Plam trees arrive in Indiana

MISHAWAKA, Ind. -- One Hoosier developer is bringing a little piece of Florida to northern Indiana.\nEdison Lakes office park developer Don Cressy is planting palm trees on his property.\nCressy said he came up with the idea after a trip to Florida this winter.\n"I thought, 'Wow, this could be fun for Mishawaka,'" he said.\nOn Monday, Illinois-based Alpha Palm Rental Inc. planted eight queen palms around the Edison Lakes property. Of the 2,000 varieties of palm trees, queen palms are among the hardiest.\nThe trees will stay in Mishawaka until Thanksgiving. Alpha Palm Rental crews will then take the trees back to an Illinois nursery until next spring.\nAlpha Palm Rental co-owner Wayne Baxtrom said he rents the tropical trees to business owners and private homeowners in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin.\nBaxtrom and a team haul the 500-pound trees and planting equipment to the site. He said a crew will make a trip to Mishawaka every week to 10 days to water the rented palms, watch for insect infestation and make sure the trees are OK.\nCressy said he expects the palm trees will turn an awful lot of heads.\n"I hope people say it's unique, different, and kind of fun," he told The South Bend Tribune. "The times I've stepped off planes in Florida, they give you a warm and fuzzy feeling"