Renovations Coming to Friendship Fountain

[PeeJayEss]

Palms have been up for a few weeks now, went by yesterday and there was a crew inside the fountain painting it.  Hopefully they can get this thing done soon.

awesome! More palm trees in this climate that doesn't support them. Does anyone find a row of no-shade-producing palms more appealing than a southern live oak draped in spanish moss? The palm obsession is mind-bottling. This isn't a tropical island. You're not fooling anyone.

[Bativac]

Palms have been up for a few weeks now, went by yesterday and there was a crew inside the fountain painting it.  Hopefully they can get this thing done soon.

awesome! More palm trees in this climate that doesn't support them. Does anyone find a row of no-shade-producing palms more appealing than a southern live oak draped in spanish moss? The palm obsession is mind-bottling. This isn't a tropical island. You're not fooling anyone.

I am inclined to agree with you over the palm tree obsession. This isn't Miami, and Friendship Fountain isn't anywhere near the beach.

Oh well. At least they're fixing the fountain. Right? And tearing up all the pavement to put in grass, right? So some mayor ten years from now can make a big deal about putting in "paved Flex space" around Friendship Fountain to keep from having to maintain the lawn and the trees. (Remember Kids Kampus??)

[Doctor_K]

I agree completely on the whole Palm overdose thing.

But...

Palms are cheaper to buy, and the result you get (of a grown tree in place, aesthetically) is rather instant.  I'm certainly no expert, but I can't imagine oaks transplant too well and take decades to grow to any respectable height/proportions.

Palms are the quick fix in a quick-fix kind of world, IMO.

[BridgeTroll]

Might an abundance of fallen leaves be a problem around a fountain?

[peestandingup]

If you wanna see palm-overdosing, SC has you covered (its the "Palmetto State" after all). Downtown Charleston is ripe with em.

[tufsu1]

Might an abundance of fallen leaves be a problem around a fountain?

there's also the tiny problem of the massive roots oak trees develop

[Cliffs_Daughter]

Might an abundance of fallen leaves be a problem around a fountain?

and a potential problem for the fountain pumps and drains??

[PeeJayEss]

Might an abundance of fallen leaves be a problem around a fountain?

there's also the tiny problem of the massive roots oak trees develop

I'm not recommending they put the thing IN the fountain. Perhaps I should rephrase: "anything but those freakin' palm trees."

[finehoe]

I haven't seen them...are they at least native palms?

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

I haven't seen them...are they at least native palms?

Native Palm??

[wsansewjs]

Oak trees are obsessed with the river banks, so they try to stick out their roots into the river bank. Imagine one planted in that area, and one root hits the river bank. The rest is history.

-Josh

[Cliffs_Daughter]

I haven't seen them...are they at least native palms?

I have a few 'native' palms in my yard they can come and take for free if they want!  Sable palms aren't exactly picturesque.

[Dog Walker]

Palms have been up for a few weeks now, went by yesterday and there was a crew inside the fountain painting it.  Hopefully they can get this thing done soon.

awesome! More palm trees in this climate that doesn't support them. Does anyone find a row of no-shade-producing palms more appealing than a southern live oak draped in spanish moss? The palm obsession is mind-bottling. This isn't a tropical island. You're not fooling anyone.

Sable palms are ABSOLUTELY native to this area and a signature tree species of the Atlantic Gulfstream climate zone we are in as are Live Oaks.

[PeeJayEss]

Sable palms are ABSOLUTELY native to this area and a signature tree species of the Atlantic Gulfstream climate zone we are in as are Live Oaks.

I should qualify myself again. climate does not support...lone palm trees, lined up with nothing but other palm trees, on a road or in a parking lot, in the middle of a lawn, etc etc. The palm trees here belong in diverse coastal forests that are made up of a majority other plants. Putting a palm in a park is about as effective as putting a telephone pole in a park.

[Ocklawaha]

Oaks? Hell if we're looking for a plant that matches the personality of Jacksonville I'd vote for the Giant Saguaro Cactus... Prickly as hell and a growth rate of about 1/2 inch per year, and it'll take 75 years for the first flower to appear... 100 years for the first appendage. If your dumb enough to buy the seeds sold in the desert souvenir shops with the idea that your going to grow this great old cowboy cacti, better let your children's, children's, children, know the plan. Sounds like a plant we could love.

OCKLAWAHA