NO, NO, NO! I would never trade our decidious trees for palms and other exotics! No fall color, no flowering trees in the spring, no interesting form in the winter?? Unthinkable. And don't forget evergreen trees, which keep our landscape from being completely stark in the winter. To be honest, I don't know how those poor Floridians do it.

We lived in Texas for eight years, and I so missed the change of seasons. It seemed pretty bleak in the winter. But then we lived in Colorado, and would you believe, it was quite ugly in the winter there much of the time.When their was fresh snow, it was beautiful, but the snow would quickly melt where we were, and the semi-arid conditions proved challenging for most homeowners. Instead of celebrating the natives and using xeriscape pinciples, most continued to try and have the mown grass and deciduous trees more prevalent in the midwest.

Back here in Wisconsin, when we have a snowless winter, it gets quite bleak, (like Co often was,) but a winter with normal snow, or even abundant snow, really makes those deciduous trees magnificent! Now, when the Coloradoans landscaped in haromny with their climate, it was spectacular. Garden of the gods was a splendid example. Just breathtaking, snow or no snow!

I think the absence of snow in Florida would make the evergreens more appealing. Yet if a native specimen was pruned into graceful forms, so when there wasn't much color for appeal, there would still be a living sculpture, then deciduous would be appealling. And IMHO, there is no tree more beautiful than a stately live oak. (I do wish I could grow one of those up here.) And those have the wonderful ability to create that magnificent form all on their own. But, they are slow growers and very pricey. A friend, who lives in Miami, spent $300 on a live oak for her front yard. And she could wrap her slender hand around the trunk!! In ten years it's put on some good growth though; she figures it will add value to the property even if she doesn't get to lounge under it's shade. (Unless she wants to move her chair a lot to follow it's puny shadow.) In thirty years it should be pretty good sized. In eighty, magnificent!!

For my city, I vote to keep the deciduous plants. Snow on bare branches is so restful and magical. If we an area with no snow, then sculptural forms, including a ground surface with interest, (besides winter-dead grass!) such as sea shells or decomposed granite, or Colorado's Red Rocks, to carry through the bleak winter.

An interesting theoretical question, since a smattering of palm trees would be unlikely to make Chicago look any less cold in January, and perhaps less so when crowned with eight inches of snow.

I suppose, like with everything, I'd want it all. And since you've forbidden that in your theoretical world, I vote for keeping our customary landscape. I'd really miss the peonies otherwise. Although perhaps that is because I am so less familiar with tropical things. If I start thinking in individual terms, would I trade a hedge of lilacs for a jacaranda, or a redbud for a hardy brugmansia, then I'm not so sure.

Now, if I were to move, I can't imagine that a Florida home shaded by live oaks (or maples, or whatever trees can give that type of canopy) wouldn't be a welcome thing in most people's eyes. I seem to recall walking around some hammocky places in the Everglades and other spots in the upper and mid-Keys that were pretty well-shaded, and how restful that seemed down there. But there is something pretty evocative about a palm tree to my northern eyes.

As a former Florida resident of 19 years I can say one thing. I got very sick of seeing palm trees. Before we moved to Michigan we lived in Loxahatchee (near WBP). I had planted several Live Oaks and Red Maples along with various fruit trees. Palm trees were quickly cut down and there were none to be found on our 1.5 ac. You are absolutly right about the removal of all vegitation then landscaped with palms. It drove me nuts too. Now, northern Fl is another story. While I lived in Gainesville during collage, its like another state compared to S FL. Lots of oaks and other deciduous trees. Once you get past Ocala though natural vegitation quickly disapears though.

This is one of the reasons I left FL. Between Disney and the tourists, the natural beauty of Central and S FL are gone for the most part. Obviously some people like it otherwise it wouldnt be like that. I dont, thats why I lived in Loxahatchee and not Wellington or West Palm Beach.

I've lived here in se Wisconsin all my life. I would much rather have palm trees and other tropicals than deciduous plants. Sure, the couple of weeks we get some beautiful Fall color is really nice, but I would much rather have all the different colors/shapes of exotic plants all winter long.

Kat

Thank You all for your very interesting responses. I think the recurring theme expressed is that variety is the key. But for one reason or another, that variety is absent. I assumed people didn't like the tropicals as much but I later found out there are a lot of people interested in those plants. When I lived out of state, I took the trees for granted (and the architecture too, but that's another story) and when I moved to Florida I was so impressed with the weather and change of scenery that it didn't bother me for a while. Then it got to me. It got to me bad!

