Leaderboard

I germinated 600 dasyatha and out of that 600 I got one special variegated seedling. At first I didn’t pay much attention to this little seedling but I still kept an eye on it noting where it was in with its cousins. Sitting there growing like the rest it started to continue to hold its variegated leaves each new leaf still had variegation. Either one in million or a freak of nature it will be one special little plant if it holds onto its variegation. Iam sure if it does stay true iam sure it will be one little palm that would be wanted in a collectors garden such as myself.

HAHA - Oh I tease. October has been kind to the garden this year (with the exception of rain). With temps this month staying in the 80's/50's for the most part aside from a quick 2 day cool snap mid-month it's been quite wonderful. Our 10 day shows highs in the 80s and lows around 60 which I will take as long as mother nature wants to provide it! Nabbed a few image from the gardens: Hopefully the rack of namwahs has some time to mature. (doubtful) but one can wish.

I noticed today my sp bef has a fused leaf something I have never seen before on a palm. I did see on palmpedia a picture with a bef that split in two so it may be a genetic trait with this species. Either way it’s an unusual thing more commonly seen with fascination traits in plants perhaps it’s a form of fascination in palms who knows but for now I will see what the next new leaf does as to where the new spear comes from so it may split in two yet.

I think that this is a beautiful palm, BUT it is deadly. It is covered with needle-sharp spines. One of the most lethal palms in my garden. Definitely 'look but don't touch'. Don't plant close to walkways or anywhere you will need access. Seeds germinate easily. Moderately fast grower. Attractive bow tie leaflets. Did I mention the horrible spines?

Cordia boissieri. Some people also call them the Texas Olive Tree. They are hardy into the teens, below that they take stem damage but will come back from the base.

Okay, these were bought as seed February 2016 from RPS. First picture (July 2020) shows a difference of one year in ground versus still in containers. Second picture is today, October 2024, approximately 8 years from germination. Could be location, but she's definitely put on some size in 4 years. Tiki head for scale is 2 feet.

Finally the reveal that makes this palm so special. Been awhile since this Dictyocaryum lamarckianum has shed a leaf sheath, still waiting for the one on the right to do the same. Somewhat surprised how much they have slowed down over the last few years. Tim

A neighbor has two that were planted in 1986. They are huge have dropped many seeds Im sure, and they are a trimming nightmare if you want to remove the dead leaves. The over trimmed ones are likely from growers who found them easier to trim with less leaves and their thorny petioles. Here are the two palms, over 30' tall for sure and about 25 foot wide. a closer shot of one

Coconuts in Florida are definitely confusing and I think the naming isn't very helpful because there are a few "subtypes" within each variety that arrived to Florida from various sources. Last I heard, the palm that's the source for the Calusa nursery is a nice tree on Marco Island typical for what I call the "Peninsular" Jamaican tall, which is the same type as the two Jamaican talls at Kopsick. This type does have a bole at the base, but it's not as pronounced as the Florida Keys type, and it's slightly faster to gain trunk from a seedling. At this size, your tree does look a little suspect, as I'd expect wider spacing between the trunk rings, but that can be variable at this stage depending on a lot of factors. The tree that I was told is the parent tree to the Calusa Jamaican talls is this one: https://maps.app.goo.gl/QgzdQr59jYvbPS7p8 The Jamaican tall present in the Keys is a distinct variety in my opinion from what I've seen. The coconuts are smaller (though with a very distinct elongated shape), the bole at the base is more pronounced, it is more commonly pure green in the petiole (with bronze-green being less common), and it is very slow to get going. Panama tall is also present in Florida in a weird way. A lot of material came from Panama through Jamaica (aka the Jamaica San Blas coconut), but there has been importing from Costa Rica as well (and possible other areas). I've seen some palms that were true to type and some that aren't. The true Panama tall has a very large trunk that is straighter than the Atlantic type, and the leaves don't extend as far below horizon. The PT coconuts at the USDA are this type (I have some pictures in a thread about this), but the ones at Fairchild are lacking some of the characteristics of true Panama Tall. The coconuts previously sold by Dave Romney are also the true Panama tall with a large straight trunk. The photo below shows a good example of the trunk difference between Malayan Dwarf, Fiji/Samoan Dwarf, "Atlantic" tall, and Panama tall. IMO most of the Panama tall sold in Florida are probably something other than 100% true Panama tall unless they're from the USDA or Dave Romney. As far as coloration, I've seen similar coloration as Jeremy's tree with true Panama tall, so I wouldn't let the coloration be the deciding factor, but rather what it grows into once it's trunking. The Fiji dwarf Jeremy has definitely looks wrong. This variety is known for producing off-types in Florida and I really trust the Hawaiian origin ones more than the Florida origin ones. One thing to note as well is that Hawaiian tall is very distinct from Panama tall. Panama tall shares more in common with the tall types in the Philippines rather than those from Hawaii and the South Pacific. Due to the distances and time under cultivation, there are many distinct varieties from this region, but only the Hawaiian tall is really available in Florida. It's the fastest growing coconut we have available to us, and the fronds tend to be longer with more distance between the leaflets than some of the other varieties here. Personally the Hawaiian tall is my favorite to grow.

