Scott Zona holds a B.S. in horticulture and an M.S. in botany from the University of Florida. His Ph.D. in botany is from Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden and Claremont Graduate University, California. Scott grew up among pines and palms of South Florida.  He has explored for plants in Florida, California, Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, the Pacific islands, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Guinea and Madagascar. His interests are in the diversity and natural history of tropical plants, especially palms, salvias and bryophytes.  He has over 160 publications, both scientific and popular, on palms and other tropical plants.  Scott is co-editor of the International Palm Society’s quarterly journal, PALMS.  He gardens in North Carolina, where, ironically, his favorite palm, Jubaea chilensis, will not grow.

Affiliated Organizations: South Florida Palm Society