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I finally have this species again, one of my favorites, so far 8 have been born

My Cycas thouarsii has several caudices flushing. Actually that isn't quite accurate, it is more like a couple of dozen. I started with five plants and each has a plethora of pups. The aall is visible again but not for long. These flushes need head room to grow without being tangled.

A very easy one for division cuttings the rhizomatosa. Just select the cane you want cut and repot it. Sit it in a quiet corner of the greenhouse and wait. I trimmed a couple of lower leaves, that was all the preparation needed for this one. Definitely not rocket science this one!

Couple of Chambeyronias in flower, and a nice little Wallichia marianneae.

Wodyetia bifurcata, a new genus for my collection. I was able to germinate one seed. My friend and I germinated the rest. It's a subtribe of Ptychospermatinae. These palms have caryota-like leaves. I like them a lot, as their leaves are more feathery than those of Syagrus romanzoffiana, which is also a beautiful palm. And luckily, it's in my collection. 🌴🌴🌴🦜🦜

I was given around two dozen howeas about 30 years ago from a friend. They were all in 250mm containers and quite strong looking palms. At the time I received them nothing special stood out in the gift as being unique. How wrong I was in that gift was two variegated fosteriana. Over the years I watched them get more variegation and stay true to form. It’s a beautiful palm. The only thing wrong is it’s planted out of the way where it hardly gets noticed. And iam not going to clear the garden in any time soon just get a daily look at it!

What caught my eye today, well it wasn’t so much as what caught my eye, but being told by the wife to look at her new found palm nursery that is going to put me out of business. She seemed pretty happy with her germinating success. And good on her I say hopefully she can take over happypalms with her chamaedorea elegans palms.

We don’t muck around here @happypalms🤣 Richard

Rhapis multifida. I once got told that there are so many rhapis species lost in habitat that they only survive in cultivation. You could well have a lost species, but it looks like multifida.

Photos look like Rapidophyllum hystrix.

With two acres of garden theres a plant in there that is growing for attention. Any amount of rain is a welcome change other than the hot days. The Australian bush needs the dewy mornings when its dry, it’s that little bit of moisture to help the stomata breath, and a few drops of water for the animals to get that drink for the especially when it’s really dry. I imagine your climate very similar to ours at the moment, I get a slight ocean influence on my property. Richard

A new V splendida leaf did…

@Than give us please a all inclusive report on the performance of marginal palms in your garden. I think the time has come for a final estimation of damage and losses. I think that Royals are more cool sensitive than Foxtails but latter are far more demanding regarding soil quality and amount of water. How much true is this in your climate?

Ha! I am honoured! Shouldn't this be in the freeze damage forum btw? OK, so I am pleased to report I did not lose any palms this winter. It wasn't a cold winter in terms of temperatures, as we only had one proper cold wave. I had 30F one night and 29F the next one and those were the only two nights I had freezing temperatures. I must say though that those temperatures lasted quite a few hours, at least 5. It was the wettest winter My weakest palms are a Ptychosperma elegans and a Dypsis leptocheilos; both seedlings and in the ground (big mistake). I protected the Dypsis with fleece and a bottle with hot water next to it on the second night. Same with Ptychosperma but only the fleece, no hot water bottle. Both are under canopy though. Surprisingly, apart from some spots on the leaves and burnt leaf edges my Ptychosperma did fine. It has started growing again. Dypsis looked fine till March and then suddenly went downhill very fast. I thought it was a goner but no spear pull. And then suddenly, a couple of weeks ago it started growing again! I honestly believe that the sandy topsoil of course in combination with the canopy above saved them. Especially the sandy soil; it was the best thing I've done for my garden! Next winter I will dig around them and create a short mount for extra safety. Other palms: Archontophoenix cunninghamiana, Howea and Rhapis excelsa didn't blink. Syagrus romanz. and Roystonea regia: The Syagrus look a bit tired as always after a winter. Roystonea regia which has a trunk of no more than 2 feet atm, so fairly young, lost its old leaves and was left with the newest two but it is now growing happily again. I covered it with fleece and again a hot water bottle on the 3-4 coldest nights. Non-palm-wise I hadn't many losses as almost everything grew back even after severe damage. Mostly plants that were not under canopy, such as my cestrum nocturnum and my Acacia tortillis. I am pretty sure the constantly wet soil was the main factor, and not the temperatures. My only loss this winter was my two cissus verticillata; no wonder as they are both 10b and I didn't provide any protection. Your turn @Phoenikakias

