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A small Sabal that I had left for dead because after last winter’s cold, the entire center pulled out and the remaining hole is black with mildew, is now sprouting! A good lesson in not digging them up too quickly.

Wanted to bump this thread and update with a current picture of my baby. It’s been nearly 2.5yrs since my lost picture. Cracked open a new frond today and caught my eye how pretty these palms are. One of my favorites. -dale

Hi ! In my area not many species available in nurseries. So you have to start from the seeds you can find 😅 Joey magnifica : 6 month from the seed Accrocomia crispa : super fast to sprout : 2 months from the seeds Chambeyronia macrocarpa and Houalou… Copernicia Alba, and macroglossa : Native Aiphane minima Last but not least : first leaf for my licuala mapu 🥰 Hope you enjoy ! Nico

Nothing like summer to spur significant growth from these beautiful palms. The older two have grown under canopy and are tall and thin. The younger one is in full sun, much more robust, and it’s not uncommon to drop two fronds at the same time coming out of winter. Clean, colorful, compact, just a great garden palm. Tim

I came across this old photo of the Seminole Hotel in Winter Park. It opened in 1886 so this photo would have been taken between 1886 and 1894 (prior to the big freezes of 1894-95). There were some trunking coconuts growing at the hotel.

just planted my windmill palm in my garden (southwestern facing fence) but without mulch. (we used it all up in may for our two 100ft pine trees) anyways here are some photos

I'm going to assume this is a joke, ?? .. A LOT of Royals planted all over San Diego ..and S. Cal overall. I'm sure fellow forum members would enjoy showing you the many examples, ..being grown just within their own gardens.

Looks like my patience finally paid off, yesterday I decided to check the Chamaedorea pochutlensis seeds I brought from Jalisco last year and I noticed that two of them had already sprouted. I fell in love with this species when I first saw it and I'm glad I have two now. Should be more common in cultivation in Mexico.

Actually,I think radiata has a totally different look than morrisii. Very lime green color,more succulent and lax fronds, compared to the bluer dark green and stiff fronds of morrisii. Here are some young radiata I grew from seed to compare. aztropic Mesa, Arizona

We've had our Butia for 15 years now this past September. Was put in with original landscaping in 2000, and has grown vigorously, thriving on poor, sandy soil with sprinkler irrigation and fertilizer occasionally. Always has bloomed/fruited profusely, even when very young. Sometimes it sends up inflorescence even during winter where they sometimes are damaged by a hard freeze. With how large it is now, if we don't cut the flowering stalks soon enough, there are pounds and pounds of rotting fruit on the ground that can be smelled from the street. Also makes for constant "volunteers" that need to be weeded. I'm guessing it's a capitata. Unlike other Butias I've seen with inflorescence that has red coloring in it or fruit that is a more yellow color, this one has perfectly yellow/gold inflorescence with large, purely orange fruit. 2003 2004 2007 2008 2009 2011 2012 2014 2015 2015

Yeah….i tried to be somewhat impartial regarding this topic but it’s just so ridiculous talking about Queens with such high regard in SoCal. It’s akin to stating Lutescens are the best and prettiest palm you can buy in Florida. It’s almost laughable. I’m beginning to wonder if this whole thread is a joke. Huntington Beach put Queen palms in the parkways of our neighborhood 20yrs ago. Because it’s “city property”, they are responsible for trimming. I’ve spoke with the city about this and they said it was a massive mistake that has cost the city millions of dollars. Needless to say, they have been removed from the approved tree list and Kings are being put in thru attrition. Big mistake. -dale

Hard to get a good picture but this is Morissii grown in morning sun. The shape is similar to the Radiata with a silvery blue green underneath.

An interesting perspective that I can agree to disagree with. I can't disagree that a well grown "Queen" palm has a nice look. Over saturation in the marketplace is only one reason I opted for different palms when I started my current garden. I also had the experience of their roots creating problems in planters and not playing nice with other plants I attempted to plant under them. I attempted to plant a couple of Chambeyronia macrocarpa (one regular form and the other hookeri), as well as a Bismarckia nobilis under solitary Queens that were about 8 years old from 10 gallon size. The Queen roots stole all the water from the Chambeyronias and the Bismarckia, not allowing them to make any progress and eventually succumbing to a cool damp winter. It wasn't too long after that, when I decided to extract all my Queens from that garden. I opted for palms that played much nicer with others to replace them (6 in total scattered between the front and back yards). I never looked back. The Foxy ladies, and Chambeyronia hookeri that went in my back yard offer a more unique look and yes, elegance rather than just one of dozens of other Queens planted in that little subdivision. That extraction was about 20 years ago now and I would have done it sooner with 20/20 hindsight.. Back to your comment about Howea forsteriana and Archontophoenix alexandrae being "masculine", I'm a bit puzzled. I could perhaps understand that comment about some Phoenix canariansis, but have difficulty assigning masculine or feminine characteristics to other palms except perhaps my Ravenea or Chamaedorea, which in fact or sometimes male or female plants. I won't encourage others to remove their Queen palms unless they are creating some of the many challenges mentioned already (root competition, heavy leaf drop, a propensity to become invasive, messy seed drop, high maintenance, sold incorrectly as drought tolerant, etc.). At the same time, it probably is the last palm to come to mind as a recommendation for someone in a true 10B San Diego garden. I hesitate to call my garden 10B but would recommend many things growing in my garden to someone in a 10A or 10B here, such as Howea forsteriana or belmoreana, numerous Chrysalidocarpus species, Cyphophoenix elegans or nucele, many Chambeyronia species to just start naming a few. I am happy you enjoy your Queens.

