Lotspeich Ms. Cricket Lee In Memory of Mr. and Mr. Cary Self Mrs. Carolin M. Marie Mr. Joseph B. Schrage Mrs. William Wallace Ms. Suzanne Boyer Mr. and Mrs. Anthony R. In Honor of Elizabeth Plunkett Dr. and Mrs. H. Carlton Howard Ms. Nelda A. Carter Morgenthau Ms. Meredith A. Cline Tribute Trees Mrs. Julie B. Dow Mr. and Mrs. Henry Z. Norton In Memory of Marilyn Seigel Ms. Martha Kent Mr. Robert J. Petzinger & Mrs. Eleanor Weiss In Memory of Lucila I. Morell Mr. Mukang L. Cho Mr. and Mrs. Kaoru Koide Ms. Cristina Moran In Memory of Wanda M. Singer Mrs. Judith A. Mitchell Mr. and Mrs. David Quint Mr. and Mrs. Faibol Blacher Mr. and Mrs. Sean P. Dunn Ms. Claudia Feldman Ms. Susan T. Muci Dr. and Mrs. Trevor Resnick Ms. Susan K. Labasky Dr. and Mrs. William P. Murphy, Jr. Mrs. Nettie Belle Robinson Mr. and Mrs. Arnie Lenters Mr. and Mrs. Leif-Erik Hvide Mr. Craig Spodak Mr. and Mrs. Steve Nock Dr. Kassandra Rodriguez Mr. Douglas R. Mercer & Mr. Stephen D. Pearson Mr. and Mrs. Clifford D. Rosen Ms. Kathryn L. Cummings Ms. Karla E. Umpierre Mr. Jonathan Wizman Mrs. Nettie Belle Robinson Dr. Audrey H. Ross & Michael P. Pacin, MD & Ms. Ann F. Schmidt Mr. H. Jackson Ross Dr. Amy D. Ronner In Memory of Ray Ochandarena Mr. Jerry A. Wyrick, Jr. Mrs. Sandra Schoenfeldt Mr. and Mrs. Alan W. Steinberg St. Thomas University Dr. Sandra Schultz Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Swanson School of Law In Memory of Helen Stutsman Dr. and Mrs. H. Carlton Howard Mr. William J. Shade & Mr. and Mrs. David S. Swetland Mr. and Mrs. Thomas A. Mr. John W. Pochopin White & Case, L.L.P. Sedgwick Tribute Benches Mr. and Mrs. Alan W. Steinberg Ms. Natalia Zalcberg & Ms. Berna L. Singer In Memory of Alfred H. Deuel Mr. and Mrs. Gerry Valent Mr. Gustavo Lupka Mr. and Mrs. Ted Singer Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey J. Deuel Mr. and Mrs. Eric Smith wish list Fairchild has a wish list of items that will enhance our programs, but we need Wish Makers. We hope you see an item that you can help fulfill.
FOR THE HORTICULTURE TEAM • LCD Projector, $1,000 • Walk-Behind Aerator, $1,500 • Software/Hardware for Accession Tag Embossing Machine, $2,600 • Plant Transport Van, $20,000 FOR CONSERVATION, RESEARCH AND THE ONLINE HERBARIUM • Extra-Tall Tripod, $150 • Weather-resistant Picnic Table and Benches, $700 • Macro Zoom Lens for Sony SLR Camera, $800 • Laptop Computer, $2,000 • New Display Giclee Prints on Canvas for Public Events, $2,000 • Large-Format Scanner, $2,600 • Ultra-Cold Freezer (DNA Bank), $6,000 • Laminar Flow Hood, $6,000 • Plant Canopy Imager, $6,000 • Seed Germination Chamber, $8,500 • Mid-Size Pick-up Truck, $26,400 • Eppendorf Robotic Liquid Management System (DNA extraction), $100,000 FOR THE RESEARCH LIBRARY • New Computer, $1,200 • Large Format Scanner, $2,600 FOR THE FAIRCHILD FARM • Pottery Wheels (3) for Ceramic Classes, $1,000 each FOR THE MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS TEAM • Nikon Digital 22-24 mm Super Wide Angle Lens, $900 FOR SPECIAL EVENTS • Energy-efficient Washer/Dryer, $1,500 • Fully-equipped Commercial Kitchen for Visitor Center FOR MEMBERSHIP • Laptop Computer/LCD Projector, $2,500 • Digital SLR Camera, $1,000 FOR EDUCATION PROGRAMS • LCD Projector, $1,000 • Laptop Computer, $1,000 • SMART Board, $2,000 • Solar Conversion Kit, $2,000 • Canon Double-sided Feeder Scanner, $3,000 • Art Supplies, TBA • Production of a Fairchild Challenge Documentary (In-kind or Underwriting) • Recording studio time (In-kind or Underwriting) FOR THE VOLUNTEER DEPARTMENT • Digital SLR Camera, $1,000 To fully fund a wish, donate a portion of the cost or donate the actual item, please contact Bill Shade at 305.663.8051 or [email protected].
