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Two of my Kentiopsis oliviformis are getting ready to bloom for the first time

I didn't think this would open sky flowers but I was mistaken. It is a pleasant surprise to see them.

You got me on this one Dave by a few years! Remember the older we get the better our palms look!

Last Friday, this Iriartea deltoidea dropped a flower sheath with a loud "thwop!" and shook itself out like a wet mop. A day or two later I finally returned with the camera to capture the glowing flowers. Now on the fourth day, the bees are still buzzing around it. These stately palms are a favorite.* I first saw them in Costa Rica, looking down on the fluffy crowns from hanging bridges, mesmerizing. These individuals were planted in July of 2011. IMG_5346.MOV *(All my palms are favorites.)

Dypsis saintlucei in flower, Chambeyronia macrocarpa and hookerii both flowering together, dypsis rosea and a archontophoenix Cunninghamiana with that rare orange leaf for a bit of colour!

I found this photo from March 2016 with a description of Dypsis robusta in the ground. I'm not sure if I had just planted it or if it was a little before this that it went into the ground. The growth over a decade from this picture to the current is accurate though.

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

It is that time of year again in the Northern Hemisphere. Mostly a variety with orange flowers here in my garden. They make a nice green ground cover when not in bloom.

Found five Nubium a in the back of the greenhouse, it’s great having so many plants. You forget what you have until you see them again. So a quick repot and we have great chamaedoreas underway ready for next springs plantings.

The first is Aiphanes minima. They are usually very spiny but can vary with less. And older palms often have less spines on the trunk as they age and wear off. Older Acrocomia do this too. I think the mystery skinny palm is Reinhardtia paiewonskiana.

Time for a bit of a repot on the confusa to get them going! They absolutely love the conditions in the greenhouse!

A nice healthy Hedyscepe Canterburyana. And a group of three new plantings.

It looks like this one has many years to go before I see any flowers 💐

I have lots of pots in my nursery with moss on top of the soil. For me it is a good sign of a healthy microclimate. It doesn’t affect growth and for most palms it’s a good indicator of moisture at the right level.

Chamaerops humilis var. argentea (syn. Chamaerops humilis var. cerifera)

The palm in the lower two pictures is sending out three inflorescences at once.

A few more new ones up this week. And even a few more joeys popping up!

C nubium is such a great palm to grow from seed. Very robust, I’ve never lost one and relatively quick too. The one I planted in the ground in Spring is now flowering and producing clean trunk and it’s only a bit over 3 years old. Got a bit burnt from our extreme heat days this summer when this photo was taken but it’s just superficial and still growing well. This species has absolutely no problem with long cool winters; I suspect it would do well down in Tassie (and cool parts of SF Bay, etc)

A few more across the bench. A nice little Geonoma interupta from @tim_brissy_13 that’s still doing well. And a couple of basselina pseudovelitina growing well. And a hundred percent strike rate on a few Cham Metallica palms from home grown seeds.

A nice lepidozamia hopei flush with a beautiful plant in cone! A lovely pair sitting together!

That’s my understanding too. This one is definitely either a dwarf or what they call a semi dwarf.

Nice Bruce! I have a few Butia spathes getting ready to open, so fresh pollen would be great for trying to make some hybrids!

I have what seems to me, a very strange situation. I have a 4 year old Sabal seedling that has shot up an inflorescence. Im not sure how this is possible at this age, and I have confirmed that the flower stalk is not from some rando weed seed in the pot. I wonder if it can set seed, and if so if the seed would be viable. Seems weird

other alstroemeria in bloom

Reviving this old thread because I have SO much moss everywhere now. Today I was peeling back thick carpets of moss to sprinkle fertilizer around my palms. Palm trunks with thick moss on them have attracted (?) epiphytes such as the furry-foot "fern" that can strangle a palm, and Clusia rosea, the aggressive autograph tree, as well as wild orchid species that don't belong up in the crown of a palm . Okay, I'm not sure which arrives first, the moss or the epiphytes, but it seems far more prevalent than ever. Any fresh thoughts, experiences with moss? Curious to hear more.

