Collecting Trees in South Florida

evmibo

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I have 10 empty anderson flats looking at me. I have thought about trespassing :eek: several times but my conscience always gets the best of me... I'm talking about anywhere south of Tampa. Mostly bald cypress, buttonwood, american elm.

Have you collected in south Florida? I've called several places about collection permits and they seem to not exist in this state (although I see that this is possible in some parks out west).

I spoke with D. Robinson about it a couple years ago while in Seattle, but I'm wondering if there's a select few here in the state that have. I'm looking to pick your brain a bit, if possible.
 
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Poink88

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Easiest way I know is find & get permission from a private land owner.
 

carp

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Buttonwood is protected and illegal to collect. Bald Cypress are generally found in protected wet lands. American Elm, its just the wrong time of year.

Worst case scenario, you can actually face jail time if you get stopped by a game warden, or the FWC. Best case scenario of being stopped, they will make you put the trees back and they will die. Most likely outcome, you will be fined a heavy fee and face potential trespassing charges, also made to put the trees back where they will die.

That being said, nothing is illegal if you don't get caught, but check your morality.
 

markyscott

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I have 10 empty anderson flats looking at me. I have thought about trespassing :eek: several times but my conscience always gets the best of me... I'm talking about anywhere south of Tampa. Mostly bald cypress, buttonwood, american elm.

Have you collected in south Florida? I've called several places about collection permits and they seem to not exist in this state (although I see that this is possible in some parks out west).

I spoke with D. Robinson about it a couple years ago while in Seattle, but I'm wondering if there's a select few here in the state that have. I'm looking to pick your brain a bit, if possible.

I think that there are quite a few people that collect bald cypress and other trees in Florida. Outside of California, it's one of the most active states in the country for bonsai. In terms of the regs, I suggest you go to a local source - do you belong to the Bonsai Society of Southwest Florida? There might be a group who collects there and the club might sponsor a dig. And Wigerts is there - I'm sure he's plugged in to the community. Maybe he can connect you with someone.

Scott
 

jk_lewis

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The answer is obvious.

There is a good bonsai club in Ft. Myers. Join it. Talk to club members who collect; if you can, go with them on a collecting trip.


FLORIDA - Fort Meyers

Bonsai Society of Southwest Florida. The club meets the 3rd Saturday of each month at the SPALC Building, 6281 Metro Plantation Road, between Daniels Parkway and Colonial Boulevard, at 9:00 A.M. We have a variety of activities, such as demos, workshops, critiques, and an annual picnic and Christmas party.Our club has its annual show at the beginning of November. Contact: Becky Bodnar, phone (239) 463-4102. or E-mail: beckybodnar@msn.com Website: http://www.thebonsaisswfl.com
 

evmibo

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Buttonwood is protected and illegal to collect. Bald Cypress are generally found in protected wet lands. American Elm, its just the wrong time of year.

Buttonwood is not a mangrove (although related to it) and is not protected like red, white, and black mangroves under the 1996 protection act. Look it up before you start telling people it's protected and illegal to collect.

BC are typically in protected areas, definitely, that's part of the reason I'm reaching out to people here to see what they've done.

American Elm, you can actually collect later in fall with our mild winters.

In terms of the regs, I suggest you go to a local source - do you belong to the Bonsai Society of Southwest Florida? There might be a group who collects there and the club might sponsor a dig. And Wigerts is there - I'm sure he's plugged in to the community. Maybe he can connect you with someone.

I did belong to the club for a year and didn't renew because Saturdays are busy for me, unfortunately! But, when I was there I asked several people who's collecting, where, how, etc. and usually got weird looks or a simple "nope, I just buy my trees."

I know Wigert gets a lot of his buttonwood from Puerto Rico, when I asked Mike Lane where he gets the local ones he wouldn't give me a straight answer.

The answer is obvious.

There is a good bonsai club in Ft. Myers. Join it. Talk to club members who collect; if you can, go with them on a collecting trip.


Bonsai Society of Southwest Florida. The club meets the 3rd Saturday of each month at the SPALC Building, 6281 Metro Plantation Road, between Daniels Parkway and Colonial Boulevard, at 9:00 A.M. We have a variety of activities, such as demos, workshops, critiques, and an annual picnic and Christmas party.Our club has its annual show at the beginning of November. Contact: Becky Bodnar, phone (239) 463-4102. or E-mail: beckybodnar@msn.com Website: http://www.thebonsaisswfl.com

Read above. The thing is is that 99% people don't collect down here.
 
