I did manage to get a hold of three 3-gallon Gumbo Limbo through a landscape contractor that I know who had to get them from a nursery down in Homestead, Florida! Although this tree can be found at shell middens along the southern shores of Tampa Bay, their local nursery availability is virtually non-existent, just like their chances are of surviving freezing temperatures north of St. It seems that practically every year that we ordered Sand Post Oak and Sassafras from Superior trees, there was either a crop failure or deer were browsing on them! Procurement of the remaining three species has been more daunting. The next article will discuss the procurement and reintroduction of Tulip Poplar collected from Central Florida specimens more in-depth. In other words, none of the seed sources were from Central Florida.įinally in February 2000, I gathered seed from specimens naturally occurring along the Wekiva River basin in Orange County, Florida, and the success with these locally derived seedlings has been both dramatic and fulfilling. The seed of these trees was gathered in Covington County, Alabama and a parish in Louisiana. There was only one major drawback that did not set well with me in using these bare root seedlings in several instances however. This made planting of the species much more affordable and dramatically added in numbers those being placed back into the environment. was using bare root seedlings of Tulip Poplar grown by Superior Trees nursery of Lee, Florida. donated now stand at approximately 40’ and 25’ in height respectively and are easily seen from the primary wading spring.īy 1995 T.R.E.E. This park has numerous naturally occurring Tulip Poplars exceeding 100’ in height dotted throughout the woods south of Rock Springs Run. Kelly Park north of Apopka, Florida in Orange County. In November 1992 two 3-gallon Tulip Poplars were installed at the southeastern shoreline of the primary wading spring (not the actual springhead of Rock Creek Run itself) at Howard A. Hall credits Pasco County with that honor). These were planted at the McKethan Lake Recreation Area of the Withlacoochee State Forest north of Brooksville, Florida, which contains what is considered to be the southernmost naturally occurring representatives of that species in West Central Florida (although Dr. The first plantings in this program were in February 1991 and consisted of the installation of Tulip Poplar seedlings in 1-gallon containers grown from seed of Gainesville, Florida specimens. The following four species were selected for this initiative: This determination was predicated on the belief that diversity is crucial to the good health and long term sustainability of the forest, and that with the rate of human development, these varieties of trees could become lost forever in this area as they are not commonly planted, available in local nurseries or even recognized or appreciated by most local residents. determined that in addition to reforesting the Tampa Bay region, it would attempt to use varieties of native trees whose northernmost and southernmost natural ranges include this area. Repopulation of the Tulip Poplar in Central Florida Written by William Moriaty, president of TREE The common name comes from the Spanish “goma elemi”, describing the sticky sap.The Tampa Bay Reforestation and Environmental Effort, Inc. Similar Species: The leaves could possibly be confused with Poisonwood ( Metopium toxiferum), but the red-brown flaking bark is quite distinctive.Ĭomments: The bark of Gumbo Limbo is reportedly used as an herbal medicine in the Bahamas, Mexico, and Central and South America to treat skin disorders, and it is steeped to produce a tea to treat various internal maladies. Habitat: Gumbo-Limbo is an important canopy tree in hammocks and is widely planted in south Florida as a very attractive ornamental. Leaves: Alternate, once-compound, with 3 to 9 ovate to elliptic leaflets with sharp pointed apices.īark: Copper-colored, with green undertones, flaky smoother on some specimens.įlowers: Small, white, in clusters along the branches spring to summer.įruits: Green to reddish brown, three-sided, to 1 cm, with a single white seed inside a red fleshy covering held in open, short clusters along the branches from fall to winter.
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