To fulfill a wish online, please visit www.fairchildgarden.org/Donate
www.fairchildgarden.org 53 vistas Science Village Breaks Ground By Kimberly Bobson. Photos by Benjamin F. Thacker
n December 8, 2010, Fairchild took the first step towards Conservatory and refurbished café serving locally-grown foods realizing a dream years in the making when more than will delight visitors from near and far. At the groundbreaking, 400 people attended the groundbreaking for the state-of- members of the Fairchild family, including several local elected Othe-art Paul and Swanee DiMare Science Village complex. When officials, dignitaries, staff, volunteers and members enjoyed the complex is finished, the two-story Joyce and M. Anthony Burns inspirational words from project donors and government officials, a building and adjoining Dr. Jane Hsiao laboratories will help open delicious breakfast, some hot cocoa and the gorgeous Miami the scientific world to local students from pre-kindergarten all “winter” weather. the way through graduate school, while The Clinton Family
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2 1. (L - R) Fairchild Director Dr. Carl Lewis, Bruce Clinton, Martha Clinton, County Manager George Burgess, Paul DiMare, Swanee DiMare, Bruce Greer, President Board of Trustees, Joyce Burns, Mayor Carlos Alvarez, District 7 Commisioner, Carlos Gimenez and Mayor Donald Slesnick, II 2. Paul and Swanee DiMare 3. (L - R) County Manager George Burgess and Bruce Greer, President Board of Trustees
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8 4. Bruce Greer, President Board of Trustees 5. Mayor Carlos Alvarez, District 7 Commisioner, Carlos Gimenez and Mayor Donald Slesnick, II 6. Bruce and Martha Clinton 7. Mayor Carlos Alvarez 8. Joyce Burns, Swanee DiMare, Paul DiMare and District 7 Commisioner, Carlos Gimenez 9. County Manager George Burgess
9 Les Lalanne at Fairchild By Kimberly Bobson. Photos by Gaby Orihuela and Benjamin F. Thacker
airchild proudly presents the U.S.’s largest outdoor exhibition of The exhibition, presented in conjunction with Paul Kasmin Gallery works by French sculptors Claude and François-Xavier Lalanne of New York, will remain on view through Spring 2011. as part of our renowned annual visual art program. Les Lalanne at Fairchild features more than 20 sculptures, including works never The artists, the late François-Xavier Lalanne and his wife, Claude, F created their works of art together for more than 40 years. Together, before publicly exhibited in the U.S. These include Claude Lalanne’s Dimetrodon II (1998), a unique copper and steel topiary shaped in the the Lalannes leapt into the world of fine art, producing a number of form of a dinosaur from the Permian period, displaying a large Marlin- surrealist works, and eventually drawing the attention of major like fin and spouting water through shark-like teeth; François-Xavier’s buyers in the art world, including Yves Saint Laurent, who was Canard sur L’Eau; the pair’s Genie de Bellerive Grand Noir (2007), a known to keep several of the Lalannes’ pieces in his home. young owl with its wings spread in tribute to artist Max Ernst, hovering Drawing surrealist imagery from flora and fauna, the Lalannes’ upon a tall, abstract pedestal in homage to Constantin Brancusi, a sculptures create an extraordinary element of surprise and wonder close friend of the Lalannes; Grand Ours , a monumental bronze bear set in Fairchild’s botanic paradise of rare palms, cycads and drawn into an upright stance; and Vache Paysage (2006), a bronze flowering plants. Now, the South Florida community, as well as cow with its center doubling as a window through which to view the Fairchild visitors from near and far, can experience the Lalannes’ lush setting of the Garden. works of art firsthand.
