Karelia Martinez Carbonell
Martinez Carbonell is the president of the Historic Preservation Association of Coral Gables
“They paved paradise to put up a parking lot” Joni Mitchell
Are palm trees going the way of extinction? Are we paving paradise? Is Joni Mitchell’s angst back in 1970 still an issue today?Sadly, yes. Just recently, a new development in Coral Gables was given the go ahead by the Commission to remove over 90 trees, mostly palms. Some of the comments at that Commission meeting were disparaging of palm trees. Comments such as “they are not important”, ‘they are not significant”, “palm trees have no redeemable value” and so forth. Understanding that tree mitigation is not an easy task nor a cheap endeavor, I did not need a palm reading to unlock the future of palm trees.
This piece will focus on bringing attention and appreciation to our disappearing palm trees. The trees that define our tropical paradise are being removed to make way for new construction. Palms are becoming more and more disposable just because they are not considered as “environmentally friendly” as other tree specimens. How ironic. According to a recent Yale University study, “The buildings and construction sector accounts for nearly 40% of energy-and process-related carbon dioxide emissions. The sector also has significant impacts on deforestation, habitat destruction, and species extinction.”
It is time to stop dismissing and start considering the seriousness of the environmental catastrophic effects of demolitions, new construction, and the continued loss of green space and urban canopy. This is a real issue not theory. Bottom line? Let’s preserve what is already built along with protecting our natural habitats and ecosystems.
“Alexander Palms in the ‘Hood.” [Photo credit: KM Carbonell]
Palms are in danger, not a danger to the environment
Palms belong to the Arecaceae family of perennial, flowering plants in the monocot order Arecales. Those having a tree-like form are called palm trees. Currently, 181 genera with around 2,600 species are known, most of which are restricted to tropical and subtropical climates.
Palms may not be great at carbon sequestration, but chopping them down is not the answer. The cities of West Palm Beach and Miami Beach are not removing their palms, which are an iconic part of the tropical landscape. These cities are adding more trees to better handle changing climate conditions. According to Miami Beach’s tree planting initiatives, “palms, an iconic part of Miami Beach’s landscape, are a major component of the city’s urban forest.”
Palms play a significant role in our ecosystem: from bluejays to egrets to owls to parrots to woodpeckers
Every palm tree is different and unique and they provide important homes for various types of birds. Palm trees offer a safe place to build nests, and also provide food sources, such as nectar and insects, which help sustain the natural ecosystem and avian population. The dense foliage of palm trees offer privacy and shelter from the weather. There are several types of birds that build their nests in palm trees. And are we not the beneficiaries of having such chirping neighbors? Types of palm-loving feathered-friends include:
1. vibrant and social parrots and parakeets love to perch in groups;
2. industrious woodpeckers create living spaces in the trunk of palm trees;
3. sweet doves and pigeons have a preference for nesting in palm trees as the trees provide excellent coverage with their dense fronds;
4. owls*
love to create nests in secluded spaces on leafy palm trees;
5. egrets and herons build nests in the upper branches where the elevated position offers a great vantage point for protection;
6. and many other colorful songbirds [or passerines] such as blue jays, redstarts, grackles and cardinals that take advantage of the tree’s nectar and fruit as a food source.
“Bluejay Sings the Blues.”
[Photo credit: KM Carbonell]
“Woody Woodpecker.”
[Photo credit: KM Carbonell]
A “City Beautiful” with verdant tree-lined streets of majestic palms
Officially incorporated in April 1925, the City of Coral Gables celebrates 99 years as a “City Beautiful” with verdant tree-lined streets of majestic palms, landscaped lawns, and canopied boulevards. Several varieties of palms such as Medjool, Bismark, and Alexander create an elegant oasis throughout the city’s residential and commercial areas. George Merrick was so enamored with the beauty of the palms, he wrote his famous poem Song of the Wind on a Southern Shore as a homage to the “ripple of fronds of the coconut palms.”
Coral Gables has been acknowledged as a “Tree City USA” by the Arbor Day Foundation for more than three decades.
“Palms Picture Perfect: From ‘Morn to ‘Nite.” [Photo credit: KM Carbonell]
Let’s be grateful for palm trees
I urge all to appreciate, preserve, and protect our unique tree-lined streets including our unique palm trees that enhance Merrick’s “City Beautiful” tenets. Contrary to comments above, palm trees are important, palm trees are significant, and palm trees have redeemable value. Many bird species rely on palm trees for nesting and foraging. Increasing urbanization significantly reduces their natural habits. So next time one hears those wild birds sing, let’s take a moment and be grateful for palm trees.
*A Girl Scout project regarding the owl population in Coral Gables was unanimously approved by the Commission on July 9 2024.
