Action: California palm fits Florida's style

There is a rumor about town that the palm trees on Central Avenue came from California. Please tell me this is not true. Where did those palms come from? Jack Auman

Response: Uh oh, from the tone of your letter, we don't think you're going to like the answer. The palms along Central Avenue are from California, as are about 60 along Coffee Pot Bayou, said Mary Campbell, a parks manager for the St. Petersburg parks administration, which maintains the palms. She referred us to Phil Graham, the landscape architect who was in charge of the Central Avenue "streetscaping" project. According to him, the Central Avenue Phoenix dactylifera, better known by its common name, medjool, is a date palm commercially grown in California.

So why go to California for palm trees used in Florida landscapes? Appearance is one reason, said Graham, describing the medjool as majestic looking. Although pricey, it is one of the few cold-hardy palms that can withstand a freeze. It is also disease resistant and makes a good xeriscape tree since it needs little water.

He said the medjool is used in landscaping projects throughout the South and was first introduced to our area about 10 to 12 years ago. It is a particularly popular tree from the design standpoint, he said, because unlike most trees, the medjool does very well in urban conditions. It doesn't need much space and can thrive in as little as a 5- by 5-foot square.

Florida is too wet to grow medjools commercially for their fruit, and they're too slow-growing to be economically feasible for nurseries. That's where California comes in, said Graham. Once the date production drops off or the palms quit producing altogether, the growers sell them off.

Landscapers love buying them from growers because the trees are uniform in size, and the height can even be specified. This is hardly possible when buying from palm tree brokers, who, in turn, buy trees from individual properties. In such cases, no two trees will ever look the same, he said.

If you're still not sold on the need to import trees from California, consider the fact that many of the palms in our area are exotic. Graham said there are not many native palms here. Our state tree, the Sabal palmetto, or swamp cabbage, is one of the few.

Deposit refunded

I went to Ed Morse Auto Plaza in Port Richey during a "no money down" clearance sale. A salesman, whose first day on the job it was, and I chose a car, and he called the finance man to take my application. My credit was not good enough, and I was told I needed $3,500 for a down payment, along with a co-signer. I couldn't do this, so I started to leave. The salesman then said that if I left a $50 deposit, he would see what he could do about other financing.

I borrowed $50 and the next day gave it to the salesman. The result? He told me to go borrow another $1,500, and the dealer would consider financing the car. I couldn't do this, so I said to cancel the deal. I asked for my $50 and was informed that money is given back at the cashier in the other building. I walked over there and was informed that the salesman is the only person she can return deposits to. I went back and the salesman was no longer there. Another salesman told me to wait several days and said he'd look into it.

The $50 deposit has not been returned yet. I can't go there every day. I had cancer surgery in June, am currently unemployed with no auto and no phone and living with my mother. I could make good use of the $50 at this time. I'm sure Ed Morse won't miss that small amount. I never heard from my salesman again, and whenever I talk to the finance manager his reply is that he is not my salesman. Please help me if you can. Don Alsup

Response: Jery Madalena, general manager of Ed Morse Auto Plaza in Port Richey, said a refund check was issued to you on Sept. 20. It was never cashed, so a stop payment was placed on it and a replacement check mailed out. You should have it by now.

- Action solves problems and gets answers for you. If you have a question, or your own attempts to resolve a consumer complaint have failed, write Times Action, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731, or call your Action number, (727) 893-8171, or, outside of Pinellas, toll-free 1-800-333-7505, ext. 8171, to leave a recorded request.

Requests will be accepted only by mail or voice mail; calls cannot be returned. We will not be responsible for personal documents, so please send only photocopies. If your complaint concerns merchandise ordered by mail, we need copies of both sides of your canceled check.

We may require additional information or prefer to reply by mail; therefore, readers must provide a full mailing address, including ZIP code. Names of letter writers will not be omitted except in unusual circumstances. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.

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