Tropical Garden Spring 2010

p u b l i s h e d b y f a i r c h i l d t r o p i c a l b o t a n i c g a r d e n

s p r i n g 2 0 1 0

Owl garden statueRegular price: $36.00

SALE $28.80

F A I R C H I L D T R O P I C A L B O T A N I C G A R D E N

10901 Old Cutler Road, Coral Gables, FL 33156 | 305.667.1651, ext. 3305 | www.fairchildgarden.org | shop online at www.fairchildonline.com

The ShopAT FAIRCHILD

tropical gourmet foods

home décor accessories

eco-friendly and fair trade products

gardening supplies | unique tropical gifts

books on tropical gardening, cuisine and more

Murano Glass Plate from the Hilary London collection, $36. Photo by Gaby Orihuela/FTBG.

departments

FROM THE DIRECTOR CALENDAR

NEWSTROPICAL CUISINE

WHAT’S BLOOMINGEXPLAINING

VIS-A-VIS VOLUNTEERSPLANT SOCIETIES

GARDENING WITH GEORGIAPLANTS THAT CHANGED THE WORLD

BUG BEATGIFTS & DONORS

WISH LISTWHAT’S IN STORE

VISTASGARDEN VIEWS

FROM THE ARCHIVES

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contents

15

PENNY AND ROE STAMPS’TROPICAL PARADISE

30

2536

25

THE EXPLORER PROGRAM:30 YEARS AND COUNTING...15

WHERE WILL TROPICALRAINFORESTS BE IN 100 YEARS?30SUSTAINABLEGARDENING36

Membership at Fairchild


Members of Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden make a big difference, because they are part of a global communityfocused on tropical conservation and education. Fairchild members support programs in faraway places likeMadagascar and Kenya. And, Fairchild members support conservation and education programs right here in SouthFlorida. In fact, Fairchild’s scientists are leading plant conservation efforts in our local areas and neighborhoods.

In addition to supporting global habitat recovery efforts, Fairchild members receive free admission every dayduring regular hours; free admission to more than 500 other U.S. gardens, arboreta and museums; a free subscriptionto the award-winning The Tropical Garden magazine; 10% discount at The Shop at Fairchild; priorityregistration and discounts for educational courses and free use of the research and member libraries. Membersalso receive special invitations to members-only events such as moonlight tours, spring and fall plant sales,lectures and trips.

So join or renew your membership today. Your Fairchild membership has growth potential.

For more information, please call the Membership Department at 305.667.1651, ext. 3362 or visitwww.fairchildgarden.org.

Photo by Gaby Orihuela/FTBG

5www.fairchildgarden.org

from the director

t long last it appears that springtime is finally here, putting an end to the long and unusuallycold winter we have experienced in South Florida. This year the low temperatures arrived inmid-January and lasted for months, striking a major blow to our plant collections and

psyche. Every gardener I know lost at least one favorite plant, and all South Florida landscapes showsome degree of unsightly cold damage.

Our friends to the north do not understand the reason for our whining. Although it is true that anySouth Florida winter is mild by most standards, many of our tropical plants begin to suffer as soon astemperatures dip below 50°F. This year’s prolonged nighttime temperatures in the 40°s caused agreat deal of damage to South Florida landscapes, as did the dips into the low 30°s on a few nights.

At Fairchild our heliconias and gingers have been knocked back to the ground or killed. Many ofour palms are suffering to some degree, and a few of the most tender species will never recover.The poor cannonball tree adjacent to the Cycad Circle appears to be on strike, refusing to put out itsspringtime flush of leaves until the cold is finally gone. The massive Sago palm in the lowlands, thefirst of its kind to fruit at Fairchild, dropped its fruit prematurely when the temperature dropped tothe low 30°s.

Although we become sentimental about some of the impacts to our plants, it is important toremember the experimental nature of our collection at Fairchild. Our founders designed the Gardento be a place where new tropical plants are introduced, evaluated and promoted for landscapes inour region and beyond. Extreme conditions are an important part of the evaluation process. Alongwith cold weather, the hurricanes, droughts and floods have provided important information on theability of plant species to adapt to our conditions.

When we promote plants in this magazine and in our plant sales, we favor plants that can toleratethe extremes of South Florida’s climate. We emphasize plants that can be grown with minimalwater and fertilizer, and we never promote or distribute plants that show signs of becominginvasive. Following this formula, we know the plants we promote today will become of SouthFlorida’s sustainable landscapes in the future.

The morning after our first cold night, our Plant Records team began evaluating our entire collectionof plants. They have been watching and recording any damage as it appears. Although some wiltedleaves appeared immediately after the first cold snap, much of the damage has appeared moregradually. We anticipate further losses during the summer as the cold-damaged plants become moresusceptible to pests and diseases, and those losses will also be recorded in our database. As we record the damage to our collections, we also take note of plants that show surprisingly feweffects from the cold. Although I worried about some of the Pinanga palms I had collected in steamyjungles of Malaysia, those species showed little or no damage. Many of our flowering trees,including the Bombax tree between the south parking lot and Old Cutler Road, put on a spectacularshow in spite of the cold temperatures.

I hope you all continue to enjoy Fairchild, even as our plants are a bit brown around the edges.After a few months of warmth the damage will become unnoticeable, and we will await the nextextreme weather event to challenge our plants.

Carl E. Lewis, Ph.D.Director

A

contributors

KEN FEELEY, PH.D., recently joinedFairchild and FIU as an assistantprofessor of plant conservation. Afterreceiving his Ph.D. in biology fromDuke University, he worked withHarvard University and theSmithsonian Tropical Research Instituteto study the effects of climate changeon rainforests. Ken and his family,Carmen and Manu, are very excited tobecome part of the Fairchild family.

BERNADINE MCAULAY, was born inEngland, and after completing an MBA,she later taught Marketing Research andTraining at the University of CentralEngland. In 1987, Bernadine settled inMiami with her family and beganvolunteering at the Garden. In 1997,she took a part-time position in theEducation Department as Coordinatorof Fairchild’s Explorer program, whichserves 5,000 students a year, fromkindergarten to fifth grade.

Richard Lyons’ Nursery inc.Rare & Unusual Tropical Trees & PlantsFlowering • Fruit • Native • Palm • Bamboo • Heliconia Hummingbird • Bonsai & Butterfly

Richard Lyons’ Nursery inc.Rare & Unusual Tropical Trees & PlantsFlowering • Fruit • Native • Palm • Bamboo • Heliconia Hummingbird • Bonsai & Butterfly

[email protected]

@lycheeman1 on TwitterNursery: 20200 S.W. 134 Ave., Miami

Phone: 305-251-6293 • fax: 305-324-1054Mail: 1230 N.W. 7th St • Miami, FL 33125

[email protected]

@lycheeman1 on TwitterNursery: 20200 S.W. 134 Ave., Miami

Phone: 305-251-6293 • fax: 305-324-1054Mail: 1230 N.W. 7th St • Miami, FL 33125

P R O U D M E M B E R O F

ERIN HEALY, has coordinated theDiscovery and Museums MagnetPrograms at Fairchild since 2008, andshe spearheaded a green committee toassist Fairchild in promoting our eco-friendly initiatives. She holds a M.P.H.from Tulane and a B.A. from theUniversity of Pennsylvania and hasworked on youth development andcommunity health programs in WestAfrica, New York and Philadelphiabefore coming to Miami.

COVERPassiflora incarnataPhoto by Gaby Orihuela/FTBG.

Growing with the community

Committed to our faith-based charitable mission of medical excellence

For a free referral to a Baptist Health physician, call 786-596-6557 weekdays, 8 a.m.- 5:30 p.m.

Or, if you prefer, go online 24/7 at baptisthealth.net.

South Florida is a place where beautiful things

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We pledge to give you the best possible care.

THE TROPICAL GARDEN 8

The official publication of Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

The Tropical Garden Volume 65,Number 2. Spring 2010.The Tropical Garden is published quarterly.Subscription is included in membership dues.© FTBG 2010 ISBN 1071-0914

All rights reserved. No part of thispublication may be reproduced withoutpermission.

Accredited by the American Association ofMuseums, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardenis supported by contributions from membersand friends, and in part by the State ofFlorida, Department of State, Division ofCultural Affairs and the Florida Arts Council,the National Endowment for the Arts, Instituteof Museum and Library Services, Miami-DadeCounty Department of Cultural Affairs, theCultural Affairs Council, the Mayor, and theMiami-Dade County Board of CountyCommissioners, and with the support of TheCity of Coral Gables.

editorial staff

editor in chief

chief operating officer

Nannette M. Zapata

design

Lorena Alban

production manager

Gaby Orihuela

features writers

Georgia TaskerJeff Wasielewski

staff contributors

Arlene FerrisErin FittsMarilyn GriffithsErin HealyNoris LedesmaBernadine McAulayCarl E. Lewis, Ph.D.

copy editors

Kimberly BobsonMary CollinsPaula Fernández de los MurosAnn Schmidt

advertising information

Mari Novo305.667.1651, ext. 3357

previous editors

Marjory Stoneman Douglas 1945-50Lucita Wait 1950-56Nixon Smiley 1956-63Lucita Wait 1963-77Ann Prospero 1977-86Karen Nagle 1986-91Nicholas Cockshutt 1991-95Susan Knorr 1995-2004

AT FAIRCHILD

This schedule of events is subject to change.For up-to-the-minute information, please call305.667.1651 or visit www.fairchildgarden.org.

APRILMEMBERS’ LECTUREWednesday, April 14, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.Exploring Florida Bay and Other Tricky ShallowWaters in Everglades National Park, Park Ranger BobShowler. Exclusively for members.

THURSDAY NIGHTSThursday, April 15, 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.Howl at the Moon, bring your pooch for a night atFairchild. Tickets at www.fairchildgarden.org

PLANT SHOW A ND SALEPresented by the Bromeliad Society of South FloridaSaturday and SundayApril 17 – 18, 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

AFTERNOON TEA: SPRING GARDEN TEASunday, April 18, 3:00 p.m.Tickets and information at 305.663.8059 andwww.fairchildgarden.org.

PLANTS AND PEOPLE: AN INTERACTIVE GARDENMonday, April 19, 11:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.Unearthing a world of experiences for people livingwith Alzheimer’s, reservations required.

EARTH DAY CELEBRATION: FREE ADMISSIONThursday, April 22, 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

THE FOOD AND GARDEN FESTIVALFeaturing the 31st Annual Spring Plant SaleSaturday and SundayApril 24 – 25, 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

MAYPLANTS AND PEOPLE: AN INTERACTIVE GARDENSaturday, May 1, 11:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.Unearthing a world of experiences for people livingwith Alzheimer’s, reservations required.

FAMILY FUNDAYS ON SUNDAYS Sunday, May 2, 12:00 – 4:00 p.m

PLANT SALEPresented by The Tropical Flowering Tree SocietySaturday and SundayMay 8 – 9, 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

MOTHER’S DAY BRUNCH FAIRCHILDSunday, May 9, 10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.Reservations and information at 305.256.8399.

AFTERNOON TEA: MOTHER’S DAY TEASunday, May 9, 3:00 p.m.Tickets and information at 305.663.8059 andwww.fairchildgarden.org.

PLANTS AND PEOPLE: AN INTERACTIVE GARDENMonday, May 10, 11:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.Unearthing a world of experiences for people livingwith Alzheimer’s, reservations required.

MEMBERS’ LECTUREWednesday, May 12, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.Environmental Initiatives at Fairchild,Hillary Burgess, Fairchild Living Collection Manager.Exclusively for members.

4TH ANNUAL FAIRCHILD ARTISTS INBLOOM EXHIBITION AND SALE Friday, Saturday and SundayMay 14, 15 and 16, 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

PLANT SALEPresented by The American Bougainvillea SocietySaturday and SundayMay 22 – 23, 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

PLANT SHOW A ND SALEPresented by The South Florida Cactusand Succulent SocietyFriday, Saturday and SundayMay 28, 29 and 30, 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

JUNEAFTERNOON TEA: CELEBRATION TEASunday, June 6, 2010, 3:00 p.m.Tickets and information at 305.663.8059 andwww.fairchildgarden.org.

PLANT SHOW AND SALEPresented by The Tropical Fern & Exotic Plant SocietySaturday and SundayJune 5 – 6, 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

PLANT SHOW AND SALEPresented by the American Bamboo SocietyCaribbean ChapterSaturday and SundayJune 12 – 13, 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

MEMBERS’ LECTUREWednesday, June 16, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.Photographic Tour through Fairchild’s ConservationWork in the Caribbean, Melissa Abdo, FairchildConservation Biologist. Exclusively for members.

JULYTHE 18TH ANNUAL INTERNATIONALMANGO FESTIVAL: MANGOS OF INDIASaturday and SundayJuly 10 – 11, 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.


news

CHINESE GOVERNMENT SUPPORTS FAIRCHILDORCHID CONSERVATION RESEARCH

After two years of working closely with the Forestry Bureau of GuangxiZhuang Autonomous Region in the orchid-rich southwestern area ofChina, Fairchild and Florida International University research ecologistDr. Hong Liu and her Chinese colleagues received funding from theGovernor’s Foundation of the People’s Government of Guangxi for theirwild orchid conservation projects in the remote subtropical Guangxi.

“I am extremely honored and encouraged by the support,” says Liu.The Governor’s Foundation is a special funding mechanism of Chineseprovincial governments to support a selected small number of projectsthat the governors of each province consider to be the most importantin improving the province’s social, economic and/or natural welfare.The $73,500 grant will give a great boost to the research program ledby Dr. Liu.

Southwestern China is known to be one of the world’s orchid specieshotspots. Within this area is the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.The rich wild orchid resources in the region are endangered because ofunsustainable harvest for horticultural, cultural and medicinal purposes,as well as habitat destruction by logging and rural development.

The best representation of Guangxi’s orchid resources is the newlydiscovered and established Yachang Orchid Nature Reserve, which isin a remote subtropical area in Guangxi. The most extraordinaryfeature is that many orchids form spectacularly large monotypic ormixed-species stands, which dominate the forest understory. Thesestands include orchids of great horticultural importance that have beenpoached to near extinction elsewhere.

For example, an estimated 100,000 individual plants of Paphiopedilumhirsutissimum, one of the Asian lady’s slipper orchids, can be found inYachang. Yachang’s orchids, because of their unusual accessibility andpristine conditions, are ideal for scientists to figure out what biotic andabiotic factors help to form and maintain this orchid hotspot.

Fairchild researcher Hong Liu (second from left) admires wild orchids in theYachang Orchid Nature Reserve with the vice governor of Guangxi (secondfrom right) and other officials from Guangxi, where the reserve is located.

ANNUAL MEETING 2010On March 22, 2010 Fairchild held its Annual Member’s Daymeeting. The event was a success, providing a chance tospotlight the garden’s incredible achievements over the pastyear. In addition, trustees nominated for the Board wereelected. Fairchild’s director, Carl Lewis, gave an insightfullook back at the last decade of growth Fairchild hasexperienced, and the day ended with members enjoying abarbeque on the lawn.

