The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1921-01-26

his name be printed, has sent IN the
following interesting communication:
Editor Star: A few days ago i saw
an article IN the Star in regard TO
planting palms and other tropical
plants and flowers and this is certain
~ a move in the right direction.
Gainesville is now planting phoenix
palms on its streets, and with little
intelligent effort and a very small ex-
pense Ocala could be transformed
into a tropical looking falkland in
few years.
We have conferred our endeavors
upon the water oak and cabbage pal
metto. These have their beauty and |
their place, but neither are apt to |
catch the eye of the tourist or hold
the same for long as there is nothing
peculiar to Florida about them and
they can be found way up in the Caro-
linas.
/ There are a large number of beau
tiful palms that are perfectly hardy
in this climate, and which in the case
of the phoenix tenuis offers a rival to
even the royal palm itself The phoe-
nix sylvestris will grow here to per-
lection and a beautiful specimen of
this palm may be seen in the yard
across and west of Mr.. d. E. McIver's
home. Another is the phoenix cam
ariensis, specimen of which may be
seen in Mrs Maude Horne's yard on
Cklawaha. / have already mentioned
the phoenix tenuis. 1t is even more
stately than the phoenix sylvestris
and perfectly hardy here. Another
beautiful palm is the cocos alphonsei
or Belleair palm. A large specimen
of this palm may be seen on Mr..
Blood's farm near town and smaller
one in Miss Nellie Stevens yard on
Third street. There are several other
varieties of the cocos palms which are
perfectly hardy here and which re-
semble the cocos alphonsei, such as
the cocos australis, cocos datil and
. cocos eriospatha, the cocos datil be-
ing perhaps the prettiest of all OF
2 these Then there is also the saba
!. blackburniania, a giant palmetto; the
!: porcupine palmetto, specimen OF
y which may be seen in the Misses
> Gamsbys' yard on Fort King and ther
3 of course the Washington robusta
q The only objection to these latter
I: palms is their close resemblance Il
I: the palmetto and the fact that there
Y fore they do not give quite such va
y riety as the pinnate leaved palms.
d. In addition to the above hard!
& palms there are number of semi
x hardy palms. These latter while the.
\: may at times be injured to some ex
Y: tent, or might in the case of anothe
W "35" be killed. are of such rapi'
D growth and great beauty as to wei
S warrant planting as from what W
~ know of the Florida climate he shout
x: get some twenty years or more out
Y: them. In this latter class fall tn
W cocos plumosa, or plumy cocoanut Q
Y Brazil, which has considerable re
- semblance to the royal palm. Tn
& phoenix reclinata, specimen of whic
* may be seen in Mrs. Van Hoods var
": on Fort King. Another very attrat
" tive palm of this class which closel
W resembles the regular cocoanut pall
% is the phoenix pumila. A specimen {
n this phoenix pumila palm some INVENT
- cdd feet high may be seen on M
'x: Blood's farm, so evidently it hi
" grown here for many years and witt
w stood the freeze of 1917.
% Some people are hesitant abo'
~ planting palms since from their e.
20 perience with palmettos they thin
Ok: them both hard to live and expensiv
AZ: This is not the case with the sms
M specimens gotten from the nurserie
~ These will live with any reasonah
~ care for the first month or so, and al
~ of the above specimens may be had
* a price of from twenty-five cents
*: a dollar.
M / have not mentioned the true da
& palm which is planted by some he
his q STCdt 0CoA Va hA~ASs1
"a to be a success and there are We
* few places in Ocala where it would
* advisable to plant it. On low v
*: ground it win do well but not 9th
w wise.
~ Turning from the palms we +
% several other trees and flowers VIII
x we could well have more of. In
V class are the hibiscus, which perh;
*: will give more flowers for the sa
az effort than any other plant. Tn
W are many varities of this, but
70 single scarlet is perhaps the best
"a this section. The araucaria bidw
x or monkey puzzle tree, win grow n
* and this tropical pine under pro
*: conditions win reach enormous
w A specimen of this tree may be 8
" across the street and south of
Pcyser's residence. This partic'