More smuggled seeds are arriving. Parajubaea Torally seeds. I hope to receive a small batch of Sunkha very soon. My friend in Bolivia sent them exclusively for me. Business is business. I hope to germinate them with my friend here in Chile. I hope they germinate. If they do, I'll put them in battle formation alongside the Jubaea chilensis. 🌴🌴🌴🦜🦜

Thanks friends for your good advice

Here are two beccariana seedlings I rescued from the green house that are now recovering outside. Followed by one (foreground) which was germinated on a heat mat and put outside straight away. Same mother plant, same batch of seeds.

Are those outdoors or in a greenhouse? I only say this because at least here in Southern California I seem to have much better luck with them outside than a greenhouse. Don’t ask me why. My neighbor has the same experience

I had a Howea seedling that emerged with variegation and I was so excited , but alas , it turned a healthy green after it got its second and third leaves. We have a lot of Howea here in Southern California , even popping up in industrial complexes by the dozens . I have never seen one like yours . I spent my early “palm years” visiting a large Kentia farm on a regular basis , selling seeds I gathered . They had thousands of palms being processed regularly . I don’t remember ever seeing one in their greenhouses . You have a very unique pair . Harry

The one thing I do see in this little nursery venture is lack of dead plants, your grow quality has really stepped up. Keep on growing John and sancho looking good!

I have been trying to identify a Rhapis spp that I planted in my garden several years ago. The lady I acquired a division of her clump thought it was multifida. I knew it was not as I have this and they all look the same with thin canes and very fine leaflets. I was also sure it didn't look like excelsa, subtilis, or humilis. I have all of those planted and even with variations in type, I cannot imagine it is any of those. Been watching it grow for four to five years. Rhapis robusta seems to be described a few ways with number of leaflets, but I am hoping to I.D. this one so I can confidently make a botanical marker. I have not seen any flowers since I have had it. Any ideas anyone? I also have another unknown growing across from it. Slower growing, thinner canes. I'll take pics of that one and ask if anyone has any ideas about that one soon.

yes is Rhapis multifida.

We don’t muck around here @happypslms🤣 Richard

I’m sure they will be right at home! That R. Baueri will take off. It is about the size of mine and it is growing pretty fast here. Harry

After tearing out an ugly hedge and termite infested fence, I wanted my side yard fence to block street noise, and require minimum maintenance. The solution was a block wall, which was rather stark. Having success in my previous home with Cycas thouarsii, I thought it would look great along the wall. The south facing wall also is a great heat sync, which this species appreciates in my coastal climate. So after 4 1/2 years, here's what the Cycas thouarsii look like along with some Aloe marlothii and the Dypsis pembana on the end. Quite effective at deterring the tagging too!

Hi all, I have a few extra cycads. All species for sale are growing well in my garden in Central Texas since 2017. Cycas debaoensis: grew this individual from seed starting in 2012. One-10 gallon at $145. Dioon edule: grew this individual from seed starting in 1999. One-15 gallon $175. Cycas panzhihuaensis x debaoensis. Grown from seed started in 2017. One-15 gallon with 6 inch caudex $375. 4 photos attached. One of an individual planted in ground, one of caudex, one of flush of new leaves just emerging and one of leaves after a few days since emerging. Cash or Venmo would work as payment. Pick up at mutually agreed open location in or around Austin Best, Jason Best, Jason

That's right, my friend. Only Rapa Nui (Easter Island) has a tropical or subtropical climate. Northern Chile has a hot climate year-round. The rest of Chile is cold in the south, and the central zone has a Mediterranean climate.

I use an Android, but not the app. I find it noticeably slower to post with the new interface.

flowers

Getting closer to ripening

This latest attempt at overwintering Erythrina indica picta (aka E. variegata) was successful. I kept it indoors, on a heat pad next to a south-facing window. I put it outside when the temps at night stayed above 50oC. It'll never achieve tree proportions for me, but it looks great even at this size. I noticed the variegation increased as the seasonal temperature did.

