Sawfish Active in Edison Cove
Have you ever spotted a sawfish in the Edison cove? Staff report each sighting to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC), who carefully monitor and study these rare and spectacular animals.
After a recent series of sightings, FWC staff came to get a closer look and perform research on-site– see the images below for more information.
Did you know?
- Many species of sawfish are endangered or critically endangered.
- While sawfish have “fish” in their name, and swim similarly to sharks, they are actually rays!
Third Annual Edison Ford Butterfly Count
With a forecast calling for thunderstorms, 37 intrepid butterfly counters headed out on June 10, 2019 to four locations in Lee County to volunteer for Edison Ford’s third North American Butterfly Association’s July 4th Butterfly Count. The July 4th Count can be conducted anytime in June or July and the results of the count are analyzed by NABA to detect trends in butterfly populations throughout the continent.
Luckily, the weather cooperated and the five teams at Edison Ford, Lakes Park, Rotary Park and Powell Creek Preserve spotted over 380 butterflies between 10 am and noon. Many volunteers were very new to butterfly identification but with good camera work and a few trusted identification books, the teams were able to identify most of their findings. Monarch and gulf fritillary were spotted by each team but the most frequently recorded butterfly was the white peacock. An amazing 78 were seen by one of the two teams at Lakes Park. Viceroys were seen only at Powell Creek Preserve and Rotary Park was the only location to have black swallowtail, Phaon crescent, pipevine swallowtail and common buckeye spotted that morning. For the complete list, see below.
If you’d like to participate in next year’s count, be sure to watch our website and Facebook page for details when they are announced in spring 2020. To find other butterfly counts in Florida and beyond, visit NABA’s website. To practice your Southwest Florida butterfly identification skills, consider joining our Facebook group here.
Is It a Yellow Poinciana or a Yellow Poinciana?
June is one of the best months for enjoying flowering trees in Southwest Florida. The royal poincianas and jacarandas are in bloom and several trees with yellow flowers are also showing off. In the last post, we talked about the golden shower tree and its bright yellow blooms. Today we’ll introduce the yellow flame tree, Peltophorum dubium, sometimes called the yellow poinciana and the copperpod, Peltophorum pterocarpum, which is also sometimes called the yellow poinciana. These are not to be confused with the yellow poinciana, Delonix regia var. flavida, which is actually a cultivar of the royal poinciana but with, you guessed it, yellow flowers.
As you can see, referring to a plant by its common name can create confusion, especially if you’re looking to purchase one! Both P. dubium and P. pterocarpum look similar from afar. Up close, P. dubium has yellow flower buds and P. pterocarpum has rust-colored buds, leading to its copperpod common name. You can even see the copper color in the flowers of P. pterocarpum while P.dubium’s flowers are solid yellow. Whether this distinction could be used to tell the trees apart everywhere, we don’t know, but it is certainly evident on the trees around the Edison Ford. Peltophorum dubium is native to this hemisphere (but not the U.S), while P. pterocarpum is native to the tropics in the Eastern Hemisphere. Both have tiny leaves and are considered great shade trees for large areas away from houses and sidewalks. Both grow fast in southwest Florida and P. dubium is a bit more cold tolerant, surviving as far north as Orlando. For more information on Peltophorum trees in south Florida, visit here.
If you’re looking for a flowering tree for your landscape, visit our Garden Shop and talk with our garden experts about the best trees for your yard. Not all flowering trees will get big – there are some you can even keep in a pot if you need to!
Blooming Now: Golden Shower Tree
If you’ve driven through a Fort Myers neighborhood recently, you’ve probably spotted trees with bright yellow flowers. This time of year, it could be the golden shower tree, Cassia fistula, or the yellow flame tree, Peltophorum dubium that you’ve seen. In this post, we’re going to focus on the golden shower tree and will talk about the yellow flame tree in next week’s post.
The golden shower tree is probably native to tropical Asia, but its exact origins are uncertain. The flower is the national flower of Thailand. Like a lot of cassias, the golden shower tree can grow quickly and will usually reach about 40 ft in height. It is somewhat drought tolerant but will drop its leaves at least once a year, particularly when it is blooming in spring and early summer. It prefers full sun. After blooming, the tree produces long seed pods that contain a seed toxic to most mammals.