For me, Chambeyronia put into the ground young outperform those kept in pots. I’m in Melbourne, Australia with similar average temperatures to certain parts of Northern California.

I have found like most palms they take time to establish roots then they explode. Usually around 2 years they will start fattening up and before you know it 4 years later they're too tall to maintain.

I looked for a good example of this subject on this forum but found none so I thought I would help document the speed of the ever popular queen palm. There have been many comments over the years on how fast this palm is and there's an excellent example from an old thread from the main forum. I'll follow up with what I have experienced here in the RGV of deep south Texas. Purchased this palm as a 7-gal with approximately 9' overall height in spring, 2023. Here it is a year and a half later in October 2024 with the container next to it for scale. It's approximately 13' overall height now - roughly 2.67' per year! The base has really beefed up too.

I wouldn't really call it a garden, but I'm semi-experimenting with palm trees in El Centro, CA, in the Sonoran desert. I don't have any land, so am planting them at one of my works and unfortunately it is under construction and irrigation is frequently cut off when I'm out of town and I return to many dead palms. It's very frustrating. Anyways, I've had fun experimenting with palms, and have unfortunately had many untimely deaths due to irrigation being cut off or getting run over by construction machinery. I'd like to highlight the African oil palm, however, and ask if anyone else has tried them in California or Arizona. This palm is 2 years old from seed. It has spent one summer and one winter in a pot and one summer and one winter in the ground and has been tolerating FULL SUN from noon to sunset on a west facing wall without any issue! I am so shocked. It is frequently 120 F here.

I believe that one was located in the parking lot of the World Birding Center/ Bentsen- Rio Grande Valley State Park. If you head West on 83 in RGV, right around Rio Grande City the terrain becomes more arid , the thick mesquite scrub brush that was cleared 100 years ago in the RGV returns, and you will sporadically see Mexican Olive trees mixed in. Along Falcon Lake they are numerous . They are easy to spot when in flower.

These have been in the ground for a while 6 years plus and were not affected by the 2022 Xmas freeze. Jax beach.

I cleaned all the seeds and found that a few had yellow round marks on the seeds. I opened one to investigate and take a look inside but found all was ok. The seeds are just the same as from a pure Jubaea ( little coconut) and with thicker endocarpus as that of Butia eriospatha.

@Robert Cade Ross @Meangreen94z Thank you very much! I had no idea!

It’s pretty normal in Chrysalidocarpus Richard. I’d be willing to bet 2 spears are about to emerge and that will be the first trunk split. I’ve had C decipiens do the exact same thing.

