Too Pretty to Swing a Tire From

Snowbirds tend to think we Miamians take Mother Nature’s bountiful gifts for granted just because we don’t anticipate the day when cherry blossoms bloom or fallen pinecones dot the sidewalks. True, we don’t know what it’s like to watch our front yard transform into a carpet of oak leaves, but in our defense, we’ll cut off a granny in a Corolla to avoid running over a wayward palm frond on Biscayne Boulevard. From this Saturday through Monday, celebrate the royal poinciana — a Madagascar import brought to Miami by David Fairchild, botanist and plant explorer for the USDA — with cherry-red blossoms that turn the trees from “great, they’re green” to “rad red!”

Throughout the weekend, take part in the Royal Poinciana Fiesta, with tree planting, a gratis picnic, and a trolley ride, but the main event happens this Monday at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden when the Poinciana Queen and her court will be crowned. The ceremony, in its 72nd year, will be followed by a wine and cheese, a jam session with jazz musician Joe Donato, and a tram tour of Fairchild.
Mon., June 8, 7 p.m., 2009