Botanical Garden Design – Term Paper

Botanical garden design guidelines

Native species

    A native tree species refers to a plant or tree that is indigenous to a given area. Native species occur naturally in a particular climate, and ecosystem and such trees must have existed in a given region for a very long time. Establishing a native species botanical garden is easy and manageable because the trees are naturally occurring in Florida. 

Pindo palm (Butia capital)

    Pindo palm is a tree that is best suited for the cold regions and varies in height, leaf colors, and trunk thickness. Pindo Palm is best suited for a botanical garden in Florida because of their interesting external features and also their variety which can add to the color of the botanical garden. Pindo palm trees have long pinnate leaves that curve towards the ground. The tree has a thick and stout trunk, these beautiful and unique external features makes the Pindo Palm tree beautiful for a botanical garden in Florida because they are native to the climate. The tree is also a good choice for the botanical garden because they are resistant to pests and diseases. The pindo palm trees can be planted on the peripheries of the botanical garden due to their big trunks and also at the middle of the botanical garden in the lawns to provide shade due to their canopy forming leaves. 

Paurotis palm (Acoelorraphe wrightii)

     Paurotis palm is native to Florida, regarding the habitat there are no preferred soil amendments required for the Paurotis palm. The tree, however, requires granular palm fertilizer micronutrients three times a year to increase their beauty and vitality. The Paurotis requires hydrated soils and cannot do well in swampy conditions. The paurotis palm requires well-drained soil, and it is also moderately drought tolerant making it easy to manage and maintain in a botanical garden. Due to their spread, they can be planted in the peripheries of the botanical garden and the trees should be at least three feet apart from each other. 

 Royal Palm (Roystonea regia)

    Royal palm is a tree that is native to South Florida, and it is vast and attractive at the same time. Royal palms are large and can do well in the tropics and the subtropics. The big size of the tree makes them ideal for a botanical garden, but they can only be planted in limited numbers and on the peripheries and the entry of the botanical garden. Royal palms can be situated along the swampy areas of the botanical garden due to their ability to thrive in swampy environments. 

Cabbage palm (Sabal palmetto)

    Cabbage palm is a tree native of Florida and other parts of southern of the United States, and it is commonly found in Florida, and South Carolina including several of this tree in a botanical garden can add to the beauty of the garden due to their beautiful buds. 

Non-native species 

     Non-native species refers to trees that are not indigenous in a specific ecosystem but can grow well in this individual ecosystem due to the good climatic conditions and the similarity of the climate with where the tree naturally occurs. 

Chocho Palm (Astrocaryum mexicannum)

    Choco palm trees are a good choice for a botanical garden in Florida due to the high familiarity between the climate in Florida and the climate in Mexico where the tree naturally occurs. Chocho palms should be situated in the interior of the garden where there is low light and moist soil. The small size of the Choco palm makes it ideal for the middle of the botanical garden. 

Syragrus palm (Syragrus pseudococos)

    These Brazilian palm trees originate from Brazil and are ideal for a botanical garden in Florida due to the close climatical resemblance between Brazil and Florida. The tree should be situated in the outer boundaries of the botanical garden due to its height. 

Silver Bismark palm (Bismarkia Nobilis)

    Silver Bismark tree is native to Madagascar, and it is ideal for a botanical garden due to its colored leaves. The ability of the leaves to spread for fifty feet makes the palm ideal for the central botanical garden location to provide shade. Silver Bismark Palms can grow in Florida due to its temperate climate but will cold during winter after which they can quickly recover. 

Lady Palms (Rhapis excels)

     This palm tree is a native of China, and they are ideal for central locations in a botanical garden due to their size. The palm can do well in Florida because it is favorable to a wide range of climates and soils which will make it easy for the palm to adopt the climate and soil. 

Non-native and native species 

    A mixture of both native and nonnative trees in a botanical garden adds to the beauty of the garden and increases the vitality of the garden. Trees to include in this design include; 

Lady Palms (Rhapis excels), Pindo palm (Butia capitata), Cabbage palm (Sabal palmetto) and Paurotis palm (Acoelorraphe wrightii). 

This list of trees are ideal for a botanical garden in Florida due to their unique appearances and size, the trees different colors and physical size makes them easy to arrange in a botanical garden. Also, the trees can be planted regarding their size convenience and beauty. 

Recommendation

    The non-native and native design is the ideal design for a botanical garden due to its ability to add color and uniqueness to a botanical garden. The different sizes of the palm trees make it easy to choose various positions and also climatical conditions in the botanical garden.