Queens can be very nice palms, but royals can dance too and they are far better suited to my soil and climate. Royals can cast amazing shadow shows during a a breezy full moon night. The easy care part is increasingly attractive as I grow older. And they are never over trimmed by a yard worker with a saw they are never trimmed except by hurricanes.

Lucky you, haha.. My favorite stop when roaming around Tucson or the hill country / mountains down by the border. Depending on how many years it has been since your last visit ( ..none of my business, lol ) You might be quite surprised by some of the more recent changes / inclusions.. A few teasers from my last visit, ..if it has been a few years..

Yeah here too you may find such associations and actually the law says that all municipalities must offer free animal sterilizations. In reality few do, or do it only sporadically. The thing is that if I must pay 50 euro per cat for 14 cats, that's 700 euro already... it's unfair. The cat owner should be given fines if you ask me.

Hello, everyone! Newer member, first-time topic starter. I live out by Palm Springs area (low desert) 124-degree record breaker as of this year.. I have been working on a backyard remodel for some time. Since I do the work it's been a couple of years process. I have spent a lot of money on plants and as of this year lost a lot of plants, haha. I decided I wanted to get a "Brahea" collection started. I get my palms from many areas. Phil at Jungle Music, Mark in Yorba Linda, and various places. Some I order, the closer to "some" desert I can get the better off I am due to the plant adaptation to the desert climate. Anyway, I got this particular palm from Yorba Linda. My plant guy has some Braheas on consignment from a lady who lost her better half. It was labeled "Nitida" and then crossed out I have a Nitida and it is different from this one.; In addition, the Nitida was not seeding like this one and the seeds were not black. Decumbens have black seeds from what I have seen. I do have a Decumbeans but it is very young still. Some portions of fronds are starting to get the blue coming in and the petiole is not armored. I hope to find some of you who know this genus and can help me identify this palm. Thank you and very nice to meet you all! Thank you to Aztropic for showing me how to make a post haha! Forgive the mess in the backyard

A few winter survivors so far it wa# around 4 degrees Celsius at the bottom of my property this morning and the plants in the greenhouse have faired pretty good considering they were purchased in far North Queensland that’s a tropical growers paradise a couple of Arecas first up areca rheophytica vidaliana and a songthanhensis then a iguanura var GF a dypsis poiveana and last but not least a pritchardia martii while it may not be knew news to some it certainly helps the zone pushers out there knowing a few more varieties take a bit of cold so far so good but winter is not over yet just the beginning!

Thanks ! Well I put the seeds in a box with moss and pray 😂. Once in pots the climate here is so warm and wet that I don’t have to do much. Yeah ! 8 months from seed 🫣 so slow, and even slower where you watch it everyday.

Very nice Bill! In the future you can try a trunk cut shortly after the freeze/spear-pull to get you started a little quicker. I did this successfully to 4 of my palms after February 2021 and @Allenposted on a similar experience with his palmetto. Check out the details in the posts since May 4.

They're very tough trees,but I would be hesitant to plant it out right now in full all day Arizona sun,118F temps,5% humidity,with only a 15 gallon size root ball, in that location They are usually grown and sold under at least a light shade cloth,so some acclimation might be a good idea to keep from incinerating it. Maybe on the edge of the patio till mid September and keep it well watered and the black nursery pot shaded as direct sun on the pot will cook the roots and set the tree back from the start. Mid summer in Arizona is just not a good time to try and plant something in full all day sun... aztropic Mesa, Arizona

Thank you ! It really helps to decide where to plant it. So I went for partial shade. Getting direct light from the sunrise, and in full shade at 9-10 am.

