Some hot climate cities replacing the palm tree

Some municipalities in hot climates, such as Miami, are replacing that symbol of tropical paradise — the palm tree — with other, leafier trees. The objective is to provide a tree canopy that will shade the sidewalks and make pedestrians more comfortable. Royal palms along several miles of heavily travelled Biscayne Boulevard in Miami are giving way to bushier live oaks. Miami and Dade County have catalogued which shade trees have survived hurricane-force winds, and are using that knowledge to plant trees that will provide a lasting canopy, according to a Jan. 22 report in The New York Times.