Hybrid Palm Tree Mule Palm X Butiagrus nabonnandii

25550 Harbor View Rd, Unit 3; Port Charlotte, Florida 33980 ▪ (941) 764-4340 ▪ http://charlotte.ifas.ufl.edu/
April
Hybrid Palm Tree
Mule Palm
X Butiagrus nabonnandii
By Donna Worthley, Plant Line coordinator
Inside This Issue:
From The Director ······················2
President’s Comments ·················3
April’s Speaker ··························4
A Greener Thumb ·······················5
FYN···········································6
April Happenings·······················6
Joanne Hubbard
April 2nd
Dale Watson
April 7th
Sandy Price
April 9th
Louise Foley
April 10th
Maureen Groff
April 23rd
Those of you, who have heard
my lectures on palms, will
remember me saying all palms
start from seeds. Well, guess
what, there is a palm tree that is
hybridized.
The Mule Palm, is the result of
Butia capitata being pollinated
by Syagrus romanzoffiania. It is
extremely frost hardy and can
withstand temperatures to at
least 14F (-10C) when large
enough. It has green pinnate fronds with the curl of the Pindo palm frond. The
palm is sterile, hence its nickname the `Mule palm,` and all palms must be
produced by painstaking hand pollination.
Although nurseries and palm fanciers may deliberately create the cross, as Paul
Nabonnand did early in the 20th century, these rare trees more often arise as
accidental hybrids among seedlings planted where their parents (a Queen Palm,
Syagrus romanzoffiana, and a Pindo Palm, Butia capitata) occur near one
another. The cross between these two palms brings out the best of both. This
palm is fast growing, thrives in sun or partial shade, is salt tolerant and drought
tolerant and practically freeze tolerant,
perhaps a perfect palm for your landscape!!.
It will not grow as tall as a Queen palm, but
will grow taller than a Pindo palm reaching a
height of 30 feet. The good news is, that this
hybrid, produces sterile seeds, remember the
name is mule. Therefore, unlike with the
Queen palm, seedlings will not emerge from
seed drop. However, like the Queen, it does
flower more than once a year.
The appearance of these palms will vary
greatly. I have included some photos to
demonstrate that sometimes the palm
(Continued on page 4)
From the Director...
By Ralph Mitchell
As March goes out like a lamb, green
sprouts are emerging from the frozen ashes
of our landscape like the mythical Phoenix.
The damage was certainly more severe this
year than in the recent past, but at least it
has been moister with a regular parade of
cold-fronts dropping their rain followed by
a cold snap.
Red potato 'Red Pontiac' up and growing one
month after planting
Super Sugar Snap peas fattening on the vine
Our 75th Anniversary celebration is on-going and thank you to those who were able
to attend the March 9th Proclamation! That same day we met with a UF/IFAS video
film crew at the old Courthouse in Punta Gorda with Mr. Bucky McQueen to film
and interview his recollections of his father’s tenure as County Extension Agent.
The crew then followed Gene McAvoy, our Multi-County Vegetable Agent to
Worden’s farm for a segment. The next day, Pam Phillippe our 4-H Agent and
Betty Staugler our Sea Grant Agent were filmed and interviewed out in the field.
Around 1 pm it was my turn! Then to wrap up the day, the film crew visited our
Plant Lifeline and filmed them in action. Many thanks to Phil, Curt and Harriett for
their cinematic skills! The three to four minute segment should be ready for
viewing by June or July.
While a smaller class than usual, our 2010 Master Gardener Training Class shows
great enthusiasm and spirit and is doing well. They continue on their journey and
have become cohesive as a group. Nap Dufault is our 2010 “Class Father” who is
cultivating our new Trainees making sure that they are comfortable.
In my own garden, the cold crops are
finishing up with the last of the
cauliflower picked by mid-March. I
have also harvested two sets of ‘Super
The last of the cauliflowers
Sugar Snap’ peas which made great
ingredients for two great stir-fried
dinners! My pak choi, kale, turnip greens all did very well in our cold weather.
The collards continue producing without a pause, but will eventually peter out.
Right now I am simply getting the planting beds ready for the switch from cool
weather to warm weather crops including flowers. You can really grow annual
flowers here year round here. My red petunias did great this winter and I would
Beautiful all-green baby pac choi 'Brisk Green'
recommend that you try some.
Petunias make a great bedding plant
as they take the cold and keep on blooming. Also try the various types of
snapdragons which also love the cold. My warm weather favorites (which I easily
start myself from seed) include marigolds, cosmos, vincas and portulacas. This year
I am also including some cutting-type sunflowers (can be used in bouquets) and
colorful morning glories.
Get ready for Arbor Day and go plant something!
All the best,
Red petunias brighten up a cool winter day
Ralph
2
President’s Message
By Dee Mann
Greetings! Is it Spring yet?
