Glad you enjoyed your trip!
I live in North FL, not South, but even in So FL, you have to go to more "specialty" nurseries to find the more unusual palms. Home Depot is Home Depot wherever it is!

I had to respond to your posting as I had a very similar experience. I was just about stopping at every Home Depot from Boca Raton to Key West, looking for real exotics. As beautiful as the palms were though, I could just about purchase every one of them at the local HD even in the middle of winter. I was searching for Sabals (you know, the STATE tree of Florida and S. Carolina). NOT a one, one nursery told me they don't trouble themselves with them because of their slow rate of growth--even in the subtropics. My only "exotic" acquisitions down there were the Sea Grape and Traveler's Palm (both non-palms). HD's all over sell the fastest growers--thus the forests of areca palm, Chinese fans, etc. Still, I love South Florida.

I read this forum because I am amazed at the lengths people go through to buy palms and make them thrive in zones that are cold. As far as HD, Lowes, and Wallyworld, we get plants that thrive in the north such as tulips which bloom all of 20 minutes here, maybe. I don't know whether these big box stores just order what the people buy or do people buy whatever's there. However, in this area-SW Florida there are clubs for groups of plants and they have regular sales so you can go to a Bromeliad sale put on by the Bromeliad club etc they put out signs and a notice in the newspaper. In addition to club members, there are usually commercial vendors there too. So the next time you visit Florida, you might want to take a look in the local newspaper and see if one of those clubs is having a sale.

I will have to agree with bihai. HD only sell the 'common' stuff. You gotta got to the specialty nurseries to get the rarities. Then you end up spending not only the day there but you dip into your grandkids inheritance. (I speak from experience) :)

Thanks barbcoleus. A great idea indeed! People in the great white north do go to great lengths to buy palms and make them thrive in zones that are cold. When you live as far north as I do, having a taste of the tropics helps get you through the Winter blah's!! What better way then to look at a beautiful palm tree, sip on some Margaritas and limbo in your living room :)

Barb you are so right. The tulips and other like flowers started coming out about 2 weeks ago, and are already out of bloom! I saw a lady carrying a pot of them out to her car and they were already fully open, almost PAST fully open! I mean, why waste $10??

We are having our big yearly Garden Festival here last weekend in March, I hope some of the good South FL vendors come back again! We have been able to attract more and more SO FL vendors with more and more unusual plants over the past 4-5 years. Its always so much fun. I am after another bamboo palm for a spot I have in mind in the yard (I could get that at any time but feel I will get a much better price at the festival) and who knows what else may pop up!