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Today, 18 members of Fous de Palmiers (French Palm Society) visited my Garden on their one week visit to SoFla. Two of them came all the way from the island of Réunion. I showed them my garden and plantings around my neighborhood, then we had lunch at iconic Cuban restaurant Versailles. We all had a great time and the weather was the best ever.

About the only cyclone damage I had was a Joey palm washed away I planted a couple of weeks ago in a gully. All was not lost just picked the little fella up and repotted him. I got away with Alfred pretty good in comparison to some places.

Cyclone Alfred is certainly giving us a good soaking, with the rain gauge full overnight that’s 200mm plus, 150mm the day before and it looks like another 250mm until the next reading. I love it a complete soaking and flooded in so the world has to leave me alone for a while, exactly the way I like it. No power only gas for cooking and 12 volt for power. With no damage overnight having protection from the south east winds and the garden saving the house. A few trees down but that’s to be expected. I guess that’s one way to water the garden. Major flooding is expected in all the northern rivers catchment area, not sure how the Gold Coast and Brisbane is fairing up they had the full brunt of the wind but it’s down south that’s getting the rain. The wind last night was like a freight train non stop. I had already removed 3 big dangerous trees so I was not too worried. Now all I just have to do is sit back and relax and enjoy the rain.

Riverwalk reclinata survivor: I am pretty sure others have posted this before. It was my first time strolling down this particular section of the Riverwalk though.

Lemurophoenix, just an amazing palm. Tim

The Smashburger restaurant didn't make it, but the coconuts have. They are a little over-trimmed, but the fronds probably looked a little ratty due to the long duration of below normal weather this winter. The IDRIVE coconut looks surprisingly ratty given the ultimate low of 38F in this area, but the duration took a bit of a toll. The more cool-tolerant Wodyetia bifurcata, Adonidia merrillii, and Hyophorbe lagenicaulis species in the area look pretty good since they tolerate low temperatures without frost a little better than coconut palms.

Very nice, I was also just in Miami last week and the weather was indeed perfect and there’s no other place in the country with more beautiful palm trees to look at. One of the highway exits north of Miami (I think around palm beach or somewhere) heading down there has a bunch of clusters of different palms and it was my favorite setup, I think bismarck, sylvester, palmetto, and two or three other varieties all planted in clusters right around the exit. Miami is the most beautiful city in the country in my opinion, I love it too.

Phal. 'White Dream' ' V.3' AM/AOS and a pink supermarket phal. Been growing these for years. I know some consider white phals to be ho-hum; but I really like them. Years ago, I asked members of the Orchid Board what could be recommended as the best, classic white phal; this variety was mentioned more than any other. The white phal is re-blooming on last year’s spike, so didn’t attain the height it normally would.

La vie en rose.

What a lovely reunion. Pun intended! Thank you so much for posting this.

It was planted in a nursery. See the picture attached.

Hello dear members of the IPS forum. I recently went on a vacation on Zanzibar and I’ve seen some very distinct palm tree shapes. Some appear to be growing in a near perfect spiral / circle shape. I was wondering if anyone has experienced something like this and how it’s possible to shape a palm tree like this. I am not an expert nor do I have much knowledge about palm trees. I would be very happy if a kind member of this forum had an answer to this. I have attached two pictures of palms I’ve seen here growing in a circle. Any ideas or experiences are much appreciated. Thanks :)

I’m new to the site, so apologies if I’m in the wrong area… I inherited this palm tree in southern Texas, and I can’t seem to identify it. The leafy growth at the base is on stems growing off the trunks. Can anyone help?

Pure robustas nobody has really planted in Dallas really since pre 2011, but robusta dominant hybrids were common up here up until more recently. The reason is, they grow really well here and you can pretty much throw a handful of seeds in a garden bed and come back in a decade and they’ll be 20 feet tall. even though they get defoliated many years, they come back quickly and are much more fun to watch than a Sabal. That’s why people continue to gamble with them even though here they won’t last more than a few decades. If we get another decade of mild winters, I’m sure we’ll see more plantings up here

Sehr gemutlich!

Génial!

I agree with comments regarding wind chill. But that's not to say that wind doesn't affect the cold event and plant damage. An advective freeze (most common type in most of Texas) is accompanied by strong winds and a sudden drop in temperature and is very different than a radiation freeze which is heat radiating away from the ground on a clear night with the coldest temperature at the ground surface. Wind or lack of it can determine duration of freezing temperatures and whether juvenile palms are more at risk.

Très bien!

A video I made a few months ago...it's not perfect, but it gets to the basics and to the point.