So some of you inspired me to join the club and buy my first palm tree. Found this 15 gallon mule at HD for $300 and was the last one in at least 3 stores I looked into here in Tucson. My plan is to put her in the dirt where I’ve marked in the pictures which is on the north end of our pool/patio. It will get direct sunlight pretty much all day in the summer. Should I plant it right away or wait until the heat subdues this fall? I almost think it would benefit being in the ground right now and getting some monsoon rains to help establish before winter. Any advice would be appreciated!

This one looks correctly labeled to me. aztropic Mesa, Arizona

Looks like I will have to wait and see also. I just bought this palm a few weeks ago as a Leucothrinax morrisii but now I'm thinking it's something else. It's got green undersides. Could it be a Thrinax radiata or some Coccothrinax? Maybe it's too small to tell.

Pseudophoenix vinifera:

So I went by and took pics, then stuffed my face in the nearby Mexican eatery.

It should be noted that these specimens have been recently trimmed and this detracts from their effect:

Great topic. Definitely praise goes to the Queen. Here in South Florida, these palms are largely overlooked and many times not properly cared for, which is unfortunate. In less tropical climates, they can be the Ray of sunshine. Even here in South Florida rolling around the hood, I managed to find some well tended and happy specimens (bad Queens were expressly excluded):

One of my favorites so always happy to take a couple of new photos of one of mine. The leaf underside looks more silver than this photo suggests. I have 3 of this species in shade, but will plant 4 more in part shade soon. I have seen one in PR in almost full sun fruiting but the leaves weren’t as pretty as mine. I probably have acid soil but have not tested it. Ox rhino beetles think it is delicious but only one has been killed as I use barriers and imidocloprid now.

Today: cold front just passed through, air was clear and crisp and I couldn't help capturing the blue/silver tones in the Butia.

Butia yata has been a robust grower. I’m really enjoying watching it grow in the garden

On July 20, 2024, the PSSC is having its July meeting at two gardens in Orange County: the gardens of Steven Velez in Westminster and Larry and Sue Black, in Fountain Valley. Both gardens are noteworthy for being great palm gardens on 1/6-acre suburban lots, yet each has been done with an opposite approach. And both are spectacular. If you have a small yard and want to see some serious possibilities, or even go wild with a larger yard, do come join us. Garden No. 1, the Steve Velez garden, is located at 15461 Devonshire Circle, Westminster, CA 92683. It’s a couple streets north of Mile Square Park. Steve inherited the house and garden from his father the late Ralph Velez, one of the Founding Fathers (along with Mothers) of the PSSC. Started in the 1960s, the garden is visible from half a mile away with soaring Roystoneas, Livistonas, Caryotas, and less soaring but equally spectacular Rhopalistylus, Chrysalydocarpus, and many more, including a big Jubaea and a Nannorrhops that’s one of the biggest in Southern California. As an added bonus, Ralph was able to get many of his neighbors to jump on the palm bandwagon, as evidenced by big palms and other tropical plants planted in neighbors' yards, which include Roystoneas, Parajubaeas, Ravenalas, Bismarckias. Ever wonder what a neighborhood palmetum is like? Come and see! You’ll be palmy-agog by the time you get there! The board meeting will take place at 9:30 a.m. at the Velez place, with self-guided tours at 10:30 a.m. until 11:30. Garden No. 2, The Larry and Sue Black garden, is located at 9166 Sara River Circle, Fountain Valley, CA 92708. This garden was started in 1999, and now contains hundreds of plants including palms, orchids and Cordyline ("Ti" Plants). Drive up front and be greeted with a blaze of color, and palms that range from Bismarckia, Chrysalydocarpus, Syagrus, Chamadorea, Ravenea, and Rhopalistylus. Go to the back and find an elegantly tiled pool and jacuzzi surrounded by more palms the centerpiece of which is what used to be called Chrysalidocarpus lanceolata, but which the botanists decided was unique enough to call C. blackii, after Larry. The back is also full of small-but-great palms, many of which aren't supposed to grow here, like Arecas, Hyophorbe langencaulis, and various "ankle biter" Chrysalydocarpus and Chamadoreas from tropical forest floors. Ever wonder what a Dypsis concinna looks like? Or Chrysalydocarpus baronii "black stem"? Or pink-crownshafted Ptychospermas? You'll be able to see! POTLUCK LUNCH We'll be having a potluck lunch with fried and baked chicken provided. Bring your favorite dish to share. Meat, vegetables, dessert, or any combination. Make it yourself, or buy and bring it - if you like it, we will too! If it's grandma's favorite recipe, so much the better. We don't care if your grandma was from Denver, Denali or Dusseldorf. Come feast on food, and the simultaneous joys of palms and good fellowship on a glorious mid-summer’s day. AUCTION There will be an auction at this meeting. Donors have a choice of donating 100% of the proceeds to the PSSC (we appreciate that!) or 50% (we appreciate that, too!) The focus is on rare palms, in 1 to 5 gallon containers, though larger ones will be accepted. Also good are nice palm-themed objects d'art, and other exotic plants, including but not limited to, orchids, succulents, bromeliads, Cordylines, fancy Ficus, etc. We accept credit cards, checks, and good old cash, though, due to expenses relating to credit card transactions, we greatly appreciate cash and checks, if possible. The auction is a vital source of funding for the PSSC. If you have a question about a possible donation, contact Dave Bleistein at 323-481-5071 via text or email at urkurk2000@gmail.com. Since we have a limited time in which to conduct the auction, we ask that donors provide plants that will realistically sell for at least $20. Please no Washingtonias, Phoenix canariensis, etc. We also appreciate liners and "freebie" plants as well for the plant raffle. Thanks to all of our donors! ITINERARY 9:30 a.m. PSSC Board meeting at the Velez garden at 15461 Devonshire Circle, Westminster. 10:30 a.m. Tours of the Velez garden. Roar off to Larry and Sue’s place in Fountain Valley. 12:00 p.m. Potluck lunch at Black garden at 9166 Sara River Circle. 1:00 p.m. general meeting at Black garden 1:30 p.m. auction at Black garden 4:00 p.m. adjourn

