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Here’s a double (formerly triple) in the front garden showing of some color.

It' s sunny today after two weeks of cold and rain, so I ' ll take some new pictures of my C. decipiens after arriving home.

I was over at Pauline Sullivan’s house ( now her grandson ) checking for seeds . I took this photo , looking up. Probably the parent to many Decipiens that are in North America. There are two very large specimens near the street. This is the largest . Harry I am 6’ tall looking up! I think I see a smile!

It was a beautiful autumn day wondering around the gardens. I only got to see a little piece of it with much more on display. Looks like a return trip is needed to see more.

Collorfull crownshaft of a Crysalidocarpus ( Dypsis) decipiens after old boot was removed today

I’m not sure whether it would be possible with Phoenix, but im confident it already exists within other smaller genera. Off the top of my head, there exists Howea belmoreana x forsteriana (or vice Versa) and there’s strong suspicion that Cyphophoenix elegans x nucele exists (assuming C alba and fulcita return to Veillonia and Campecarpus as has been suggested). I’d assume Adonidia merrillii x dransfieldii would be possible given A merrillii has been known to hybridise intergenerically. In any case, I’m not sure going down this path for any genus is likely to yield anything interesting, but there could be so much variability you’d never know. I’d guess in general you’d just have something that looks somewhere intermediate to all parents involved. For Phoenix it would take lifetimes of effort and would be difficult given that rarity of some species like P andamanensis. I’d suggest it wouldn’t be wise to dilute something like this in a hybrid.

@DonnaM welcome to PalmTalk! Foxtails are susceptible to cold damage anywhere close to freezing, especially with frost. Anywhere in the 30s could cause some leaf spotting that's mostly cosmetic. Into the 20s can cause severe burn or death, especially in a fairly young palm. To me that looks like some cosmetic cold damage. You can't "heal" the damage but a palm-type fertilizer will help it grow out quicker. Some good fertilizers are PalmGain and Florikan, though I tend to use cheap stuff like Sunniland 6-1-8.

Looks like cold damage. Mine had similar spots and marks last year.

More green in the center. Will plan to get them trimmed soon. Looking for some good fertilizer too.

In January 2020 I received my Mule Palm from MPOM. Over the last 5 years its grown substantially and now I am faced with a decision to up-pot yet again, sale it, or plant it. Of course I chose to plant it. A new pot the next size up would be about $300, and then what? In 2 years I'll be faced with the same predicament. This mule has endured the last 3 seasons outside since it's been too large to come in the house since 2022. The lowest we've been since then is 10F and its suffered minimal to no damage (granted - I laid it on the ground and threw a bed sheet over it when it got that cold). Otherwise it's stayed outside year-round. Now, before anyone comes for me about planting it (Yes, I'm in zone 8) my logic is that considering its survival and knowing its marginal palm here - I am willing to see what happens. Who knows, maybe we won't have anymore century level events for the next 100 years. *fingers crossed* Anyway, the predicament has been WHERE to plant it; the backyard is quite full these days. So, the decision to remove my Namwah banana mat was made yesterday, and plant the mule in its place. While I love my bananas, and they do extremely well here - the Namwah was the right plant in the WRONG place and was a constant pain to keep off of the fence, and off of the patio. Not to mention I have plenty of other varieties of bananas. I made the right move. After 9 hours with only a quick dinner break today I managed to somehow remove the established mat of namwahs, and excavate a planting hole for the mule. (word to the wise - do not plant bananas without intent. Be sure that's where you want them for all eternity and have ample room around them. Oh, and use heavy lifting equipment if you need to move them.... ugh😫) Post trunk chop from winter and now the heavy lifting begins... About 2.5hours into it and I'm questioning my life choices ..... QUEUE 200 LB POTATO..... After about 6 hours I finally managed to get the giant potato from hell out of the ground and dig out a 2 foot deep 2 foot wide meteor impact crater .... *notice the red clay - if you know you know* Once removed from its prison... er, I mean pot.... I had to do some root pruning/releasing. It was extremely root bound and swirling. Once the mess of roots had been freed from themselves - the rest is the easy part. To settle in I made sure to add plenty of plant tone and water in incrementally as I back filled the hole using a mix of seaweed extract, superthrive, and root stimulator water. Hopefully that will minimize transplant shock. Fingers crossed. I do expect to lose some of the lower fronds just from how aggressive I had to be with the root mass. Finally after about 9 grueling hours, sunburnt and bleeding .... Hopefully the Mule likes this spot as much as the bananas did, and I get to see some explosive growth. As per usual it will receive nothing but regular waterings with seaweed and unsulfured molasses water to establish the root/soil microbiome this season with no fertilizers for the next 90 days. IMG_0208.HEIC

Gonna wear a mask today as I head out this afternoon.. the sky is orange.. https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/03/weather/new-mexico-haboob-dust-storm/index.html

This is the problem with people using common names instead of the scientific names. Typically "Alexander Palm" refers to Ptychosperma elegans and "Alexandra King Palm" refers to Archontophoenix alexandrae (sometimes mistakenly called Alexander King Palm). The Ptychosperma has a thinner trunk, is less cold hardy and only reaches half the height of the Archontophoenix.

