In Memory of Joe Michael
Joe Michael died in October. An original member of the Central Florida palm chapter and an early recruit to what is now the International Palm Society., his earliest palm plantings date to the late '50's [result of an epiphanic visit to Miami's Fairchild Garden] at the Indian River County home he shared with Anne and their children.
My entree to their idyllic location was the meeting in May 1989, part of a two day palm event arranged by FIT's Jerry Keuper. Likely I would have already seen such exotics as Corypha and Borassus at Fairchild, but to see them and much else succeeding in the tundra of central Florida was inspirational to all present.
At the time of this meeting only one of Joe's two Borassus aethiopum plants was mature. By the time of their next hosting in March '94 [ again part of a two day palm extravaganza], however, the other had come on-line, and the heavily-shaded area at the base of the then perhaps 45 foot-tall female plant was replete with strap-leafed seedlings. I recall also that numerous old seeds were on the ground: though they were likely no good didn't stop many of us, with Joe's blessing, from collecting - "rear ends and elbows".
Not long afterwards the '94 crop of fruits came down, which Joe had arranged through Ed Hall to donate to chapter members. Though this distribution, along with seeds of Bismarckia and Hyphaene, was made without charge, it marked the beginning of the chapter's seed bank as several recipients made monetary donations. Over the years Joe's seeds have added many thousands to the chapter treasury. Quite apart from the income aspect - Bo seeds then as now fetched $3 each - Joe's was, following 1992's Hurricane Andrew, likely the only domestic source of Borassus for years.
Another important service he provided us was the hour-by-hour compilation of weather conditions during 1989's record, three-day, Christmas freeze, the worst by far that he had experienced, and the subsequent damage report to his palm collection. Although the micro climate created by their extensive frontage on the Indian River Lagoon normally precludes serious cold injury to plants, this was then not the case, as he recorded 19 degrees F the first night, 23 the second. In other words it was likely no worse on the mainland side of the lagoon, and not materially worse elsewhere in central Florida, and thus there might be hope for all of us to try to grow the species that survived at his location.
Joseph Wade Michael was 89.
Contributed by Mike Dahme on 10/2007.