FAIRCHILD FEATURED IN CONDE NASTTRAVELER CONTEST ‘WHERE ARE YOU’

Each issue of Conde Nast Traveler features the “Where areYou” travel contest, where readers identify a mystery localebased on a photo and description. The February 2010 issue’scontest featured Fairchild as the mystery locale. The prize forcorrectly identify the location is a getaway stay at Dublin’sRitz-Carlton. When the contest ends, a winner will be drawnfrom the correct responses. With a bit of Irish luck, someonefrom our community might be headed to Dublin.

news

The Fairchild FarmStop by and try a delicious fresh and locally grown fruit smoothie and buy some freshtropical fruit from Fairchild’s collection to take home.

Saturday and Sunday9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Year-round.14885 S.W. 248 St., Homestead, FL 33032

FOR THE LOVE OFMANGOS, SOUTHAFRICA

Fairchild’s Curator ofTropical Fruit, NorisLedesma, traveled toAfrica to learn more aboutmangos from our friends atthe Westfalia Company inSouth Africa. TheWestfalia Company usesinnovative tropical andsubtropical horticulturetechniques to producemany mango products.

Several Westfalia researchers have visited Fairchild in the past, and Ms. Ledesma was invited toSouth Africa to learn of the company’s recent innovations.

Ms. Ledesma discovered that the South Africans have a fresh approach to the mango, free of thebias that is so common in traditional mango-growing regions. Many of the innovations within theFairchild Tropical Fruit Program have grown out of visits to Westfalia and a long interaction withthe company and its personnel. The industry is constantly evolving and has moved from a nearly100 percent export industry to an industry based on dried mango, achars, juices and local freshsales. You can read about Ms. Ledesma’s trip and Westfalia’s incredible horticultural system on theFairchild Web site.

fairchild

boardof trustees

2010 - 2011

Bruce W. GreerPRESIDENT

Louis J. Risi, Jr.SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT &ASSISTANT TREASURER

Charles P. SacherTREASURER

Suzanne SteinbergVICE PRESIDENT

Jennifer Stearns ButtrickVICE PRESIDENT

L. Jeanne AragonVICE PRESIDENT &ASSISTANT SECRETARY

Joyce J. BurnsSECRETARY

Leonard L. Abess, Jr.

Henry N. Adorno, Esq.

Alejandro J. Aguirre

Raymond F. Baddour, Sc.D.

Nancy Batchelor

Norman J. Benford

Faith F. Bishock

Leslie A. Bowe

Swanee DiMare

José R. Garrigó

Kenneth R. Graves

Willis D. Harding

Patricia M. Herbert

Robert M. Kramer, Esq.W. Bryan Latham, M.D.

Lin L. Lougheed, Ph.D.

Bruce C. Matheson

Mike Maunder, Ph.D.

Robert A. McNaughton, M.D.

Clifford W. Mezey

Stephen D. Pearson, Esq.

Robert J. Petzinger

T. Hunter Pryor, M.D.

Jean Ellen Shehan

Janá Sigars-Malina, Esq.

Penelope W. Stamps

James G. Stewart, Jr., M.D.

Vincent A. Tria, Jr.

Reginald N. Whitehead

Angela W. Whitman

Ann Ziff

Carl E. Lewis, Ph.D.DIRECTOR


tropical cuisine

Spring Fresh Fruits & VeggiesText and photos by Noris Ledesma

Ingredients:1 cup mango, cubed1 1/2 cups fresh papaya, cubed 1 cup pineapple chunks1 banana, sliced1 cup other local fruit2 cups small broccoli florets1cup shredded carrots

Dressing:1/4 cup coconut milk 1 Tbsp. freshly-squeezed lime juice2 Tbsp. brown sugar or palm sugar

Stir salad dressing ingredientstogether in a cup until sugardissolves. Set aside. Place all thefresh fruit and veggies in a mixingbowl. Pour the dressing over andtoss well to mix.

Spring Salad

These are my suggestions for the season:

The star fruit or carambola is a tropical fruit that is gaining popularity in theUnited States. This fruit gets its name from the five-pointed star shape seenwhen the fruit is cut across the middle. It has a waxy, golden yellow to whiteskin with a delicate flavor combination that includes a taste of plums,pineapples and lemons. Use it in salads, drinks, out-of-hand or as a dried fruit.

The sapodilla is a Central American fruit with smooth brown skin andsweet-tasting tan or brown flesh that may have red highlights. Fully ripesapodilla tastes delicious and has just a hint of brown sugar and cinnamon.Use it in smoothies or eat it out-of-hand.

The papaya is an easy to grow fruit that contains enzymes that are sometimesused to tenderize meat or fish. Ripe papaya is sweet and succulent with anorange-yellow flesh. Use it for salads, smoothies or out-of-hand.

The passion fruit is a highly aromatic fruit that can be found in upscalemarkets and in the fruit markets of the Redlands. The fruit are purple toyellow and contain a jelly-like pulp that surrounds the numerous seeds. Useit in fresh juice, sorbets and cooked dishes for that exotic tropical touch.

When you’re dealing with produce, buying what’s in season can make allthe difference. Fruits and vegetables have the fullest flavor when they’re attheir peak and that means buying local. Check out what’s in season forspring, and get ready for some mouth-watering recipes.

Here is a tropical fruit salad recipe that is not only delicious, but also prettyto look at. Try papaya, pineapple, mango, bananas and star fruit tossedwith a simple and tasty coconut milk and lime juice salad dressing.

pring has sprung, and with it luscious fresh,local fruits are becoming more available andless expensive. Not only are fruits delicious,

but eating more of them is good for you. Usefresh fruits and combine them with your favoritespring veggies—now that’s living.

Generally, the best way to prepare fruits andvegetables for maximum nutritional benefit is toeat them raw. Eating your produce uncookedkeeps the enzymes, vitamins and physiochemicalsintact. Enzymes are beneficial because they helpto digest your food. When raw foods are cookedabove 118° F, enzymes start to break down andyou lose some of their natural benefit. For thisreason, fresh salads are a great way to enjoyvegetables and fruit together. Mix your fruits withraw broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, peppersand a variety of other tasty veggies.

Smoothies are another way to benefit from rawfruits and vegetables. You can pack a lot ofnutrients into an adventurous blended fruitcombination. You can even take the extra stepand mix in a few vegetables like carrots andbeets to enhance color and flavor.

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DIRECTIONSFrom FL Turnpike Homestead Extension: Exit 6 - Tallahassee Rd. (SW 137th Ave./Speedway Blvd.); Turn right onto SW 137th Ave.; Left on SW 264th St.; Right on SW 162nd Ave.; Left on SW 256th St. We’re at the end on the right.

From Krome Ave.: East onto 248th St.; Right onto 162nd Ave.; Right onto SW 256th St. We’re at the end on the right.

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what’sBLOOMING

Text and photos by Marilyn Griffiths

outh Florida is fortunate to have lush and floweringlandscapes throughout the year. It is sometimes said that wehave no seasons, but if we observe carefully, changes can be

seen as light, humidity, rainfall and temperature vary greatly in thecourse of the year. Spring in the garden brings a new range offlowering plants as daylight increases along with temperatures andhumidity. In this issue of The Tropical Garden, we will take a tourfrom the end of the brick path that leads from the Visitor Center,along the tram road and to the Overlook. This route will passseveral plants that typically bloom in April, May and June.However, the cold temperatures (four nights in the 30s) in Januarymay cause a change in the bloom times of these plants.

At the end of the brick path you will find the tram road and to the left isa large tree covered with yellow flowers. This is a Gmelina arborea var.canescens, or snapdragon tree, native from Pakistan to the MalayPeninsula. Pick a flower up from the ground and you’ll see its closeresemblance to a snapdragon. Nearby is another member of this genus,Gmelina philippinensis. Its yellow flowers appear from a long seriesof brownish gray bracts. In this plot, across from the largeEucalyptus deglupta (rainbow eucalyptus), is a Clerodendrumminahassae var. brevitubulosum. This plant grew from seed collectedin the Celebes by David Fairchild on the Cheng Ho expedition in 1940.It has produced a small grove of diminutive trees and will produce darkblue fruit in the center of a deep red star formed by the calyx.

A plot map of the garden is available at the Visitor Centerand at the South Gate booth. On the reverse there is a currentlist of flowering plants. Ask one of our friendly volunteers atthe desk for a copy. A complete list of plants in the garden isalso at the Visitor Center desk. Browse through the botanicalnames or the common names to locate a plant of interest.Our Web site is an invaluable resource for plant information,horticultural advice and news of plants in the garden. Go towww.fairchildgarden.org to find the current year’s list offlowering plants for each month.

S

Senna polyphylla Guaiacum sanctumPlumeria hybrid Clerodendrum minahassae

Nearby, there is a grassy space that leads down to the tram road. In thisarea are several Cornutia pyramidata shrubs. The purple flowers aresurrounded by leaves that, when rubbed, give off an unusual fragrance.C. pyramidata is found naturally from Mexico to tropical America.

A particularly showy Senna polyphylla (desert senna) can be seen tothe right. Lovely yellow flowers cover the small-leaved shrub andattract butterflies. Desert senna was chosen as a Fairchild Plant of theYear in 2006. Visit our Web site for more information about this plant.

The low stone wall that parallels the tram road borders several unusualplants. There is a Tabernaemontana orientalis that was planted in 1957and every spring it is covered with white flowers. This plant cameto Fairchild from Bogor Botanical Garden in Indonesia.

Next is an exceptionally beautiful frangipani. This Plumeria hybridwas brought from Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, and was planted in 1969.Its flowers are a stunning blend of deep pink and yellow.

You can also find the fried-egg tree, which received its commonname from the flat white flowers surrounding a “yolk” of yellowstamens. Its botanical name is Oncoba spinosa, native to Arabiaand tropical Africa. This tree was planted in 1939, shortly after theopening of the garden.

The steps at the side of the Overlook lead to a small plot with along family name: Zygophyllaceae. This family includes our native

Guaiacum sanctum (lignum vitae). This small tree is covered withlovely blue flowers that produce yellow fruit with red arils. Thelignum vitae is another Fairchild Plant of the Year that can be foundon our Web site along with other past winners. Three of theselignum vitae trees were planted in 1941 and have developed intomagnificent specimens of this must-have native.

From the Overlook, the grand vista to the far eastern end of thegarden is set off by the plants that flank this high point in thegarden. Kigelia africana (sausage tree) produces maroon, velvetyflowers on pendulous stems. These deeply cupped blossoms arepollinated by bats. An immense Hernandia sp. looms to the right. Itis another of the plants that form the legacy of Dr. Fairchild’s ChengHo expedition seventy years ago. It was planted in 1941 and hasgrown to be one of our most outstanding trees.

Engaging more than 50,000 learners and GROWING!

Celebrating nature | Cultivating minds | Inspiring action

Learning is at the heart of virtually every program at FairchildTropical Botanic Garden. Educational opportunities are available forall ages, including general and specialized audiences, locally andaround the world.

For information about our programs, please visitwww.fairchildgarden.org.

Learning at Fairchild



explaining

he Explorer Program is celebrating a big anniversary this year as theprogram will turn 30. In a city where change is one of the fewconstants, persevering for three decades is a remarkable thing and

speaks to the high quality and integrity of the program’s science-based fun andits enduring popularity with both students and the schools’ administrators.

Miami is known as a young and eclectic city; the unkind might say that the“melting pot” is still a little lumpy here, but this program has been quietlyserving children from every corner and socioeconomic pocket of Miami-Dade for many memorable years. Many of the children we serve might nototherwise have the opportunity to visit Fairchild, and that helps Fairchildfulfill its mission of serving all of the community. Last year, 40 percent of thestudents came from Title 1 Public schools where the majority of childrenqualify for free lunch, while 30 percent came from private schools.

The founders of the Explorer Program were Sue Steinberg and Rita Perlman.Sue Steinberg came from New York in 1979, having been involved inchildren’s education at the botanical garden there. In Miami, she teamed upwith Rita Perlman, who was a teacher, and together they started the ExplorerProgram as a one-day-a-week tour of the Palmetum. Rita’s cousin, BarbaraKatzen, and a few other women volunteered to help, and in September1980, the first students arrived. Barbara still works today as a guide for theExplorer Program. She says it has changed over the years and remembersshifts of emphasis with the advent of the science FCAT, for instance. Shesays, “it’s a lot more interactive now.”

Other things have changed as well over the years. The program’s scope hasexpanded to include different multidisciplinary botanical and environmentalprograms for each grade, in the most beautiful classroom in the county,Fairchild’s 83 acres. The style of delivery is hands-on and designed to foster

The Explorer Program: 30 Years and Counting...By Bernadine McAulay. Photos by Education Staff/FTBG

“Out of all the times I went to Fairchild

this was the best,” Conor wrote from

Saint Stephen’s Episcopal School last

October. Conor is lucky to live close by

and had visited the garden before,

though he was writing about his fifth

grade field study visit as part of our

Explorer Program. Each Year, Fairchild

welcomes more than 5,000 elementary

school children into the garden as part of

the Explorer Program and for many of

them it is their first time here.

T

(T-B)3rd graders being split into small groups to

start their Rainforest Program

5th graders measure the circumference oftrees in metric and English scale.

critical thinking, and the curriculum reflects the Sunshine State Standards.But with change, there are also constants. There is still the driving force of acommitment to quality. Decisions were made to cap numbers to guaranteelow adult/child ratios and maximize the learning, as well as the fun. Webelieve that low tour numbers work and the feedback that we get from bothteachers and students reinforces that belief. Because of this, the daily deliveryof the Explorer Program relies heavily on a wonderful group of volunteerguides. Today we have 34 women and men volunteers, many of whom havebeen here at least 10 years. We are very lucky that this highly motivated anddedicated group of people, who bring a wide variety of skills and experience,choose to give their time to work here. The thing they all share seems to be alove for the garden, respect for the children and a sense of humor.

The students end their visit in the Learning Garden where they propagate aplant to take home. The kids love this and often name their plant beforegetting back on their yellow bus: “Linda, because it’s pretty” or “George”after one of the guides.

We enjoy the letters that students often send to us later. Sometimes they arevery funny, with updates on the plants and their impressions of their day atFairchild. Here is an excerpt from an unusual letter a couple of years agothat made me laugh.

“I remember our class trip to Fairchild TropicalBotanic Garden... It’s been about 17 years now; I’mabout to graduate from law school. The peperomia[I received from Fairchild] has not stopped growing.Anyhow, I thought you folks down there would like tosee that some of your field trip kids actually keep thecuttings going for years and years. The plant serves asa wonderful reminder of my trip to Fairchild and mygrade school years in general.” Jacob

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(T-B)Explorer Program founders Sue Steinberg and Rita Perlman.

First graders on a scavenger hunt.

Students leaving Fairchild with the plants that they have propagated.

(RIGHT)Fifth graders examining jackfruit.


vis-a-vis volunteers

Fairchild Honors the 2010 Volunteers of the YearBy Arlene Ferris

or 30 years Fairchild volunteers have sustained the Fairchild ExplorerProgram, educating children about plants and nature and teaching themabout Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden and its mission. This year, in

recognition of the exemplary contributions these volunteers have made to thegarden and to the community, the Fairchild Explorer Program guides havebeen named the 2010 Bertram Zuckerman Volunteers of the Year.