I’d say she’s referring to Archontophoenix alexandrae.

Wanted to showcase a couple of my Chamaerops humilis var. argentea. Slow growing species that does wonderfully under many different growing conditions. Nice blue accent palm for a smaller yard.👍 aztropic Mesa, Arizona

Here’s an anthurium i got from ecuagenera last month at our orchid show. I forgot the name but the red “bloom” really stands out amongst the plants in the sunroom. Gongora fulva in bloom right over it.

Wood is slow to break down as well... Still have a few pieces i'd collected for Orchid mounts back in ...2008.

So many fine species to choose from. I'm fond of Garrya elliptica and Cupressus macrocarpa, but my favorite locally native tree is Umbellularia californica. Oily leaves, rich and lustrous green, emitting a pungent and peppery aroma when crushed that makes my scalp tingle. Photos are mine, some from Samuel P Taylor SP and some from a redwood grove right near where I grew up. Often seen as an understory plant in redwood forest, but a striking and substantial tree itself given the opportunity.

They are quite handsome, and as the link states, supportive to a vast number of species in the local ecology. They are also prolific and will sprout many acorns each season. They thrive in coastal areas where redwoods do not.

I don't see any issues with the health of that seedling. Looks to be a Washingtonia seedling, which produce filaments These are very tenacious but would perform better in a pot that's deeper that it is wide. This will outgrow it's container rather rapidly. This is my 3 year old seedling.

I see ups and downs in the temps for March. Check on YouTube for one of the weather geek channels. Those guys will look ahead a couple weeks.

Washingtonia in pots need a lot of water. I bought mine last January and was waiting to plant. I went around 3 days without watering and the fronds started browning off and it set them back a bit. When I planted them I realized there was virtually no soil in the pots just a giant mass of roots. The sagos are very forgiving. I agree with Harry I'd probably wait a couple of more weeks to see what the long term forecasts look like. Any freezing temps I'd throw them in the garage. I'm pretty cautious with potted plants though.

On a palm that size in a pot, less is more! I would suggest no more than a half a handful of Sunniland 6-1-8 or Palmgain 8-2-12. In pots I frequently use Osmocote, just because there's less risk of burning roots. If you use granular I'd do smaller amounts once a month instead of a bigger dose once every three months. If you are planting it, just wait until it's not likely to go below ~40F at night. Don't put fertilizer in the hole, but make sure you loosen up the soil around it. If you aren't planting it, stepping that up to a 7g would be a good choice.

I think they are the same thing. The one that says “Chelated” is an older bottle. This can be applied on the foliage or the ground. Keep in mind that these are only supplements and you should apply a regular palm fertilizer first.

I did contemplate leaving the wife behind for more space in the car. But you know a smart wouldn’t do that at all, now all I gotta do is go back and pick her up 🤣 Richard

So long as there is enough moisture to keep the palm from drying out and the soil in the pot. You should be fine . It won’t be that long before you will be planting them. Harry

Also, if you don't already have one, buy a rain gauge. Our spring weather (in the southeast ) is usually fairly wet so you may not need to do much watering at times. The hole in the bucket method is what I use. Now in the heat of summer and during dry spells, I have used around 20g (4 bucket fulls) at a time or so for bigger (mine have around 3-6' of trunk on them) windmills. That is in the summer though so you should not need near that much this time of year, not to mention the potential rainfall too.

Yes, I think suggestion is good. dear beauties grows 🤗😁

Pretty simple question I randomly started considering, what if someone found a way to cross every single species of a small genus that readily hybridizes, such as Phoenix. Would this even be possible in a lifetime? And if so, would such a creation look completely unique, or closely resemble an already existing, simpler hybrid in the end. My idea would be to either start out with pure species and add one to the previous hybrid, though that could take years for each to mature id think. Ex: ((((Dacty x Sylv)xRoeb)xCanary)xRec)xEtc..) Or , combine already existing hybrids, which would be quicker and easier? Ex: (Dacty x sylv) x (Roeb x Canary) x (etc, etc) Looking forward to hearing opinions

Texas root rot is the big problem with them down here but if they get enough trunk on em they should survive your worst winters and come back from the ground anyways. Assuming they don't get root rot.