I’m sitting on my lanai early this morning in 52 degree weather while the jackhammers destroy the floor in my hallway,
kitchen, laundry room and part of the living room (with a house full of company). I had a pipe in the cement slab burst and had
an unplanned indoor pool for 4 days while a fixit guy and 3 plumbers dug holes everywhere looking for the rogue pipe. The
water had to be turned off so we had no showers, no coffee, no cooking and no toilets operating. Too cold to go to the beach or
sit out by the real pool, so my company did a lot of sightseeing.
Then there was dealing with appointments. No one showed up on the day or time they were expected. Sort of like Mother
Nature’s timetable. January is usually “cool” here by our standards. Cold is rarely here for a day or two and damaging frosts
blow by quickly. This year was an eye opener. Although our snowbirds thought it was lovely here, the northwest winds we
had for weeks caused Floridians to bundle up.
Our grass, bushes and trees really took a beating. You can actually read the wind patterns around houses by the damage done
to the plants. I’m sure our plant clinics and Lifeline are handling a lot more inquiries about what to do with ailing or dead
landscapes. Thanks to you all.
Oops, now the tile man is here and saying that while he is here for 2-3 days, we can’t use the kitchen, the washer/dryer or have
access to the frig. I’m impatient with this and start “vocalizing.” Similar to my clients who want their yards cleaned up, dead
branches pruned and their gardens blooming. NOW!! Not having color in my garden in Florida, unheard of.
Back to business, the March MG meeting featured Lynn Stewart from Mr. Citrus in Arcadia. He spoke about his sustainable
organic gardening. He started with 7 acres in 1989 and now has 17 acres for his plants and animals. Lynn can be reached at
floridaorganicproducts.com. Like Dr. Estoye, Lynn has discovered the Jatropha plant and is working on using its seeds for
biodiesel fuel. He discussed companion planting e.g. sunflowers to attract bees and they stay to pollinate the crops. He is
dabbling with the low chill peaches that the University of Florida developed and suggested Tropic Beauty as his favorite. He is
also working on a seedless, thornless blackberry.
The Madhatter Men of March served the refreshments. It seemed more like a catered buffet to me. What a spread! Thanks
goes to Cris Snowdan, Curt Mayer, Bob Johnson, Lee Phillips, Bruce Merges, Robert DeLaTorre, Stef Molway and Nap Du
Fault for the delicious food and crazy hats.
On Feb. 23 some of the Master Gardeners drove to the Hazeltine Nursery to tour the facility. It’s a beautiful, well planned
place that sells to the public. They also specialize in irrigation techniques.
March 10th a dozen of us drove to ECHO to tour their operation. I had a chance to meet some of the young interns who spend a
year of service worldwide teaching ECHO’S programs. Our guide showed us through the different venues to see how crops are
developed for specific areas; terraced farming, swamp land, arid areas etc. I’m more impressed with this place and its people
every time I visit.
Speaking of impressed, Sherrill Braun and her group: Maureen Groff, Lydia Smith , Karen Lyons, Catherine Peterson and
Jamie Reynolds were fielding questions left and right at the PG Home Depot Plant Extravaganza March 20th. Vendors,
displays and a good selection of plants were available. Kudos to the crew for taking on that event!
April program will be Maran Hilgendorf of the Charlotte Harbor National Estuaries Program.
Remember Allison needs volunteers for the April 9th Paint Your Heart Out prep day. Bring your time sheets to the meeting.
(And the plumbers/ tile man still aren’t finished in my house.) Think I’ll go out and play in the dirt.
Thanks for your gardening gifts to the county.
Dee
3
(Continued from page 1)
resembles a Queen palm more than a Pindo palm, since the fronds are green and not silver blue.
I don’t know if these palms are available here in Charlotte County, although Master Gardeners Brenda and Don Hanak may
know of suppliers. I was able to find a nursery in St. Augustine that produces these palms. Obviously, this is a palm to add to
your landscape as a replacement for those that might not have survived the cold weather of this past winter.
Help Promote a Healthy Charlotte Harbor
By Sandy Price
The April MGA program will be presented by Maran Hilgendorf of the Charlotte Harbor National Estuaries Program
(CHNEP). That organization is a partnership dedicated to the protection of the natural environment between Venice and Bonita
Springs on the coast, inland to Winter Haven.
Loosely defined, estuaries are where rivers meet seas. The dictionary includes two interconnected definitions: 1. the lower
course of a river where its current is influenced by tides. 2. An arm of the sea that extends inland to meet the mouth of a river.
