fa l l 2 0 1 0 70 years after David Fairchild’s famous exploration, we retu n to the Spice Islands published by fairchild tropical botanic garden tropical gourmet foods home décor accessories The Shop eco-friendly and fair trade products gardening supplies unique tropical gifts AT FAIRCHILD books on tropical gardening, cuisine and more Painted Sparrow, $10 Starling Salt and Pepper Shakers, $18 fairchild tropical botanic garden 10901 Old Cutler Road, Coral Gables, FL 33156 • 305.667.1651, ext. 3305 • www.fairchildgarden.org • shop online at www.fairchildonline.com Photo by Gaby Orihuela FTBG contents The trip of David Fairchild’s Lifetime: Fairchild’s Work in the Caribbean: Jamaica A Return to the Spice Islands, 32 23 Melissa E. Abdo, Pamela McLaughlin, Keron Campbell, Carl Lewis Brett Jestrow, Eric von Wettberg 5 FROM THE DIRECTOR 8 EVENTS 9 NEWS 11 TROPICAL CUISINE 13 WHAT’S BLOOMING 15 EXPLAINING 17 VIS-A-VIS VOLUNTEERS 20 PLANT SOCIETIES 49 PLANTS THAT CHANGED THE WORLD 51 BUG BEAT 52 GIFTS AND DONORS 53 WISH LIST My Encounter in the Galapagos, 54 VISTAS Georgia Tasker 42 55 WHAT’S IN STORE 56 GARDEN VIEWS 60 FROM THE ARCHIVES 10901 Old Cutler Road, Coral Gables, FL 33156 • 305.667.1651, ext. 3305 • www.fairchildgarden.org • shop online at www.fairchildonline.com www.fairchildgarden.org 3 MATCH AND RIDE New Trams for Fairchild The Donald and Terry Blechman Tribute Fund: Match and Ride What do you remember most about your visit to Fairchild? The beauty? The vistas? The palms? Probably all of these. But you’re most likely to remember enjoying a tram tour of Fairchild insightfully narrated by one of our dedicated and knowledgeable volunteers. Don Blechman, one such Fairchild volunteer, could be found narrating tours of the garden every Friday morning with his wife, Terry. Don recently passed away, and the Blechmans’ dear friends and Fairchild Trustees, Allan and Patti Herbert, created a lasting tribute to Don, who always hoped that Fairchild could purchase new trams. The Donald and Terry Blechman Tribute Fund is a grant established to help Fairchild raise critically- needed funds to purchase new trams for visitor tours by matching each dollar raised. The Herberts will match every dollar raised through December 31, 2010, so guests can enjoy tours of the garden in new trams. That means that every dollar Fairchild raises, the Herberts will match in tribute to Don and Terry. But, we need your help! The more we raise, the more the Herberts match and the closer we get to purchasing new trams. If you would like to make a pledge, please call 305.663.8051. You can also donate online at www.fairchildgarden.org/Match. Hurry! This offer ends on December 31, 2010. So please make your pledge soon. fairchild tropical botanic garden from the director here is something uniquely magical about tropical islands. Since the earliest days of exploration, we have been captivated by their romance, mystery and unusually rich biodiversity. Isolated in warm and stormy seas for millions of years, tropical islands Thave developed some of the world’s most extraordinary plants and animals. In this issue of The Tropical Garden, we visit two spectacular groups of islands on opposite sides of the Pacific Ocean, both situated directly on the equator. Separated by nearly 10,000 miles of open ocean, Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands and Indonesia’s Spice Islands both share an unusual significance in the history of biology. In 1835, Charles Darwin spent a month in the Galapagos Islands while conducting surveys with the crew of the HMS Beagle. He collected dozens of plant and animal specimens, including representatives of the remarkable bird life. The bird specimens, especially the finches, provided the inspiration for Darwin’s discovery of how living things adapt to subtle environmental differences. Earlier this year our own Georgia Tasker followed in Darwin’s footsteps, traveling the Galapagos to observe the diversity that inspired his greatest discoveries. Alfred Russel Wallace, a young colleague of Charles Darwin, collected bird and insect specimens in the Spice Islands of Indonesia. In 1858, immersed in the extraordinary biodiversity of the region, he was the first to articulate the groundbreaking theory of evolution by natural selection. Inspired by Wallace’s discovery, David Fairchild spent his life traveling and exploring the world. Finally, in his 70s, he had a chance to visit the Spice Islands, but that expedition was cut short by the onset of World War II. To finish what Fairchild started, we have begun collaborating with organizations in Indonesia to document and conserve the unique flora that still exists in the Spice Islands. Exactly 70 years after Dr. Fairchild’s quick trip through the region, I was fortunate enough to be able to explore some of the