Monthly Update January 2013 FEATURED THIS MONTH: Colpothrinax wrightii Colpothrinax wrightii planted in Dale Holton’s nursery in Loxahatchee. FRONT COVER: Colpothrinax wrightii growing in habitat in Cuba. 2 Featured this Month: Colpothrinax wrightii by Dale Holton Palm Beach Palm & Cycad Society 2013 Officers & Executive Committee Colpothrinax wrightii is a tered. I only know of a couple of rare palm in cultivation. It is also a people that are successfully growing Tom Ramiccio, President (561) 582-5915 very attractive palm. Its habitat is in them. They are a fan leaf palm and Don Bittel, Vice President (772) 521-4601 western Cuba, growing on season- have a thick fiber on the trunk when Ruth Lynch, Secretary (561) 312-5046 ally flooded woodlands and fields in small. They also grow somewhat Ingrid Dewey, Treasurer (561) 3300 mostly clay soils. It is also found on slowly. Seeds of this palm are fed to Charlie Beck, Director & Editor (561) 963-5511 the Isle of Youth in coastal fields hogs in Cuba. Steve Garland, Director (561) 478-0120 that are frequently flooded. My first Seeds have been available Terry Lynch, Director (561) 582-7378 encounter in that location, I thought from time to time. They germinate Tom Whisler, Director (561) 627-8328 that I was looking at a very fibrous readily, but start declining after Betty Ahlborn, Immediate Past President (561) 798-4562 Thrinax radiata. The Cuban people about a year. Fairchild Tropical Bo- Appointees call it the Cuban Belly Palm. How- tanical Garden planted them out Charlie Beck, Librarian ever, Acrocomia crispa is also called several times with no success until Ruth Lynch, Refreshment Chairman Cuban Belly Palm. they put one in next to one of the Brenda Beck, Web Master and Historian Unfortunately this palm has ponds. It is now getting quite large. been very difficult to grow here in Florida, so it is rarely ever encoun- (Continued on page 5) VISIT US AT www.palmbeachpalmcycadsociety.com INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Page 4 FEATURED THIS MONTH: Colpothrinax wrightii 6 New Data on IMIDACLOPRID 7 A Successful Courtyard Planting for Wildlife Viewing 10 2013 Membership Application NEXT MEETING January 2, 2013 at 7:30 p.m. at Mounts Botanical Garden Speakers: Lew & Cathy Burger on the 2010 IPS Biennial to Brazil Opinions expressed and products or recommendations published in this newsletter may not be the opinions or recommendations of the Palm Beach Palm & Cycad Society or its In regular potting soil board of directors. In regular In Turface MVP and water retaining potting soil and and standard pot pots standard pot For permission to reproduce any article that appears in this publication, con- Dale Holton’s seven remaining experimental C. wrightii . tact the Palm Beach Palm & Cycad Society editor at [email protected] 3 4 (Continued from page 4) chased about three years ago. I now New Data on IMIDACLOPRID I have four in the ground in am down to seven plants. Two are by Charlie Beck Loxahatchee that are doing quite potted in Turface MVP. Two are well. They are in the ground next to potted in my regular potting soil in Earlier this year our palm toxic to insects. The chemicals are the pond and in very dense white pots that retain about one and one- society had two meetings which also absorbed into the nectar and clay or marl. They do not like half inches of water. Those plants discussed the spiral whitefly. At pollen of the plants. The toxic ef- freezes. Mine usually look quite bad are all doing very good. It is quite these meetings use of imidacloprid fects to bees and other beneficial after every winter, but after a couple obvious that they need lots of water was recommended for control of this insects can last for several months to of months they have recovered and and prefer a clay based soil. insect. No mention was made of the years in pollen and nectar from just look very good. I have been experi- (All photos for this article were pro- negative effects to the environment one application. Less-than-lethal menting on forty plants that I pur- vided by Dale Holton.) when using this chemical control. exposures can cause honeybees to A recent report from the have problems flying and finding University of Minnesota College of their way back to the hive, lose their LEFT: C. wrightii Food, Agriculture and Natural Re- sense of taste and have more diffi- growing in Havana source Sciences states that house- culty learning new tasks, according Botanical Garden. hold insecticide, imidacloprid, may to a group of scientists called the play a role in declining bee popula- Xerces Society for Invertebrate Con- BELOW: C. wrightii tions. Imidacloprid is marketed to servation, who summarized some of growing in habitat and home gardeners under the