The guides were honored at the Volunteer Appreciation Brunch on March17, and were recognized for their contributions by Bruce Greer, president ofthe Board of Trustees, Dr. Carl Lewis, director, and all the volunteers,trustees and staff in attendance.

The 36 volunteers currently serving in the Explorer program exemplify thepassion and dedication that have always been prerequisites for this job. Theguides come weekly from October through May. They work as a team,meeting in the morning to plan the day. Each day of the week has acurriculum that is carried out in that day’s tours and activities. However,every day is different, depending on the size of the school group, thestudents’ level of preparedness, the weather and the other activities takingplace in the garden that day.

Explorer volunteers are known for overcoming all obstacles. Bad weather?No problem—they dodge the raindrops. Twice as many kids arrive thanwere expected? No matter—they still manage to answer every question andgive each child personal attention. Students not prepared? Don’t worry—theguides start with the basics and find something that will interest every group.Whatever the conditions, the guides work together to ensure that the visitingschool children experience the garden in a memorable and meaningful way.

The Fairchild Explorer Program guides are recognized as the 2010 Volunteersof the Year for their excellence in sustaining this remarkable educationprogram, which has enriched the lives of South Florida’s children for 30 years.Congratulations and keep up the great work, Fairchild Explorer Guides!

When visiting the garden, students learn about photosynthesis and plantreproduction, explore relationships between animals and plants, visitdiverse habitats suchas mangroves, pinelands and hammocks, and usehand lenses to see the often-unseen parts of plants, including spores, seedsand parts of the flower.

F

Linda ArabianSylvia BaltinTerry BlechmanMoniqueChemalyAnita CodyMarie CohenBeth CollinsworthNorma CraigMartha CurtisMarysolDaughertyStacy DeMeo

Betty EberKaren FriendGeorge GatesMary-AnneGosecoPat HackettSusan KalinskyJeff KaplanBarbara KatzenSandy MariettaSusie MayobreCoky MichelPaul Michel

Leone ModestinoJackie MoserCarol OnstadMary RoseRuth SantosMimi SchwarMichele SeurenJudy StewartTamara StrangEgon TegtmeyerLynn TothKathy WeissJulie Whitfield

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FRONT ROW: Betty Eber,Mimi Schwar, Tamara Strang,Stacy DeMeo, Mary Rose,Jackie Moser. SECOND ROW:Paul Michel, Barbara Katzen,Susan Kalinsky, MoniqueChemaly, Susie Mayobre,Marie Cohen, Judy Stewart,Ruth Santos, Michele Seuren,Egon Tegtmeyer, Karen Friend.THIRD ROW: Carol Onstad,Marysol Daugherty, PatHackett, Sandy Marietta, KathyWeiss, George Gates, JeffKaplan, Lynn Toth, Mary-AnneGoseco, Anita Cody, BethCollinsworth, Coky Michel,Linda Arabian, Sylvia Baltin,Norma Craig, Julie WhitfieldNot pictured: Terry Blechman,Martha Curtis, LeoneModestino

This year’s Volunteer of the Yearaward recipients are:

Staff Celebrates Volunteers at the AnnualVolunteer Appreciation Brunch

35 Years of ServiceBobbe DooleyBev MurphyBill Murphy

30 Years of ServiceT. Hunter Pryor

20 Years of ServiceCharlie KeppieLou J. Risi Jr.

15 Years of ServiceCarl BauerLillian Conesa Willis D. HardingMary RoseRuth Light Stanley

10 Years of ServiceShirley BerckmansDon BlechmanTerry BlechmanJack BromanMarnie BromanMarjorie BrownMonique ChemalyBeth CollinsworthSwanee DiMareEdith EinspruchRoselle FosterPat HackettJane IversenSusan LustbaderJackie McAlonanNaomi McKinneyJill Sidran

Jana Sigars-MalinaJan ThomasVincent Tria, Jr.

5 Years of ServiceShelley AdelmanHerb AllensonMary Ann BaldoquinCarolann BaldygaMary Alice BehrensJoyce BermanElaine BrockhousePolly CaricoAnn ChambersDianne ClancySandy CummingsTomy EdwardsMarilyn FernandezSheila Frazier

Carlita FrimelBobbi GarberPauline GoldsmithSusan GonshorLeonard GreenfieldDale HaningSusan HaysAnita HoffmanEverett HoffmanCornelia HurstDon LindsayChuck LiningerCarla LoydSusie MayobreJane MorrisonJanet MoselySusan MuciPam Normandia

Donna RichEllen RothDiane RourkeYbis SanabriaJack SklepowiczPat SmithJean SouthwoodNan SpiegelJane SprogisMarianne SwanEvelyn TallonGretchen TatelmanStephanie ThormanMelody TrottPete VandervlugtDon WaltersHoward WilliamsStephanie Williams

CONGRATULATIONS TOALL THE VOLUNTEERSCELEBRATING ANNIVERSARIES!

Fairchild staff members are proudto have all of you as partners inachieving the garden’s missionand goals. Thank you for yourgreat work, and we look forwardto celebrating manymore anniversaries with you.

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Volunteers who received their service pinsgathered for a group photo following theBrunch. Shown above are,FRONT ROW: Dr. William Murphy, BevMurphy, Ruth Stanley, Dr. MarnieBroman, Arlene Ferris, StephanieWilliams, Melody Trott, Chuck Lininger,Ann Chambers, Mary Rose, Dr. MargeBrown. STANDING: Jack Broman, JeanSouthwood, Everett Hoffman, BobbeDooley, Pat Hackett, Sandy Cummings,Polly Carico, Howard Williams, Jill Sidran,Charlie Keppie, Ybis Sanabria, MarianneSwan, Donna Rick, Jane Sprogis

n March 17, Fairchild staff recognized the invaluablecontributions of garden volunteers by hosting more than275 volunteers at the annual Volunteer Appreciation

Brunch. The staff prepared 100 homemade brunch dishes, thehorticulture staff filled the room with colorful flowers and greenery,and all the members of the staff were on hand to greet and thank thevolunteers for their outstanding work in every department andprogram area of the garden. President of the Board of Trustees,Bruce Greer, cited the impact of the 68,000 hours of volunteer time

which were given in 2009, and Fairchild Director Dr. Carl Lewisrecognized the volunteers’ dedication to the mission as a primaryreason for Fairchild’s great success.

Volunteers at the Brunch were also recognized for their years of serviceto the garden. Though Fairchild volunteers are well-known for beingfriendly, gracious, helpful and hard-working, they are also known forthe longevity of their service as volunteers. This year a record numberof volunteers received pins for their years of service to Fairchild.

O

Congratulations to the volunteers and trustees who were honored at the Brunch for their years of dedicated service:

plant societies

9995 Southwest 66 Street, Miami, FL 203173 (305) 274-9813 www.palmhammockorchidest.net

Orchids, begonias, ferns,statuary, aroids,supplies, water lilies,butterfly plants, rareplants and more.

Class schedule availableon our website and atthe nursery.

Step into a paradise of tranquility, beauty and the embracing comfort of a secret garden

PalmHammockOrchidEstate, Inc.

TFEPS, that’s our abbreviated name. We are the TropicalFern and Exotic Plant Society. From our club’s name,you will notice that we work with ferns (we love ferns)and we also enjoy different types of exotic plants likethe wonderful and exciting orchids, palms, heliconias,bromeliads, hibiscus, aroids, crotons, coleus, etc., thatwe blissfully grow here in South Florida.

At our monthly meetings, we try to bring in speakerswho can knowledgeably and enthusiastically talk to usabout all of those great plants that make South Florida ahorticultural Mecca. To help South Floridians enjoy themany plants we grow, we have a beautiful annual showand sale in June, a very popular annual plant auction inOctober and, to end the year, a dynamite holiday partyat one of our members’ homes. We meet the fourthMonday of every month, except in July and August. Formore information, please call Tom Moore at305.666.0219 or visit our Web site at www.tfeps.org.

Tropical Fern and Exotic Plant SocietyBy Reggie Whitehead

Ferns are a tropicaladdition to any landscape.Ph

oto

by G

aby

Ori

huel

a/FT

BG

Fairchild’s annual giving program provides support for our critical work in tropical plantconservation, tropical science and research, horticulture and education.

Fairchild’s education programs reach more than 50,000 students annually, and with yourhelp, we could reach even more students and help them learn about the importance ofscience and environmental stewardship, as well as experience Fairchild, one of the fewremaining green spaces in Miami. Our scientists are saving native plants right here in SouthFlorida. On an international scale, Fairchild is working with over 20 partners worldwide onconservation studies and wildlife management plans. And, we are your communitygarden—a place of beauty and connection with nature.

But we need your help! Please take a moment and support the vital work of FairchildTropical Botanic Garden. It’s simple. Please send your gift in the enclosed envelope or youcan call 305.667.1651, ext. 3377 or give online at www.fairchildgarden.org.


Supporting Fairchild. It’s Simple.


By Hillary Burgess, Mary Collins and Marilyn Griffiths

Photos by Mary Collins and Marilyn Griffiths

Each year, skilled Fairchild horticulturists

meet to choose plants to be named

Fairchild’s Plants of the Year. These plants

are chosen in order to introduce our

members and the public to exciting plants

that will flourish in the South Florida

garden. All Fairchild Plants of the Year are

well suited for South Florida’s soil,

temperatures and rain patterns. None of

these plants showed damage from this

winter’s cold temperatures. After careful

consideration, we have chosen three

stunning, easy-to-grow winners that we

hope you will consider for your home.

Look for them around the garden and at

our upcoming plant sales. Find past Plant

of the Year selections on our Web site:

www.fairchildgarden.org.

Plantsof the year

Byrsonima lucidaBotanical name: Byrsonima lucidaFamily: MalpighiaceaeCommon name: locustberryNative to: Monroe County and Miami-Dade County, West IndiesHabit: shrub to small tree to 15 feet tallFlower: early spring, opening white and changing to pink or redwith yellow stamensFruit: berry-like, ripening to pinkish brownGrowing conditions: sunny to lightly shaded area, drought-tolerantPropagation: from seedComments: larval and nectar plant for butterflies; birds areattracted to the fruit; no major pests or diseases of concern;endangered in FloridaFairchild plots: Lowland plots 191, 193

The native Byrsonima lucida is a shrub or small tree reaching 15 feettall. Clusters of small flowers are produced at the apex of the stemsin the spring. It has an attractive multi-stemmed habit with leavesopening red and changing to shiny blue-green as they mature. Theindividual flower has spoon-shaped petals, changing from white topink to red as they age and are enhanced by yellow stamens. Theberry-like fruits ripen to a pinkish brown and hold one seed.

Locustberry can be found in Miami-Dade County, the Florida Keysand the West Indies. It has traditionally grown in pine rocklands,but is readily adaptable to other South Florida habitats. It requiresfull sun to light shade and good drainage. The plant is drought-tolerant once it becomes established.

An added benefit that locustberry provides to the landscape is itsallure to wildlife. The Florida Duskywing butterfly uses it as a larvalhost and many butterflies take nourishment from the nectar of itsflowers. The fruits provide food for birds in early summer.

Byrsonima lucida can be used as a screening plant or as part of a nativehedge, combined with other native species.

2010


Muhlenbergia capillarisBotanical name: Muhlenbergia capillarisFamily: PoaceaeCommon name: muhly grassNative to: the eastern United States (more common in the south),West Indies, Mexico and Central AmericaHabit: clumping grass 18-36 inches tall and wideFlower: purple to pink, feathery, mainly in the fallFruit: inconspicuousGrowing conditions: prefers full sun and wet to moist soils,tolerates periods of drought once established, also toleratesmoderate salt water/spray and has low nutrient requirementsPropagation: seed or divisionComments: very attractive when planted in groupingsPlots: 54, 176, 97B, 123A

Muhlenbergia capillaris, muhly grass, is South Florida’s mostornamental native grass. It forms awe inspiring-clouds of purpleplumes when it blooms in the fall. This can be witnessed in theEverglades, when prairies are transformed from waves of gold todeep purple and then pink at the end of the blooming season. Thegrass forms round, airy clumps 18 to 36 inches tall and wide,which are especially attractive in groupings or with other nativegrasses. When planted densely it can be used as a groundcoverand it also makes an excellent accent in palm plantings, as seen inplot 54 below the Overlook. It grows best with full sun and hassome water requirements. Once established, it can tolerate shortperiods of drought and exposure to saltwater and spray. Muhlygrass also has low nutrient requirements and tolerates poor soils,making it an outstanding low-maintenance plant for South Florida.

Nashia inaguensisBotanical name: Nashia inaguensisFamily: VerbenaceaeCommon name: Moujean teaNative to: Bahamas, U.S. Virgin IslandsHabit: shrub to 8 feet tall, 4 feet wideFlower: small, white, fragrant, throughout the year, heaviest inSeptember, October, NovemberFruit: tiny, orangeGrowing conditions: full sun, well-drained soil, drought-resistantonce establishedPropagation: easily grown from cuttingsComments: In South Florida the flowers attract butterflies,including the rare Atala.Plots: 102, 164

Nashia inaguensis, commonly called Moujean tea, is a shrub to 8foot tall native to the Bahamas and the U. S. Virgin Islands. It ismulti-branched, with intriguing small glossy leaves, which arearomatic when crushed. Moujean tea can be easily trimmed intoformal shapes and is an excellent bonsai plant, inviting observersto come close and view its diminutive details. The small whiteflowers are followed by tiny orange fruits nestled among the glossyleaves. The wonderfully fragrant flowers attract many nectar-seeking butterflies, including the rare Atala. Moujean tea growsbest in full sun and is drought-tolerant once established.

Fairchild Farm’s spectacularART and SCIENCEsummer camp

NatureCampJuly 12 - August 6, 2010Children ages 6-10

The Fairchild Farm

FA I R C H I L D T R O P I C A L B O TA N I C G A R D E N

The Fairchild Farm is located at14885 S.W. 248 StreetHomestead, FL 33032

$150 per child/ per week forFairchild members. $175 per child/ per week for non-members.Space is limited to 35 students, so please makeyour reservations now.

For details please call Leila Werner305.258.0464, ext. 301 or [email protected]

EXOTICPALMS

Where our passion issharing our passionand providing very

special palms for veryspecial places

specializing in rare,exotic and unusual

species of palm

25000 S.W. 152 AvenueHomestead, FL 33032

[email protected](305) 246-3125

www.rarepalm.com

Steve Stern's

The BRANCH OUT Program providesFairchild members with discounts andbenefits to over 100 local businesses andorganizations. To view a list ofparticipating BRANCH OUT locationsand discounts, visitwww.fairchildgarden.org/branchout today.

If you are a business and would like tojoin the BRANCH OUT Program, pleasecontact Mari Novo [email protected].

