Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I think Hawaii is a paradise... it's one of the places that I'd love to live if I had the chance. I would say that Key West and Honolulu have more or less the same growth potential for different species of palms. I think even ultra-tropical plant species like Breadfruit and Mangosteen would be fine on Key West.
I think Hawaii is a paradise... it's one of the places that I'd love to live if I had the chance. I would say that Key West and Honolulu have more or less the same growth potential for different species of palms. I think even ultra-tropical plant species like Breadfruit and Mangosteen would be fine on Key West.
I don't think Breadfruit, Mangosteen and the even more ultra-tropical Durian would've liked the 7 day span of 40 degree temperatures (with 4 of them having high temperatures below 60F) Key West had in January 2010. I heard Lipstick Palms (Cyrtostachys renda), another ultra-tropical, took a hit in Key West last year as well (they didn't survive north of Marathon).
Well, just from a brief search, the record low for Key West is 41F (5C). While the record lows for many of the Hawaiian lowland cities are closer to 50F (10C).
Not sure if there are many plants that can survive a cold snap down to 50F but die out at 40F. I'm not that knowledgeable about tropical equatorial vegetation, but I do wonder if there any plants native to the really equatorial locales, perhaps within a few degrees of zero latitude, so lacking in climactic variation (island southeast Asia or the deep Amazon forest etc.), that they are too tender to survive a snap down to 50F!
Kind of like comparing apples and oranges isn't it???? Key West is very samll compared to the islands of Hawaii so naturally there would be more palm trees and foliage in Hawaii.
Hawaii is o.k., not one of my favorite places (and I have been there many times)! First visit for over 3 weeks was not a good thing but I did give it other chances.
I love the Hawaiian Islands…but too be fair, I was a little disappointed in Hawaii too.
One of the first things I noticed is Hawaii is VERY crowed. The beaches are densely packed in many areas in the winter season. I was used to a more laid back Caribbean/Key West vibe. Places like the Bahamas, Bermuda, Key West, USVI,…etc have a calm pace that puts you at ease – while Hawaii seemed to have the opposite effect on me. Even the beaches in metro Miami seem far less frantic than the big Island. Also, locals complain about “rock fever”…i.e your trapped 1500-miles from any land areas on a small island. In Key West/South Florida your closer to more action on the East Coast NYC/Washington/Boston…etc) and the Atlantic is warmer.
As far as tropical gardens...while Hawaii has many amazing gardens, one of the best places I ever saw in the world (including the Caribbean) was at Fairchild Tropical Gardens outside Miami:
and the new The Richard H. Simons Rainforest (inside the huge Fairchild Gardens east jungle):
In terms of palms...Key West/SF is no slouch either:
...
Last edited by wavehunter007; 04-24-2011 at 07:47 PM..
Well, just from a brief search, the record low for Key West is 41F (5C). While the record lows for many of the Hawaiian lowland cities are closer to 50F (10C).
Not sure if there are many plants that can survive a cold snap down to 50F but die out at 40F. I'm not that knowledgeable about tropical equatorial vegetation, but I do wonder if there any plants native to the really equatorial locales, perhaps within a few degrees of zero latitude, so lacking in climactic variation (island southeast Asia or the deep Amazon forest etc.), that they are too tender to survive a snap down to 50F!
I believe Durian would die below 50F since it fails in Burma at 16N. Quite a few equatorial palms too.
I believe Durian would die below 50F since it fails in Burma at 16N. Quite a few equatorial palms too.
Hmm... I looked up Rangoon/Yangon, Burma briefly on Wikipedia which is at 16N (as you say) but their monthly lows actually aren't really any colder than Hawaii's or Key West's, and their monthly highs are mostly hotter year round.
Weatherbase says Yangon's record low is 54F. Do you know if they failed because the record low was too cold?
Burma's climate is a bit different though because it's sort of a tropical monsoon/savannah with a large contrast between rainy and wet seasons, which is rather not similar to either Hawaii's, Key West or a purely tropical rainforest climate.
I love all these awesome pictures since I'm still waiting for leaves to show up on my trees!
One good thing, I'll be on vacation for 10 days in mid-May when I get back I'll see lots of green!
Interesting point, I didn't find Hawaii relaxing either, even away from Oahu on the other islands. I will say the beach out at Ewa was quiet but that was over 30 yrs. ago when visiting Barbers Point NAS.
Ewa was still doing sugar cane when I was there, now that area is being developed, built up, upscale housing, condos, etc.! I don't care to see it now, rather remember the way it was!
I love the Hawaiian Islands…but too be fair, I was a little disappointed in Hawaii too.
One of the first things I noticed is Hawaii is VERY crowed. The beaches are densely packed in many areas in the winter season. I was used to a more laid back Caribbean/Key West vibe. Places like the Bahamas, Bermuda, Key West, USVI,…etc have a calm pace that puts you at ease – while Hawaii seemed to have the opposite effect on me. Even the beaches in metro Miami seem far less frantic than the big Island. Also, locals complain about “rock fever”…i.e your trapped 1500-miles from any land areas on a small island. In Key West/South Florida your closer to more action on the East Coast NYC/Washington/Boston…etc) and the Atlantic is warmer.
As far as tropical gardens...while Hawaii has many amazing gardens, one of the best places I ever saw in the world (including the Caribbean) was at Fairchild Tropical Gardens outside Miami:
and the new The Richard H. Simons Rainforest (inside the huge Fairchild Gardens east jungle):
In terms of palms...Key West/SF is no slouch either:
...
Very beautiful! Definitely Miami is no slouch but I think ultra tropical vegetation would have problems there much more so than in Key West as it can get down into the 40s every now and then (much more so than the Keys).
I don't think I'd get island fever on Hawaii since the Hawaiian Islands have so many microclimates, I could see almost all environments in a short distance just by changing which side of the island I'm on or how high up I go. Besides, I would feel that I was in the perfect place anyway, so I wouldn't feel the overwhelming need to always go somewhere else
I think I'm with Wavehunter on this one. I enjoy seeing palms when down south or away on vacation. I think they would look out of place in downtown Philly. There is a trend on the New Jersey shore now for bars and restaurants to plant palms for the summer. I've seen coconut palms placed out for the summer. I've also seem them dead as a doornail in November.
I've posted a pic of my recent trip to Orlando, FL along side a pic I took today of a park in downtown Philly. Does anyone really think the plants and trees of Orlando would look normal in our downtown park? I don't think so. It seems to me to be a kind of false advertising. We don't have warm winters, and palms would make it seem as though we do.
Nice pics and I'm with you there! When I visit different places, I like to see foliage native to the area and palm trees in a Philly park somehow doesn't seem right! Just my thought but then I'm fond of oak, maples, ash and even cottonwood!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