Today this Caryota did…

Keith, I don't know if FIT has any of his palms from the Daytona property, I think he just helped them to plan the collection back in the '60s (and perhaps he did donate palms at that time...that part's not clear). FIT has a page dedicated to his life and activities here. I think it's tragic that he suffered the very punishing wrath of the '83 and '85 freezes just before his death. I know Doris's daughter, she was a neighbor of ours on Big Pine Key. One evening while out on a walk, she was outside her house and I asked her about a large, trunking Arikury Palm in front of her place, as I knew it was a very unusual palm. She replied that it had been given to her by her stepfather, who was the founder of the Palm Society. I looked at her and said, "Dent Smith?" You could have knocked her over with a feather!!! Interestingly, another neighbor (halfway between our house and hers) was Stanley Kiem, who was longtime superintendent of Fairchild (and a close friend and co-adventurer of David Fairchild) and also one of the small group of inaugural members of the IPS when Dent Smith created the society. When I informed her of this coincidence, she said she had no idea he was her neighbor, nor his relationship to her stepfather and the IPS. It just goes to show that the world is a lot smaller than we think, and sometimes people with strong links may coexist in close proximity and never even know the significance...

Yes, so many urban varmints. A family of raccoons ate our abundant passion fruit crop in days and rats defoliated our Ravenea glauca for nesting material (Ravenea glauca has been slow but steady btw, seems to be a durable plant). Since we're in the outer avenues and have limited leeward space, strong and salty winds are also a major consideration.

Starting to cool a bit average 76 degree highs on my home weather station (For 30 days) wind protected box better than average 89 degrees LOL

Thanks for the shared experience Chris. Yeah, I assume it will want as much heat as we can give it and I think this location is the best we can do. It was in a 1 gallon pot and the roots were just starting to circle. I failed with a Cyphophoenix elegans in the same spot but didn't provide any shelter for it...hopefully this fares better. @Jim in Los Altos noted during my visit that he generally just throws palms in the ground when very young and sees what sticks. As long as we can keep the rats, gophers and slugs away, I'm inclined to do the same.

I would definitely recommend a good layer of mulch and plenty of water when it's hot. It takes time for palms to establish so they might look bad for the first year or two but mulch, water, and fertilizer will make all the difference. Let the little one acclimate and it should take off as long and frost doesn't hurt it.

Very nice Hedyscepe you’ve got going there. I think the weather has been very similar to yours lately but we are starting to shift towards summer a bit now. That being said yesterday morning was frigid for late October. We got down to 5C and then the max was 27C. Next week we’ve got a string of high twenties and possibly a low thirties day. I did see Perth will possibly hit 40C next week, so if it does that what will summer be like. Ocean temps are up pretty much everywhere too. Could be an interesting cyclone season.

@Merlyn: The Satakentia is under oak canopy and gets all day dappled light. They grow fine under those conditions. @D. Morrowii: Appreciate it! The cleanup pile just got hauled away today, so there is a big hole in the front yard to fill in with dirt... from somewhere. @flplantguy: I have a feeling you'll enjoy growing them. One thing they tend not to like is changing light levels. @mnorell: I appreciate you weighing on on the coconuts. Certainly, it was good to have someone point out that was I had labeled on the pot as a Butia was actually a stray Roystonea seed all of those years later, with time for me to move it further away from the house. The "Fiji Dwarf" has been the topic of at least two other conversations as the form look more like a Malayan than a Fiji Dwarf. The first person to say it didn't look like that particular variety was @Plantking165 during a garden visit. Time will tell, but I suspect you are right. It was purchased at Premier Growers in St. James City. You may be right about the others as well As for the history of all of the coconuts, the "Atlantic Tall/Jamaican Tall" and the "Panama Tall" came from Calusa Palms Nursery by request for those varieties. There's certainly no harm in @Zeeth or others jumping in and stating an opinion. To make the Panama Tall look-over easier, here is a recent close-up photo of the petioles: With the CFPACS 2024 Fall Meeting coming up, I only had time to clean up one set of plants, so a mini-update with the Latania lontaroides between the Carpentaria acuminata twins.