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1. Oiseau de Nuit (Grand) , 2004 Francois-Xavier Lalanne 69 x 19 x 17 ¾ inches Bronze Courtesy of the Paul Kasmin Gallery 2. Moutons Transhumant (Bebris) , 1988 Claude & Francois-Xavier Lalanne Epoxy stone and bronze 39 x 39 x 16 inches Courtesy of the Paul Kasmin Gallery 3. Wapiti (Grand) , 1996 Francois-Xavier Lalanne 93 5/7 x 59 ½ x 50 inches Patinated bronze Courtesy of the Paul Kasmin Gallery Art Basel and Sotheby’s Celebrate the Opening of Les Lalanne at Fairchild By Kimberly Bobson. Photos by Benjamin F. Thacker
ore than 150 guests from all facets of the art world joined detailing the new art exhibition, then congregated under the us at Fairchild for a luncheon hosted by Sotheby’s elegantly decorated tent for a delicious, “Miami”-inspired lunch auction house and the Paul Kasmin Gallery to kick off Art menu. The festive atmosphere was topped off with birthday wishes MBasel Miami Beach, as well as celebrate the opening of Les Lalanne for two very special people: Fairchild trustee and arts supporter Lin at Fairchild, the U.S.’s largest outdoor exhibition of works by Lougheed and artist Claude Lalanne. The celebration of art was the French sculptors Claude and François-Xavier Lalanne. Guests began perfect beginning to a very successful Art Basel. their morning by enjoying a reception and a guided tram tour
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3 4 1. Lin Lougheed and Claude 5 Lalanne celebrated birthdays in late November 2. Bruce Greer with Claude Lalanne 3. John and Mary Pappajohn 4. Anthony Grant and Lisa Dennison, our Sotheby’s hosts 5. Claude Lalanne and Lin Lougheed 6. Claude Lalanne and Dorothy Lalanne 7. Richard Steele, Jill Spaulding and Micky Wolfson
6 7 Boo tanical Bash Brings Halloween Chills and a Lively Dance Party By Andrew Quarrie, SilverPulp.com
he Fairchild Palms held its annual Boo tanical Bash on October 29 at the FTBG Garden House with smashing success. Fairchild’s young professionals Tvolunteer group hosted a crowd of high-spirited guests dressed in memorable Halloween costumes.
The ghoulish décor was complete with a well-crafted graveyard, haunted pathways and actors scaring revelers as they mingled throughout the garden. The energetic sounds of a live DJ and colorful strobe lights on the dance floor kept the party going until midnight.
To see more photos from Boo tanical Bash, visit Facebook.com/FairchildPalms. All proceeds from the
m event benefit the Fairchild Challenge environmental o c . p l outreach program. u P r e v l i S
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o t For more information on The Palms, the garden’s o h P young professionals conservation group, please (L-R) Abigail Witt, Jim Brock, Cameron Dezfulian and Audra Flanders visit us at www.FairchildPalms.org. what’s in store Chocolate, By the Book By Erin Fitts
hocolate is a global obsession. Coveted by presidents and Annual Chocolate Festival, The Shop at Fairchild will have many paupers alike, this tasty treat is the subject of hundreds of chocolate items and books for sale, including the four highlighted books and articles. In keeping with the spirit of The 5th on this page.
C THE NEW TASTE OF CHOCOLATE SUNNY DAYS, BALMY NIGHTS: ENTERTAINING Maricel Presilla, $35.00 MIAMI STYLE $35.00 The definitive natural and cultural history of cacao by chocolate expert and true chocolate Use fresh, local food and chocolate to create lover Maricel Presilla. There are also plenty of delicious recipes like Chocolate Truffle Cream, scrumptious recipes to try, such as Chocolate- Double Chocolate Fudgy Brownies, and Passion Fruit Jasmine Ice Cream and Tropical Night Brownies. Pie. Meet the contributors to this cookbook and try delicious samples all weekend during Fairchild’s 5th Annual International Chocolate Festival!