Great article. Thank u for your insights & attention to this matter. Especially as palms are totally representative of Florida — the Sabal Palm is our state tree after all. Here in S Florida, I recall going to the beach on Key Biscayne as a child & looking for shade under one. And in Miami Beach, they are a welcome sight as we enter from the causeway & as they lead us to more palms in the landscape of gorgeous houses. And do u recall those tall regal ones by the picnic area and water at Deering Estate? In Coral Gables, we can find all kinds of species at Matheson Hammock & Fairchild Gardens among our other parks & gardens. And how about all those pictured in those treasured hand colored vintage postcards of lovely houses & gardens in our City Beautiful? Our downtown and business district look similarly elegant with majestic tall palms down both Alhambra and Ponce. So indeed let’s not pave paradise in our city and in our residential areas and let us appreciate & save our palms, just as George Merrick intended. Thank u again Karelia.
A song written in 1914 (and popularized by Al Jolson and the Mills Brothers in 1948) continues to underlie the brand identity of Coral Gables. “Down Among the Sheltering Palms” romanticized America’s sub-tropics at a time when the natural landscape was a major selling point. Then, as now, native palm trees were an iconic feature of The City Beautiful, not only for their aesthetic value, but for their role in the area’s coastal ecosystem.
So the development of a new real estate project in the City — architecturally stunning as it may
be — has apparently resulted in the on-site loss of over 90 trees (mostly palms) and the consequent degradation of our natural environment. Coral Gables is known for its lush urban canopy and gardens both public and private. The disappearance of our sheltering palms — the literal de-greening of the Gables — does irreparable harm and makes The City Beautiful…well less beaufiful.
Great article. Thank u for your insights & attention to this matter. Especially as palms are totally representative of Florida — the Sabal Palm is our state tree after all. Here in S Florida, I recall going to the beach on Key Biscayne as a child & looking for shade under one. And in Miami Beach, they are a welcome sight as we enter from the causeway & as they lead us to more palms in the landscape of gorgeous houses. And do u recall those tall regal ones by the picnic area and water at Deering Estate? In Coral Gables, we can find all kinds of species at Matheson Hammock & Fairchild Gardens among our other parks & gardens. And how about all those pictured in those treasured hand colored vintage postcards of lovely houses & gardens in our City Beautiful? Our downtown and business district look similarly elegant with majestic tall palms down both Alhambra and Ponce. So indeed, let’s not pave paradise in our city and in our residential areas and let us appreciate & save our palms, just as George Merrick intended. Thank u again Karelia.
News flash. We live in a subtropical area. Palms are part and parcel of the tropics and subtropics and help to distinguish Coral Gables and South Florida from the rest of the nation. I am an oak tree lover as well, but believe that palms do a much better job of creating a tropical landscape. When visitors arrive in South Florida I suspect that very few of them comment upon our oaks or other hardwoods. They do, however, always marvel at the palms. Keep the palms in our tropical landscape or we’ll end up looking like Cleveland.
I enjoy palm trees and coconuts. I do not like how dangerous they can be to those unfamiliar with them. The palm fronds from a 40 foot royal palm on the hood of your car or barrel tile roof is sure to cause damage. Moreover, most ornamental palms in loose soil will tople without notice with too much rain and a little wind. Get familiar with FS 163.045 as it restores homeowners a right to remove ANY tree found by an arborists report to be dangerous to people or structures. We do need more banana trees…
Palm trees are over rated. They don’t add much, if any actual canopy coverage, so the sun still gets down to the ground and heats the Earth and the humans on it. Sure, they are pretty, but honestly, they don’t do much in a practical sense. Birds make nests in all types of trees, as well as roof eaves, fences and anywhere they find safe. It’s easier for a hawk to pick off a baby bird in a scrawny palm than say a Live Oak. Speaking of Live Oaks, they are what the City needs more of. They are hearty, provide great shade and their roots wont tear up everything like a Banyan (fig) tree. So, thank you for speaking for the trees, but the effort should really be to install more of the right kind of trees..and allow residents to remove dangerous trees like Mahogany trees with their missile like seeds and Black Olive trees with their city and car staining droppings.
Thank you for your comments. Palm trees with their flowers are also urban hosts to thousands of bees.
Thank you, Karelia, for your thoughtful article!
Palms are indeed an important part of Coral Gables’ image, allure and overall aesthetic.
Palms do indeed sequester carbon; any photosynthesizing plant does. The bigger the plant, the more carbon it has sequestered.
However, there is a popular misconception that ornamental street tree planting has a significant carbon sequestration effect. Compared to the 360 million gallons of gasoline the US burns ever day, street tree plantings are a drop in a big bucket.