FA I R C H I L D T R O P I C A L B O TA N I C G A R D E N

Tropical Paradise

By Georgia Tasker

Photos by Benjamin F. Thacker

and Kristina Strobel

D Douglas Road was gridlocked. People were parking helter-skelter, heading to the garden to see onthe Villagers’ Garden Tour. We gazed in awe at the formal Italian garden stretching out elegantlybeneath an arched entry, and called up our garden superlatives when we followed pathways intothe exotic and jungle-like garden next door. Simultaneously primitive and pristine, they wereliving side by side as garden complements, making this one of South Florida’s most intriguingoutdoor spaces.

The garden belongs to Penny and Roe Stamps, but it is Penny who has guided its shape. RoeStamps, a private investor and cofounder of a Boston investment firm, now dedicates his time tophilanthropic causes. Penny, who established an interior design firm in Boston, is head of theStamps Family Charitable Foundation. A generous donor to Fairchild, Penny serves on thegarden’s board of trustees.

The Stamps’ garden was assembled from three parcels in the original acquisition, Penny explainedon a recent walk-through. Miami historian Arva Moore Parks (who calls the garden “magnificent,my favorite in Miami”) told Penny that the original 1926 house belonged to Irving J. Thomas, thefirst mayor of Coconut Grove. The family that owned it prior to the Stamps created the exotictropical garden, an addition to the original land. The Stamps bought the property in 2001, and thenext year began another addition to the garden, by removing an adjacent home which had beenabandoned after Hurricane Andrew. One wall of that house was left standing and became anexterior wall of the south colonnade.

The attraction of the property, Penny said, was “the quality of the main residence. It had beenmodernized—not in an inappropriate fashion, but in a 1920s Italian Mediterranean style. And Iwas enchanted by the tropical garden at the rear of the main home.” The previous owners had thetropical garden planned and planted by a California landscape designer, who workedimaginatively with space, creating three tiers of garden that rise 15 to 20 feet over streams andseating areas. These changes in elevation are utterly dramatic—especially in this flat part of thecountry where mere inches can separate whole ecosystems. Two major cascades send 200,000gallons of water through a real-life Martin Johnson Heade painting of the tropics.


The couple has what landscape architect Raymond Jungles calls “the best of both worlds.” Twodistinct aesthetics—a tropical garden and the Italian formal garden, where blue agaves inenormous ceramic pots stand on both sides of a linear reflecting pool—are married into a wholeby reining in the impulse to shear plants into submission in the Italian arena, while simplifying theplant palette in the informal garden.

It was Jungles who helped on this front. “I got involved to make the garden maintenance-free,” hesaid. “Penny knew I didn’t do formal gardens.” Architect Andrew Garthwaite, whom Penny knewfrom Vermont, designed the pavilion, while Raymond advised on plantings and designed theconnecting passages between the two gardens. Jungles successfully linked them visually by usingbamboo and Green Island ficus in both gardens, grouping groundcovers, and providing glimpsesof each garden from the other.

The simple plant palette in the tropical garden provides an abundance of green, but not anabundance of small details. Penny wanted a garden that would require less fussing, and “weedited out specimens which were not practical,” she said. Practical, in this case, meant low-maintenance, native plants. “I’m an interior designer and get the process,” she said. “I don’t like todo things twice.”

Nine mature ficus trees were removed. In several cases, dense shade from the ficus canopies hadan adverse effect on under-story plantings. The 2005 hurricane season and the destructiveinvasion of ficus whitefly made removal fall into Penny’s “practical” category. Even in the front ofthe house, where a banyan of huge proportions had reigned, new palms and cycads now create akind of tropical orderliness, framing a small falls and fishpond. Such changes, said Penny, make it“a stronger garden.”

Jungles also added a curving stand of full-grown Veitchia palms near Penny’s office and a pond onthe south side of the house. He brought in a pair of wonderfully curvaceous gumbo-limbo treesand an exceptionally tall old man palm that are works of art in themselves.

The couple has whatlandscape architect

Raymond Jungles calls “thebest of both worlds.” Two

distinct aesthetics—atropical garden and the

Italian formal garden, whereblue agaves in enormous

ceramic pots stand on bothsides of a linear reflectingpool—are married into a

whole by reining in theimpulse to shear plants into

submission in the Italianarena, while simplifying the

plant palette in theinformal garden.

At right, low-maintenance plantings, such asthis cycad, make the formal garden easier to

care for; at far right, a seating area in thesplendor of a tropical rainforest.

At left, pineapple finials say welcome atopthe garden gate posts; blue-gray agaves inceramic pots are brilliant besides thereflecting pool as it stretches to the pavilion.

Two black Labradors and a couple of lovely “wild” cats that have made themselves at home herefollow us as we head off on the main axis of the tropical garden. The path rises and falls, tunnelingbeneath an observation platform and focusing our attention on a lithe Coccothrinax palm thatbends out and then skyward across a stream. In this “room” created beneath a landscaped viewingplatform (which is called the piano because of its shape), there once were dozens of orchids hungon a wall. Today, pothos climbs the fencing, keeping the room jungle-like, but without the dailymisting and care that the orchids once required. Penny had the ceiling painted bronze to deflectattention from it and through to the pond instead.

We climb again, this time up stairs and through an arcade of Kentia palms that Jungles specified fortheir sheltering effect. Beside the path to the south are small groupings of interesting trees: dwarffloss-silk trees, which have thorn-encrusted bark on trunks and limbs; zombi palms, with bothspines and matting on the trunk; old man palms, with beige beards covering their trunks; and lovelystands of cabada palms with their bamboo-like ringed trunks. The groundcovers have been kept toa minimum number: pothos, monstera, calatheas, wart fern, more Green Island ficus. Lady palmsare used as a unifying theme throughout, as are red-stemmed Philodendron ‘Rojo Congo’. At night,when the Stamps entertain, they have torches throughout the garden and guests love to wanderthese paths. Now we reach the summit and encounter two enormous royal palms, each with a girthworthy of a baobab (a third blew over in Wilma). “This was just grass and mud,” Penny said.

A view from the piano is like looking out from an eagle’s nest, peeking into the pond below andthrough the canopy of trees. As we descend, we move through a small grove of Licuala grandispalms down to a sunken garden, where a fountain is embraced by curving walls of Ficus repens,again keeping the area green but simplified, and stairs ascend to the Italian garden.

As we settle into comfortable chairs in the formal garden pavilion, Penny said, “The formal gardenjust seemed to be the appropriate thing to do. I had been able to travel to wonderful gardens inItaly and was inspired by them. Thus, the idea for an afternoon pavilion evolved. My husbandloves reading the paper here,” she said. “What I love are the animals and birds. It’s a verypeaceful place and right in the middle of a city, it is a personal and private garden, contemplativeand peaceful, it feeds the soul. You see the cycle of life in this garden. Then there is this plus: It isin my own back yard. It’s a whole little ecosystem. We work hard to keep it healthy. I love thingsthat are beautiful. I love making a space better than it was before.”

My husband loves readingthe paper here,” she said.“What I love are the animalsand birds. It’s a very peacefulplace and right in the middleof a city, it is a personal andprivate garden,contemplative and peaceful,it feeds the soul. You see thecycle of life in this garden.Then there is this plus: It is inmy own back yard. It’s awhole little ecosystem. Wework hard to keep it healthy.I love things that arebeautiful. I love makinga space better than itwas before.”

Stands of blue bamboo soften thelines of the formal colonnade.

Fairchild’s 2nd Annual

food & gardenfestivalFeaturing the 31st AnnualSpring Plant Sale

ach spring we celebrate the bounty of our home gardens with theFairchild Food and Garden Festival. This year’s event will take placeSaturday and Sunday, April 24 and 25. The Food and Garden Festival

is filled with the best of South Florida produce as the Garden House lawn turnsinto a giant farmers’ market, with local vendors selling honey, jams and jellies,granola, fresh baked goods, spices and lots of fresh produce like strawberriesand sweet corn. There are cooking demos from top local chefs and gardeningdemos from our experts. Kids even get into the act by composting with wormsand entering their biggest, prettiest or ugliest vegetable or fruit to win an awardin the Fairchild Fruit and Vegetable Contest. There’s always great music andtasty food, and the weather is usually just right for finding a shady spot to sharea healthy, homegrown picnic. For those of you interested in CommunityGardening there will be panel discussions on how to start and maintain acommunity garden, as well as a panel on healthy school lunches. There willalso be a Food Bloggers corner in the Garden House, where you can find outabout Miami's hottest food trends by checking out the hottest blogs around.

If it’s plants you want, you won’t be disappointed as this year’s Spring PlantSale will combine with the Food and Garden Festival for the first time. Therainy season will soon be upon us so now is the time to buy those butterfly-and bird-attracting native plants, luscious palms, brilliant bromeliads, lissomebamboo and delicate ferns. There will be Fairchild-grown plants as well asofferings from various plant societies for sale both days.

Fairchild will have a wonderful selection of plants perfect for planting in thespring. Here are just a few plants that will be offered at the Spring Sale duringthe Food and Garden Festival:

Jacquemontia pentanthos, known as skyblue clustervine, is one of our mostbeautiful native vines. At times this vine produces hundreds of lovely, small, sky-blue flowers. It is fast-growing, showy and pest-free. Skyblue clustervine is anexcellent choice for growing on a chain-link fence. It prefers a sunny, dry location.

Nashia inaguensis, known as Moujean tea and one of the Farichild 2010 Plantsof the Year, is a Bahamian shrub that grows to 8 feet tall. Small fragrant whiteflowers are nestled among the tiny, shiny leaves. After flowering, the plantproduces small, orange-colored fruit. It is an excellent shrub for a sunny, drylocation. We have noticed the rare Atala and Malachite butterflies feeding onthe nectar of the flowers. This plant can also be pruned and trained as abonsai. It is a tried and true Fairchild favorite. It attracts people, too.

For more information on the plants for sale, please visit our Web site.

eSaturday and Sunday | April 24 - 25, 20109:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.


here tropical rainforests occur now is determined largely byclimate. Indeed, as the name itself makes clear, tropicalrainforests are found in the tropics (where it is hot) andwhere it rains nearly all the time. The mean temperature of

Amazonian rainforests, for example, is more than 80° F (26.7°C) with yearlyrainfall averaging more than 80 inches (two meters). As a comparison, themean temperature in Miami is 75°F and annual rainfall is only 60 inches—which is why Fairchild’s rainforest exhibit requires supplemental irrigation.

A s we look to the future, the question we need to ask is: If the thousands ofplant species that make up tropical rainforests can only grow where theclimate is “right,” what happens when the climate changes? One disturbingpossibility is that many species may simply go extinct as rainforests “dieback” and are replaced by savanna-like habitats supporting many fewerspecies. In fact, some models, conducted by myself and others, havepredicted that the changes in climate predicted to occur during this centuryalone may lead to the extinction of as many as 50 percent of all tropicalplant and animal species. But there may be a way out. Namely, rainforestspecies may tolerate the coming changes to climate or, alternatively, theymay shift their distributions to follow the movement of favorable conditions.

Is it really possible that rainforest plant species may simply tolerate climatechange? Temperatures in tropical forests are generally predicted to increaseby an average of 7 to 8°F (4°C) over the next 100 years with many scientistsnow forecasting even greater warming. Rainfall has a much stronger regionalsignal, depending on many factors such as wind, topography and landcover. As a consequence, changes in rainfall are much harder to predict thanchanges in temperature, but the majority of the global climate models thatscientists use to predict climate change suggest that much of the tropics isgoing to become dryer. Perhaps even more important, these models alsopredict that many parts of the tropics are going to become much moreseasonal—with rainfall concentrated in distinct rainy seasons separated bylonger and stronger dry seasons during which there is little or no precipitation.

Higher temperatures coupled with less rainfall and drier dry seasons meansthat many plant species will become increasingly stressed for water.

where will thetropical rainforests

be in 100 years?Text and photos by Kenneth J. Feeley, Ph.D.

W

The environment where tropicalrainforests occur is changing fast.

Their future, and possibly ours,depends on how they will respond

Research studies that my associates and I have conducted, as well those offellow FIU professor and Fairchild associate Steven Oberbauer and his team,have shown that tropical rainforest species can be extremely sensitive to justthese sorts of climatic changes and that many trees grow markedly slowerwhen the temperature is warmer and especially when there is less rainfall(Perhaps a bit surprisingly, the negative effects of less rainfall hold true evenin very wet forests where you might expect that plants would be at little riskof water stress.)

The long-term implications of slower tree growth are still a topic of activeinvestigation but these results strongly imply that tropical plant species arecurrently growing under their optimum climatic conditions and that anychange to the thermostat can have potentially negative consequences (seethe Fall 2009 issue of The Tropical Garden for more information on thistopic). This will be especially true given the extremely rapid pace at whichfuture climate change is predicted to occur, leaving little room for adaptationor evolution in long-lived species such as trees.

As the old expression goes, “if you can’t handle the heat, get out of thekitchen.” If tropical rainforest plant species are incapable of tolerating futurechanges in climate, maybe they can change where they live on the planet—for example, moving their distributions to follow the shifting location of theiroptimal temperatures.

As temperatures get warmer, plants could feasibly remain within theiroptimal temperatures by shifting their ranges to higher elevations or towardthe poles (north or south depending on which side of the equator the speciescurrently resides on) in order to occupy areas that are currently too cold forthem (Just to be clear, even though the word “migration” is sometimes usedin reference to this idea, it is distinct from what we classically think of as amigration in that here I am not referring to individuals moving, but rather toentire species gradually changing their distributions by differentialrecruitment and mortality in the colder and hotter portions of their ranges.)

Supporting the idea that some plant species may change their distributions totrack favorable climate, scientists examining fossil pollen records and otherpaleological evidence of where topical rainforests occurred in the past havefound indications that many species did in fact shift their distributions inresponse to past climate change, for example moving down the Andes whentemperatures got colder and moving upslope when temperatures got warmer.

So plants have done it in the past, but can they do it again? Unfortunately,the answer is most likely “No.” There are two things that will make itdifficult for plant species to shift their distributions and follow the climate asthey did in the past. The first is the nature of climate change itself. Theanthropogentically driven climate change that we are experiencing now isoccurring much faster than anything in the past. It may simply be impossiblefor species to shift their distributions fast enough to keep up.

At the end of the last ice age temperatures in the tropics rose byapproximately 0.02°F per decade. Given the change in temperature withelevation (approximately 3°F colder per 1,000 feet of elevation gain), thiswould have required Amazonian plant species to shift their distribution up theAndes at the rate of just six feet per decade. Since the 1970s, temperatures inthe tropics have increased by almost 2°F, or approximately 0.5 degrees perdecade—more than 30 times as fast as in the past. And changes intemperature over the next 100 years are predicted to be even faster,exceeding 0.7°F per decade or more than 40 times faster than in the past.

31www.fairchildgarden.orgInside the Peruvian cloudforest.


