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kentia palms

That arenga looks like it has seen better days for sure. Those Chameadorea radicalis make me excited for when I will have more than one mature radicalis in my garden. They look great.

These palms are located in Ventura, California. I was hoping someone knows the name of these beautiful palms.

It would have to be my Caryota maxima towering above the gum trees. It really took off once it broke through the canopy.

Agree with @Harry’s Palms. They should grow out of it. It looks like a minor fungal infection from water getting into the crown before it got chilly. Hope they grow out of it for you and welcome to PalmTalk!

@Bscottwilcox Welcome to PalmTalk! They do appear to be stretched-out Serenoa repens (Saw Palmetto). I see them grow like this in the understory at Lakeland Highlands Scrub. If you're interested, we're having a CFPACS Meeting in St. Augustine in about 6 weeks: https://www.palmtalk.org/forum/topic/88958-central-florida-palm-cycad-society-summer-2025-meeting/ You, and anyone else reading, are welcome to RSVP to attend.

What part of SCV? I hear differing things about the climate. I’ve lived close to Cal Arts for the past 11 years. I’ve never experienced snow, but I think certain parts of SCV experience snow. Mainly Canyon Country and Saugus, the Northern part of the valley. In the past 11 years the lows have hovered around 30 degrees at the lowest. Mainly frost on roofs but rarely the ground. Your garden looks amazing.

Thanks for the tips MoPalm. Wife already has seasol (food) and copper (fungicide) in her shed so will try those. What do you recommend as a systemic fungicide thats ok for palms for the soil drench?

Sounds nice! We've done remarkably well...April has been 2c above average, but alas the end is nigh.

I know it’s been almost 3 years, but would you happen to have any for sale again? I’ve searched everywhere for this Musa, and can only find a European seller.

I have one that's been growing slowly but happily for about 15 years, very similar climate to yours. Seems to handle a bit of frost. It's open to the sky now, but was smothered under some shrubs when young, which probably sheltered it from the worst frost while small. Go for it I'd say!

That's a good point Cascadia. For example, my winter low was 10'F but with three snows of 5.5" total (which is more than double my usual) and a cold spell that saw 72 consecutive hours below freezing. If you just saw my raw winter low, you'd think I escaped easily. A few of the new spears and some older fronds show a little damage though on my windmills. But that's the trials and tribulations of palm growing in zone 7B.

Not my tallest palm (Washingtonia) but my biggest surprise for speed of growth is my Butia odorata. My biggest disappointment is Leucothrinax morrisii which died suddenly last fall for no reason. My biggest seed producer is Livistona chinensis.

ALl the taller palms have a hurricane haircut now from Milton(110mph gusts). Nothing too tall in my yard, a couple royals 40-45 feet tall estimate but there are some pretty thick trunks. Its tough to estimate height that tall. But the smooth trunks are 26-30 feet and crownshafts are 6 1/2 feet. That leaves leaves and spear extending past 31 feet(smaller one) and 36 feet(larger one). I estimate leaves/spear extend 10' + past top of crownshaft. The royal trunks are a bit more slim down low with some coke bottling up around 15-20 feet or so. First pic is the taller one which is more slim in trunk by 3" perhaps. The fence is 7' The smaller one is near a hose bib and got more water, a bit less sun. Down low its 27" thick next to the 30" wide chair(viewed straight on). It appears to bulge a bit, perhaps 3-4". Here is the bottom 20 feet of trunk with chair for scale. These are my tallest palms and the heaviest trunks(25' to 30' of trunk weighs several tons. They are not the thickest trunked palms down low. That would be sabal causiarum at about 42-44" bulge down low this is the thickest trunked palm down low. My favorite trunk is the concrete pillar looking trunk of copernicia fallaensis. It does not taper at 28-29" thick last time I measured the perimeter(2piR) with a tape last year. The causiarum tapers notably, fallaensis does not taper thus far. It is notably thicker than the causiarum at 10 feet above ground as the causiarum trunk tapers to 24" or so at that height. And last but not least is the fastest tapering palm, beccariophoenix alfredii, about 32" thick at the base but rapidly tapering. I also like the undulations on the clean trunk. I have never cut leaf bases off all these palms, they are naturally shedding. Alfredii trunk base And the overall of alfredii showing the rapid tapering of trunk. Alfredii seems to recover well from hurricane but it still has the comb over effect of asymetry. Funny alfredii looks like my best recovering palm right now but we haven't hit the wet season yet when everything grows a lot faster.. I learned a less from Milton, damage was more a function of height than species. The tallest were the most damaged.

Looks like winter yellowing but that's not a diagnosis. I would repot with fresh mix or, even better, plant out. They will roar away over summer.

It is quite attractive.. Leaves too, lol.. Elephant Ears, Genus Bergenia, is a similar looking plant you might see planted there or nearby. About as hardy, but not quite as attractive as Darmera.

Very old Staghorn attached to Areca's in backyard. Need to follow Darold's advice because I do note some plastic wrapping. I will take one more shot that is better direct on of Staghorn.

Looks great but it appears to still be in a pot. When it is planted and continues to grow for a few more years, we may have a legitimate new world champion!

Not mine but 40 foot plus Thrinax radiata:

Not mine but a massive Borassus flabelifer:

Darold, those images are off the charts! Monster mania. Tim

Yes it is!

Pink form definitely grabs your attention a bit more than the white form, but both are worth growing. Grouped together, can see them make quite a statement in a landscape. The interesting thing is now that i've seen the pink form in full bloom ( ...Arboretum has another pinkie i'll post shots of soon ) and the Chihuahuan Orchid Tree in bloom, it confirms a suspicion i've had about a couple specimens in another garden i've always thought were a much rarer species you don't < but should > see cultivated, B. ramosissma. Out of flower, it looks exactly like a shorter, bushier lunaroides. Flowers look like those on macranthera ( = Chihuahuan Orchid Tree ) but the leaves are much smaller. Should be flowering ..or really close to flowering by now so, i'll have to get out to that garden to check on those.

We have a couple queen palm trees in their own edged area in the front corner of our home property. We have decided to fill the interior of the edged oval with white, crushed stone. We need to kill the existing grass first. Can anyone recommend a grass and weed killer that is safe for palm tree roots? Thank you. I am a palm tree lover from way back.