CHOCOLATE IN MESOAMERICA THE GREAT BOOK OF CHOCOLATE Edited by Cameron L. McNeil, $34.95 David Lebovitz, $16.95 An in-depth history of chocolate in ancient and Part trivia compendium and part recipe collection, this modern Mesoamerica. McNeil covers the biology book has it all. Some of the author’s favorite recipes and domestication of cacao, as well as its use in include Homemade Rocky Road Candy, Black-Bottom the Mayan religion and its distribution into Cupcakes and Dark Milk Chocolate Bread Pudding. Spanish culture and eventually the world. You can purchase these books online at http://store.FairchildOnline.com
February 14, 2011 Gates open at 5:30 p.m. Concert starts at 7:00 p.m.
Kevin Mahogany with the University of Miami’s Frost Concert Jazz Band.
Tickets: Members $60, Non-members $75, VIP Member price $150, VIP Non-member $175, includes reserved seating, candlelit dinner and wine. For ticket information, please contact Ann Schmidt at 305.663.8044.
Presenting Sponsor: Additional support: Jeanne and Rudy Aragon
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FAIRCHILD’S 70 TH RAMBLE This November’s 70th annual Ramble was successful as both a fundraiser and a fun community event. The Ramble began as a quaint garden party, fundraiser and means of getting Fairchild-grown plants into the larger community. It continues to be all that, and yet so much more!
This volunteer-run festival is unique in so many ways, from the Antiques and Collectibles sale run by the clever and stalwart Dorothy Herrera and her crew, to the Rare and Used Books sale run by Stuart Debenham and crew, to the largest plant sale in South Florida. New additions, such as the Design: Fairchild Eco-furniture show, keep the festival current and attract new visitors every year. This year’s additions included Dim SSam a Go-Go—urban cuisine from a truck painted with artistic graffiti—and a new eco-design exhibition from hot young designers. Our popular Greenmarket offered local farm food and herbs grown for The Ramble. As has become a tradition, the Waterpoorter churned out calliope tunes all weekend, it’s only appearance anywhere! South Florida’s G B T F / environmental education groups all offered great information on how to a l e u h
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60 THE TROPICAL GARDEN ENJOYING THE FRUITS (AND VEGETABLES AND HERBS) OF YOUR LABORS The 3rd Annual Edible Garden Festival on October 23rd and 24th was a tremendous success, with more than 4,000 people gathering to celebrate growing food in our own tropical gardens.
Top gardening and cooking experts demonstrated how we can cultivate, prepare and enjoy fruits, vegetables and herbs from our own backyards. Visitors learned how to grow edibles in small spaces when William Moss, host of the HGTV gardening show “Dig In,” gave an exciting talk on container gardening. Chef Norman Van Aken and his son and co-chef Justin Van Aken demonstrated a Key West Pink Shrimp G B
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selling vegetable and herb starts, honey, dried fruits o t o h and more. The vegetable starts sold out early to people P eager to begin their own edible gardens!
The Edible Garden Festival’s Scarecrow Contest was simply phenomenal. Members of the community paid $1 per ballot to vote for their favorite scarecrow, and all entry fees, ballot sales and donations went towards the Fairchild Challenge Satellite Program. Congratulations to Claudia Fitts, The Garden Groomers and The Coconut Grove Sailing Club for winning the Junior, Adult and Corporate categories, respectively. G
If you took the step to start an edible garden, we look B T F / a forward to hearing how your gardens fared—join us at l e u h i the Food and Garden Festival in April. r O
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FAIRCHILD CHALLENGE KICKS OFF WITH FRESHWATER ECOLOGY WORKSHOP On Saturday, October 2, the Fairchild Challenge held its first student workshop for the current school year. The workshop focused on freshwater ecology, with an emphasis on Everglades National Park and Fairchild’s own project currently going on in its 11-lake system. Ninety students and teachers from 17 schools joined this environmental education event, which was a joint enterprise between Fairchild’s education, horticulture and research teams. Fish biologist and water ecologist Dr. William Loftus led the workshop. As part of this learning experience, Florida International
G University’s Southeast Environmental Research Center has conducted water B T F / f f quality analyses of the garden’s lakes. The Fairchild Challenge program a t S
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P Fairchild Challenge alumni Sam Quintero and Mike Meyer. Graduate student Jason Downing mentoring middle school students who participated in the freshwater ecology workshop.