If you’d like to see a tree up close, stop by the Edison Ford property and park in our small lot off Larchmont Ave close to McGregor Blvd. You’ll see a fairly young golden shower tree just past the royal poinciana that was featured in this post. Our Garden Shoppe sells many kinds of flowering trees, including the golden shower tree, so stop by our outdoor store any day from 9 am to 5 pm to check out our inventory.
For more information on how to care for the golden shower tree in southwest Florida, click here.
Planning the Perfect Bridal Shower
The summer of 2019 is here and many of you may be just months away from matrimony. Couples are usually amazed by how quickly time flies by and excited to start the next chapter of life with love.
You’ve probably started developing your registry, picking out wedding invitations, and making the final selections on decorations. All of the planning is coming together. Luckily, there is one part of the wedding you don’t have to plan – the bridal shower!
WHERE AND WHEN
It’s a tradition for bridesmaids and the maid-of-honor to organize and host the bridal shower, but anyone can take on the responsibilities. It is a great opportunity for family and close friends to gather under one roof with some delicious food and celebrate.
THE VENUE
The Edison and Ford Winter Estates is the perfect venue for a beautiful outdoor wedding or even a bridal shower. With historic homes, romantic gardens, and spectacular river views, there is something to offer every couple.
THE ACTIVITIES
Here are some suggested shower activities for guests to do while sipping champagne and tasting delicious desserts.
When guests enter the party, they can be given a strand of beads and simple instructions, such as “every time you say the word ‘bride’ or ‘wedding,’ someone can steal your beads.” Whoever ends up with the most strands at the end of the shower, wins! Of course, you may lose your strand within minutes of setting foot in the building!
Other fun games include a bridal crossword puzzle or a word un-scrambler. In between games and opening presents, guests can eat some great food. It can be the most perfectly relaxed afternoon!
Your registry is probably full of necessities for your new home, and most of the bridal shower guests will pick items off the list accordingly; however, beware – some may go “rogue” and buy some off-registry gifts that just may be a perfect addition to your new space!
You’ll be grateful to family and friends for hosting a fun and adorable shower! You’ll just need to find a place to store all of the gifts and start writing thank you notes!
Local Favorite: Poincianas in Full Bloom Now
Have you noticed the bright orange-red flowers adorning many trees in Southwest Florida lately? That’s probably the royal poinciana, Delonix regia, that you’re seeing. Did you know that these trees might have lined our beloved McGregor Boulevard instead of today’s royal palms?
Soon after Thomas Edison purchased his Fort Myers property in 1885, he sketched a landscape plan for the grounds, which was bisected by a dusty cattle trail that is now McGregor Boulevard. As you can read on the sketch, he wrote, “Royal Poinciana shade trees both sides of street”. However, royal palms were planted at Edison’s expense starting in 1907. Additional royal palms were planted and currently extend about eight miles along McGregor Boulevard.
Today, Ft. Myers is known as the “City of Palms” but had Edison been able to carry out his original plan, McGregor Boulevard might be lined with royal poincianas instead. Why the change? We don’t know for sure. But one theory is that while the royal poincianas are beautiful in full bloom, they usually drop their leaves during winter and don’t start blooming until late May. Edison and his family typically visited his Ft. Myers home during the winter, right when the royal poincianas look their worst, and he would have returned to New Jersey before the red blooms put on their show in late spring.
The royal poinciana is native to Madagascar, where it is endangered. It is a fast-grower and is accustomed to our poor soils and winter droughts. If you’d like one for your landscape, we have several for sale in our Garden Shoppe. For more info on selecting and caring for a royal poinciana, visit this page created by the scientists at UF/IFAS. If you don’t have room for a large tree, consider the dwarf poinciana, which matures to 15 ft in height. We carry the dwarf poincianas in our Garden Shoppe as well. If you’re thinking of adding a flowering tree to your yard, be sure to attend our Flowering Trees Class this Saturday, June 8. More info on the class is here.
