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Showing content with the highest reputation on 01/30/2025 in all areas

  1. This is my solitary Chamaerops grown from a 1 gallon seedling . Planted over 25 years ago and never developed any pups. Harry
    5 points
  2. I almost forgot I planted this calyptrocalyx back there I seen the red leaf and had to go investigate and the iguanura always looks good
    4 points
  3. Have some fresh palm seeds for sale: Archontophoenix maxima $18/100 Burretiokentia koghiensis $25/100 Chamaedorea tepejilote $15/100 Chambeyronia (Kentiopsis) oliviformis $25/100 Chambeyronia macrocarpa $12/20 Chambeyronia macrocarpa "watermelon" $1ea Rhopalostylis baueri v. "cheesemanii" $20/100 Rhopalostylis sapida v. "oceana" or "Chatham Island" $20/100 Flat rate priority shipping $8 I'll have more types available soon.... Thanks -Joe (760)300-7339
    3 points
  4. A new chamaedorea in the collection I purchased from the annual pacsoa plant sale about 12 months ago. From my understanding it was Colin Wilson who introduced it into cultivation in Australia. So if you’re in for any new palms get along to the pacsoa plant sales coming up.
    3 points
  5. I found this 15g baby tucked away in my bamboo, I had forgotten to plant it. Our intern helped plant it. This is a very forgiving plant, I neglected it for 4 years, I had bought it during the pandemic shut down, no water no fertilizer and it's no worse off for the wear.
    3 points
  6. I have a few kerriodoxa floating around the garden in various locations. My one time absolutely favourite palm. I also have around another 600 in pots doing well in the hothouse. Some n deep forest tubes and others in 140 mm containers. What’s not to love about them there spectacular palms. Some what cool tolerant as well taking temperatures as low as 2 degrees Celsius in my garden and quite tough I have planted seedlings and they are doing fine. But a palm that will drink whatever water you give it provided there is good drainage.
    3 points
  7. Here comes a new leaf. Super red too. 7th leaf. Usually holds six. The crownshaft has some watermelon features to it as well. Can hookeri have this? Is this normal?
    3 points
  8. Kerriodoxa elegans is great for covering areas that you don’t want people to see. I have some that I use to cover a power transformer and a few others that I randomly planted throughout the garden.
    3 points
  9. After a very lengthy application process, the volunteer team caring for the Botanical Gardens at the University of Hawaii Hilo recently received accreditation from BGCI Botanic Gardens International. This required cataloging the hundreds of species of palms, cycads, and bromeliads with currently accepted names, creating a searchable digital database and detailed map of the gardens, and setting up collaborative research projects with other institutions around the world. The garden was created by UHH professor Don Hemmes decades ago. Many volunteers have helped nurture the gardens over the years. The current crew includes Deb Beaty, JR Miles (HIPS president), Bill Nelson, Ken Beilstein (cycad specialist), and Rob Talbert, the computer guy who took the lead preparing the application and setting up the digital database. The garden is located along a stream that runs through campus. Although today it is not prime real estate for building more parking lots or structures, the unofficial, volunteer nature of the gardens left them vulnerable to the whims of future university administrators. The goal of gaining the BGCI accreditation is to communicate to the university and wider public the value of the collection and hopefully protect it in perpetuity. Plus, it gives me a good excuse to post some current photos of a few of the star residents. This photo was taken from roughly the same spot as the one at the beginning of this thread, 3.5 years ago. This Tahina is definitely in high gear. It might not be the largest one on the island, but it is right up there with the best. Immediately to the left of the guy posing for scale is a poor Lemurophoenix halleuxii about to be swallowed by the Tahina. Lots of hobbyists in Hawaii planted Tahina in their residential gardens 15 years ago when they first became available. Not everyone left enough room around to accommodate the massive size of these palms. Tahina have this odd habit of crawling sideways the first several years until they sink down a mature root system and take off growing vertically. You can see where the palm began off to the left and slid about three feet to the right before making a trunk. And of course, every East Hawaii Island palm garden has to have at least one Marojejya. This garden is a must see for any palm grower visiting the Big Island. It's easy to find in the middle of Hilo, and it's free!
    3 points
  10. With the tropical heat we are getting it’s a wonderful time for the garden. Having a lot of tropical plant species in the garden it’s now that they look there best, enjoying the heat that they are accustomed to all I have to do is add water.