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MEMBERS’ DAY PLANT SALE MOVE OVER PROJECT RUNWAY! On a beautiful Saturday morning in October, nearly 1,000 Fairchild On Saturday, November 20, Fairchild hosted the Fairchild members got up early to shop the annual Members’ Day Plant Sale. Challenge Botanic Fashion Show, with the theme “Accents by At precisely 9:00 a.m., the crowd was allowed into the plant sales Nature.” In all, 140 high school students from 30 different area. Most people headed right for the distribution area, information schools and 169 middle school students from 28 schools had an mailers in hand and their favorites marked. There were a total of opportunity to show off their own fabulous botanical fashion 3,400 plants of 130 different species available at the sale. Included creations. For the fashion show, which is part of the Fairchild were wonderful bird- and butterfly-attracting plants, in addition to Challenge, students were asked to design and construct elegant palms and edible plants. It was a wonderful day, with many fashionable accessories made completely out of plant material. people carrying their treasured plants home to add beauty and style They also had to provide the common and scientific names of all to their own gardens. Don’t forget to mark your calendars for the plants used, along with information about the plants’ useful next Members’ Day Plant Sale—on Saturday, October 1, 2011 properties and origins. from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Thank you to our guest host, Jolie Balido-Hart, who is president of ROAR Media and a longtime member of the Fairchild Palms, for lending her amazing talents to this event.
THE JOY OF BUTTERFLY The last weekend of September saw Fairchild’s 7th Annual Butterfly Days event lure more than 2,000 visitors to the garden. They came to hear nationally known butterfly experts talk about the details and the joys of all things butterfly. The Miami Blue chapter of the North American Butterfly Association co-sponsored the event.
Author Robert Michael Pyle, founder of the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, delivered the Robert L. Kelley annual lecture. His keynote speech was based on his new book Mariposa Road, The First Butterfly Big Year . Pyle traveled the country for a year trying to see as many butterflies as possible, and he recounted some of those adventures, including trips to Big Pine Key and the Florida Keys.
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A HOWLING GOOD TIME FAIRCHILD’S 2 ND ANNUAL BIRD DAY The sounds of laughter and barking filled the air at the hilarious This October event was not just for the birds! Spectacular and Howl-O-Ween on October 31. Hundreds of dogs joined their informative talks highlighted the day’s events. The director of the owners to show off some pretty clever costumes and to just have a renowned Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Dr. John Fitzpatrick, spoke great time. Winners of our Costume Contest were: Gizmo and M. on the topic of “How Birds Can Save the World.” Other experts Mediavilla—Small Breed (picture above); Roxy and Laura covered bird photography, birdwatching and gardening. Guests Reynolds—Large Breed; Dilly and Ann Martinez—Owner and Dog; shopped for hundreds of bird-attracting plants, and enjoyed the and The Poodle family—Group Costume. The Garden House took many engaging activities for kids—including a special children’s on a new energy, filled with all sorts of doggie goodies, pet bird walk. Bird Day brought together bird novices and leading photographers and animal rescue organizations. experts united by the common bond of a love for birds. The event was made possible through the generous support of the James A. Kushlan Bird Conservation Program. staff news Photos by Gaby Orihuela/FTBG and Jeff Wasielewski/FTBG
