Here's the top of Florida's cabbage palm. Standing next to it is the strangler fig.
The cabbage palm is leaning slightly over the edge of the Inland Waterway at Nokomis Beach. Water is eroding the sand away from its short outer roots. Despite the existence of a few, long (10-15 feet) central roots, the tree is in danger of falling into the water.
The cabbage palm is leaning slightly over the edge of the Inland Waterway at Nokomis Beach. Water is eroding the sand away from its short outer roots. Despite the existence of a few, long (10-15 feet) central roots, the tree is in danger of falling into the water.
Now, look at this... The strangler fig has wrapped its roots around the palm. No danger of falling into the water now!
Go on Bud's Nokomis Beach walk. The story is better when he tells it.P.S. Don't the cabbage palm's outer roots look like the tunicates(?) below.