As promiscuous as these are it probably already exists lol

Most of the Mexican and Guatemalan types should be easy up there. Can't remember the varieties but there used to be several in my old neighborhood there. In fact, before it was razed for homes and building the 85 freeway in the early 90s, there was a sizable Avocado grove located behind a Vet clinic my family would take our dogs to. Remember it because while my mom would take her dogs in for shots / etc, i'd wander over to the grove through an empty lot ( Now extra parking ) to see the Peacocks that roamed that grove.. Nurseries i worked for out there sold all the " common " varieties like Haas, Lamb Haas, Bacon, Mexicola, Wurtz, Pinkerton, Fuerte, etc.. No doubt there are probably other newer varieties around now. Aside from numerous discussions about " Bay Area Avos. / which grow best up there " over on the Tropical Fruit Forum, some additional, interesting reads.. Good article on the subject from Golden Gate Palms: https://www.goldengatepalms.com/avocados A blog post from Epicenter Nursery and fruit: https://www.epicenteravocados.com/blog/ From the CRFG: https://crfg.org/homepage/library/fruitfacts/avocado/

Thank you @Kim We will be based on South Padre Island with an opening banquet on Friday, December 12. Touring will be all day Saturday and Sunday in the Brownsville area. The nearest airports are Brownsville/South Padre Island Airport and Valley International Airport in Harlingen.

There’s was quite a few a few I didn’t even entertain the idea of growing. Mapu licuala orbicularis. Oh I would complain and sell my house and move ……

These and snow drops are indicators of an approaching spring season.

One of my favorite flowers normally here they start blooming Sometime in February normally mid to late

Here's some from last month at my place. These are weeds and I pull out tons after they flower, but just as many pop up the following late winter.

That seems about right unless , of course , there is a rain event that waters the palm for you. Be sure to do the finger in the soil check to make sure it is not drying out or getting too much water. Weather can affect the requirements. Harry

I always liked this huge Peltophorum dubium near town. Probably would've come back from 2021 but the whole place whas reno'ed a few years ago. Jacaranda can be done with dieback in cold years. Ceiba speciosa 100% can be grown here, several huge flowering examples before 2021. Plenty of big Ebenopsis ebano too. Cordia boissieri grows exceptionally well here. The City even installed some on Nasa Rd 1. Erythrina crista-galli is fine too Lots of options open up if you look at what has been grown before in the past few decades vs hyperfocusing on the last 5 years

first spring flowers to bloom are my Crocus everything this year has been delayed at least I've got some flowers to look at

It’s kinda buried under the Hummingbird Hibiscus but the bush went decidedly deciduous and there it is! Any idea about the species?

An update on one of the coconuts in the last post - it is now known fruiting and is a Golden Malayan to my surprise. It has no foliar damage at at all from the cool spell and is loaded with fruit.

That's amazing growth in that time span - but not surprising. I think we forget in the southern United States with the heat, sun angle, and ample precip the speed at which things grow. I was checking low temps in the New Orleans/Houma area...and only 4 days this Feb had lows below 60 F . We take that for granted. In some cities however, the highs struggle to reach 60 F in winter (the other day NYC hit 60 F for the first time this year)....and cities like London or Paris on average will not see their first 60 F high until April - lol. Heat, rainfall, and sun....it can do amazing things.

Was 25.1C when this photo was taken at 7pm local time a few hours ago. Was soaking it up down at the local lake, formed by a large hydro-electric dam, 5km by cycle path from home. Only a few more weeks of being able to do this after work. 🥲

Zones are relative in any case. Always only an indicator. Espescially in Europe but yes recent maps say it's 8a. Also not far from Vienna where they grow palms and I think it's also an 8a. But those areas get more frost than other 8as for example. Either way WOW incredible work! I'm not sure if I like it that much because of the money and energy that gets pumped into it and I think it loses its appeal when it's basically a greenhouse but who knows maybe in a couple of decades he doesn't need to protect them anymore. 😂

Just to show the speed of the b x pjc There is was basically no green left 1 month ago after record snowfall……

If you want cold hardy citrus. Step 1: Collect seeds from fruit. Step 2: Germinate said seeds. Step 3: Grow the seedlings in pots until they reach about 3 feet tall and plant them in the ground in the spring time. Step 4: Water and fertilize the plants throughout the growing season. Step 5: Let winter do its thing. Whatever plants survive are cold hardy and are growing on their own roots. Congratulations, you haven't wasted $50+ on a low quality, "legal", cold hardy citrus that might survive another year.

Here i also put my Metrolina lime and something Bordeaux fig in here lol. it hit 93.5! i started spinach in here but i think its just going to bolt. ima start marigolds and maybe a pumpkin seed? we have a winter storm watch (Didn't expect that) i knew there was two winter storms coming through but i thought it would be up north not down here that's what i was talking about those 3 cloudy days that's the winter storm. Won't get cold, but there will be cloud cover so just hope for the best? Very nice greenhouse as you can see lol.

great story ! the world is sometimes small, even in a big city

European Fan Palm (Chamaerops humilis) in Hubert, N.C. Link to Google Street View: https://maps.app.goo.gl/89DEpZfVnp4vBFGZA

In fact my B.eriospatha ( which I used to make this hybrid years ago) are from a more selected strain with bigger fruits and practically no fiber, juicy and easily cleaned seeds when the fruit is eaten. "Wild" B. eriospatha has fibrous fruits and are also smaller.