Thanks Tyrone. Yes it's been downgraded to a tropical low. The winds were quite intense last night, blowing my staging over and damaging some palms beneath it. Spent all morning in the wind and rain sorting through the carnage of crushed palms and blown over pots. Should have laid it flat when I had the chance (lesson learned for next time). So glad I moved my rare seedlings off that staging and into the garage. House is in one piece though, which is a relief.

They sure are tough. There was one actually north of Dallas in Garland that survived 2021 on north side of a movie theater. Unfortunately though it died after 2022 winter when we hit 10F and had a few days where it didn't go above freezing

Pretty easy plant ..if you get them off to a good start and understand their pre- germination biology ...Some at least.. Many sps from the eastern U.S. / higher elevations in the west and Mexico often require some deg of cold stratification before they will germinate. W/ all native Milkweeds, best to direct sow rather than starting in pots then transplanting ..Though some are more durable to such treatment compared to others.. Obviously, w/ out these to utilize as a food source, = no Monarchs, ..and / or Queens < Here in the S.W. U.S. > A few other " Tropical " butterfly sps that occasionally show up in various spots north of the U.S. / Mexico border from time to time will also utilize U.S. locally native Asclepias sps. when present. Ever see gold colored Aphids on Milkweed? Leave them be ..Evolved specifically to feed on it.. Won't hurt the plants at all.. 🤦‍♂️ Asclepias AKA: Milkweeds = Definitely not a " Pest " plant -anywhere- in the US ..Native sps esp. From the Xerces Society: https://xerces.org/sites/default/files/publications/19-029.pdf

When I was living in Arizona in 2008, I saw a really nice p. rupicola triple at treeland in chandler. I was inspired by the curved trunks and nice green canopy. When I moved to florida I found a nursery MB palms that carried 1g size rupicolas. I liked the rupicola for its cold tolerance(26F) and its bright green foliage. It also has thorns that don't hurt you, they bend at the base of the thorn. Having been stabbed many times by my various phoenix species I grew in Arizona, I was interested in a pain free trimming process. This triple was planted in early summer 2011 and has been a slow, easy care grower. I thought it might be a permanent hedge but now it looks as if its going to be exactly what I wanted, an attractive medium height canopy for filtering hot western sun. It has fruited 3x the last one a full load of striking red fruits(sorry, no picture). The three palms grew away from each other more than any triple I ever tried, no need to tilt a palm when planting. Here is a pic taken today of the overall palm, and a close up of the trunks. just after a post hurricane Milton trim of the many(30-35) dead leaves After many of my other palms have grown tall and more difficult to view into the crown this one still gives a nice crown view. Anybody out there have phoenix rupicola pic/experiences. they would like to share. For scale, the fence is 4'.

Awesome palms Tom! I bought this field dug rupicola in 2023. Perhaps now I have a better understanding of why it didn't survive a full year for me in alkaline soil during a hot drought in spite of adequate irrigation. I don't think it was 100% pure since the thorns were fairly rigid. Interestingly last year I planted one that I grew from seed and it's doing fine - no damage at 27°F.

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

Hi Tom, welcome to Palmtalk! Unfortunately windmill palms (Trachycarpus fortunei) grown in full South Texas sun will not look good. They do much better in cooler climates. Good news is that there are many better palm choices for your area. Livistona decora and nitida are examples of fan palms that grow pretty fast in your conditions. Livistona chinensis and saribus would also do well but these do look better with some shade from afternoon sun and don't grow very fast. Let us know if you're interested in growing other palms because the list is long.

Awesome!!! Thanks for the info.

You might want to contact @Alberto since he's one of only a few here growing one outdoors where it experiences occasional freezes. @dalmatiansoap might also have one outdoors - perhaps they can give you some info. @Josh76 gave an unfortunate experience in the thread above.

I went out and bought some Miracle Grow garden soil and put about one bag per tree, plus mulch as a moisture retainer. I think yall were correct. The best looking trees had the least amount of roots showing. I also cut down the dead(ish) tree and replanted it in a planter. Pictures acttached. I'll keep yall posted. 🤞

Wow , that’s a lot of rain over a couple of days . It sounds like preparations and luck worked in your favor on this one. Rain is great for the garden in moderation but that much can be destructive , especially when it comes with that much wind. A couple of years ago we had a south east wind with very heavy rain. The only thing that came down was a Caryota Mitis that was part of a medium sized clump next to the house . When I went out to check on things after the storm I found it laying on my pathway , about 8’ long . No other plants were damaged , I couldn’t figure out how it got ripped out of the ground and neatly placed in the middle of my pathway (ready for disposal) with out touching anything around it ! Lots of little understory palms there. I hope power is restored soon for your area. Harry

The trunk can potentially end up 3 feet wide, I would make sure you have enough clearance from that wall .

