Palms Are the Poodles of Trees

Palms are the poodles of trees – tufts of fronds at the end of slender stems.I wish I could claim that thought as my own, but I read it somewhere so long ago I cannot remember the source.


They are useless for shade. Queen palms and several other varieties drop nuts that are remarkably fertile, causes sprouts everywhere that must be weeded. When the nuts are especially thick, they ferment, creating a odorous, slick paste that must be carried away. Only the coconut palm provides a useful fruit.




I am fascinated by the palms in front of this church complex on Federal Highway (U.S. 1) in Fort Lauderdale. The palms perfectly mirror the steep slopes of the roof. It was gray out, from the bands of hurricane Ike circulating in the Gulf of Mexico off the Florida coast. I experimented with different lighting effects on these shots.