Merlyn, I totally respect Tim's expert opinion on this palm. Many years ago I inquired and was told that it was a Macaw palm. Many of these older Carribean palms have spines but seem to lose them with age. All pictures on Palmpedia or elsewhere show spines but as you can see none on this trunk. It cracks me up about the dwarf, semi-dwarf or standard A. catchetu! Who knows! I am most interested in identifying the "what in the world" palm. I will get better pictures that will hopefully assist the experts with identification. Thank you and everyone for their help.

I tried zooming in on the trunk and upper crown area, and I think there are thorns up near the top. Do some Aiphanes (or Bactris, etc) lose the trunk thorns with age? I don't think I've ever seen an old one in person, so I have no idea.

Buba🌴🌴🦜🦜

Those grassy growths are not part of the palm , at least I’ve never seen anything like that growing out of a Rhapis palm. Your palm looks healthy and I wouldn’t worry too much about the change in location , as long as it gets bright , indirect light. I would remove the grassy stuff when you repot it . To me , your palm looks more like a Rhapis Humilus than Excelsia . The pointy leaf tips are not typical of Excelsia that usually have blunt , toothed tips. Harry Leaf tips of outdoor grown Rhapis Excelsia with some sun exposure You can see the tips are blunt and toothed. I hope this helps. The Rhapis Humilis , which is what I believe you have , would come to a point at the tips.

I don't remember what @Scott W said this was hybridized with but I swear it's half sago half pothos.

With winter approaching, fingers crossed for this one. It’s the hot dry low humidity that they dislike!

In Florida, absolutely. In Texas north of the RGV - not so much. Even here Adonidia isn't easy to find. The blue big box store just started selling Hyophorbe lagenicaulis here again this past year after several years. I wouldn't mind trying one of those coconuts if it's mature enough to be viable. ☺️

Agree. I tried the "weepy" form and it completely bombed out. This is a palm for SOCAL not FL. They don't take kindly to months of swelter and humidity. I believe they require a significant night time cooldown to survive long term. I've come to the conclusion that the genus Chrysalodocarpus prefers the Cali mediterranean climate over the FL tropical climate. I've tried a number of species, i.e., robusta, piulifera, yadda, yadda and succeeded with none of them.

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

Been pleasantly surprised by my one and only to sprout from a small seed batch last year. Hasn’t been fully exposed to the elements yet but has coped with the cool. Suchan interesting and colourful little seedling. Very rewarding from seed.

Thanks I love growing palms. I water by hand with a watering wand an adjustable spray nozzle giving a fan or a jet blast with adjusted turns. Actually it’s a good question you ask, watering is critical to getting your grow operation In good health. Underwatering overwatering can and does happen in your greenhouse and various watering methods are used to combat dry spots and wet spots. When you have seedlings growing with advanced sized palms. And in different sized pots it gets tricky. So hand waterings are best to avoid these things happening. And various methods of application can be used both in winter and summer. In winter I let the rainfall do most of my waterings. With a soft rose watering wand, in cool climate conditions with temperatures around 2 degrees Celsius in winter. I’m summer you can run a wet potting medium due to high temperatures.

Rhyncholaelia digbyana opening up one of two flowers. Since the flower only emerged overnight it's full fragrance isn't happening yet. They are very strong scented.

Young Nepenthes ‘briggsiana’ a cross between Nepenthes lowii and ventricosa.

Good stuff Tim, I think that's worthy of a bit of self indulgence! Would not have suspected this would survive in Melbourne, but that probably applies to most of your garden. Well done!

That's all good. Everyone has their own threshold for privacy...I figure that if my details haven't been stolen, sold and abused 100 times already then I'm well ahead of the game! Hope your Bentinkias pull their socks up and get on with life.

Boy, you don’t see that everyday! Thanks Kim for the update. The Wallace Line, a fascinating, almost unbelievable observation by a hero of mine. Tim

Interesting palm, colorful stem and attractive crown when small, then for a few years it looked rather ordinary, but now it's developed into a stunning palm. Nice habit, clean, compact, and great scale. Not a heavy clumper, at least this one, which is nice. Photos Tim

Locking the door so I don't run screaming down the street . . . . Yike a rooney, @realarch you've made my day! My Week!

and finishing up.....

A couple more...... Tim