Weekly Photo Challenge: Unusual

Our plant identification final is looming, so today I spent a fair amount of time organizing classnotes and making a study outline. While reviewing Palm Trees–specifically the Syagrus romanzoffianum–I noticed something unusual (besides the name! 😉 ) Before I show you, let me share a little more info.

Syagrus romanzoffianum, aka Queen Palm, isn’t native to Florida, but it IS ubiquitous! They grow fast and easy, reaching heights of up to 50′ with glossy feathery fronds creating canopies half as wide as the trees are tall. They are durable and cold tolerant but better still, they tolerate drought. The one in my yard was too tall for a good “close-up” but two younger (and shorter!) specimens thrive in the vacant lot next door, one of which “posed” so I could show you this:

Unusual looking fruit/drupe

Isn’t that an unusual looking spike?!? Last fall it was covered with creamy white flowers! After pollination, green berry-like fruits formed, and matured over the next few months into the fleshy orange 2″ drupes you see in the picture above.

I must confess, before gardeners’ training, my awareness of the word “drupe” ended at it being a homophone 🙄 If you need a definition, click this!

Nature is full of the unusual, I hope you enjoyed this one example!

Until next time……

😀