You're right. They are ferns!

so were the ferns attached to the palm intentionally?

It is possible for ferns to grow on palm trees like that, especially in a humid climate. But people do also put them on deliberately. You'd probably need to ask them if they did.

There are numerous ferns that naturally grow in the boot pocket of palm

fronds and on various palm types. Here in Central Fl. in wild woods I've seen

and had on my own property: Resurrection Fern, Boston type fern, bear paw

fern, and several others. And yes if the conditions are right you can put

little ferns in the pockets and they will collect organic matter and water

and survive.

I love resurrection fern. I tried to take a fallen limb that had some on it and mount it in the house, but it died, even though I misted it like I should have. They don't like being houseplants.

I have a rabbit's foot fern someone who was moving gave to me. It was huge, but I don't have enough shade for it, so it's not so pretty anymore. Only part of it has survived. I'm going to try to put it into a basket and keep it in the house. Hopefully, it will be o.k.

My neighbor's palm had volunteer ferns start growing in the Vs after hurricane charley. I got fern too after the storm but mine started growing in the crack of concrete between the porch and house foundation and is now a big patch by the hose.

I've got some on a palm but they were there when I bought the place. Don't know whether it was a DIY or they were put there by someone.

Those photos are things of beauty. In the SF bay area I've seen Coprosma repens on CIDP and Brazilian pepper (Schinus) shrubby seedlings on Phoenix dactylifera. Too dry here for lush ferns.

Shoot,hobbyists try hard to hook up misting systems and all the rest in the yard to get the plant on tree jungle look. Platycerium,Tillandsia's and Broms are good if watered all summer on the host.

This is very common in St. Pete. Most commonly it's Boston fern but sometimes there's other ferns mixed in too. It happens naturally but some landscapers intentionally put them in all of the palms of the landscape. I have some which appeared years ago all on their own in the crotch of a large tree in my yard. Some of my neighbors have other things planted intentionally in the trees, even agaves, and dracaenas, aloe and Christmas cactus.

Florida Joe, are you on a bay so that your area is 10a?

in so FL, specifically Miami area which is now z11 I see ferns in palms all the time. I also saw palms in people gardens planted with small orchids intermixed with small ferns - it looks fantastic!

On a bay? No. I'm going by the USDA. St. Pete is zone 10a not 9b. I think part of it is because it's coastal, part of it is because the Pinellas peninsula is practically surrounded by water and so it's well insulated. During cold fronts our lows are often as much as 8 degrees higher than Tampa, They're higher than Sarasota and often even higher than places further south than that.

Miami is now zone 11? Wow! I hadn't heard that yet. I thought only the Keys were. For some reason I thought Miami was a 10. They get occasional light frosts there right?

Is that USDA Map still accurate today almost 2019 when its from 2012?

Now need to research all this lol

I think only very coastal parts of Miami like Miami Beach are considered zone 11.

yes, its only coastal, not sure how far inland, less then a mile perhaps. But it's not just Sobe, it's mainland too. I have a map saved somewhere. though I can't find it online at the moment. i'll search my files. the 11a was extending along the coast to Boca I think...you need to remember that gulfstream is just off shore here, warming things up..and the waters are above normal recently, so..

30min south of Mia is Redlands/Homestead agricultural area. they grow west-indies avos and mango's and all sorts of tropical fruit. I see papayas and avos and star-fruit hanging off the trees on So Miami Ave 1 block from the bay ;).

Thanks for the info. With global warming and the oceans becoming warmer and warmer its not surprising that a the coastlines would get bumped up on the climate maps.

Starfruit isn't all that tropical. I have Starfruit and Longan in my gh that I only heat if it gets down to 32F . They are both in the front by the door in pots where it is drafty. They do pretty well and I get fruit from them. My papayas dont usually make it through the winter in my gh so I think they like it warmer.

how about rambutan? or passion fruit? :) I am not that knowledgeable about specific fruits, yet ;)! but I know they are growing all kinds of special varieties of mango's, for example, in Redlands. there are gigantic plantations there..and I think 'the green market business' is getting more active. lots of good tropical produce.

I've been coming here to Mia for winter for many years, and it's getting warmer and warmer. last Feb was 77-82F for most of the month. and really in the past 5 years not lower then 47F for may be a few nights only. most lows around 56F may be? and in homestead will be higher.

zones change map. but you can't see much of detail to see coastal So FL. and it does not show z11 either..but z10 clearly expanded north.

it's a mystery..i remember being surprised when I saw 11 . it was sev years back. but no luck so far finding it ;(

Why are the zone changes in bands back east? It sort of looks like the American Flag!

Here in the bay area- a dot on a national map,i've seen Hayward go from Z9A TO 10A//B in my lifetime. Of course its a huge metro area and urban warming is added to the GW.

One thing about here? Most of the change is lack of deep cold waves..the days don't seem to rise as much as the lows have over the decades. What grows outdoors here was just a dream in the 70's....even early 90's.

bands denote changes over the period: yellowish is no change. pinkish 1 degree..

that seems to be a small change in 25 years.

but why in bands? that's a mystery .

if you look at colored zones map on the bottom - there is a big movement of zones though..how can this account for 1 degree change?

I'm no expert on rambutan but I think it is more tender than lychee or longans.

Passiflora has many varieties. Some are definitely tropical. A few are very hardy. Many are subtropical, liking zone 9 etc.

I have a few passies zoned 10 that I have to overwinter in my plant torture chamber aka makeshift greenhouse, for a few months lol.

I would love to live in the Homestead area!

I have 15 little Jackfruit tees in my gh. Last winter they overwintered in there, grown from seed the previous spring. I thought they would die, for sure. They lost all their leaves but they grew back just fine. This fall, a few flowered. They are back in the gh now probably will be leafless again lol. I would like to try a mangosteen. I buy jackfruit and rambutan from our local farmer's market but I am sure they are shipped up here from down south somewhere. I also have a miracle fruit but I don't think they are really tropical.

I have a hard time keeping cacao trees alive in the gh overwinter. They resent the dry heater and also if it falls under 40F.

It's very encouraging to hear that jackfruit can regenerate after being completeltey defoliated.

I wondered the same thing and found this link. We have 3 Canary island date palms growing outside the back door of our new place in The Keys.

The are rife with fern looking leaves. Well, that's because they're ferns--apparently--that live in some kind of symbiotic relationship with palm trees.

It's odd. Several neighbors and the resort where I work have the same species of palm and no ferns. And, from the photos I've seen while researching the subject, it looks like many different species of fern grow on palms. Very curious...