Barbara Oehlbeck

Review by Mitchell Green:

Some call it the cabbage palm. The Seminole Indians call it shee-lah-mah-shee-kee-tahl-cho-bee. But whatever you call it, the Sabal Palm is one of Florida's few native palm trees. It looks like a rough-hewn utility pole with a huge floppy dust mop on top. We learn from Ms. Oehlbeck's book that Florida's state tree has many uses, the most common being the Seminole Indian chickee hut. The trunk is used for the walls and the fronds for the roof. The heart of the tree is called swamp cabbage, historically eaten by Indians and pioneers alike. Bees make honey out of the nectar from the Sabal palm's sweet-smelling, cream-colored flowers. This interesting book includes many photographs by Clyde Butcher and contributions by Florida Governor Lawton Chiles and Seminole Tribe Chairman James Billie.… (altro)