The almost 4,700 square miles under the jurisdiction of the CHNEP includes not only Charlotte Harbor, but the watersheds of
the Peace and Myakka Rivers, tidal Caloosahatchee River, numerous creeks and springs, plus bays, swamps, and sounds, as
well as the land surrounding them. That's a lot of territory that can be negatively impacted when we are less than responsible
stewards of the land and waterways under our care.
Additionally, the natural habitats contained in the CHNEP area are home to more than 2,100 plant species. The mangrove
forests alone provide habitat for more than 2,300 species of animals. Coastal waters sustain more than 270 species of fish.
All are being threatened by human activities. Without programs to educate the public about responsible uses of sensitive lands
and waterways, whole populations of plant and animal life will be crowded out of existence.
Ms. Hilgendorf's program will focus on being good environmental neighbors. She is especially interested in helping us
understand how actions occurring within the watershed can seriously impact the estuaries and why their continued good health
is so important.
Ms. Hilgendorf has been the communications manager for the CHNEP for 10 years. Before that, she was the director of
marketing and communications for The Conservancy of Southwest Florida and the associate director of the Ohio Sea Grant
College Program. Her degrees include a BS in journalism and an MBA from Ohio University.
This program counts as an education hour, one of the 12 Master Gardeners must complete to maintain their certification.
To celebrate Arbor Day the city of Punta Gorda has invited first graders from 3 elementary schools to help plant trees at
Laishley Park. There will be 300+ kids from the various schools, together with some parent volunteers.
Additional volunteers are needed to supervise and assist the children in the planting of the trees. The City has once again asked
the Master Gardeners for help. Those who volunteered last year will remember it was lots of fun.
The planting will take place on April 30 between 10 a.m. – 12 a.m. There will be a brief training meeting for volunteers at a
date to be announced.
4
A Greener Thumb
By Sidney Tatom
An adage from years gone by assures us that “March winds and April showers bring forth May flowers”. We have had more
than enough of cold March winds and also surprising, welcome rains, which hopefully spill over into April. April, however, is
usually one of the driest months of the year in SW Florida, so all of us should be prepared to water as needed (and allowed).
It’s time to set the stage for May and summer blooms.
For gardeners, April outdoor tasks will be a continuation of those started (and perhaps not completed) in March. By now we
should know which of our landscape plants survived, and we will need to finish cutting out deadwood, pruning shrubs to
shape (remember, no more than 1/3 of the plant tissue), and removal of plants that will not recover. Remember to look
for new leaf spears on damaged palms and to apply a drench of copper fungicide to the bud area. Be patient as you wait (and
hope) for new growth to appear and take hold. Meanwhile, perhaps disappointed owners should look for cold hardy palms as
replacements.
If you did not finish your spring fertilization program of palms, citrus, woody shrubs, and turf last month do so right
away. Remember that palms and citrus will need fertilizer at regular intervals, so mark your calendar.
April will be a good month to replace dead shrubs and plant trees. The garden centers are filling up with a wide selection of
cold hardy (as well as vulnerable) plants, and now may be the time to reconsider your landscape plan if your tropical plants
took a big hit.
Remember to replenish mulch around established shrubs and mulch new plants to a depth of about three inches, keeping
the mulch away from the trunk. Many of us will be receiving an ample supply of melaleuca mulch courtesy of Friends For
Extension this month, so by May our beds should be all set for summer. Organic mulch will keep plant roots cool, and
ostensibly deter weeds. Alas, weed love my old mulch, so I’ll be putting down layers of newspapers in troubled areas before
spreading the new mulch.
Remember that spring means salad days for insect pests, what with an abundance of fresh, tender new flushes of growth.
Ready your first aid kit with insecticidal soap and paraffin oil and be prepared to go on the offensive. Oil on the surface
of citrus (and other) leaves discourages leaf miners from laying their eggs. Scout out the invaders and take action as neededbefore populations explode.
Watch for Brown Patch Disease in turf. Deterrents to Brown Patch (which thrives in 80-85 degree temperatures and high
humidity) are proper fertilization with a slow release nitrogen fertilizer and proper mowing. Check St. Augustine turf for
chinch bugs and Bahia for mole crickets. Grubs may also be present. Treat as needed.
Set out summer annuals and vegetables this month. Garden centers are a-bloom with gaillardia, periwinkle, torenia, portulaca,
rudbeckia, salvia, purslane, crossandra, verbena, various daisies, and the usual zinnias and marigolds. If you want to grow
annuals from seed, the last call for sowing is this month. Also, set out new bulbs, and consider planting masses of caladiums for
wonderful summer color.
I was feeling overwhelmed by my damaged yard last month but am making progress in creating a new landscape. Here’s to
those May flowers!
Sidney
5
By Allison Turner
This month is the spring Paint Your Heart event. We will be doing the initial
landscape clean-up the morning of Friday, April 9. I will have a sign-up sheet at
the next meeting. Also, FYN will have a booth at this year’s Earth Day Festival in
Laishley Park on Thursday, April 22 from 5:00pm to 8:00pm. I’ll also have a signup sheet for that at the meeting!
