Although the live oaks are kind of the iconic southern tree, they aren’t the only trees that grow in this area, by any means. I love their unique patterns of intertwining, curving branches that make each one unique and give them so much character and personality. But again, they aren’t the only trees with interesting character. So for tonight’s tree, I chose the saw palmetto. Although not necessarily as classically ”beautiful” as the southern live oak, the saw palmetto is an important tree in quite a few of the Florida habitats, including the sandhills. Like the oaks, each one is an interesting individual. Some are small, composed of only two or three fronds, while others can get quite large and very dense. This particular tree grows in my front yard. Over the years, I have watched it grow from a few fronds to the size it is now, which is slightly taller than I am. An oak branch fell on it during hurricane Irma, and really badly damaged one side of it, but given time, it regrew into it’s nicely rounded shape of today. Not all saw palmettos are as lucky, and many are odd shaped from previous damage or fires, but they are surprisingly tough and hearty. This is just one of the many reasons I thought that saw palmettos should be represented in this series.