Can tropical plant species shift their distributions upslope the more than 20feet per year that will be required to just keep pace with warming? Workingwith an international team of biologists calling themselves the AndesBiodiversity and Ecosystem Research Group or ABERG, I conducted a seriesof studies tracking changes in the distributions of tree species growing inManu National Park along the eastern slopes of the Peruvian Andes downinto the Amazon. What I found is that the species there are in fact shiftingtheir distributions upslope as we predicted, but only at the rate of about 6 to10 feet per year. This is simply not fast enough to keep pace with current orfuture climate change. If this pace continues in the future we estimate thatthe amount of area over which many of these species occur will be morethan cut in half as they lose habitat area along the hotter, lower portions oftheir ranges and fail to make up for it along the cooler upper portions.

Of course the problem is even worse for the vast majority of tropical plantspecies that are unfortunate enough not to grow close to the Andes or othertropical mountains. In the tropics, temperature changes vary little withlatitude, so to keep pace with a 7 degree F temperature increase, lowlandspecies would need to move almost 1,000 miles to the north or south—theapproximate distance from Miami to Washington, D.C. And this is sayingnothing about the thousands of species confined to tropical islands such asin the Caribbean or the South Pacific where moving is simply not an option.

The second factor that may keep species from shifting their distributionsand tracking favorable climates is that we humans have done a lot moreto the environment than just change the climate. We have already cutdown more than half of all the tropical rainforests and replaced them withfarms, soybean and oil palm plantations, and cattle pastures. And wecontinue to cut down over 2.5 million acres of rainforest each and everyyear. As a result, any areas that will be climatically suitable for a speciesin the future may be largely or completely “unavailable” since we arealready using them. Or if there are any areas that will be climaticallysuitable and available, we may have put up so many barriers in the form of roads, clearings or otherinhospitable habitats, that there will be no way for species to get there by natural gradual range shifts.

Fast climate change and loss of habitat due to human land use will make things difficult, but if species areable to shift their distributions as required then everything will be fine and species won’t go extinct, right?Unfortunately the answer is again “No.” Studies that I have conducted looking at the possible implicationsof the range shifts predicted for thousands of Amazonian and Andean plant species have shown that even ifspecies are able to perfectly track their preferred climatic conditions, they will still almost all experience a largenet decrease in the amount of habitat available to them simply because there is less land at the colder highelevations or high latitudes than in the expansive equatorial Amazon basin. (To visualize this, it may help tothink of mountains as pyramids with species moving up from the wide base to the peak or to think aboutspecies from the large Amazon basin moving north into the Central American isthmus or down into thecone of South America.) As they shift their distributions toward the cold and habitat area decreases, manyspecies will likely go extinct. That said, shifting distribution and facing a risk of extinction is clearly still a betteroption than staying put and facing near-certain extinction.

So what can be done? Is there any way to save our tropical rainforests in the face of climate change? Thefirst step is clearly to slow the pace of climate change. I say “slow” and not “stop” because we haveunfortunately already reached a point where halting climate change is no longer a realistic option. Ourclimate is already changing and we are already committed to more change. In other words, even ifeveryone everywhere cut their carbon emissions to zero tomorrow, temperatures would continue to risejust due to the momentum of the system and built-in time lags. If you paid attention to the Copenhagenclimate summit last month you may have noticed that nobody talked about stopping climate change butrather about ways to limit future warming to “just” 3.6°F (2°C). This warming would still necessitate plantspecies moving upslope more than 1000 feet in elevation or almost 500 miles to the north or south.

Even achieving the modest goal of just 3.6°F warming will be a daunting challenge, necessitating that weall do our part. We all need to reduce our personal contribution to global warming, be it through changing

ABOVE: Lookingdown the AltoMadre de DiosRiver in Peru.

our driving patterns, reducing our energy consumption or eating lower on the food chain (meat and cattleproduction is a leading cause of both greenhouse gas emissions and deforestation). Many people have grown discouraged looking for the silver bullet or the one big fix that will get us out ofthis climate change mess. Assuming that a viable geo-engineering strategy won’t be implemented any timesoon, the fix is more realistically going to come in the form of lots of small, and at times seeminglyinsignificant, changes. Of course, small changes only work if lots of people are participating, so beyond justchanging our own behaviors we must also all become advocates and recruit others (including corporationsand policy makers) to do their part.

But given that the goal of these lifestyle changes is to slow and not halt climate change, is there anythingelse that can be done to prevent the loss of species due to the warming we are already committed to? Theanswer is that we must work to enable species to respond to future climate change. In other words, weshould strive to not make things harder for the plants than they already are.

Most important, steps must be taken to limit habitat loss and preserve as much intact tropical forest aspossible, for example by slowing deforestation and increasing the amount of protected area and/orincreasing the strength of enforcement for areas already protected by law. Every time an acre of tropicalrainforest is cut down we push species several steps closer to extinction; we reduce the amount of habitatavailable to them now; we reduce how much habitat will be available in the future; we add extra barriersto the movement of species; and we lose genetic diversity that may hold the key to species adapting toclimate change. What’s more, every time we cut down rainforest we actually contribute to the problem andcause even more carbon dioxide to be emitted into our atmosphere, causing even more warming. For eachacre of forest cut, more than 50 tons of carbon is released. In fact, if you add up the millions of acres oftropical forest cut down each year, it is responsible for approximately 20 percent of all anthropogeniccarbon dioxide emissions—more than all our trains, planes and automobiles combined.

A relatively new conservation mechanism that appears to hold great promise to help reduce deforestationand simultaneously fight climate change is REDD, or Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and forestDegradation. If put into practice, REDD would allow for greenhouse gas emitters in developed countries

(such as the United States), to offset some of their emissions by payingdeveloping countries (including nearly all tropical countries) to not cutdown their forests. There are still many kinks to be worked out (forexample, how would funds be distributed and how can it be guaranteedthat deforestation doesn’t just move, or “leak,” to other areas resulting inno net benefit), but if done right REDD could be a major step forward andhelp to reduce climate change and save rainforest diversity.

Another tool in the fight to save rainforest diversity is “assisted migration,”or “active translocation,” of species. In assisted migration, scientists wouldcombine knowledge of species’ growing requirements with global climatemodels to determine where species’ habitats will likely be in the future.The species would then be actively transplanted into the new habitats,thereby facilitating the range shifts that will be required of them in thefuture and helping them to bypass the many barriers that could hindernatural range shifts. Assisted migration remains extremely controversial,since it theoretically has the potential to intentionally introduce invasiveexotic species and push other species closer to extinction.

As this debate progresses, botanic gardens such as Fairchild are playingan important leadership role, helping to guide the choice of candidatespecies to migrate, developing the safest possible protocols fortransplanting species, and potentially even serving as a sort of “halfwayhouse” to help plant species get established in their new ranges while atthe same time monitoring against invasions.

The sad truth is that, no matter what we do in the future, our past actionshave already condemned some species to extinction. But through thecollective actions of scientists, citizens, institutions and policy makers, wehope we can keep extinctions to a minimum and preserve some of therichness of tropical rainforests for future generations to enjoy.


BELOW: Theauthor standing

above treelinelooking down

into a valley inthe high Peruvian

Andes that hasbeen largelyconverted toagriculture.


internshipsAT FAIRCHILDBy Martha Kent

Tiffany Lum, Horticultural InternI received my B.A. from Hunter College in cultural anthropology and began working with plants asa landscape gardener in New York. I found my interest in tropical plants working in interiors andthis interest has flourished since relocating to Miami. Through this internship I hope to continueexpanding my knowledge of South Florida’s native plants, habitats and the invasive species whichthreaten them. Since beginning the internship in July, I have found a new interest in entomology,sparked by monitoring and managing an outbreak of Cactoblastis cactorum. I have also beenworking with tropical fruit trees and look forward to learning more about their care andmanagement while at Fairchild. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to gain knowledge andexperience while working alongside everyone at both gardens.

Cristina Urbina, Caribbean Plant Conservation and Horticulture InternWhen you are born in the Caribbean in a country like Honduras you appreciate nature; I grew upsurrounded by exotic tropical plants and fruit. In my native land, natural wonders were aroundevery corner, if you dared to explore them.

Thanks to my B.A. in architecture and working with landscape architectural firms for several years,I realized how important it is to design with plants in mind. This approach not only benefits peoplebut the natural ecosystems that surround us. I decided to study horticulture to understand how Icould help to preserve these valuable ecosystems. My love for native plants got me involved inplant conservation, which is why I applied for the Caribbean Plant Conservation and HorticultureInternship at Fairchild and Gemini. I’m actually studying landscape design to show people howthey can create native sustainable landscapes that help to protect not only our native plants butalso our wildlife.

Emily Warchefsky, Plant Conservation Research InternI made the move from Portland, Oregon, to steamy Florida this past July to participate in the newjoint internship program between Fairchild and Gemini Garden. I am a 2009 graduate of ReedCollege, where I spent my undergraduate years researching topics ranging from neuroscience tomicrobiology. It was while studying ethnobotany at a field school in the Ecuadorian jungle that Idiscovered my love for tropical plants. During the course of my internship, I hope to gain a betterunderstanding of how the world of plant conservation functions—from the lab, to real-worldrestoration projects. My research interests include invasive species control, hybridization andspeciation events, plant-pollinator interactions, and epiphyte ecology. After my time at Fairchild,I plan to pursue a graduate degree in botany.

airchild is currently involved in a cooperative internship program with Gemini Botanical Gardenthat is focused on providing interns unique opportunities to gain exposure to tropical plantconservation and horticulture and to enrich their professional growth experience.

We are pleased to introduce the three highly talented interns who were selected: Tiffany Lum, CristinaUrbina and Emily Warchefsky, in their own words.

F

gardening with georgia

SUSTAINABLEGARDENING

By Georgia TaskerPhotos by Jeff Wasielewski


his time of year we’re pulled into the garden to resuscitate it after winter’sravages and reconnect with growing things, which magically sustain us.This year, sustain is the powerful and overriding concern as “sustainablegardening” gains in force and momentum.

A little more than a century ago, fewer than 1,000 people were living in South Florida.The pine rockland stretched some 50 miles, from just south of Fort Lauderdale to whatis now Long Pine Key in Everglades National Park.

Dade-County slash pines arose from jagged limestone to form the only canopy tree ofthe ecosystem. And then, in collaboration with saw palmetto, coontie, pineland croton,quail berry and wildflowers, they gave shelter to black bears, panthers and white-taileddeer, kestrels and woodpeckers, indigo and rim rock crowned snakes, and such butterfliesas Bartram’s hairstreak and the Miami blue.

A blink of the eye. Only 2,957 acres of pine rockland remain, but more than 2.5 millionpeople live in metropolitan Miami, which rests squarely on that rocky limestone ridge.Tropical hardwood hammocks also have dwindled. There are slightly more than than15,000 acres left stretching from Vero Beach on the east coast and Sarasota on the westcoast through the Florida Keys.

Restoring and sustaining is our task.

The late naturalist Archie Carr recognized a truth that we sometimes fail to see when hewrote The Everglades as part of the American Wilderness Time/Life Books. Carr recalledthat, after the Fakahatchee Strand, that primeval Florida landscape of swamp-dwellingroyal palms and cypress trees and their companionable orchids and bromeliads, hadbeen logged of most cypress in the 1940s and ’50s, he wrote it off as gone and refusedto visit it for many years. That quintessential Florida slough had been spoiled byelevated rail spurs built to haul out logs of trees hundreds of years old.

“But one day not long ago I drove out the Janes Road, the old timber road that runsnorthwest from Copeland,” he wrote, “and I met a black bear and saw the royal palmstrand, and I realized how simple-minded it is to think that only virgin landscapes areworth saving.”

There are bits of Florida that remain within our urban confines, as well as an enormousamount of bruised landscape west of our urban boundary. Because we must not let any moreof South Florida’s imperfect natural shards slip away, we must live and garden differently.

As much as possible, we must make a difference in the trees we select to nurture birds,in the chemicals we choose not to use, in the berry-laden shrubs we plant for wildlife.We may not exhibit perfectly groomed plants, but they will be plants less dangerousand more generous to the creatures dependent on them, including ourselves.

Here are some ways to garden with greater care, making our yards safe havens insteadof sterile showcases.

Find an area of your yard that can be returned to Florida. It doesn’t have to be large, and itentails no deed signing or real estate exchange. Remove the fishtail palms on the fence line,for instance, and choose two or three Florida thatch or silver palms or, if you need privacy,small native trees such as stoppers. The edges of the garden are hardest to reach withirrigation, so edges are where you can install native plants that are suited to these conditions.

Include some of the plants that will feed migratory songbirds. Last year during the fallmigration, Fairchild and Audubon Society volunteers documented food plants preferred

Because we must not let anymore of South Florida’s

imperfect natural shards slipaway, we must live and

garden differently.

T

This yard is maintained with zeroirrigation and zero fertilizer input.

by tiny avian migrants about to launch their exhausting journeys over water. Apreliminary list shows the plants aren’t all native but include mamey sapote, royalPoinciana and caimito as well as the native wild tamarind, lancewood, fiddlewood, liveoak and trema.

Jason Lopez, a living collections manager at Fairchild, has started a project to stock bassand other native fish while removing tilapia from the garden’s lakes to reconnect thefood chain for osprey.

Joyce Maschinski, a conservation ecologist for Fairchild, and her team of naturalistsworking on South Florida’s endangered plants urge you to find an area of yard for somepineland plants. Pines and saw palmettos are the major players, of course, but don’tforget white-topped sedge, pineland privet, cocoplum, myrsine and white indigo berry.You will find links to Joyce’s program, called Connect to Protect, on our garden Website—complete with a list of nurseries carrying such plants. The pineland planting in thelowlands will show you how to combine the species in gentle ways.

If you reside on a lakefront, consider wetland plants for your Florida section. Cypress,pond apples, leather ferns, maple, mulberry and buttonbush are among the wetlandplants you can utilize. They can be combined with climbing asters and lizards’ tails,with wild hibiscus and swamp lilies. Instead of fertilizer runoff spilling into your lake,you will instead feed waterfowl and birds with pickerelweed, alligator flag, buttonbush,string lilies, muhly grass and swamp ferns. Butterflies, apple snails, ducks, coots, and—who knows—maybe even turtles and rabbits will show up.

Small evergreen hammocks can take root easily. One mahogany or live oak, two orthree pigeon plums if you live near the coast, wild coffee, firebush, and beautyberry—these are well-known natives. They feed the hungry.

A corollary is to reduce the amount of St. Augustine grass you irrigate twice weekly.Study the planting beds at Fairchild, and you will find that they’re mulched and containlow-growing ground covers around important palms and trees. In the palmetum, forinstance, grasses play a big role, along with cycads and bromeliads.

Florida gamma grass, Fakahatchee grass and muhly grass all are decorative, easy toplant and even easier to maintain. All they take is an annual haircut.

Watering the remaining lawn should be just that, not watering the shrubs and flowerbeds at the same time. Here’s what a turf grass expert at the University of Florida has to

• Use plants adapted to South Florida to reduce fertilizer, irrigation and pesticides.

• Learn the difference between pests and beneficial insects, then allow beneficial insects time to remove pests.

• Compost plant debris rather than sending it to the landfill.

• Use mulch to add nutrients to the soil and over time create a layer of rich soil.

• Plant at the beginning of South Florida’s wet season in late May to reduce the amount of hand watering needed to get plants established.