I have lost two Foxtail (Wodyetia Bifurcata) in Southern California. I have learned that they are hit or miss here . I do know they love heat so yours should be fine once it hardens off . As Merlyn says they are usually grown under shade cloth to get max height when young . They like fast draining soil and do not like “wet feet” so , once established , they can have short dry periods. Corona is warm so they should like it there . The new growth should be tighter held leaflets and slowly turning dark green. The older fronds will eventually die off , as you are seeing there. After what I learned here on PT I have decided to give these another try . Mine are smaller but coming along nicely , I am about a year ahead of you on hardening off and they are picking up speed . They were not that healthy when I got them ( 5 ) from a private grower. HarryOn the larger one you can see the original frond with the leaf spacing compared to the new fronds that are tightly held leaflets. They keep getting darker with age , you can see the lower frond almost completely dark and the top frond that just recently opened just starting to turn dark . The smaller palm on the left is completely dark. Again , you can see the difference of the new frond versus the old. I am keeping my fingers crossed as we head into the second winter for these guys . They are the best of the five I have. Harry

@nessa I'd guess it's mostly sunburn from the hot/dry summer and heat reflecting off the wall. Usually palms are grown under shade cloth, so the existing fronds might burn when put into full sun. The new frond looks a little more "compact" than the older ones, and also in the pictures looks pretty green. If that's the case then it's adapting to the sun and should look better when the next set of fronds completely grow out. I'd guess it needs more water, but I am in swampy FL where everything is drenched in daily afternoon thunderstorms. Hopefully some CA people can suggest watering amounts.

Butia are pretty tough palms! This small one suffered some crown rot and spear-pull after -13°C temperature in 2021. All 3 of my Butia survived but I ended up cutting the trunk on this one and one other.

A friend recently gave me these Aglaonemas. Aglaonema modestum medio-pictum and Aglaonema modestum 'Spilt Milk'

Fall Update III - Chrysalidocarpus Corner et. al.. Chrysalidocarpus prestonianus: The twin on the left was getting one of those weird fungal infections. It received a Banrot treatment that seems to have wiped the fungal issues out. If you have a palm starting to show fungal issues, this might be a good way to stop it in its tracks. Chrysalidocarpus pembana Chrysalidocarpus cabadae Chrysalidocarpus lanceolata Chrysalidocarpus leptocheilos: The newer palm has a better location and is outgrowing the older specimen. Chrysalidocarpus decaryi Chrysalidocarpus lutescens Satakentia liukiuensis Hyophorbe lagenicaulis Hyophorbe verschaffeltii Chambeyronia oliviformis Archontophoenix cunninghmania: The may drought nearly killed both of these. One is OK, the other is 50/50 on ultimate survival. Howea forsteriana: The drought hit these, but not as bad as I thought consistent temperatures over 95F with no rain would do. You can still see drought damage on my quadruple clump and the smaller seedling right next to them, but they are doing well considering the circumstances. Licuala grandis Allagoptera arenaria: This one is back to flowering, although it is hard to see in the photo. Cocos nucifera 'Green Malayan' Container Photo #1: From front to back, Phoenix theophrasti, Medemia argun community pot, and Hyphaene coriacea. Container Photo #2: The outside rack holding Veitchia arecina, Dictyosperma album 'conjugatum', a recovering Frankenbrahea, Livistona saribus, Kerriodoxa elegans, and a few other gems. Container Photo #3: A few more Medemia argun and Hyphaene coriacea babies. Container Photo #4: A few Jubaea chilensis seeds and Hyphaene coriacea seeds. As you can see in the middle cup, Hyphaene doesn't mind sprouting with no medium around it. Probably two more updates coming. With the hurricanes, it's been a lot to clean up sections of the garden.

My pineapple guava is looking the best it ever has since I had the old growth tree down. The tree was dying and going to be a real death trap to anything under it including anyone walking around it so it had to be removed. And since then everything under and around within a 50 metre radius has said thank you and is loving the extra water and light. The fejoa no exception iam actually looking forward to getting a few fruits for the first time in 23 years. An absolutely beautiful tree in flower and the fruit is a bonus IMG_5762.mov

Acquired a few years back as H. chaunostachys, which has now been renamed H. ledermanniana. Fast grower and becoming a beautiful palm with arching leaves and grey/white elongated crown shaft. The origin of this palm came from mother plants on the Kona side of the island with seed originally collected years ago on Papua New Guinea. Tim

I have a plumeria that's I purchased from Lowe's in spring. I've brought it inside for the fall/winter, it's under a grow light. I'm trying to keep it from going dormant. I've struggled with these plants for several years, I seem to over water them. Looking for some advice. Thank you.

