Date/Time
Date(s) - Saturday, June 11, 2022
2:00 pm - 3:30 pm

Location
Pinecrest Branch Library

Categories

• Monthly Meeting

Saturday, June 11 at the Pinecrest Library at 2pm

History of the Royal Poinciana and its Celebration in Southern Florida

Steve Pearson will present a program about the Royal Poinciana on Saturday, June 11 at the Pinecrest Library at 2pm, describing the origin, botanical features, and cultivation of the Royal Poinciana, an iconic tree within our area and the official flowering tree of Miami-Dade County.

The talk will also touch on the inspiration that this tree has provided within the worlds of art, music, and poetry. Particular emphasis will be given to the history of the tree in Southern Florida, including its use by early settlers and the celebration of its beauty.

Royal Poinciana Trolley Tour

The Poinciana Fiesta is Miami-Dade County’s oldest continuing festival, presented by the Tropical Flowering Tree Society.

Stephen Dade Pearson is a Miami native who loves nature and is passionate about the importance of trees to a healthy environment. Steve served as Chair of the City of Miami Committee on Beautification and the Environment in the 90s, and has been involved with the Poinciana Fiesta since the late 80s. He is a founder and past president of TREEmendous Miami, the Tropical Flowering Tree Society, and the Friends of Chapman Field. After working most of his adult life as an attorney, he then worked as Director of the University of Miami’s John C. Gifford Arboretum for seven years. He has also served on the board of Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden for over 20 years, and is on the board of the Montgomery Botanical Center today. Besides many local awards and recognitions, Pearson was selected as Florida’s most outstanding volunteer in 1994 by the Florida Urban Forestry Council, and was awarded the national Medal for Citizen Activism in 1995 by American Forests and the National Urban Forestry Council.