Jeff Wasielewski, Multi-Media Specialist

• Use drip irrigation or hand water when possible to reduce unnecessary water loss.

• Employ integrated pest management: Monitor plants for insects and disease. Don’t spray first.

• Remove plants that have difficult-to-control problems.

• Plant and eat from your own vegetable garden for safer food and to reduce fossil fuel costs for food transportation.

Hillary Burgess, Living Collections Manager

The native wildflower,Gaillardia pulchella.

The native cycad,Zamia integrifolia.

say about automatic sprinklers: “While automation is increasingly necessary in manyareas of our lives, automatic sprinkler systems often lead to over-watering, which isundoubtedly the single greatest contributor to lawn demise.”

We receive about 50 inches of rain a year, mostly in the warm half of the year. BetweenJune and October, you can use your irrigation system on an “as needed” basis.

When is that? When leaf blades begin to fold or footprints stay in the lawn after youhave walked across it. Then apply ½ to ¾ of an inch at one time. While the SouthFlorida Water Management District has set limits on the number of days we may water,it is not mandatory that we water on each of those days.

Rain barrels are increasingly popular for gardens, and if you limit the area that really needsto be watered to, say, a raised bed vegetable garden, the barrels will serve you well.

Use mulch, but make sure it remains permeable by turning it once in a while. Whenyou replenish mulch, work new mulch into old so it doesn’t coalesce into a barrierimpervious to water.

Compost containers can earn their keep. Take all those yard clippings and turn theminto compost. You don’t have to build a compost pile; just purchase a bin or two. Turnthem from time to time to allow air into the decomposing material so the microbes canwork efficiently. In our climate, compost doesn’t take long to turn itself into excellentsoil conditioner. Kitchen peelings and yard cuttings, especially small leaves, makewonderful compost in just a few months. In early spring, oaks and mahoganies will droptheir leaves before putting out new leaves. Collect these to add to your compost.

While palm fronds and tree branches are not wonderful additions to the compost binunless chipped, they can be stacked out of sight. Not only will they gradually decompose,they will offer shelter to small snakes that keep down the insect populations.

Just as we’re learning to create butterfly gardens and enjoy again their aerial ballets, wecan create pollinator gardens. Plant wildflowers and allow a few weeds to roam aroundthe back forty for bees. Add plants with tubular red flowers to sustain hummingbirds,and put out a birdbath.

These are ways to begin the sustainable gardening journey. We will be exploring moretechniques for gardening sustainably in the future. For now, begin with the idea of agarden that is diverse in its plants and the creatures it supports. Diversity is SouthFlorida’s calling card.

• Select Caribbean Basin (including Florida) plants well adapted to our environment.

• Dig a good hole, using digging bar to crack rocky sides if needed, and plant without organic additives.

• Cut way back on fertilizer. At Fairchild, we are evaluating the threshold of plants’ nutrient needs.

• Utilize the right plants and compost to reduce or eliminate fertilizer.

Jason Lopez, Living Collections Manager

• Build compost piles for kitchen waste.

• Construct mulch rings of chicken wire for pulled weeds, plant clippings and grass.

• Using loppers and/or machete, mulch larger plant trimmings directly under trees.

• Chickens, in the right place, will eat kitchen leftovers and produce fertilizer for your garden.

Richard Campbell,Senior Curator of Tropical Fruit

The durable bromeliad,Aechmea ‘Black Chantinii’.

Many native trees aregood hosts for orchids.

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Telephone: (305) 663-0993 Field: (305) 710-8848Debra DeMarco, B.S., Ornamental Horticulture

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We are the single source provider for the entire project, including plantings, hardcape, irrigation, lighting,ponds, fountains and its follow up maintenance.

6790 SW 74 StreetSouth Miami, FL 33143Email: [email protected]

TREE OF LIFEkapok

By Jeff Wasielewski

The kapok tree (Ceiba pentandra) is so immense and so striking thatthe Ancient Mayans believed that it extended from the center of theEarth to the very heavens themselves. The countless thick vines thathang from the tree’s wide, tiered branches were thought to transport

souls from the terrestrial world to the spirit world and beyond.

plants that changedthe world


apoks are still held in high esteem today as they are often theonly trees left standing when forests are harvested for timberor cut down to make way for crops. The kapok is a massive80-foot tall tree that rises above the forest canopy to seek outthe abundant rays of the sun found only at the highest reachesof the forest. Its trunk can grow as large as 9 feet wide withthick buttress roots extending 20 feet or more.

The kapok tree is native throughout the American Tropicsfrom Mexico through Central America, south to Peru, Boliviaand Brazil, and even as far as West Africa. Kapoks will growin South Florida, but are often much smaller here than intheir native lands because of our limb-shearing hurricanes,poor soil conditions and the fact that they are often plantedin open areas where they do not need to compete with otherforest trees for sunlight and therefore do not need to grow astall. Kapoks are drought deciduous, meaning that they losetheir leaves in times of low rainfall, such as tropical dryseasons. This characteristic conserves energy during a timeof stress and has the dual purpose of giving pollinating batseasy access to the nectar-rich flowers that appear on the treebefore the tree begins to produce new leaves.

Because the kapok tree reaches above the canopy of theforest, it uses wind-dispersed seeds. When the 6-inch seedpods burst open, seeds that are wrapped in light, cotton-likematerial are transported by the wind to new areas far fromthe mother tree. It is this material, called kapok fiber, thathas been used to stuff mattresses, life preservers, furniture,automobile seats and even teddy bears. The fiber is water-resistant and contains a tiny cellulose tube with air sealedinside, which makes it extremely buoyant and able tosupport 30 times its own weight in water. This buoyancy,combined with its water-resistant qualities, resulted in kapokfiber being used in almost every life preserver produced untilWorld War II. After that, synthetic fibers began to replacekapok as the main material for most life jackets. Kapok fibersare still used today in many parts of the world to stuffmattresses and furniture, but by law cannot be used in theUnited States because they are extremely flammable. It is

still possible to purchase kapok fiber through the mail or onthe Web. One Web site promoted kapok fiber as “soft,smooth, hygienic, nontoxic, hypoallergenic andenvironmentally friendly.”

Kapok fiber cannot be spun like cotton because it is toolightweight, but over the years it has had many uses,including in thermal and sound insulation, as a cottonsubstitute for surgery and even for a backing on poison dartsused by the indigenous people of the Amazon basin. Earlyslaves in many parts of the Caribbean believed that sleepingon pillows stuffed with kapok fiber would purify you andgive you good energy in your sleep. Plantation owners andoverseers had the opposite belief and would not sleep onsuch pillows, believing that they caused nightmares.

The Ancient Mayans called the kapok the tree of lifebecause they believed it connected them to the spirit world.In the rainforest, the kapok tree is truly a living tree becauseit plays host to numerous species of plants, birds andmammals, which make up a complex ecological communityin the sky. Laden with hundreds of epiphytic plants that arehomes to frogs, snakes and countless species of insects, thetree is alive with constant activity. Imagine brightly coloredtoucans and white-faced capuchin monkeys hopping fromlimb to limb competing for their next meal, and you will geta glimpse of life in a kapok tree, truly a living and vibrantworld far above the forest floor.

Larry Schokman, director emeritus of the National TropicalBotanical Garden’s Kampong, worked closely with kapoktrees in his 35 years at the Kampong. He noted that “InSoutheast Asia when someone says ‘cotton’ it is the kapoktree they are talking about, not the little bush we have inAmerica.” The kapok tree was revered by the ancientMayans, exalted by the modern world for its multiple-usefiber and is still an incredible host to plants and animals ofthe rainforest. In the words of Mr. Schokman, “This is a veryimportant tree.”

The trunks of young kapoks areoften covered in large spines that

protect the tree from animals,earning the tree the nickname

‘monkey no-climb.’ k Ceiba pentandra

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think

GLOBALeat local

By Erin Healy


id you know that yourfood may have traveled

1,500 miles before itarrived on your plate?

What is local food?Local food includes produce grown in your region. Local crops varyaccording to season, meaning that you may find certain fruits andvegetables available only during certain seasons. Luckily, in SouthFlorida, residents can find many temperate and tropical fruits andvegetables year-round; the majority of South Florida crops are planted inthe fall and harvested in the winter (January through April). Some of themost common local crops include tomatoes, avocados, okra, greens,mangos, melons, oranges, strawberries and many types of herbs.

Why should we eat local foods?Did you know that your food may have traveled 1,500 miles before itarrived on your plate? One head of lettuce, which accounts for only80 food calories, can consume 4,600 fossil fuel energy calories. Ourcurrent mainstream food industry accounts for one-fifth of allpetroleum, a nonrenewable resource, consumed in the United States,and four-fifths of that energy is spent transporting the food.

Eating local foods helps the environment, local farmers and publichealth in a variety of ways:

Environment: Buying from local farmers shortens the producer-to-consumer chain, which cuts down on transportation and fossil fuelsconsumed, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Shorteningthe time between harvest and consumer purchase also reduces theneed to use chemicals and electricity to preserve foods duringtransportation from farm to store. Local crops and those that arebest adapted to our environment are more appropriate for ourregion and can best tolerate local conditions, so growing localcrops alleviates the need to use chemical fertilizers and pesticides,which pollute our soil and water. Eating according to seasonalavailability allows farmers to only grow crops only when seasonalconditions allow for best results, requiring less freezing andchemicals used to preserve foods or force growth out of season.

Economy: Buying local foods supports small, local farmers, who oftenfind it challenging to compete with larger, corporate farms. Localfarmers keep 80 to 90 cents per dollar in local food systems, comparedwith only 9 cents per dollar on a national-level food system. Forty-threecents per dollar is kept within the community when local food ispurchased as opposed to 13 cents per dollar on a national level.

Health: Local food is fresher, since it reaches consumers soon afterharvest. This means it is not harvested until ripe, while food thatarrives from across the country or other countries is often harvestedbefore it is ripe. Unripe fruits tend to be more acidic, whichadversely affects health, and studies have shown that the nutritionalvalue of food declines the longer one waits to consume it afterharvest. If you are concerned about eating organic, it is important to

note that small farms may not be able to afford the organiccertification process but still use very sustainable farming methods.Contact the farms to learn more about their practices.

Where can I find local foods? • Join a CSA (community-supported agriculture) or coop, a

community group that purchases and distributes shares from local farms to members.

• Shop at farmers’ markets.• Visit local farms and buy from their farm stands.• Buy produce labeled “local” at grocery stores.• Plant your own edible garden (in the ground or in containers) at

home or in a community garden.

How can I get more involved?You can make a difference in many ways, first by taking the localfood challenge. There is a burgeoning network of communitygardens sprouting throughout South Florida. You can help byvolunteering at the nearest community garden or helping localorganizations build gardens for neighborhoods in need. Manycommunity gardens allow members to have a personal plot to growvegetables. Contact your elected officials to tell them there is agreat need for healthy, affordable, local foods in South Florida, andurge them to change school lunch programs to include more localand healthier foods. If you are a PTA member, you can work withinyour child’s school to create change. Educate others at work, in yourcommunity, and in your family, about the importance of eatinglocally. Stay up to date and gain support by joining a local groupdedicated to providing healthy, local options to communities.

ResourcesLocal crops by season• www.florida agriculture.com/marketing/seasonal_availability.htm

Farmer’s Markets and local farms• The Fairchild Farm, has a fruit stand at 14885 SW 248th St.,

Homestead, that is open weekends.• Redland Organics, Pinecrest Gardens, Sundays, 9:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.,

www.redlandorganics.com.• Glaser Organic Farms sells local, organic and raw foods at

3300 Grand Ave. Saturdays, 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m., www.glaserorganicfarms.com.

• The Market Company offers farmer’s markets throughout South Florida, including Lincoln Road, Aventura Mall, Normandy Village, Surfside and the Upper East Side. Check the Web site for full details: www.themarketcompany.org.

• Paradise Farms offers local dinners and a farmers market at405 Biltmore Way, Coral Gables, Saturdays, 8:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.,www.paradisefarms.net.

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Avocado

Bell Pepper

Blueberry

Broccoli

Cabbage

Cantaloupe

Carambola

Carrot

Cauliflower

Celery

Cucumber

Eggplant

Grapefruit

Grape

Guava

Lettuce

Lime

Longan

Lychee

Mango

Mushroom

Onion

Orange

Papaya

Passion Fruit

Peanut

Potato

Radish

Snap Bean

Spinach

Squash

Strawberry

Sweet Corn

Tangerine

Tomato

Watermelon

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Florida Crops, by Season:

• Palmetto Bay Farmer’s Market, Southwest 174th Street and 97th

Avenue, Palmetto Bay, Sundays, 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. • Doral Farmer’s Market, Divine Savior School, 10311 NW 58th

St., Saturdays, 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

CSAs and coops• Beehaven Farms/Redland Organics CSA.

www.redlandorganics.com/CSA.htm.• Ujima CSA: Pick up at Spirit of Life Midwifery, 17304 Walker

Ave. Jarene Williams, 305.609.8502. • Earth ‘n’ Us Farms offers permaculture classes, workshops and a

food-buying coop. Contact Marcus Thompson [email protected].

• Annie’s Organic Buying Club (only partially local): www.anniesbuyingclub.com, 305.852.5797.

Local organizations and community gardens• Slow Food Miami chapter: http://slowfoodmiami.com.• Urban Oasis Project provides technical assistance and edible

community gardens: www.urbanoasisproject.org.• Heroes Unite creates community/youth gardens, including the

Enchanted Garden in North Miami: www.heroesunite.org.• Growing Green Network of community gardeners and activists:

[email protected].

Courses, books and linksFTBG offers a variety of workshops in horticulture and cooking, and The Shop at Fairchild sells relevant books: • www.fairchildgarden.org/education/continuingeducation.• The 100 Mile Diet, www.100milediet.org.• Michael Pollen, Food, Inc. & The Omnivore’s Dilemma.• UF/IFAS Extension: http://solutionsforyourlife.ufl.edu/.• Pollen, Michael, The Omnivore’s Dilemma.• www.vermontlocalvore.org/learnmore/whatandwhy.html.• www.locavore.org.• Roy, Susan, Mad River Valley Chamber of Commerce,

www.vermontlocalvore.org/learnmore/whatandwhy.html.• www.locavore.org.


bug beat

he weeping fig is very good at giving privacy, but its aggressivegrowth severely lowers its overall value as a hedge plant. InAugust 2007, that value fell even further with the discovery of a

pest that specifically targeted the Ficus genus. That insect, known asthe ficus whitefly (Singhiella simplex) laid waste to the South Floridalandscape by quickly and efficiently skeletonizing ficus hedges of allshapes and sizes. Symptoms include yellowing leaves, leaf drop andbranch die-back. It is theorized that these particular whiteflies do somuch damage because when they inject their mouthparts into the leafto feed, they leave behind a toxin that travels in the plant‘s vascularsystem and causes the plant to drop its leaves. Ficus whiteflies are verysmall, white, moth-like insects that will fly away from the plant if theleaves are disturbed. Their eggs and nymphs are often seen on theundersides of the leaves and look like small silver or white spots.