I bought a second one to provide canopy for other palms in a different part of the property. It was about the same size as this one was at purchase and it's growing at the same rate as this one. Not a problem here but further north of here can get some queen killing temperatures every couple of decades but you can still grow a good sized palm pretty quickly! Houston, San Antonio and even Austin had some massive queens prior to 2021 but sadly the vast majority were wiped out. Hopefully normal winters return to those areas so that we'll see large ones again soon.

I have a lot of experience with these . I used them to get a canopy for other palms . The one you showed is right on track but the speed will increase dramatically once that nice fat base turns to trunk! I put some in as 10” pot size and are now HUGE after twenty years . The first 2-3 years were just getting it to the size of yours , then ..look out , they really get big in a hurry. That said , some are much faster than others , but all are what I would consider fast growers. The only negative is the mess of the inflorescence and copious amounts of seed.Harry

As Keith mentioned above, Dent Smith was the original founder of the Palm Society, and he included as inaugural members the most famous names in 20th-century palm studies and horticulture (including Fairchild, Montgomery, et al.). His property was in Daytona Beach, occupying four acres or so on the Halifax River. He was able to grow a large collection of marginal tropical species despite the occasional destruction from bad winters. He died in the mid-'80s but his wife, Doris, kept it going for decades until she passed away. The property was sold in 2013 but I think may still be relatively intact. He was highly involved in the planning and execution of the Florida Institute of Technology Botanical Garden. This brochure explains some of the species at that Botanical Garden today, largely due to his efforts. You can find much info on his gardens and his trials and tribulation by searching old issues of Principes/Palms on the palms.org website.

Plumeria would have to be one of the easiest plants to grow. It sounds like you’re overwatering them and over loving them don’t fuss over exotic plants there just the same as common ones. I thought that about many exotics thinking it’s rare or exspensive I have to baby it and fuss over it you do t have to do that. Yes there are certain plants that require certain cultural techniques, I have some plants i cannot grow killing them but each time I learn from that mistake and next time change what iam doing something completely different thinking differently. You just have to think outside of the box. I just simply break a piece of the tree and push into the ground to propagate them you can let the stem dry out for a month then plant them in some good well draining soil mix. They are incredibly tough dry tolerant cold tolerant temperatures as low as 2 degrees Celsius in my garden possibly colder freezing temperatures are not there friend. But so tough you cannot kill them but well worth the flowers.

Flowers just seem to add vibrancy and colour to a garden creating something unique for the eye. They just go together with the tropical look and exotic plants creating a symphony of mother nature at her best. Giving the gift of colour and shape that just asks for the eye to view them.

I never heard of Dent Smith's palm! Which town was he in? I lived in Gainesville, FL for 6 years so am surprised I never heard of it. If you are in the Southern California, I could probably bring you one or two next week for free. I will have to double check that my friend who is watering my plants hasn't killed my "extras", but I believe I still have a few in pots. I think the deep green is what surprised me the most. It is so weird to see such a delicate looking palm with deep green foliage, as a seedling, to receive full Sonoran Desert sun from noon to sunset on a westward facing wall.

Those below are today pictures of my two plants. Have not grown up dramatically or at all in the last 8 years! But they have started suckering. That said, I have both male and female plant, which bear distinctive different traits, not aure whether there is a matter of sexual differentiation or just natural variation Namely the male suckers profusely, the female barely, the male has inconspicuous to none stem spines, the female has this feature pronounced like Rhapidophyllum, the male has less pronounced white scales on the leaf backside, female leaves have a thick white layer, which initially is somewhat bronze in color and whitens up later, as the leaf ages. Male in foreground, female in the background Female stem fibers Male stem fibers Female suckering habit Male suckering habit And a naturally sprouted seedling, perhaps the way it pops up from below the stones is instructive about needs of the sp in cultivation!

