Episode 50: The Cabbage Palm (Florida's state tree)

This week's episode begins by discussing a puzzling decision by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to recommend opening a fishing season on goliath grouper.

Our guest is Jono Miller, author of "The Palmetto Book: Histories and Mysteries of the Cabbage Palm." The Cabbage Palm is Florida's state tree and essential to understanding its history. What makes this tree unique? How has it influenced Florida history? What does it have to do with Elvis and gangsters? We get the lowdown from Jono who you can find online, here.

At the end of the episode, Craig mentioned the Gizella Kopsick Arboretum in St. Petersburg which has examples of every palm species growing on Earth. You can learn more about them here.

This week's episode is presented by Eco-Pathways.com, a Florida company that has developed an engineered material for use in dune walkovers, boardwalks, docks and piers that will stand up to our harsh conditions for decades longer than plain wood or pressurized lumber. Eco-Pathways modular design makes it easy to install and the engineered material doesn't splinter or fade like wood, there are no rusty nails sticking up like wood has, and it doesn't contain the toxic chemicals of pressurized lumber.