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Three of the five current flushes on this specimen are visible from this angle. All the flushes are progressing but none are even close to reaching the point that leaflets begin to harden.. I love this plant and the way it looks.

The color of Arenga Engleri inflorescence. Harry

I’m a bit of a nerd when it comes to tracking the collection, but in ground species is something I’ve never tracked. I think I probably should. Someone recently asked me about my total collection including potted palms and I do keep a list of- up to 283 now and it regularly increasing lately. If I had to guess, I’d say about half of those species would be in ground. Will have to sort this list to note in ground too - I’ll get on it!

Anything in Australia is expensive at the moment, and I think the freight to your door would be even more expensive!

More red! Dypsis rosea opening a new leaf.

11 Seedlings $20 plus shipping, Spaghum, box. Beachpalms@cfl.rr.com

The plumosa in the garden are flowering again, so this time I will make an attempt to pollinate a few of them. Only problem is they are 6 meters in height and they are not a palm for leaning a ladder against. Where there is will theres a way. The male plants are a lot smaller than the females, so the males are accessible.

Some good rain has the collection looking good! IMG_2840.mov IMG_2835.mov

Pinanga sarawakensis for a splash of colour!

Manitoba!

8.2 that’s a mega high ph. My ph is around 6 to 5.5, most nutrients are available. I do get a slight phosphorus deficiency due to the sandy soil leaching, and that’s most of the Australian soils around. All I do for fertiliser for the garden is chicken poo pellets. Broad casting handfuls around and the odd handful on the hungry looking palms. I used to broadcast a synthetic NPK mixture, but found that it was not good for the chamaedoreas, prolifiic blue was the one I used. There are not many specific palm fertilisers available in bulk in my area it’s more fruit tree fertilisers. And with so many different palms from all around the globe in my garden it’s not easy to use a NPK mix. So just the good old chicken poo pellets for me!

I have no idea what the name this one is, all I know about orchids is I like them.

The davidson plum a very easy one to grow. I just pulled these seedlings out of the garden, potted them up. A great pioneer plant for a bit of shade. Fast growing for a rainforest tree and very tough. So if you’re after a bit of shade to help establish a few plants this is one Australian tree for that spot. Edible fruit that makes a great jam is a bonus.

The Arenarius x Latifrons beauty. -dale

They've got pink, white, and yellow variegated versions. I'm growing white and yellow TC and ehhh I tried some yellow variegated seeds. I got 2 that sprouted and quickly died on me. My pink TC didn't do well either. Apparently their foliage is a little sensitive. Lowes had them wrapped up in these heavy clear plastic velcro sealed collars.

I know this thread is about two year old. We have one of these at our nursery on Pine Island. It has been in a pot in our greenhouse for about two years now. I ran across this thread because I am hoping to pick the right spot to plant the big leaf and our variegated Seagrape. I was able to get some cuttings to root about a year ago but sold them. Plan to try again once it gets established (hopefully) in ground. Pics below…the big leaf has mealys and boy do those suckers love that big leaf.

Here is the supermodel shovel for some scale. Tim

Metroxylon seedling looking robust.

My Amherstia is beginning to flower, the chandelier flowers will begin to open soon. New magenta leaves hang limp initially before greening up.

Licuala mapu and licuala peltata sumowongii loving the rain.

Hybrid latania

Dave, I ditto a lot of the same recommendations as @Tracy. I do think Hedyscepe and Ambositrae are fantastic growers in my area. Do they get “too big”….maybe. But you b will get many years of beauty before you need to worry about the power lines. They are an average grower, not like Archontophoenix that grow feet per year. I’d say plant away but know your previous Hedy or Ambo may require removal in 20yrs. Pritchardia Minor, Bentinkia Condapanna, Pinanga Javana, and Hyophorbe Indica are all winners as well. You could also get away with planting a clumping Dypsis like Heteromorpha or Lanceolata as well. They don’t get massively tall (less than 20’) and are fantastic looking. Subsidizing palms for Encephalartos is a winning combination. Some big Encephalartos like Whitelockii, Ituriensis, or Kisambo get very tall if kept upright. You’re talking decades before those would be a concern. HB is prime location for growing Encephalartos. All of mine seem very happy. Cordyline, Plumeria, Heliconia etc all excel as companion plants. My lot is fairly small @ 6500sqft so my gardens are cramped. I know without a doubt I will have to dig plants out as they mature but that’s ok. I knew the job when I took it. If I can get 20yrs out of a plant, I will be very happy. I completely understand I’m the outlier and not the rule though. HB is prime palm tree, cycad and tropical plant growing conditions. So many possibilities. -dale Bentinkia Condapanna Pinanga Javana Dypsis Ambositrae Hyophorbe Indica

Here is one of my Butia odorata x Parajubaea torallyi var. torallyi F1's at City Botanic Gardens, Brisbane.

Calyptrocalyx leptostachys. Tim

Hopefully you do not have an evil eye🙃

I thought so too but recently saw a pic of a huge healthy one in Nimbin, NSW. Didn’t look like it was zone pushing at all but I haven’t heard of any further south that that.

Summer is about to make its arrival known then it seems. And these figures are probably too low with 30’s C now expected. Still a lot of uncertainty regarding next week, but it is looking increasingly likely that we will be dealing with a heat dome event now. Just look at that anomaly on the models… 👀 So far, the Euro / ECM only has 33C / 92F modelled off the back of that. Although some ensembles have gone to 35-36C / 95F during the last week of May. I am already seeing 38C / 100F being modelled for us in early June. I don’t think I have ever seen that so early before on models. Homegrown warmth building for 10+ days (heat dome scenario) and then reinforced again with 20C hPa 850 temps overhead on this. I think it goes to 39C / 102F in London during first week of June, which is crazy to see modelled.