Misoilman,
I almost moved to Loxahatchee/ "the acreage" myself. If you had stuck around, you'd have done so well on the sale of your property because everyone decided all of a sudden they wanted to live out there. I wound up moving to Port St. Lucie instead. When you are trying to figure out if an 800 s.f. lime-green concrete bunker on an acre lot is worth $212k and it goes under contract by the time you get done looking at it, that's your first sign that people don't really care what the place looks like. Right now the areas in North Florida you described are pretty nice. I've said too bad there isn't a big city there to live in. But it's probably a good thing there isn't a big city there, come to think of it. We'd destroy it all in no time.

cantstopgardening:
Mature live oaks are literally transplanted mechanically in some subdivisions. I don't really understand what the interest is with them personally. They don't seem to give that much shade but it beats having nothing there. They are evergreen of course.

This has all been very enlightening. Thank You!

The lots are going for ridiculous money these days out there. We built in 1998 and paid 16K for 1.5 ac that was very dry and sandy, no muck. When the Hurricane hit in 98 our road was one of the few that was not under water. When we moved good lots were going for better than 75K. I hear they are over 100K now. It would be interesting to see what it looks like, we moved in the spring of 2002.

Hurricanes or not, I'd take the tropicals over a maple tree.
I have over 400 tropicals/cacti growing in my home..in summer they go outside for a plant vacation I'd give up bulbs for crotons and oleander in a flash..
winter is so very depressing..In summer I'm outside working on plants/gardening..in winter I don't even want to walk out the door.
I even climbed a step up, or maybe down, by planting a Poncirus trifoliate and bansoo musa banana..We'll see if they return once the 'dirty' snow melts and spring arrives. I like wearing shorts and sleeveless shirts, getting tan, and enjoying summers' hot sun. Give me summer anytime, or a place where winter is 2 wks long. Toni

Hi, having just moved from Chicago to Florida, I would like to vote. Of course, I would like both. However, by your rules, it has to be one or the other.
If the choice was decidous or palms, I'd pick decidous. Palms are not that attractive to me.

However, when you throw tropicals into the mix, then that is a different story. Perhaps I will change my mind after living in Florida for a while. But being a person obsessed with flowers, I would vote for the tropicals and palms vs the decidous trees.

I sometimes wish that more tropical plants were hardy here. I would love to have a lemon tree! Still, I would never want to have one at the expense of the color of our sugar maple in the fall, the blooms on the horse chestnuts catalpa and fruit trees in the spring or the giant leaf piles my kids build forts in under the oaks each fall. Yeah, there are days that it looks gray out there. That just makes scanning the branches for fattening buds this time year that much more fun. The kids and I play games on who will spot the first tree with "real leaves". Nope, no way I would give all that up for a palm tree, or a lemon tree for that matter.

I think the shape of a desciduous tree in the winter is a beautiful sight! I love the winter look of these trees especially after a light snow that sticks to the branches. We have our Blue Spruce and other evergreens for year'round green color and I think the variety we have in the midwest far outdoes the tropical areas. You can always grow those tropicals indoors in the winter.

Also, the change of the seasons makes me so much more appreciate the differing colors. The color of spring grass against the back drop of trees just starting to leaf out and early bulbs is just awesome. In the fall when everything is ready for the winter rest, I am too! I really don't think I would enjoy year'round gardening outdoors.

Yeah, I'm responding to an old post.

I ALREADY have a mix of natives and tropicals,but in this theoretical situation, I guess I would go with the tropicals.
My reasoning for this is that I live in a rural mountain area that is mostly national forest anyway, on top of that, residents in this area are extremely un imaginative in regards to landscaping and plants. 80% of yards have the same vegetation.
In other words, I could have my cake and eat it too- I could grow 100% tropicals and yet still be surrounded by the natives I enjoy.

In any case, I prefer having both, Yesterday I walked out in the yard and ate a "tropical" mandarin from one tree, and a "Northern" persimmon from another tree.

I would take palm trees hands down. I'm planting almost exclusively evergreen trees in my yard now (southern magnolias, white pines, hollies) The only exceptions are the mimosas, crape myrtles, and honey locust (which I think looks mildly tropical). Bare trees in the winter is depressing to me.

Green or gold or blue conifers make the winter less stark. With these I do not need palms.

tj

P.S. There's another Green and Gold that makes winter bearable.