Quote:
Originally Posted by CHASZ51
Coconuts are growing 30 miles more to the north than they were in 1981.
Should have been here in the 80's when Tampa had a low of 19f in 1983 on Xmas day.
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I'll bet that day did a real number on the citrus groves in Florida.
We actually brought back a couple of coconuts from Sanibel that had begun sprouting. They didn't last through the first night that got below 40 degrees or so. I didn't cover them because I didn't think that was cold enough to harm them, but they were as dead as doornails afterwards.
Also brought home some seeds from a staghorn acacia tree. Connie got two of them well started and they were getting too big to move into the garage during the colder nights. Hoped they would be hardy enough, so we put them into the ground in an area that was facing south at a tree line and should have been pretty sheltered there. Nope. First night that went below freezing last year kicked their butts but good. Not even the roots remained afterwards.
Now I do have some tropical clumping bamboo that I bought from a guy in Tampa many years ago. Used to be it would get killed back every Winter, but for the last several winters, none of the leaves are getting any damage whatsoever. This is a rather large bamboo, at least from what I saw in Tampa, and it is getting larger every year. But I expect the next REALLY cold spell will kick it back substantially.
I guess more frequent and stronger hurricanes could get to be a real nuisance, but so far I am liking this global warming thing. It's shorts weather out today, although I am still in my jeans.