    3 points
  11. Just planted a Vachellia robusta. Not a palm... but African scrubland stuff is cool.
    3 points
  12. I've planted in January and February for the past two winters for the thrill and fomo (haven't failed yet). One queen palm was planted early February 2023 and two more in late January 2024. Gotta squeeze out every drop of the growing season, every day counts!!! 🌴🤪 Dallas I'd probably wait until at least the second week of March
    3 points
  13. Started a couple days ago. Some cool and weird shit going in the ground at my house in the next week or two. Plus a coma tree for the birds.
    3 points
  14. I have a couple of 2 year old seedlings. In the house. Great palms!!! Very forgiving. I water a lot. They even handle dry heating air.
    3 points
  15. They don’t come any better than the kerriodoxa, one of my favourites.
    3 points
  16. Check this one out. P. densiflora, which I have posted before, another beautilmeaux palm. 😄 Tim
    3 points
  17. the beautiful arenga engleri, I made it from seed in the early 2000s, the seeds took a year and a half to germinate! 5 years ago it flowered and produced a lot of seeds that were all lost, because I could not collect them, I was in bed
    2 points
  18. Not yet but I've got the windmills and butias uncovered from a 7 week nap and all my potted palms are getting some nice rays on the back deck with the exception of several because the nighttime lows are just a little to cool right now. But I have a major planting project soon
    2 points
  19. Chrysalidocarpus (Dypsis) lutescens
    2 points
  20. Couple of nice winners there.
    2 points
  21. For such a beautiful tropical looking palm they do take the cold well. I don’t think a frost would be there friend, they grow as far south as Sydney that I know of. A temperature as low as 0 degrees Celsius they would take my ones get 2 degrees Celsius possibly lower.
    2 points
  22. the seeds are fertile I found about 50 seedlings sprouted by themselves around the plant
    2 points
  23. I actually had a strap-leaf seedling survive 9°F (-13°C) in San Antonio with just being covered with mulch. I planted another seedling here and it was unfazed with 27°F (-3°C).
    2 points
  24. Today I brought out my Meyer lemon tree and my 2 sabal minors and my live oak seedling I will probably have to bring them in a couple more nights but otherwise they will be fine
    2 points
  25. Apart from volcano forms, that is. In first line I had in mind a solitary specimen, totally unarmed. Suckers can be removed. I have one such specimen, which produced only one offshoot in very young age, this offshoot was removed and it has remained since then strictly solitary. On the other hand another supper fast specimen was actually the only sucker of a dead main stem, and itself sucker's like crazy, I butcher with reciprocal saw all offshoots during spring and by next spring ground is again full of offshoots, maybe even more than the time before last trim. Both specimens are roughly same age. Ya never know with this sp!
    2 points
  26. We just had 3 inches of snow in Houston last week. Temps got down to 17. We had center fronds wrapped ( these are giant palms). Is there anything to out in soil to make sure they survive? Prior to freezing, i did water the palms and gave them moon juice. Worried about my trees. thank you
    2 points
  27. I planted it under two large oak trees as I wasn't sure what the true minimum temperature this would take, so figured it'd have some frost protection. Anyways, love the coloring still, and last year's culms are about 2 1/4". I ant on cutting two of the older culms out and trying my hand at propagating it.
    2 points
  28. You could do a preventative treatment of copper fungicide in the crown. Sometime in March if we continue to have warm weather a palm fertilizer well help them grow out of their funk if they're in one. That's about it I'd say. One other thing if the fronds start to brown off, don't cut them unless they are 100% dead including the petioles. If the palms are damaged they will rely on the nutrients in those damaged and older leaves to help them recover.
    2 points
  29. Yes, it did the worst, I hope it isn't dead. It was the smallest queen by a long shot, Still strap leaf, but about 4 feet tall, maybe more. I have another one in the garage that I held off on planting just for this type of scenario. And for the record I planted my first two palms on Feb 14 last year.
    2 points
  30. Just a little guy, but this Livistona rigida is blushing all over. More so than it's siblings for some reason!
    2 points
  31. The temperature bottomed off at 35F during the cold snap, with ~64 consecutive hours below 50F. Hopefully that ends up being the minimum for the winter, but we have a few months to go until actual spring. A comparison of the currently available records - subject to amendment by NOAA and/or Wunderground later: That temperature shouldn't bother much in a Central Florida garden on the I-4 Corridor. As such, this post will just be observations on a few cold-tender species. Coconuts: These have some burned leaflets and frost-spotting to various degrees throughout the yard. Most of the damage is on the lower fronds. No photos at this time. They take a while to show their true condition after long-cold. Pritchardia thurstonii: This palm was bought with the understanding that it was probably an annual since it goes below 35F with regularity here. Thus far, it handled everything really well. Areca catechu 'Dwarf': These handled the length of cold really well. Pritchardia (martii?): A little beat up on the lower fronds and outer edges, but it wasn't in the best of health before. Latania lontaroides: No damage. Performed as expected. There could be more reports or an updated report later. These were the most cold-sensitive species to observe in the area, and most stuff here in town is either bulletproof to 20F or suited for the 9b/10a transition zone winters.