A second pest that causes leaf damage to ficus hedges is theweeping fig thrip (Gynaikothrips uzeli). This pest was once thoughtto be the Cuban laurel thrip, which attacks the Cuban laurel fig(Ficus microcarpa), but it was discovered to be a distinct species,which completes its life cycle only on the weeping fig. The weepingfig thrip feeds on new leaves and causes unsightly galls andnoticeable leaf curl. Once the leaves curl, treatment is extremelydifficult because the thrips are protected inside the curled leaves.The weeping fig thrip is not as damaging as the ficus whitefly, butthese two pests in combination are devastating and can turn a solid

ficus hedge into a defoliated shell in a matter of weeks.The aggressive growth pattern of the weeping fig, combined with theficus whitefly and the weeping fig thrip, should make anyhomeowner think twice about planting or keeping a ficus hedge.There are pesticides available that will do a thorough job ofcontrolling both major ficus pests, but they are expensive. Pesticideswith the active ingredient imidacloprid are recommended as a drenchevery six months. The treatment should be done by a licensedpesticide applicator. Homeowners can legally treat their ownplantings if they follow the directions on the label, but because theover-the-counter pesticides containing imidacloprid are veryexpensive and very dilute, it is usually more cost-efficient to go with aprofessional. Pesticides are an option, but maybe not the best choice.Your backyard should be a place where children and pets can playand perhaps toxic chemicals should not be part of your plan.

A real solution to the problemsassociated with the ficus hedge is theinformal native hedge. An informalnative hedge uses a single nativespecies or a combination of species tocreate a privacy hedge. Because nativesnaturally grow in the conditions foundin South Florida, they need very littlecare. Native species that should be

considered for informal hedge plantings are: Florida boxwood(Schaefferia frutescens), firebush (Hamelia patens), Simpson stopper(Myrcianthes fragrans), red berry stopper (Eugenia confusa), Spanishstopper (Eugenia foetida), wild coffee (Psychotria nervosa) and theJamaican caper (Capparis cynophallophora). These species go welltogether or will work as a single-species planting to create a hedgethat will not only provide privacy, but will also attract birds,butterflies and wildlife to your yard. Because the maximum heights ofthese plants are much smaller than the weeping ficus, they do notneed pruning in most cases and will save you thousands of dollarsover the life of the planting. The benefits of an informal native hedgeare vast. With all of the problems associated with the traditional ficushedge, is it time for a ficus farewell?

Ficus Farewell?Text and photos by Jeff Wasielewski

The dominant hedge plant in South Florida is the weepingfig (Ficus benjamina). When left to its own devices, thisplant can become a massive 40-foot tree spreading almostas wide as it is tall. Planted as a hedge, it is very good atgrowing fast and quickly, delivering the privacyhomeowners desire, but it grows so fast that it needstrimming 6 to 12 times a year. Roots grow just as quicklyas the branches and have the ability to crack foundationsand disrupt septic tanks. Ficus hedges are initially cheap toinstall, but in the long run maintenance costs can be muchlike the hedges themselves, out of hand.

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A healthy ficus hedge. A ficus hedge that has been defoliatedby ficus whitefly.

Ficus whitefly damage.Weeping fig thrip damage.

Find that perfect hedgeto replace your ficus atFairchild’s 31st AnnualSpring Plant Sale. Forinformation and to seethe plants available forpurchase, please visitwww.fairchildgarden.org


gifts and donors

MAJOR GIFTSArt at Fairchild 2009-2010Micky & Madeleine Arison

Family FoundationJohn S. and James L. Knight

Foundation

Capital CampaignMr. and Mrs. Allan Herbert

DiMare Science Village, HsiaoLaboratories and ClintonConservatoryThe Paul J. DiMare Foundation

Mr. and Mrs. Paul J. DiMare

Endowment Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth R. Graves

EducationAmerican Honda FoundationNational Environmental Education

& Training FoundationPeacock Foundation, Inc.Mr. and Mrs. Alan Steinberg

Tropical Fruit ProgramMrs. Angela W. Whitman

SPECIAL PROJECTSCaribbean Plant Conservation Louis C. Skinner, Jr. Foundation

James A. Kushlan BirdConservation Program

Dr. James A. Kushlan

Plants and People:An Interactive Garden

Aaron I. Fleischman Foundation

FAIRCHILD GIFTSThe following list combinesmembership and gifts to Fairchild atthe $1,000 level and above.

Diamond FellowHarry and Mary Perrin Charitable

Fund of the Gables Community Foundation

Mayor and Mrs. Donald D. Slesnick, II

Bill and Ann Ziff FoundationMrs. Ann Ziff

Platinum FellowMr. and Mrs. Leonard L. Abess, Jr.Mr. and Mrs. Rudolph Aragon Mr. and Mrs. Micky ArisonAssurantMr. and Mrs. Paul J. DiMareFPL CorporationMr. Bruce W. Greer and

Ms. Evelyn Langlieb GreerMr. R. Kirk LandonMr. George T. NearyAdam R. Rose and

Peter R. McQuillanMr. and Mrs. E. Roe Stamps, IV Mr. and Mrs. Alan SteinbergMr. and Mrs. Willard L. Wheeler, Jr.White & Case, L.L.P.

Gold FellowProf. and Mrs. Raymond F. BaddourBank of AmericaMr. and Mrs. Matthew W. ButtrickMr. Arnold L. CohenThe Cowles Charitable TrustFlagler Development Group Dr. Jane H. Hsiao Mr. and Mrs. Robert M. KramerMr. and Mrs. Heinz LuedekingMr. Bruce C. MathesonBNY MellonRyder Charitable FoundationU.S. Trust, Bank of America Private

Wealth Management

Silver FellowA+ EducatorsBaptist Health South FloridaDr. and Mrs. Jeffrey S. BlockMs. Teresa BuonicontiMs. Ellen Downey and

Mr. Luis de ArmasMr. and Mrs. Jeffrey FeldmanHunton & WilliamsMexico Tourism BoardMr. and Mrs. Walter R. Shikany, Jr.Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Takach Mr. B. Rodney White and

Mr. Michael P. Williams

FellowMr. and Mrs. Pedro A. Alvarez, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Sheldon Anderson Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey S. BassMs. Maria J. BeguiristainMr. and Mrs. Daniel M. Bell Mr. and Mrs. Norman J. Benford Mr. and Mrs. Alan S. Bernstein Dr. and Mrs. Byron Besse Dr. and Mrs. Arnold S. BlausteinMr. and Mrs. Donald R. Blechman Mr. and Mrs. M. Anthony Burns Mr. and Mrs. Otto Busot Ms. Ann B. Bussel Ms. Joan Byrd and Mr. Elliott ByrdMs. Anna Maria Calle and

Mr. Sohail DelfaniMr. and Mrs. Robert CastellanoMr. and Mrs. Bruce A. Chesney Mr. and Mrs. Bruce ClintonDr. Angelica LaMorto-Corse and

Mr. Stephen CorseMrs. Patricia W. CrowMr. and Mrs. Hugh F. CulverhouseMiss Lamar Louise Curry Dr. Christopher Davidson and

Ms. Sharon ChristophMrs. Betty L. Eber Mr. and Mrs. Robert EnglishDrs. Neil and Kira Flanzraich Gabooney FoundationMs. Ella GelvanDr. and Mrs. Lucien GordonMr. and Mrs. K. Lawrence GraggMr. and Mrs. Allan Herbert Mr. and Mrs. Lewis N. Jack, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Dan Kimball Mr. and Ms. Joshua KotlerMr. and Mrs. Marvin H. Leibowitz Mrs. Barbara C. Levin

Drs. Carl and Susanne Lewis Ms. Dara Lorion and

Mr. Craig Dawson Dr. Lin L. Lougheed and

Mr. Aaron I. Fleischman Mr. and Mrs. George A. Lyall Mr. and Mrs. Clifford W. MezeyMr. and Mrs. Billy MillerMr. and Mrs. Harve MogulMr. and Mrs. Henry Z. NortonOsiason Educational

Foundation, Inc. Mr. and Mrs. Manuel J. Rodriguez Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey P. RosenbergMr. and Mrs. Larry RutherfordMr. and Mrs. Charles P. Sacher Ms. Ann Schmidt Mr. and Mrs. Eugenio Sevilla-Sacasa Mr. and Mrs. Ronald ShuffieldShubin & Bass, P.A.Mrs. Stuart Sibley Mr. and Mrs. Charles StaumpDr. and Mrs. James G. Stewart, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Swanson Mr. and Mrs. D. Parker Thomson Mr. and Mrs. Christopher G. TysonMr. Kevin Vargas and

Ms. Patricia UsecheMr. Jason Vollmer and

Ms. Mary StiefelMr. and Mrs. Thomas Whitehurst Mrs. Marta Weeks and

Mr. Karleton Wulf Mr. and Mrs. E. Richard Yulman Mr. and Mrs. Frank M. Zohn

TRIBUTE PROGRAMCommemorative GiftsIn Memory of Frederick W. Bauder

Ms. Norma DeatonMrs. Patricia Eaton

In Honor of Mr. andMrs. Lyman B. DickersonMr. Andrew Varat andMrs. Cynthia Varat

In Memory of Alice Jane Anderson Gilluly

Dr. and Mrs. Alfred DamusMr. and Mrs. Jeffrey FeldmanMr. and Mrs. Douglas M. Halsey Mr. and Mrs. Alberto IbargüenMr. and Mrs. George A. LyallMr. and Mrs. Mitchell Tress

In Memory of Mrs. Clivia A. Morrison

Mr. and Mrs. Joe Bornstein

In Memory of Mrs. Roberta MultachMs. Joan I. BurrellMr. and Mrs. Steven K. BurrellMr. and Mrs. David M. CordovaMr. and Mrs. Jack CordovaMrs. Frances I. Cove Dr. Keith CusterMr. Phillip D. Parrish and

Ms. Judy LehmanMr. and Mrs. Seymour PollackMs. Ellen Salamat

In Honor of Mr. andMrs. Henry Z. Norton

Mr. and Mrs. George A. LyallIn Memory of Mrs. Georgia S.

PearsonMr. and Mrs. Douglas K.

BischoffMs. Julia F. ChwalikMrs. Marilyn Davison

In Memory of Mr. Smitty WeissMrs. Eleanor Weiss

Tribute BricksIn Honor of Mr. and Mrs. M.

Anthony BurnsDr. and Mrs. Richard A. EliasDr. and Mrs. Jerry GoodwinMr. and Mrs. Patrick GribbonDr. and Mrs. Robert HartogDr. and Mrs. Howard Wallach

In Memory of Mrs. Elisabeth CozadMr. and Mrs. Eduardo Soto

In Honor of Mr. and Mrs. Dick Dowling

Mr. and Mrs. Frank E. Dowling

In Honor of Bill and SandraMrs. Laura Frohman

In Memory of Harley HoderMrs. Marilyn Hoder-Salmon

In Memory of Mrs. Clivia A. Morrison

Mrs. Blanche T. August

In Honor of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph O’Connell

Ms. Bernadette C. O'Connell

In Memory of Mr. William A. RussellMs. Robin MendelsohnVan E. Blanton Elementary PTA

In Honor of Ms. Jill SidranMs. Debra S. Roth

In Honor of their Wedding Anniversary

Tom and Heather Spencer

In Honor of Mrs. Suzanne SteinbergMrs. Laura Frohman

In Honor of Mr. Jesus VazquezMs. Michelle Ziadie

In Honor of Samantha C. WasielewskiMr. Jeff Wasielewski

Tribute TreesIn Memory of Mr. and Mrs.

Robert A. CroninMs. Emily Cronin andMrs. Millie Cronin

Tribute BenchesIn Memory of Ms. Marilu Lozada

Mrs. Maria G. Rodriguez PastorMr. and Mrs. Martin T. Schrier

The following gifts were made between November 15, 2009 and February 28, 2010. Please notify the DonorRelations Office at 305.667.1651, ext. 3373 if your information is incorrect. We apologize in advance for anyerrors or omissions.

wish list

FOR THE HORTICULTURE TEAM• Walk-Behind Aerator, $1,500 • Soil Mixer, $6,000 • Laptop Computer/LCD Projector, $5,000 • Cargo Van, $25,000

FOR CONSERVATION AND RESEARCH PROGRAMS• Specialized Printer, $3,820 • Seed Germination Chamber, $8,500 • Techniques for the Study of Mycorrhiza, Vol. 23, $230 • Laptop Computer, $2,000 • Mid-Size Pick-up Truck, $26,400 • Ultra-Cold Freezer (DNA Bank), $6,000

FOR THE ONLINE HERBARIUM• Specialized Ultra High Resolution Scanner, $3,000

FOR THE RESEARCH LIBRARY• From Kew Gardens: Flora of Somalia (4 Vol.), World

Checklist & Bibliography of Euphorbiaceae, other monographs on tropical plant families, $1,000

FOR THE MARKETING ANDCOMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT• Nikon Digital 22-24 mm super wide angle lens, $900

FOR THE FAIRCHILD TRIBUTE PROGRAM• Digital SLR Camera, $1,000

FOR THE DONOR RELATIONS DEPARTMENT• Laptop Computer/LCD Projector, $5,000

FOR SPECIAL EVENTS • Washer and Dryer, $2,000 • Golf Cart, $4,000 • Permanent Audio Visual System in Visitor Center Ballroom,

$3,000 • Fully-equipped Commercial Kitchen for Visitor Center

FOR MEMBERSHIP • Laptop Computer/LCD Projector, $5,000 • Digital SLR Camera, $1,000

FOR EDUCATION• Solar Conversion Kit, $2,000

FOR THE VISITOR SERVICES DEPARTMENT• Digital SLR Camera, $1,000

To fully fund a wish, donate a portion of the cost or donatethe actual item, please contact Bill Shade at 305.667.1651,ext. 3351 or [email protected].

Fairchild has a wish list of items that will enhance our programs, but weneed Wish Makers. We hope you see an item that you can help fulfill.

Vegetable GardeningBy Erin Fitts

what’s in store

he Florida climate presents many challenges to year-roundfruit and vegetable gardening, but with a little work and a lotof knowledge, it can be done. A backyard garden is a

wonderful way to involve the entire family in garden planning,planting and, of course, eating the delicious harvest. The right bookscan help you get started in this adventure.

All New Square Foot Gardeningby Mel Bartholomew, $19.99. For gardenerswithout much space, Bartholomew explainshis proven Square Foot Gardening method thathas been used by home gardeners for morethan 25 years. This gardening method focuseson small gardens that are easy to care for butstill yield a great harvest, perfect for beginninggardeners, families with children or anyonewho wants an alternative to a traditionalbackyard vegetable garden.

Recipes from the Gardenby Rosalind Creasy, $34.95. Once your gardenis planted and harvested, it’s time to eat! Thisbook contains more than 200 exciting recipesthat highlight the flavors of foods fresh from thegarden. Includes recipes for both vegetariansand meat eaters.

Vegetable Gardening in Floridaby James M. Stephens, $16.95. An outstanding guideto growing fruits and vegetables in Florida, this bookcovers all the basics to get you started. Stephensexplains how to select the right plants at the righttimes for year-round gardening, how to work withthe Florida climate and how to successfully managepests and diseases. The book also includesinformation about compost, which Stephensadvocates the use of in all backyard gardens.