MARION LITZINGER MARLON RUMBLE began at KIKI MUTIS is Fairchild’s THAD FOOTE joined the joined the Fairchild staff in Fairchild as a volunteer with new community outreach Fairchild Challenge team in November 2005 and recently the Horticulture department coordinator for the Education September, 2010. After became the Fairchild in 2007. One year later, he program. A native of Colombia, growing up in South Florida, Challenge’s assistant was hired as a full-time she has lived in Miami since Thad traveled to New England, manager. She holds a nursery assistant. He was 1981. Kiki received her M.S. where he earned a B.A. in Master’s in Science in Forest recently promoted to nursery in Environmental Science from Environmental Geography Engineering from the Georg- manager and is now pursuing Florida International University, from Clark University and an August University in an associate degree in with a focus on Ethnobotany M.S. in Environmental Göttingen, Germany, and horticulture at Miami Dade and Environmental Education. Education from Antioch has completed training as a College. A native of Jamaica, This followed her successful University New England. supervising forest ranger. Prior Marlon came to Miami in completion of the Peace Over the past 12 years, Thad to moving to Miami, Marion 1998 and worked Corps Master International has taught environmental worked for the German professionally as a chef for Program in Bolivia. Kiki is studies in a variety of settings Timber Trade Association and more than 14 years before excited to bring her 15 years including the seashore, the European Timber Trade joining Fairchild. His love for of environmental education treetops and boat-shops. Federation as advisor, plants and the outdoors experience to Fairchild. . coordinator and manager. brought him to the garden. www.fairchildgarden.org 63 from the archives Searching for Palms in Colombia The Second Fairchild Tropical Garden Expedition by Janet Mosely
n 1946, World War II was finally over and Dr. Fairchild was eager to resume collecting plants for the garden. When he learned that Mulford B. Foster planned a collecting trip to Colombia he Icommissioned him to collect palms. Foster, a landscape architect well known in the Orlando area, was a famous expert on bromeliads as well as orchids and was a seasoned plant explorer. His wife, Racine, traveled with him and shared in the hardships and hard work of plant collecting in the tropics. In a March 14, 1946 letter to Foster, Dr. Fairchild wrote: “I am excited a bit over the coming expedition that you two old vetrans [sic] are undertaking. The event reminds me of days long ago when Frank N. Meyer was starting off for China where he spent many years and of Wilson Popenoe’s expedition after Avocados to Colombia and Guatemala in 1916.”
The correspondence between the Fosters and Dr. Fairchild gives insight into the extensive planning necessary to organize a plant collecting trip. Apart from the obvious travel arrangements, there were in-country contacts to establish and special customs permits to be arranged. Letters concerning the machinations necessary to successfully mail any seeds collected through the labyrinthine bureaucracies of Colombian and American plant quarantine make for interesting reading.
The Fosters were in Colombia from late June until early December 1946. Possibly the highlight of what proved to be an arduous trip was finding “Palm Paradise” in the high mountains of equatorial Colombia. After several frustrating, unfruitful trips taken on
(TOP) Mulford Foster with palm inflorescence.
(RIGHT) Racine Foster. Dr. Fairchild was impressed with her stamina and skill in collecting and cleaning palm seeds. She and her husband were equal partners in their expeditions.
Photos, Archives/FTBG.
64 THE TROPICAL GARDEN temperamental mules, the Fosters found an almost untouched forest full of many old growth palms. They counted approximately nineteen species and were able to collect seeds from thirteen. “We went palm wild—there were millions of them…” (Letter of October 7, 1946)
The Fosters wrote wonderful letters detailing their adventures and misadventures. Exploring for plants in Colombia led them from very hot humid areas to very cold areas and they were always either sweltering or freezing. In discussing this and other aspects of plant collecting, Racine calmly writes “but that is what happens to palm nuts looking for palm nuts.” (Letter of November 2, 1946)
Dr. Fairchild’s “palm nuts” were able to collect approximately 2,000 palm seeds from species then new to the garden. It was one of the largest collections of palm seed ever received by Fairchild Tropical Garden.
(TOP) The Copernicia santae martae (syn. C. tectorum ) found in Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. “Will probably prove to be excellent palm for Miami areas—taking wind and salt…” (Foster’s field notes)
(LEFT) Racine Foster with stilt palm.