I always enjoy visiting ECHO, and last month’s
MG fieldtrip there was no different. We got a
tour around the farm, seeing all the different
ecosystems and many of their homemade
technologies. We got to witness a PBS film crew
taping a segment for a new show featuring
ECHO, and many of us shopped in the gift shop
and plant nursery. I brought home some bok
choy seeds, as well as some New Zealand
spinach. Thank you Al Webb for setting up the tour for us.
At home, we are expanding our mulched beds, adding more vegetables in the back,
as well as cannas to hide our fence line. In front, we’ve planted a handful of muhly
grasses along the house’s side slope, and they are stabilizing the previously-bare
soil nicely.
See you at the meeting!
April Happenings
By Holly Shackelford
Master Gardener training is in full swing. Please make it a point to
audit one of the training classes so you can meet the class of 2010.
On April 24 & 25 there is another Home and Garden Show being held
at the Charlotte Harbor Events Center in Punta Gorda. Ideas for a
booth theme, help planning and executing your idea is needed. A sign
up sheet for volunteering will be passed around at the April meeting.
National Arbor Day always falls on the last Friday in April. This year
we are planning an Arbor Day Expo to be held on the Saturday
following, May 1 at the Extension Office. At this event there will be
lectures, vendors, demonstrations, Plant Lifeline and activities for
kids. Many, many volunteers are needed. Please let me know if you’re
able to help. It should be a lot of fun.
Treasurer’s Report
Beginning Balance
$725.54
Current Balance
$750.54
To date 69 Master Gardeners have renewed
their membership in the MGA. That's over
50%. Let's make it 100%. Please pay your
$5.00 dues for 2010.
6
Non-Profit Org.
US Postage Paid
Permit No.105
Ralph E. Mitchell,
County Extension Director
& Horticulture Agent
The Institute of Food and Agricultural
Sciences is an Equal Employment
Opportunity - Affirmative Action Employer
authorized to provide research, educational
information, and other services only to
individuals and institutions that function
without regard to race, color, sex, age,
handicap, or national origin. COOPERATIVE
EXTENSION WORK IN AGRICULTURE, HOME
ECONOMICS, STATE OF FLORIDA, IFAS,
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA, U.S. DEPARTMENT
OF AGRICULTURE, AND BOARDS OF COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS COOPERATING.
CHARLOTTE COUNTY
Environmental & Extension Services
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences
25550 Harbor View Road Suite 3
Port Charlotte FL 33980-2503
The enclosed material is provided as one
of the many services relating to the
educational programs offered by this
agency. Our statewide network of faculty
is prepared to provide current information
on food, agriculture, marine and natural
resource science, energy, nutrition, family
and 4-H youth, and related fields. We will
be happy to help you with additional
information upon request.
Punta Gorda
Florida
25550 Harbor View Road, Suite 3
Port Charlotte, Florida 33980-2503
941.764.4340 ~ FAX: 941.764.4343
P R E - R E G I S T R AT I O N
ARBOR DAY EXPO
Name: _____________________________
Address: ___________________________
City/State/Zip: _______________________
Phone: _______________ Fax:__________
Email: _____________________________
Educational workshops schedule:
9:00 a.m.
Native Trees
10:00 a.m. Peaches, Plums, Nectarines
11:00 a.m. Roses
Workshops are $5.00 each to attend or
$12.00 for all three.
Pre-registration is recommended.
Make checks payable to F.F.E The expo will be held at the County’s Environmental Campus, located at 25550 Harbor View Road, in Port Charlotte 941.764.4340. Extension Staff :
Ralph Mitchell County Extension Director Horticulture Agent
Holly Shackelford Horticulture Program Coordinator
Allison Turner FYN Program Assistant
Lynette Auger Program Assistant
Paul Schumaker Graphic Specialist
Master Gardener Staff :
Dee Mann President MGA
Sandy Price Vice President
Rachel Nellis Secretary
Ute Metzger Treasurer
Doris Hixson Plant Clinic
Donna Worthley Plant Lifeline
Dale Watson Demo Garden
Sidney Tatom Education Committee
Kay Hoffmeyer Historian
Gale Barton Tropical Fruit
Dolly Tomalinas Horticultural Therapy
Charlotte County Extension Service
& Master Gardener Program
Address. 25550 Harbor View Rd Unit 3
Port Charlotte, FL 33980
Phone.
Fax.
(941) 764-4340
(941) 764-4343
Website. http://charlotte.ifas.ufl.edu/
Email.
charlotte@gnv.ifas.ufl.edu
master.gardener@charlottefl.com