tree native to the Florida Keys and parts of the
West Indies and can stand up to extreme heat.
However, its habit is open and irregular, and the
more vocal residents of Coral Springs tend to
prefer central leaders and uniformity. "They con-
sider Bahama strongbark unattractive. I tried
planting them in cul-de-sacs where they're not that
visible, but people still complained," she says.
Those in similar climates who want to try Bahama
strongbark should site it in partial shade; as
a mid-canopy,
ecotonal species, it prefers not
to have full sun exposure. Because it mostly
comes from the limestone soils of rockland
hammocks of the Florida Keys, it can tolerate
the high-pH soils of the built environment.
Cinnamon bark (Canella winterana) is a very attrac-
tive tree that can reach 29 feet (8.4 m) in South
Florida. It comes from a similar ecosystem as the
Bahama strongbark and shares its ability to grow
in high-pH soil. "The challenge I'm having with
trees [like the short-statured Cinnamon bark] is
that anything I install in medians has to be trained
to have a standard/center leader and a minimum
trunk clearance," Alzate says. "This is not easy to
find when I am trying to use uncommon species
and still comply with landscape design standards."
Alzate has also noticed that with cinnamon bark
and other trees that are not commonly used
in urban settings, there can be problems in the
nursery production stage that need to be worked
out. For instance, girdling roots can result from
trees being left in a pot too long—something
that can be due to low demand for the more
uncommon species. In a climate where trees grow
so quickly, this is a production tightrope that is
understandably challenging for nurseries to walk.
The native woody plants that Alzate is having
the most success with in her trials, particularly in
tight and difficult urban conditions are, perhaps
counterintuitively, evergreens.
Simpson's stopper,
also known as twinberry (Myrcianthes fragrans),
can reach 20 feet (6.1 m) tall; it has been shining
Two views of a narrow buffer/swale area along a major arterial road where there are significant hardscape conflicts—
overhead power and communication lines, concrete poles, indexing signs, and adjacent parking area—planted out with
Eagleston hollies (Ilex × atteneuata 'Eagleston') and a hedge of the native Florida privet (Forestiera segregata).
38 CityTREES