names the existing research on bees and an unusual double- Merit, Marathon, Bayer Advanced imidacloprid this year. Lab research stemmed specimen at a Flower and Shrub, Bayer Tree and has shown that four species of lady residence in Cuba . Shrub Protect, Bayer Complete In- beetles, a parasitic wasp, a predatory sect Killer for Turf. When applied to green lacewing and bumblebees all the field or garden, the chemicals are die at the standard application rate of absorbed through the plants vascular imidacloprid. system which makes the entire plant Early this year, beekeepers from Minnesota and California peti- tioned the Environmental Protection Agency to immediately suspend All Purpose Bug Spray Recipe sales of neonicotinoid insecticides including imidacloprid, but in July the EPA denied the request and said In two gallons of water, mix it will review the insecticides’ ef- in two tablespoons of each: vinegar, fects, a process that could take until canola oil and Murphy’s Oil Soap; 2018. along with three tablespoons of bak- Not only can imidacloprid ing soda. cause damage to beneficial preda- Combine these ingredients tory insects but also can have nega- in a handheld sprayer and mist your tive effects on butterflies and hum- plants until they are dripping wet. mingbirds which feed on nectar and Spraying is best done in the early pollen. I have observed humming- evening to avoid burning leaves. birds feeding on palm flower nectar (Continued on page 8) 5 6 A Successful Courtyard Planting for Wildlife Viewing (Continued from page 6) plants and can easily be discouraged by Charlie Beck (especially coconut flowers). I urge with a strong stream of water or an our members to consider this new organic oil/soap solution. Encourag- I’m more of a plant collec- information before applying this ing native predatory insects is pref- tor than a garden landscaper. I try to insecticide to their garden. Remem- erable to killing them by the use of keep basic landscape design rules in ber spiral whitefly is not lethal to imidacloprid. mind when planting gardens but at the same time I usually succumb to Complete article can be viewed at: the urge to plant one of everything. http://www.cfans.umn.edu/Solutions/Fall2012/Killer_Bottle/index.htm. For quite some time I’ve been plant- ing our garden with wildlife in mind. (Continued from page 7) is an understory plant which attracts Aside from planting palms, cycads, are red and very showy. Humming- butterflies and other insects to the cordylines, and crotons of which I the planting and to provide high vis- birds and butterflies sip nectar from flowers and also produces beautiful am particularly fond, the first ques- ual interest. Even though these these flowers. Mussaendas are maroon fruit which the birds love to tion I ask is “what benefit does this palms are not great for wildlife they sprawling plants which need to be eat. plant provide for wildlife?” Birds, do provide a vantage point for liz- cut back hard from time to time. The next plant on the south- butterflies, moths, spiders, lizards, ards to hunt insects. I then planted a This sprawling habit does fill in the east corner is a native Fiddlewood etc. can add a lot of interest to the row of Firespike on the west side. understory of the firebush and also tree. This tree tops out at 10-12’ tall. garden, if you take the time to si- Firespike is not native to Florida but the Phoenix sylvestris planted beside It produces pendulous racemes of lently observe the interactions of is still one of the best hummingbird it. This combination of an upright fragrant white flowers which attract nature. attractors. This Firespike is the red firebush with a sprawling mussaenda many pollinators and other nectar We poured a 12x12’ con- variety which blooms most of the creates a great place for insect eating seeking insects. There is a native crete pad for a spa behind the house. year. It is quite attractive with its birds to forage. There are always moth whose larvae completely defo- Around this pad I planted an assort- clusters of blood red, tubular flowers birds present in this cluster planting. liate the fiddlewood. The tree puts ment of plants which would attract displayed 5-6’ above the ground. Cardinals, catbirds, and mocking- out a new flush of leaves in response wildlife for viewing. I broke all of On the southwest corner I birds eat the Firebush fruit and as- to the caterpillar feast. Of course the basic laws of landscaping. There planted a native Firebush. This plant sorted warblers and Gnat Catchers these caterpillars are a food source was practically no repetition. Upon also displays orange-red tubular seek insects in the thicket. A native for insect eating birds and also other initial view, nobody would say that flowers.