Chrysalidocarpus robustus SOLD OUT

Hi I got back from my trip to Palm Springs - a long drive from the Rogue Valley I couldn't find any Jubaea's for sale. In fact all I did get was 10 Washingtonia Filifera liners for $3 each. and 3 Yucca Rostratas. The Washies are sitting by a south facing window in the kitchen while I figure out what to do with them. I didn't plan on those

Yes it is Chamaedorea elegans

Here in southwest Germany it feels like spring. Temps during the day of 17°C/63°F. Next week some showers but still like spring. Can't wait to start digging in the dirt. Eckhard

amazing collections alberto. can you disclose how old these are and how big they were when first planted? so great to see that there is a grove of these outside of madagascar similar to bo's in Hawaii. may they forever keep this species alive and going well past my own life. cheers tin

The various phoenix species are simply beautiful, I liked them even as a young boy on near the beach in Lanzarote, most of which were probably CIDP ...

Adelia vaseyi is a really cool native down here

Not sure how to make this anymore clear. Drive your car down the road at 60 mph in a 35f temperature for an hour. What temperature do you think the windshield would be? I am going to say 35f or more, although the windchill is 17f. I guarantee a sealed jug of water on the roof of the car won't freeze in those conditions. Or to the extreme, a palm sitting in 500mph winds at 35f is going to be 35f........if a palm could sit in those winds. Substitute a metal pole, gonna be the air temp, not the windchill temperature. The palm in your example becomes the air temperature, not the windchill temperature. The temperature on your dash readout would drop everytime you increase speed. It doesn't. Yes, increased wind will make the palm closer to the air temperature, irregardless if the air is cold or hot.

My garage is brick and part of the house. My Bourke's and Rosa Bourke parrots are in the lounge room along side with the lorikeet. Just the budgies in the garage but there is a double width glass access door so they can see me moving around in the house. It's the tiny double bar finches who live in the garden that I am worried about. I am putting seed and water on the back patio for them. Peachy

CIDP, Seguin TX

The "Feels like" is just that. What it feels like to a human on bare skin. We create our own body heat. So think of things like wind/water being a force that quickly removes the heat generated from our bodies. I think the opposite is easiest to explain... 100 degrees in dry Las Vegas heat-> you sweat, and it quickly evaporates into the dry air - allowing you to cool "easily". Ive walked around the Vegas strip at 100 degrees and not have sweat on my shirt. Or a cold drink by the pool, and no condensation on it! weird. Now, 90 degrees in Florida at 90% humidity - The air is saturated already, making that water harder to evaporate away - slowing down how well you can cool yourself. And you're drenched in sweat almost immediately. This is where the humidity impacts the "feels like" temp. This is how I understand it.

Flowers... they caught my eye.

Looks like real spring and calendar spring will coincide this year here. This week has been all sunny and warm and will remain so for another few days at least. Maximum of 18 C / 65F today and minimum of 3 C / 37F. The weekend will be warmer apparently. No rain expected. Today I had to remove spidermites from my Colocasia and it's only beginning of March!!! 😫

Hello friend, can you sell me Latania loddigesii palm tree seeds?

That is not "trunk. The bud is still about ground level. It will fatten and grow up! After spending the past week in PHX looking at nurseries, you got a good deal! In fact, no filifera to be had.

My policy is if I give something away I give it away without strings or caveats. You can’t control what other people do so why worry about it? If you want to give something to someone give it freely and once it’s gone it has nothing to do with you anymore. I also hate to see anything that can’t easily be replaced or rebuilt go to waste. That’s not what happened here though.

The pioneering Los Angeles nurseryman, and fourth president of the IPS, David Barry was tasked with selecting the foliage for the legendary Beverly Hilton hotel. He had received about 1000 Jubaeopsis caffra seeds (by boat, no airmail then) in the early 1950s. However, he was only able to germinate three! These were planted at the Beverly Hilton around 1955 These legendary palms, now 70 years old, are believed to be the oldest examples outside of South Africa. Two clumps remain, one with three stems the other with two. The leaves are over 20 feet long. The trees have produced fruit for several decades. They appear remarkably healthy despite continuous ongoing construction on the property Photograph taken today in Beverly Hills:

Palmchap, Actually, to see this thread revived came as a pleasant surprise! As you probably know by now, Robert Riffle passed away in Aug 2006. He was the Moderator of this Forum, and he was a very active and enthusiastic participant. Just to see Robert Riffle's name as the topic starter and his interesting avatar in an active thread almost makes one think he's still with us! And presumably you saw what he posted above:: "NO PALMATE-LEAVED SPECIES FORMS A CROWNSHAFT. " Bo-Göran