    2 points
  32. Hibiscus sp. Barambah Creek, an outrageously pink Aussie native!
    2 points
  33. Honestly not bad for a 26f freeze! My Leptocheilos looks about the same from 33f with a very light frost. Glad to see Baronii has some toughness
    2 points
  34. Xenon Posted 3 hours ago Winter is over in Houston and south Texas guys, I'm calling it now. Its time Famous last words b4 disaster? At the very least tempting a jinx!
    2 points
  35. Winter is over in Houston and south Texas guys, I'm calling it now. Its time to get those plants in the ground !!! Looks to be a long streak of 80 degree days and nights in the 60s next week. That'll definitely wake everything up 😊
    2 points
  36. New leaf opening on this Burretiokentia. There was no tag on this when I bought it but I’m thinking it’s Koghiensis because of the red leaf? Can anyone confirm that? and here’s a picture of the base / crown of the palm if that can help anyone ID this for me:
    2 points
  37. Welcome back Kim, and nice to be greeted with such beauty. Here’s a hibiscus from my garden that always stands out to me
    2 points
  38. My chamaedoreas are loving the tropical heat we are getting at the moment. With a few good seeds setting from a successful hand pollination project. There such a beautiful little palm performing well in the deep shade a perfect understory palm. A group planting is the order of the day with a few seedlings I have.
    2 points
  39. I grew these from seeds. The first palms I ever grew from seed.
    2 points
  40. Well, my P. caesia’s have rocketed upward, but they are still beautlimeaux. (An invented description ) They are the two skinny palms with the orange crown shafts. Tim
    2 points
  41. Crysalidocarpus paucifolius. Growing in fractured solid rock keeps the scale of this palm in check…..perfect. Tim
    2 points
  42. 1 point
  43. I have one single plant on my terrace in Rome and it's seeds are fertile. I used the seed for experimenting with the delidding method. It's quite simple with Arenga engleri and they start germinating immediately
    1 point
  44. I started planting mid Feb last year. It's definitely warm enough right now. Nothing planted yet but I did pick up a rototiller this weekend to help prepare new garden beds. Lowes and HD have all their patio furniture back, fruit trees are in the garden center as well as vegetable starts. Very close now.
    1 point
  45. Hi everyone! Today, I'd like to talk about the history of palm trees in the territory that is now Portugal. Many Portuguese people believe that palm trees are exotic species introduced in recent years as ornamental plants in coastal resort areas. Some even harbor a certain aversion to these species, associating them with tropical climates and, consequently, with foreign and distant territories. One argument frequently heard against their use as ornamental plants in our country is that they take the place of native trees or those considered indigenous to Portugal. Let us explore how the reality differs from these assumptions and see that palm trees, in fact, have been part of the Portuguese landscape—at least partially—long before the birth of the nation. Contrary to popular belief, there is indeed a native palm species in our territory: the dwarf palm, also known as the European fan palm or broom palm. Its Latin name is Chamaerops humilis, and it is a naturally low-growing species (though in cultivation it can reach up to 5 meters in height) that thrives around the Mediterranean Sea. In the Iberian Peninsula, its potential distribution extends along the eastern Mediterranean and Andalusian coasts, reaching inland through the Guadalquivir and Guadiana river valleys and up to Lisbon. Image 1: According to Rivas Martínez, the dwarf palm grows in the thermomediterranean zone (marked in red on the map). Image 2: Approximate map of the current distribution of the European fan palm. In Portugal, its current distribution is mainly in the Algarve and along the Alentejo coast, where it grows in xerophytic shrubs and thickets, on sunny and rocky slopes, and in coastal cliffs. Its original range must have been much larger, covering the southern half of the country. However, with the expansion of urbanization and agriculture, its range has diminished over time. In the 19th century, there were references to its presence in the Serra da Arrábida, but today there are no records of spontaneous specimens in the cliffs and hills of the area. Image 3: Low-growing specimen in a holm oak forest in the Algarve. Image 4: Large specimen at Cape St. Vincent. Image 5: European fan palm in the Algarve. Image 6: Specimen on a cliff at a beach in Lagos. Nevertheless, small populations of natural specimens still survive in some parts of the Alentejo, particularly in the montado areas of the Évora district. Other small populations exist near Badajoz in Spain. There are also recent accounts of isolated spontaneous specimens in Lisbon, Cascais (near Cabo Raso), and Costa da Caparica. Image 7: Young spontaneous specimen in