Paul, First off, it was a pleasure having you two to the garden! Perhaps try a Chambeyronia in a spot that receives some sun. Maybe adjacent to a south or west facing wall. The picture below is one of my young ones this past January opening a new leaf in the winter’s cool temperatures. Most of my twelve flamethrowers produce three new fronds per year. The slower ones, 1 and half to two. It’s worth a try.

Try Prestoea acuminata. Amazing palm that really should be grown more in cool areas.

I have one I planted in about 2005. It was as a seedling. It stayed very messy looking until a few years ago. That was when I trimmed it for the first time. After trimming it looked decent! Restarting this thread made me go and revisit today! The first two pics are before I trimmed it up. The next three are after trimming. It's starting to look special to me! The underside of the leaves is very silvery! The last pic the snips are there for scale. I will turn 67 next month so if I live to 100 it will grow from special to spectacular!!! Randy

I have 3 plants grown from seeds. They grow in the shade of the native ipê- amarelo trees (Tabebuia alba) and get more sun in winter when the trees loose there leaves. Lately there are some suckers forming on the palms.

Reviving an old thread. I don’t hear too much about these . I have had mine over 25 years and it is so slow I forget about it. Earlier this year it looked like it was dying but recently opened a couple new fronds. I think it would have done better with more shade, it gets quite a bit of sun. Harry ‘the new frond looks healthy but it may be some time before I see another! I was out and about back in 1995 or so , on my way home from Santa Barbara , when I stopped for coffee in Montecito . I decided to go for a walk and stumbled onto a nursery that looked interesting . I mentioned to the owner that I collected palms . He perked up and said “ I bet you don’t have one of these”. He took me back to a run down , old greenhouse that he was taking down and there it was in a one gallon pot . He let me have it for $25 . I keep it tucked in between rocks because I read that it’s habitat is rocky ledges but maybe I will try a bit of organic fertilizer and mulch just to see if I can kick start it a bit. Harry

Fall Update II - Something for Everyone Veitchia and Friends: The first photo from left to right has Veitchia joannis, Veitchia arecina (previously labeled as subdisticha), and Carpoxylon macrospermum. The second photo is Veitchia winin. The third and final photo in this set is a pair of Veitchia arecina. They have all grown well while the climate allows them to exist. The Combo Bed: No plant lives forever, but the next set are all a little more cold-tolerant. The first photo shows the bed previously called the Desert Bed. The front row left-to-right: Acoelorraphe wrightii, Livistona benthamii, Leucothrinax morrisii, Sabal maritima, and 4 x Washingtonia filifera from the Moapa Valley. They have their ups and downs, but have done better than their former companions. The top row left to right is Sabal causiarum, Brahea brandegeei, a potted Adenium, a small bed of Chamaerops humilis seedlings, Sabal mauritiiformis, and Sabal mexicana. Above the former Desert Bed, you can see the Veitchia mentioned in the last set. To its right, the Coccothrinax argentata in the red retaining wall block area, followed by Zamia integrifolia, a resprouted orange tree, and a Sabal palmetto grown from seed. The second photo is a closeup of the Washingtonia filifera to the far right. Mistaken ID: This Washingtonia was bought as a filifera, but with the amount of red on the base of the petiole, this is a Washingtonia robusta-dominant hybrid at best. It's still welcome in the garden and the second photo shows the kind of thing you do when mulch is between $4 and $7 per bag and you have a yard full of downed dead limbs. Coming Along: The Acoelorraphe wrightii 'Azul' and seed-grown Dictyosperma album 'Conjugatum' are coming along nicely, but the Veitchia will have to get another year or so under their belt before they are easily seen. A Few Cycads: I've always loved Encephalartos ferox, so receiving one for hosting the 2022 Fall CFPACS Meeting was a real treat. Zamia furfuracea was intentionally guerilla planted in a few spots for a future "repeal and replace" project. A Year of Adjustment: When the Veitchia arecina was removed with crown rot, this Roystonea regia was moved to it's spot. The initial crown fried due to the change in sun exposure. It's pushing spears now, so it's a matter of getting through one winter and getting a full growing season under its belt with the root system established. Fear No Evil Nights: The first photo shows the Trachycarpus fortunei that grew steadily after getting singed by May's awful heatwave and drought. The second photo shows a closer view of Sabal minor 'Arkansas' or 'Aurora'. Neither of these would blink at 20F. Rounding Things Out: The circular garden in front took a great deal of patience to put together. I put the Live Oak in sometime in 2011 as a 3G with a trunk as round as my thumb. The crotons and cordylines that give some much needed color and splash to the front wouldn't handle our winters nearly as well without the frost protection afforded by a canopy tree. In between each of the crotons are Sabal minor 'McCurtain'. You can see the front, back, and side view, respectively, in the second, third, and fourth photos. Time to Eat: The hurricane brought down quite a few avocados...