places he missed. After my trip, conservation biologist Melissa Abdo trekked even further into the heart of the islands and saw an incredible diversity of palms and other tropical plants. As we continue exploring the region we follow in the footsteps of some of history’s greatest scientists. Closer to home, our researchers have been exploring equally spectacular island habitats in the Caribbean, working to save plants on the brink of extinction. In this issue, Melissa Abdo and her colleagues describe a project to document and conserve the flora of the rugged Cockpit Country of Jamaica. The region is a matrix of different habitats, each supporting unique plant species, all influenced by subtle differences in geology. We are learning important lessons about the vulnerability of rare plant populations in that complex environment. Our work to conserve the fragile habitats of tropical islands is increasingly important. Dr. Javier Francisco-Ortega, one of our senior scientists and Fairchild Challenge program manager, is a leading expert on island biodiversity and conservation. He is recruiting and training a new generation of students to join in our work. As we study island habitats, we are incorporating their best elements into our plantings at Fairchild. Since our garden was founded, we have worked to build a landscape that is just as awe-inspiring and conducive to scientific discovery as faraway island archipelagos. Soon, our ability to inspire and educate students will increase as our collections expand and as we build new laboratory and teaching spaces. On your next visit to Fairchild, I hope you will take a close look at our plants and think about the island habitats that inspired some of the greatest scientific discoveries in history. Just imagine the discoveries we can make in the years ahead. Carl Lewis, P.h.D. www.fairchildgarden.org 5 contributors DR. CARL LEWIS came to Fairchild from upstate New York in January 2001. As a scientist focused on palms, his work combines tropical field exploration with cutting-edge techniques in molecular biology. Inspired by Dr. David Fairchild’s legacy, he is incorporating historical information from our archives into new research projects. As Fairchild’s director, he is expanding our education programs to train a new generation of students for careers in the environment. GEORGIA TASKER was the garden The Miami Herald RichardRichard Lyons’Lyons’ NurseryNursery inc.inc. writer for for over 30 years, and now writes and blogs for RareRare && UnusualUnusual TropicalTropical TreesTrees && PlantsPlants Fairchild. She has received the FloweringFlowering • • FruitFruit •• NativeNative •• PalmPalm •• BambooBamboo •• HeliconiaHeliconia garden’s highest honor, the Barbour HummingbirdHummingbird • • BonsaiBonsai && ButterflyButterfly Medal, and a lifetime achievement award from Tropical Audubon Society. PROUD MEMBER OF She is also an avid photographer, gardener and traveler. Georgia graduated cum laude from Hanover www.RichardLyonsNursery.comwww.RichardLyonsNursery.com College in Hanover, Indiana, and [email protected]@RichardLyonsNursery.com received the first certificate in tropical @lycheeman1@lycheeman1 onon TwitterTwitter commercial botany from Florida International University. 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 NETIVA KOLITZ has been with the Mail:Mail: 12301230 N.W.N.W. 7th7th StSt •• Miami,Miami, FLFL 3312533125 garden since 2005, originally as an education outreach coordinator for the Fairchild Challenge program for high schools and currently as the Fairchild Challenge satellite programs coordinator. Netiva has a Bachelor of Science and has completed graduate coursework in both education and environmental studies. Additionally, she has more than 15 years of professional experience in formal and informal educational settings. MELISSA ABDO is the International Conservation Projects Officer for Fairchild, and is thrilled to lead plant *J9;LA;=QG?9 exploration and conservation efforts in 1AL@>JA=F<DQ9F<=PH=JA=F;=<L=9;@=JK some of the world’s most floristically 0AKALJAF9QG?9 ;GE;9DD 3)! intriguing and biodiverse areas. A botanist who grew up inspired by Fairchild’s gardens and history, Melissa has extensive international experience DO YOU HAVE POND PROBLEMS ? through work and travel in more than 25 countries, and holds a M.Sc. in environmental studies (FIU). She speaks IS YOUR REAL PROBLEM YOUR Spanish and Indonesian, and enjoys POND SERVICE COMPANY? ocean adventure sports. ON THE COVER Call Dr. Jeff Murray, Pondologist Mare and Tidore, Spice Islands Photo by Carl Lewis/FTBG WE DO IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME! 305-251-POND(7663) | www.PondDoctors.NET 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 nearly 50 years. 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