Torrão, Alcácer do Sal. While dwarf palms are also used as ornamentals, the palm species commonly seen today are not native to Portugal. This means they were imported from other regions. Contrary to popular belief, the first exotic palms were not introduced in the last three centuries; their presence dates back much further. In the context of the Iberian Peninsula, the presence of palm trees goes back to antiquity. In the first century AD, the Roman writer Pliny the Elder, in his book Naturalis Historia (Book XIII), mentions the presence of fruit-bearing palms in the peninsula: “Without a doubt, there are many palms in Europe and Italy, but they do not bear fruit. On the coasts of Hispania, however, they bear fruit, albeit with a harsh taste.” The species he's mentionning is the date palm (Phoenix dactylifera), a type of palm cultivated for millennia in the Middle East primarily for its fruit: the date. The history of the date palm stretches back thousands of years and is deeply intertwined with the civilizations of the Middle East and North Africa. Archaeological records show that it was already being cultivated in Mesopotamia around 6,000 BCE, where its resistance to heat and water scarcity made it one of the few fruit-bearing trees suitable for the desert environment. Dates were so valuable that they were referred to as “the bread of the desert” and celebrated in sacred texts and historical records, such as the Bible and the Quran, symbolizing prosperity and fertility. Over time, trade routes spread date palms to various regions around the Mediterranean. The origin and presence of date palms in the Iberian Peninsula are subjects of debate among archaeologists and botanists, particularly regarding the possibility of a native species (phoenix iberica?) in the southeast of the peninsula and the role of different Mediterranean peoples in introducing and propagating the plant. Date palms have been documented in various regions of the Mediterranean coast of the Iberian Peninsula since at least the Phoenician period. Their presence was successively expanded by the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, and, most significantly, by the Arabs. Image 8: Natural specimens (phoenix iberica?) growing in Abanilla desert, Murcia. Image 9: Phoenix dactylifera in Cabo de gata, Almería The continental territory that is now Portugal never offered the climatic conditions necessary for date cultivation—not due to temperature, as the average temperatures in Elche are not very different from those in the Algarve, but due to humidity. Precipitation levels are too high for dates, which require aridity. On the peninsula, favorable conditions for date cultivation exist only in the southeast, in the regions of Almería, Murcia, Elche, and Alicante, where a semi-arid or hot arid climate prevails (BSh and BWh in red and pink). Image 9: Köppen-Geiger climate classification of the Iberian Peninsula Images 10 and 11: The Palm Grove of Elche, Valencia Image 12: A palm grove in Orihuela, Valencia Nonetheless, date palm have not solely served agricultural purposes throughout history. It was likely used primarily as an ornamental plant due to its aesthetic beauty and religious symbolism. Considering its use, the introduction of the date palm to the western territory of the peninsula is much less documented compared to the southeast, where numerous references have emerged throughout different eras and peoples. However, we know that the Phoenicians were instrumental in spreading this plant (the name Phoenix derives from their civilization) throughout the Mediterranean. This same people also traveled, traded, and even settled in parts of what is now southern Portugal, leaving their orientalizing influence in remote areas such as the Alentejo. Many authors attribute the introduction of the date palm to the peninsula (including the Portuguese territory) to the Phoenicians. Similarly, the Carthaginians, descendants of the Phoenicians, are believed to have contributed to its spread. Later, the Romans, captivated by its aesthetic beauty, used date palms as ornamentals in their gardens and courtyards across the Italian peninsula and their conquered territories around the Mediterranean. During the Muslim period in the Iberian Peninsula, the date palm was widely used and valued not only as a fruit-bearing plant but also as a symbol of prosperity and civilization. Originating from the Middle East and North Africa, where the new political and religious elites came from, the date palm was one of the first plants cultivated in gardens, palaces, and mosques in Al-Andalus. It is said that during the caliphal period, Abd al-Rahman I ordered palms to be planted in Córdoba to remind him of his native Syria. Image 12: Virtual reconstitution of Medina Azahara, Córdoba While large date groves were developed in the southeast for fruit cultivation—thanks to ingenious irrigation systems introduced by the Arabs—in Andalusia, date palms were used ornamentally. References to their use exist in cities such as Seville, Córdoba, and