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markyscott

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Sounds like you're already plugged into the community there. I'm sure you also checked with Eric Wigert? I thought he might be able to put you in touch with collectors or help you with permitting. I know Jason Schley up near Orlando collects bald cypress. Have you had an opportunity to touch base with him?

Scott
 

Poink88

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evmibo

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Sounds like you're already plugged into the community there. I'm sure you also checked with Eric Wigert? I thought he might be able to put you in touch with collectors or help you with permitting. I know Jason Schley up near Orlando collects bald cypress. Have you had an opportunity to touch base with him?

Haven't spoken with Jason Schley, I'll try to shoot him an email.
 

BrianBay9

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My experience in three states (not Florida) has been that established collectors can be pretty stingy with the details of their collecting sites. Understand that many are making money selling collected trees. I've invited some folks to collect with me who refused, because they didn't want to feel obligated to share their collecting sites in return. It takes all kinds.

In the clubs I've joined I've usually had to start club-sponsored collecting trips on my own. I've always found that collecting is more fun if shared, and while I often trade trees I've rarely sold them. The trick is to find legal collecting sites. Sometimes national forests issue permits (more common out west), but often it's been on private land with permission. Sometimes the private land owner would like to see an offer of $10 a tree for collecting. We've even managed to collect in a nature preserve that was trying to erradicate invasive privet, as long as we just took privet.

There's usually some opportunity somewhere, but sometimes it takes some looking.

Brian
 
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Sorry Evan, I can't really help you out here...
Reason being, I don't collect trees.
It takes a lot of space, time and effort to get
them to a state where they can actually begin to
be worked on. For me, seeing that I am then going to
spend years refining them, it just isn't worth it...
I would rather spend the $$$ and be that much
further along. That's just me, though :)
 

jk_lewis

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We've even managed to collect in a nature preserve that was trying to erradicate invasive privet, as long as we just took privet.

Along the same lines, in S. Florida, you should get applause if you go out to collect Brazillian pepper or Mellelucca (Punk tree), and to a lesser extent, Australian pine (Casuarina). All are on Florida's Invasive Plant List. http://www.fleppc.org/list/list.htm
 

JD_SouthFL

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Along the same lines, in S. Florida, you should get applause if you go out to collect Brazillian pepper or Mellelucca (Punk tree), and to a lesser extent, Australian pine (Casuarina). All are on Florida's Invasive Plant List. http://www.fleppc.org/list/list.htm

According to the State, Mellelucca is considered a "Class I Prohibited aquatic plant -- under no circumstances...permitted for possession, collection, transportation, cultivation, and importation...") [27].

From the Florida Department of Environmental Quality: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/tree/melqui/all.html

However, I'm not certain if this holds true for collected specimens or the other species you mentioned.

- Josh
 
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The list you cite and provide link to is a Lee County, Fla. ordinance. It specifically says the listed trees are protected from development clearance. It does not say an individual tree cannot be collected, only protected from land clearing for development. And further says that they can be removed for agricultural clearing with permits.

Again, nothing about an individual collecting a specimen.
 

carp

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any shoreline native plant is illegal to disturb in florida.
buttonwood is a shoreline native plant along with the mangrove species.
the conocarpus erectus species itself may or may not be protected under whatever act which was cited literally months ago; but all shoreline plants are protected, even seagrapes and the grasses.
as far as FWC is concerned buttonwood is related to mangroves and protected in the same way.
even trimming mangroves on your property is illegal, you have to hire a "mangrove specialist" to trim them.

it is illegal to collect buttonwood in the state of florida.

/end_thread
 

jk_lewis

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Call the local office of the State Division of Forestry and you should get info that would point you to the rules for a permit to collect on state owned lands (except parks, of course). They will be in your local phone book under State Government.
 
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Trees is essential need of environment because its discharge oxygen for humans, which is neccessary for living, florida is a country where we can find any kind of tree.
 

evmibo

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I spoke with the local division of forestry through some emails. They do provide permits, but more than likely wouldn't for our circumstances. With permission from private land is legal though and by far the best option.
 
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