Fall Update I - Odds and Ends After possibly the worst May we've ever had, with temperatures in the 95oF-102oF range and only an inch of rain, the rest of the summer provided ample rain and temperatures closer to normal. Unfortunately, Hurricane Milton damaged some of the plants after a year where it was already difficult to perform regular maintenance. The first update will focus on some of the more common beds. Patio Entryway - Bed #1: This bed features Livistona decora and Copernicia alba. There was previously a small Livistona saribus in front of this bed int a small area sectioned off for it, but it was struggling in that spot. When it was dug up and placed in a pot, it immediately went into active growth. It will spend some time in recovery and there may need to be some remediation done to the soil in that small area. Patio Entryway - Bed #2: This bed is code named "The Okinawa Garden" in honor of @palmfriend. It's hard to believe that the Arenga engleri in this bed are all the same age and from the same seed batch, with the same being true for the Livistona chinensis. Beyond the Patio: This Syagrus romanzoffiana was grown from a seed collected immediately after the Jan. 2018 advective freeze. Hurricane Milton snapped the spear, but the palm is continuing to grow. The Red Zone: This area is named for the red retaining wall blocks that have replaced the scalloped edging that previously served as the border for this garden. In the first photo, seed-grown Adonidia merrillii and a Chamaerops humilis share a bed with a few sickly Chamaedorea radicalis. I'm hoping the Chammy will snap out of its funk, but we'll see. The second photo shows seed-grown Thrinax radiata flanked by bananas and sea grapes. The third and fourth photos captured the size of the Coccoloba uvifera (Sea Grapes) before I had to top them in preparation for the storm. The fifth and final photo shows a Thrinax radiata purchased from the blue big box store. The Lighthouse Bed: This bed now features only one plant, a Brahea edulis. The Contrast Palm: Few palms say desert like Brahea, and few say moist tropics like a Veitchia arecina. The distance between these two palms is less than 25 feet, but both are happy. Seeing this palm now, it is hard to believe it was nursed back to health from spear pull. The Rock Bed: In the rock and concrete bed, Aloe and Chrysalidocarpus decaryi prove they can grow in just about anything. If you look very closely, you can make out the fan leaves of a Sabal minor coming out of the grassy bamboo area. The Maypan Bed: This coconut palm now has a span over 20 feet and dropped most of its leaf bases recently. The bole at the bottom is ~18 inches. Behind the coconut palm, a small Pritchardia thurstonii is growing. The latter may end up being an annual, but only time will tell. The Southside Coconut Bed: This is the bed that holds the Atlantic Tall coconut palm and another bed with Syagrus schizophylla, Adonidia merrillii, a Panama Tall coconut palm grown from a newly sprouted seed planted earlier in the year, and two pineapple plants. The Fruit Bed: The Hyphaene coriacea and Ptychosperma macarthurii occupying this bed share the area with sugar cane, a Choquette Avocado tree, and a Glen Mango tree. The Hyphaene took a hit from a falling avocado, hence the damaged frond. This is the first in a series of fall updates, most likely numbering 3-5, depending on how many photos it takes and how long it takes to finish weeding the beds.

Today.