Granada. As for the Portuguese territory, there is no reason to believe date palms were not planted for ornamental purposes on the other side of the Guadiana River. In fact, the historian Al-Maqqarî, describing a journey accompanying the sovereign al-Mutawakkil from Badajoz to Santarém, passing through Elvas, which he considered a "precious site famous for its waters and tall palms, where one finds gardens and beautiful places." Therefore, it is highly likely that date palms were cultivated as an ornamental plant throughout the Algarve and Alentejo regions, extending to Lisbon, areas where Muslim rule and Mediterranean influences were most profound and enduring. Image 13: Date palms growing in an olive tree field near Arronches, Alentejo (not far from Elvas). This photo gives us an idea of the kind of landscape you would see in Muslim Portugal. Image 14: Date palms growing amidst other Mediterranean trees (carob trees, lemon trees, and orange trees) and houses with terraces inspired by Muslim architecture in the Algarve. Image 15: A date palm growing in Moura, Alentejo Image 16: Dates palm in the Muslim castle of Silves, Algarve After the Reconquista, it seems that the cultivation of date palms gradually diminished over time (due to its strong connection to Islam), though they were still sporadically used in the newly-formed nation. The only reference I found regarding the presence of the date palm comes from the 16th century on the island of Madeira, where Gaspar Frutuoso describes a palm tree (most likely a date palm) in the cloister of the Santa Clara Convent in Funchal. This detail suggests that the cultivation of the date palm may have been revitalized during the Age of Discovery, a period when contact with Africa and other continents facilitated the importation of exotic plant species. The date palm, along with its relative, the Canary Island date palm, would become symbols of colonial wealth. From the 18th century onward, with the development of modern botany, many enthusiasts began planting date palms in their gardens and botanical parks, particularly in Lisbon, where they thrived in the green spaces of numerous palaces of the time. In the first half of the 20th century, date palms transitioned from private gardens to adorning public squares and parks. Image 14: Burnay Palace, Lisbon Image 15: A multi trunk specimen in Estrela, Lisbon in 1930 Image 16: Santos garden in Lisbon (1930) Image 17: Lisbon Zoo In the latter half of the 20th century, with the growth of tourism, the Canary Island date palm replaced the true date palm across the country and became widely planted in gardens, avenues, and parks, particularly in coastal areas. From the 1980s through the 2010s, date palms saw a resurgence in Portuguese gardens, especially in tourist hotspots like the Algarve, where it remains a common sight at hotels and resorts. Image 18: Date palms growing in the coastal town of Costa da Caparica, Lisbon Image 19: Date palms in Lisbon planted in 1998 for the Expo. Image 20: Date palms in Sesimbra Images 21 and 22: A hotel in the Algarve Image 23: A traditional house converted into a hotel in Alentejo However, unlike in neighboring Spain, date palms aren't widely cultivated in Portugal, and mature specimens are becoming increasingly hard to find today, especially in Lisbon. With the arrival of the red palm weevil, which decimated nearly all the Canary Island date palms in the country, the cultivation of the true date palm was largely abandoned after centuries, and preference shifted to less vulnerable species, such as the Washingtonia palms.
    1 point
  46. Here's a local business in Harlingen who really likes the blue palms! 5 total Bismarckia and one Brahea armata (lower right). Florescent green trunks are not typical of the species! 😅
    1 point
  47. I shared these in another thread already but wanted to share again in here because these are some of the best Washingtonia you can find in DFW and are impressive just in general.
    1 point
  48. I have a 40 year old 28' windmill palm that hasn't recovered from the 2018 freeze in Virginia. I lost some other windmills, but this one is in a more sheltered location. The emerging leaves are small - maybe 1/2 to 2/3 the size of the healthy leaves it had before the freeze. It only puts out 2 or 3 a year. I'm afraid it's just too tall to recover. I've tried foliar feeding. I hate to just cut it, so I'll leave it as long as there is some green at the top; but I'm hoping that some of the experts on here can come to the rescue.
    1 point
  49. I have a young palm in front of my house that was labeled "Sabal texana" when I bought it (at Smithfield Gardens in Suffolk, VA?) a few years ago. I assumed that it would turn out to be a 'Brazoriensis." It has (slowly) developed papery legumes, similar to Sabal causiarum. It is growing among bamboo roots and is holding its own. Hardiness at this young age is similar to S palmetto. Any guesses as to which Sabal this really is?
    1 point
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