After reading and following this thread and hearing about this meeting for months, I had positive anticipation towards how it would be a great plant event. There was total excitement surrounding the auction and even though I am not a Croton person, it was quite obvious in the months leading up to it. I noticed the 'itching desire' in the fanatics that could not wait for that new and spectacular cultivar to come up for bid. The meeting was a huge success and everyone in attendance collectively had a wonderful time.
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April 25th, 8:15AM - Since the meeting and tour technically started at "Sunrise" and the auction started at 10:30AM, it was up to each attendee as to when they would arrive. Travis and I arrived a little past eight and thinking we were early, were not surprised to find diehards already here. The first group was touring the yard when I took this photo of Ron's plant filled entry way. You can see the tour group between the Spindle Palm on the left and the Royal Palm trunk near center.
- 8:16AM - Ron's collection consists of distinct specimens of note -- too numerous to mention in a single topic as his collection spans numerous plant families grown over many years. One such specimen that is impossible to ignore is the
Ae-Ae Banana, Musa × paradisiaca 'Ae-Ae'. Still considered very rare to this day, this highly variegated hybrid banana have driven collectors to the brink of madness for over a century. It is very hard to find, difficult to propagate, and troublesome to grow. Ron had solved that puzzle a while ago. Even with this info, plant people can't help but want one.
- I bet the non-palm people at the meeting thought this was a Queen Palm, but they would be incorrect. To the left of Ron's entrance gate resides this long established
Acrocomia aculeata, complete with its organized rows of trunk spines.
- Out in front of Manny's house, Ron's very gracious neighbor, Ron had set up a display of plants to point out the location of the plant drop-off area.
Ryan