Photos, Archives/FTBG.
www.fairchildgarden.org 65 connect with fairchild
VISIT US GET INVOLVED Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden Become a Member 10901 Old Cutler Road, Coral Gables FL 33156 Become a member and enjoy garden benefits all year long. T: 305.667.1651 F: 305.661.8953 Inquiries: 305.667.1651, ext. 3301 or 3362 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Everyday (except December 25) [email protected] Admission: Free to Fairchild members and children 5 and under. www.fairchildgarden.org/Membership Non-members: $25 for adults, $18 for seniors 65 and up and $12 Volunteer for children 6-17. Become a volunteer and help the garden grow. Eco-Discounts: Save $5 off admission when you walk, bike or take Inquiries: 305.667.1651, ext. 3324 public transportation to Fairchild. It’s our way of thanking you for [email protected] supporting our conservation efforts. www.fairchildgarden.org/Volunteer FAIRCHILD BLOGS Give Gardening with Georgia Donate to the garden and help support Fairchild’s programs. Plant writer extraordinaire Georgia Tasker writes about plants and Inquiries: 305.667.1651, ext. 3351 everything Fairchild. [email protected] www.fairchildgarden.org/GeorgiaTasker www.fairchildgarden.org/DonateNow Musings with Mary EVENTS AND PRIVATE RENTALS Fairchild Senior Horticulturist Mary Collins writes about Information about events can be found on Fairchild’s Web site. horticulture in the garden and around South Florida. Tickets for certain events maybe be purchased online. Interested in www.fairchildgarden.org/Horticulture having your event at Fairchild? Please call us or visit our Web site. For the Love of Mangos Inquiries: 305.667.1651, ext. 3359 Fairchild Tropical Fruit Curators Dr. Richard J. Campbell and Noris [email protected] Ledesma write about traveling the world in search of the world’s www.fairchildgarden.org/Events most delicious fruit. www.fairchildgarden.org/LoveMangos SHOP AT FAIRCHILD A Conversation about Conservation Visit The Shop at Fairchild for a large selection of gardening and Fairchild’s conservation scientists write about their adventures culinary books, home decor items and unique gifts. exploring for and saving plants and habitats in South Florida and Inquiries: 305.667.1651, ext. 3305 around the world. [email protected] www.fairchildgarden.org/ConservationBlog store.fairchildonline.com The Cheng Ho Blog GIFTS THAT GIVE BACK Seventy years after David Fairchild’s famous Cheng Ho expedition, Give the gift of Fairchild you can follow the ship’s journey with daily journal entries posted Inquiries: 305.667.1651, ext. 3351 in this historical blog. [email protected] www.fairchildgarden.org/ChengHo www.fairchildgarden.org/GiftIdeas The World is Our Garden Conservationist Melissa E. Abdo invites you to share in both the FOLLOW US wonderment of international plant exploration and the challenges www.fairchildgarden.org of scientifically sound conservation in her exciting blog. www.fairchildgarden.org/WorldGarden Facebook www.fairchildgarden.org/Facebook SHARE YOUR MEMORIES Twitter www.twitter.com/FairchildGarden If you have a fantastic Fairchild picture, moment or comment you www.fairchildgarden.org/YouTube would like to share, send it to us at [email protected]. We will publish the best entries on this page.
66 THE TROPICAL GARDEN WISHES. ART. Lalanne NATURE. AT FAIRCHILD FAIRCHILD. G B T F / a i c r a G
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Art at Fairchild is generously supported by The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Lin Lougheed, the Aaron I. Fleischman Foundation, the Paul Kasmin Gallery, The Miami Herald, El Nuevo Herald, El Diario Las Americas and the Cowles Charitable Trust.
FAIRCHILD TROPICAL BOTANIC GARDEN Printed on recycled paper that contains Non-Profit 10% post-consumer waste, using Organization vegetable-based ink and is FSC certified. U. S. Postage Please pass this magazine on or recycle it. PAID Miami, Florida Permit No. 155
Fairchild’s 5 th Annual International
presented by
with
Coffee & Tea
Friday, Saturday and Sunday January 21, 22 and 23, 2011 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Three days of chocolate treats! Don’t miss delicious chocolate, plant sales, cooking demonstrations, our ChocoWalk, the ChocoKids area, informative lectures and more.