That's really sweet of you to say LOL.

I couldn't agree more. I am 120 miles straight west of Columbia, current air temperature is 95° F, but the ground surface temperature is 125° F. Mulching makes a huge difference for me!

Did you get the solution at the end?

Yeah I am aware they will create a mess. I am considering an ultrasonic device with motion detector, that annoys them so they stay away, but that would also annoy my own cat.. difficult. Culling them is not something that I'd consider tho........... The most annoying thing is that my neighbour has money to feed 14 cats but no money to spay them, she said... typical Greek situation. I'll convince her, first politely and if necessary not so politely to at least spay them.

Best Palm Tree

It's a full on canopy tree in West Africa, reaching 30 m

I am close to Aztropic's climate living in Palm Springs area and I have a Mule Palm seedling that gets baked in the sun and it's green and loving life! They are tough palms!

Nice find Depending on what side of town your on, ..and if you've been getting in on the rain down there so far, I'd say go ahead and plant.. Just be sure doesn't dry out ..and no fertilizer until October. ..or you could wait until the end of Aug. Considering the temp difference / rain you've actually seen, compared to none yet up here atm, i'd be planting stuff if down there myself. Too hot up here. You'll apply something mild like Kelp / Fish ..or something like what Spadefoot Nursery sells. Then nothing until spring, when you can sprinkle something slightly stronger around it as the palm resumes growth in Spring. Welcome to the forum btw.

This plus your short season of truly tropical temps is why. F. lyrata is a full all day sun plant in the tropics. I've seen it in complete 360 degree blazing south Texas sun too.

Put it in the ground and it got destroyed by a dog that was able to get trough my fence. It’s the forth time I have a palm die in that location either from dogs or something else. It’s cursed haha green Bismarck should be no problem hardiness wise.

That photos is in zone 13a. But yes if I was zone 10a such as Mediterranean Spain for example I would have other species like royals and foxtails, but at least one queen palm. Zone 10a in the UK I doubt can grow royals because the temps are too cool for too long, even if the winters are mild without freezing temps. Even in London I only have two queens in the ground and I have loads of species including, archontophoenix species, chamaedoreas, Chambeyronias, phoenixs, Jubaeopsis, chrysalidocarpuss, washingtonia, sabals, butias,, allagoptera, acoeloraphe, arenga,brahea, livistona ect ect. Pretty much any species that can handle cool periods. I wouldn't have only queens but a few are nice.

You do get down to San Jose, these, at my old church in Campbell, are some of the largest i've seen on my side of town. No clue when they were planted but thinking sometime in the late 80s / early 90s when the courtyard was redesigned. At one time, there was ..what i still believe was a Jubaeopsis planted in front of the Gym, just to the right of where the B. edulis in shot #1 is located.. I say that only because it had a similar look, was not tall / produced offsets. and the fruit / seeds on it did not resemble anything close to either a Pindo, Queen, King, or Phoenix sp.. Me and some of my friends at the time used pelt one another w/ the seeds, lol. Was yanked unfortunately before i could get pictures of it. There are a few more on the back side of the courtyard, behind the specimens in street view shot #2. Some others near the largest Majesty in my old neighborhood in the Princeton Plaza area of New Alamden / Branham..

Smashburger cocos this weekend

They like a good shady or filtered light. Use dolomite when planting

For anyone wondering It's returned for the 2nd year in a Row it's now been through 9F and 5F this year it was protected even less, and I'm starting to want to take cuttings and clone this plant !!!

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