Let it Rot!: The Gardener’s Guide to Compostingby Stu Campbell, $12.95. If you are consideringmaking compost to use in your garden, this bookprovides a comprehensive, but accessible, look athow to start. Campbell shows how to createcompost, how to build your own composting binand how to apply the compost to your garden.

AN INTERACTIVE GARDEN

FAIRCHILD’S

Unearthing a world of experiences for people living with Alzheimer’s

Fairchild is pleased to present Plantsand People: An Interactive Garden,

Unearthing a World of Experiences forPeople Living with Alzheimer’s.

This program is free of charge. Earlyregistration is encouraged as there islimited seating.

For more information, please call305.667.1651, ext. 3388.24/7 Alzheimer’s helpline:1.800.272.3900.Support is generously provided byLin Lougheed, the Aaron I. FleischmanFoundation and the Alzheimer’s Association.

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Paul andSwanee DiMare

Bobby and BrendaNestor Castellano

garden views

4TH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CHOCOLATE FESTIVALWITH COFFEE AND TEA

Chocolate lovers were in good company as more than 12,000 visitorsattended our 4th Annual International Chocolate Festival with Coffee andTea in January. Lectures and cooking demonstrations were packed as guestslearned about all that chocolate has to offer. The Garden House was filledwith delicious vendors serving up sweet treats for people of all ages.Children were treated to a ChocoWalk kids’ area as well as a “ChocolatePassport” contest. Fairchild also encouraged the community’s bakers to entera chocolate cake and cupcake contest, which was filled with many creativeand scrumptious-looking entries. For the first time, this festival was open ona Friday, giving visitors a chance to enjoy three days of chocolate goodness.

8th ANNUAL INTERNATIONALORCHID FESTIVAL

More than 7,500 visitors were in orchid paradise, March 12,13 and 14, at Fairchild's Eighth Annual International OrchidFestival. Over 50 vendors from around the world displayedorchid species ranging from dendrobiums to vandas. “Thedisplay of orchids is just spectacular. This is one of myfavorite events of the year!” exclaimed one visitor.

One of the highlights of the festival was the orchid displayin the Garden House where plants cultivated by theworld’s finest orchid growers were awarded ribbons andtrophies from the American Orchid Society. Throughoutthe weekend, visitors enjoyed walking tours of the garden,lectures and great live music. “We are so pleased with thecommunity’s wonderful support of this weekend’s event,”said Carl Lewis, director of Fairchild. “We feel fortunate tobe able to host this festival each year and inspire people tolearn more about orchids and maybe even take a few homewith them.” All proceeds from the Orchid Festival helpsupport Fairchild’s tropical plant programs for research,conservation and education.

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VALENTINE’S DAY CONCERT WITH JON SECADAA SMASHING SUCCESS

Valentine’s Day, Sunday, February 14, was a romantic night to be in thegarden as a beautiful star-filled sky was complemented by the sultrysounds of Jon Secada and his band. Guests from around the worldthoroughly enjoyed the Grammy award-winning artist as they dined ongourmet picnic baskets on the Garden House Lawn or relaxed in thespecial VIP section. We would not have had such a special night withoutthe support from our sponsors White & Case LLP and Jeanne and RudyAragon. Additional support was provided by Hunton & Williams LLP.

THURSDAY NIGHTS AT FAIRCHILD

Fairchild has once again invited visitors to experience the unparalleledbeauty of the Garden after dark during Thursday Nights at Fairchild. Thisseason’s schedule includes an exciting variety of events, from movienights to wine tastings to chances to enjoy the garden with your dog. Inaddition, visitors can enjoy Fairchild’s amazing plant collections, artexhibitions, live music and food and drinks—all under the starry skies ofSouth Florida. The last of the Thursday Nights at Fairchild series will be achance to bring your dog to the garden on April 15 from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.

Jeanne Aragon, Jon Secada and Rudy Aragon.

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GOT STORAGE?

Work and storage space is needed for the Ramble Antiquesand Collectibles Committee. If you have an empty cottage,storefront, or office space of about 800 sq. ft., contact AnnSchmidt at 305.667.1651, ext. 3344.

To donate to The Ramble’s famous Antiques & Collectibles Sale,call Dorothy Errera at 305.666.3010. Items of age, distinctionand beauty, including art, jewelry, linens, silver, china, ceramicsand other collectibles will be greatly appreciated. Todonate good quality used and rare books and other mediafor the Old & Rare Books booth, call Stuart Debenham at305.665.8572. Pick-ups of all items can be arranged.

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Fine Wines at Fairchild, a signature annual event organized by theFairchild Palms young professionals group, was a smashing, sold-outsuccess. Guests at the January 29 event at Fairchild Tropical BotanicGarden enjoyed a wine tasting paired with delicious gourmetcuisine from a top local chef, moonlight tram rides, a silent auctionand a special live performance by internationally renowned jazzvocalist Nicole Henry. The event, which garnered publicity in thelocal news media thanks to Roar Media, benefits the FairchildChallenge environmental education outreach program. For moreinformation about Fairchild Palms, go to www.fairchildpalms.org orsend an e-mail to [email protected].

Lisa Lopez, Halland Chen, Palms President John Malloy and Jennifer Hohman.

Lemon: First Place Option 1A - Luca Medina, Gulliver South Miami Campus, 1st grade

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GEORGIA TASKER’S NEW BOOK: GROWINGORCHIDS IN SOUTH FLORIDA

During the Eighth Annual International Orchid Festival, Fairchildunveiled the latest book in the “Gardening with Fairchild” series,entitled Growing Orchids in South Florida, by Georgia Tasker. Thiswonderful book is a complete guide to growing orchids in SouthFlorida. In it you will find detailed information on orchid types,orchid care and orchid pests and diseases. Growing Orchids inSouth Florida is a must for anyone interested in growing or learningabout orchids and is available at The Shop at Fairchild.

FINE WINES AT FAIRCHILD

CHALLENGE ART

In its third year, the Fairchild Challenge Pilot Program for ElementarySchools received more than 240 pieces of art from 24 localelementary schools for Challenge Option 1, Fruit of the Tropics. Pre-K through fifth grade students chose their favorite tropical fruit andcreated an original painting or drawing. Art was judged Jan. 14 by apanel of community experts, educators and volunteers based oncreativity, artistry, relevance to theme and accuracy. The winnerswere Luca Medina, Gulliver SMC; Anna Nickless, David LawrenceK-8 Center; Jovanie Ambross, R.R. Moton Elementary; LianeliSanchez, W.J. Bryan Elementary; and Asjia O’Neal, Gulliver SMC.Congratulations to these schools and students!

CORRECTION

Our apologies for omitting the covercredit in our Winter 2010 issue.The photograph was taken in KororState, Palau in 2008 by Carl Lewiswhile on expedition.

WE HAVE LOST A FRIEND

In early March, our dear friendKemper McCue left us. Kemperwas a very special friend ofFairchild, the staff andvolunteers. He was a dedicatedvisitor since becoming a memberin 1954, and as a retiree hevisited the garden every day, rainor shine. If you were in thegarden during the week, youwould see him reading on hisfavorite bench, meditating,contemplating or having his

favorite turkey and Swiss cheese whole wheat wrap at the Café,every day at 11:30 a.m. sharp. Kemper would often share histhoughts and tales with you, always with a great smile and he usedto say “I love the garden in the summer because I can have it tomyself”. Kemper, we miss you already.

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Fairchild is pleased to announcethat we will be selling reusablewater bottles at all upcomingfestivals. Free refill stations will beplaced throughout the garden. Savemoney and the environment withthese reusable bottles, which helpto reduce waste. You can purchasea Fairchild reusable bottle at thelowlands admissions gate and at thehospitality tent at all festivals. Thebottles can also be purchasedduring regular visiting hours at TheShop at Fairchild, located in theVisitors Center.

SARAH VATLAND, joinedFairchild as an EducationOutreach Coordinator for theHigh School FairchildChallenge in August 2009.Prior to her receiving herMaster’s degree fromUniversity of California,Berkeley, Sarah worked asa Program Manager for anenvironmental educationprogram in Tanzania, EastAfrica where her passion forenvironmental educationblossomed. She is verypleased to be at Fairchild,working to bringenvironmental appreciationto young people’s lives.

ERIC FLEITES, joined Fairchildas a gardener in 2006 andbecame the garden’s SprayTechnician after nearly a year.He recently became certifiedas an arborist through theInternational Society ofArboriculture and completedhis pesticide certification. Heis the third certified arboristat Fairchild, joining BobBrennan and Jeff Wasielewski.Eric enjoys working with andlearning from Bob and hasbeen putting his new skills atwork in the highest reaches ofthe garden.

DR. ERIC VON WETTBERG,joined Fairchild as part of theCenter for Tropical PlantConservation research andgraduate staff and is also anew assistant professor ofbiological sciences at FloridaInternational University. Hisexpertise is in conservationgenetics and he comes to thegarden from the University ofCalifornia, Davis, where hewas an NIH NationalResearch Service Awardpostdoctoral fellow studyingthe genetics of heavy metaland salt tolerance in wildrelatives crop plants.

KELLI BLAKE, joinedFairchild last summer as theEducation ProgramsCoordinator. Prior to joiningthe garden, Kelli worked as acorporate meeting plannerand taught first grade in theMiami-Dade County PublicSchool system. She holdsdegrees in both marketingand applied arts and is agraduate of New YorkUniversity’s Public RelationsSummer Institute. Kelli is anactive member in hercommunity and volunteerswith many communityorganizations, including theJunior League of Miami.

staff news

Photos by Gaby Orihuela/FTBG and Jeff Wasielewski/FTBG

PLANTS AND PEOPLE—AN INTERACTIVE GARDEN:IN MEMORY OF SOPHIE MILLER

Fairchild’s pilot program inviting early to midstage Alzheimer’s patients and theircaregivers to the garden for lunch and a specially tailored tram tour continues to be agreat success. The February 1 event, dedicated to the memory of Sophie Miller, wasattended by more than 50 people. Ms. Miller, mother of Irma Braman, passed away latelast year after a long battle with Alzheimer’s. Guests enjoyed Fairchild’s lush landscapeand took home gifts of miniature orchids. The program will continue once a monththrough May 2010. This new and exciting project is supported by Lin Lougheed,member of Fairchild’s Board of Directors, and the Aaron I. Fleischman Foundation.

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from the archives

ne of David Fairchild’s many talents was creating andfostering friendships with others who were as passionateand well-versed about plants and nature as he. His

friendship with Charles Torrey Simpson, fondly known as the“Sage of Biscayne Bay,” is a testimony to this fact.

Simpson, a noted conchologist, came to South Florida in 1902after retiring from the Smithsonian Institute’s Department ofMollusks. He purchased 15 acres on Biscayne Bay and built ahome, which he called The Sentinels after two towering pines thatflanked it. He spent the next 30 years planting, tending, studyingand, perhaps most important, sharing this site. The Sentinelsbecame a popular meeting place for Dade County’s early plantenthusiasts. According to E.O. Rothra, Simpson’s biographer, “…his botanical garden foreshadowed that of Miami’s noted FairchildTropical Garden and was a showplace for Miami visitors andresidents as well as an outpost of the U.S. Department ofAgriculture’s tropical experiment station.”

Dr. Fairchild and Charles Simpson met in 1912 and became lifelongfriends. They shared a passion for gardening and collecting, whichis mirrored in Simpson’s statement “There’s nothing like gettingout after specimens to make a fellow feel he’s really living.”

Dr. Fairchild hired Simpson as an agricultural agent for theBrickell Avenue Plant Introduction Station, where he also chargedhim with educating local gardeners on tropical plants. Simpsonbecame famous for his role in fostering early South Florida tropicalhorticulture. The culmination of his intense investigation of SouthFlorida’s landscape led to such popular works as OrnamentalGardening in Florida (1916); In Lower Florida Wilds (1920); Out ofDoors in Florida (1924) and Florida Wild Life (1932), as well as hisstudy of Liguus fasciatus, the endangered Florida tree snail. He wasalso an active proponent of creating a national park in the Everglades.

In 1924, Simpson became the fourth recipient of the Frank N.Meyer Medal for Foreign Plant Introduction. Dr. Fairchild,

Barbour Lathrop, William Jennings Bryan and Theodore Spicer-Simson attended the ceremony at TheSentinels. The medal, designed by Spicer-Simson and appropriately inscribed with a Tang Dynasty poem“In the glorious luxuriance of the hundred plants he takes delight,” was presented to Simpson by his long-time friend David Fairchild. In 1927, the University of Miami chose Charles Torrey Simpson to receive itsfirst bestowed honorary doctorate for his contributions to the science of South Florida.

Professor Simpson gave advice freely and generously to everyone from Charles Deering to the gardenclubs. In The World Was My Garden, Dr. Fairchild compared Simpson to naturalists John Muir and JohnBurroughs: “… like them … he had gathered about him all kinds of trees and plants, which he loved tohandle and classify and study. His charming personality and unfailing generosity towards everyone whocame for information or plants made his place a rendezvous.”

Sadly, The Sentinels is gone. But Charles Torrey Simpson’s memory lives on in his body ofwork and in the City of Miami Simpson Hammock Park & Charles Torrey Simpson MemorialGarden Center.

Dr. Fairchild and the ‘Sage of Biscayne Bay’ at The Sentinelsby Janet Mosely

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Simpson and Fairchild inspecting aRavenala madagascariensis atThe Sentinels, Little River, Florida.March 1924.

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Featuring works by:

CHIHULY • DI SUVERO • GAINER • KUSAMAMARTIN • RODRIGUEZ-CASANOVA • YOUNGBLOOD

With support from: the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the Gagosian Gallery, the Paula Cooper Gallery, Spacetime C.C., Diario Las Americas, TheMiami Herald, Lin Lougheed, Aaron I. Fleischman, Adrienne Arsht, Evelyn Langlieb Greer and Bruce Greer, David and Renée McKee, the Clinton Family

Fund, the City of Coral Gables, the Cowles Charitable Trust the Miami-Dade County Tourist Development Council, the Miami-Dade County Department ofCultural Affairs, the Cultural Affairs Council, the Mayor and the Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners.

G A G O S I A N G A L L E R Y

G A G O S I AI A N G A L L E R YL E R Y

With the support of

ARTAT FAIRCHILD

The extraordinary pairing of art and nature

Yayoi Kusama, Guidepost to the New Space, 2009. Photo by Benjamin F. Thacker.

through May 30, 2010


Non-ProfitOrganizationU. S. Postage

PAIDMiami, FloridaPermit No. 155

Printed on recycled paper that contains10% post-consumer waste, usingvegetable-based ink and is FSC certified.Please pass this magazine on or recycle it.

food garden& festivalAT FAIRCHILD

Featuring the 31st Annual Spring Plant Sale Saturday and Sunday | April 24 - 25, 2010

9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Presented by:

Tropical Garden Spring 2010

Documents

Transcript of Tropical Garden Spring 2010