Beautiful palm. Hmm I see what you mean. Almost looks like C pilulifer but not quite right for that either I think. There’s a bit of a key in the recent article on C hamannii of these related species: https://ucanr.edu/sites/default/files/2025-09/Chrysalidocarpus hamannii PalmArbor FINAL 29 Sept 2025.pdf Honestly though I’m not sure how useful it is. The descriptions are often based on limited samples and may not fully take into account the variability of each species especially when different climates in cultivation are factored in. Also, the increasingly strong possibility of hybridising within Chrysalidocarpus which is even discussed in the article. Interestingly to me, all of the species in the article of which your palm is clearly within the group, are described as having waxy white or partially waxy white leaf bases whereas your palm does not appear to (or perhaps only slightly).

Areca dwarf loas

That’s a beauty Tim! I’ve only got a small seedling which is probably about 100 years off reaching the size of yours based on its current growth rate 🤣. Any reason you’re not convinced of the ID? It certainly looks like it could be C malcomberi to me. Definitely in that closely related group of palms with C malcomberi, C pilulifer and manajarensis (and recently C hamannii).

We have 3 1000 litre shuttles for fertilisers that last two days in between refilling. And use fertiliser by the tonne! It’s a fun job it’s not rocket science but the hot days keep you pretty busy. It’s called irrigation but in fact we call it irritation, great when it’s working but when it’s not working and something is wrong on a 38 degree celcius day in poly tunnels, let’s just say the pressure is on and we are not talking about water pressure!

Some oohlala for the plant lovers.

Yellow latania opening a new frond

Cyphophoenix elegans and nucele do well in the coastal zone as does Clinostigma savoryanum. Maybe my neighbor a couple of blocks away, Billy or Dale in HB, can share their experience growing Bentinckia condapanna in the region impacted by the marine layer. I think they will be positive comments.

Not under the powerlines though. My guess is about 14 to 15 years before a 1 gallon will hit the powerlines. My sun exposure Chrysalidocarpus ambositrae is about 10 or 11 years in the ground from a 1 gallon and it will hit that height in another 4 to 5 years, so give it head room. Cocothrinax do well here but won't be a height problem. Arenga engleri cap out on height so are well suited for positioning under those powerlines. You get the added bonus of their fragrant flowers this time of year.

Dypsis lantzeana, dypsis louvelli.

Dave, I am a little suspicious as to which palms that you can grow that they can't grow in Huntington Beach. You have been to my garden in Leucadia and seen what I am growing. Huntington Beach is very similar if not a little warmer and windier than her due to both local topography and the large flart plane inland from Huntington Beach. Look at Dale's plantings in Huntington Beach and some of the other members both there and in Seal Beach. So there are two parts to your question, first the palms that grow well in the coastal zone of Southern California, and second the ones that are smaller for small lots with lots of power lines impacting the overhead heights. On the coastal zone issues Chambeyronia of all variety will grow, several of the Burretiokentia species, Howea's of both variety, Rhopalostylis of all variations. Chrysalidocarpus of many species will all grow here, ambositrae, affinis, basilongus, cabadae, pembanus, rufescens, prestonianus, robustus, lanceolatus, lutescens, saintelucei and the list goes on. I could continue, but the focus isn't on what will grow in the coastal zone of Southern California, but what will grow that is appropriately sized. So I'm now going to focus on the smaller palms that will grow well in Huntington Beach, here in Leucadia, down in OB, Cardiff by the Sea, or Venice where the next SoCal Palm Society will be. Someone mentioned above the various Chamaedorea, which are good choices. Ravenea glauca is a good choice, but Ravenea xerophilla is a bit of a challenge unless there is a good southerly exposure, perhaps with a good wall behind it for reflected heat. Some of the smaller growing Pritchardia won't interfere with power/comm lines overhead. Burretiokentia kogihensis is a slower growing species that won't be a problem overhead for a long time compared to hapala. Cryosophilia stauracanthia is an uncommon small palm that will meet the criteria. Several Coccothrinax do well here in California's coastal zone. On a slightly different note, there are a bunch of Cycads that give a tropical feel. I don't think is a species in the Encephalartos genus that can't be grown here (Dale in Huntington Beach will verify that). Ceratozamia, Cycas, Lepidiozamia, Macrozamia and several Zamia thrive her for a tropical, palmy feel. Complementary plants like Anthuriums, Bromeliads and Orchids will all thrive. I know I'm missing a bunch of good recommendations but this is just a first swing.

Den. Chrysotoxum var Susvissimum. With that wonderful honey fragrance. Late blooming this year.

Red Latania

Just picked up a 7 gallon, 8 foot tall (seedling😄) Colvillea racemosa tree to plant as a commemorative birthday gift. (makes it easier to remember when planted) We already have 2 Royal Poinciana trees that flower every year, so this Madagascar cousin should also be a winner in time, in the Arizona desert... Don't know of any others planted in Arizona, although they are known to grow well in our neighboring California, (but with sporadic flowering) which is the whole point of growing this species. The fall flowers literally will stop people and hummingbirds in their tracks; they are so bright orange! 🤯 aztropic Mesa, Arizona

Phoenix canariensis is the hardiest in wet cold. They have come back from 0°F and a week below freezing in Texas

I have a lot of affection for this elegant palm. And the seeds are so pretty, too!

A nifty diminutive palm from New Guinea, Hydriastele rheophytica. Loves water hence, the name, and sparsely clumping. I remember Brad posting a photo of one in his garden not too long ago. Tim

Mislabeled maybe? The palm in the photo is palmate, Cyphophoenix nucele is not. Tim