Thought this one was photo worthy for the aquamarine and powder blue tones. Even more striking in person. NE Houston

5/22/26 I would like to start this post with my big Queens. These are the last good photos I got of them: For the past several seasons, these palms have been defoliated. I could tell, especially with the one in the front yard, that it was starting to cause decline. They were not growing back as quickly with each passing season. With that all being said, I decided to edit these out and replace them with mules. Front yard: Back yard: Aside from that, there have been no other changes. Just progress updates. Starting with the palmettos, both of these are taller than me. Theyre both also turning 6 years old this year! My seed grown washy was almost completely defoliated this winter, but as of today, it almost looks like nothing happened: The other washy has taken on an interesting look after defoliation: The seed grown Queen is pushing out new growth after a spear pull. I will hold onto this one for a while, Im not gonna let the past few years of my time go to waste like that: Lastly in the back yard, the bananas and the big mule. That clump of bananas is an absolute UNIT. After cutting those stems back in March, they pushed out 6-12 inches of growth within 24 hours. Absolutely wild. The big mule had some latent spear damage but it has pushed all that out now. Its starting to get fat too: Jumping out front, starting with the CIDP/Sylvestris whatever hybrid thingy: The butia looking good as ever. It has recently shown some variegated leaflets, which there is a seperate thread about: The OG mule in the front yard is definitely something. It has quite the twist going on in the fronds. Not sure if thats just the genetics of this palm or if it has something to do with the trunk cut it got a few years ago. Guess we will see. Its definitely not the fastest grower: The Livistona nitida is doing well other than a minor setback from nutrient deficiency which began during the fall. And finally, the pygmy date. This had most of my focus for cold protection thru the season. It didnt have to be wrapped a ton of times, but it did stay wrapped for a week during the big freeze. It came out on the other side still looking pretty decent, and it has flowered profusely this spring. Thats all for now. Maybe Ill update again in a month, maybe next year. Who knows!

My everglades grows like a weed. I've seen several large clumps growing around town (the tall trunks died in the 2021 freeze). Not sure why the wait on planting, should've been planted yesterday !

Everything loads very slowly for me.

" Commercial " cultivars might offset slightly less than wild plants, but all Ananas will produce some deg of ground level pups / offsets. Could be wrong but think they stay closer to the " mother " plant than offsets < ..also called " Ratoons "... > produced by Bromelia. Note all the shots of clumps, vs single / individual plants here: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/122965-Ananas-comosus/browse_photos

These require some patience in my part of the world, but this one is cool. At least 6-7 years old from a store bought pineapple top that my wife planted, which then split into two growing sections. It’s always looked great though, being a really large robust plant and never having any brown tip issues. One side began fruiting in late August of last year and is still developing. The other side is just getting going as well. How common is it for these to bifurcate?

It was planted in City Botanic Gardens, Brisbane last year. I’ll have to pop back there soon to check on it and post a picture update. Here is the link to the latest photos of it. https://www.palmtalk.org/forum/topic/91289-palm-donations-to-brisbane’s-botanical-gardens/

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DXCUthNjtbT/?igsh=empxM3hydXZoaGto I'm filling the bedroom shelves up again. What will my next obsession be? Begonias? More alocasias? I've still got so many holes to dig, dozens of bulbs germinating, Sabal seeds popping up like mad - @Bigfish the causariums and hybrids are totally fine! - lots to prop and chop, a few things to pot up, and I'm just not feeling it today. I really do need a coco coir and perlite sponsor 😂 And don't judge me for the music. First off it's a banger and my last 6 or 7 posts were Metallica. I'm growing up mom's ficus elastica tinekae or whatever the hell it's called, I ordered her a blue hydrangea and some sulfur for it, and got her a couple African violets. Her mom was famous for growing them. Bittersweet because I'm watching my mom's mind go down the same path my granny did in real time, maybe if I get plants outside her window she'll peel back her blackout curtains every few weeks or so.

Tis season I guess…

Here’s the bigger C. Argentata

Bismarkia are very popular here. They grow very fast, and very big and don’t even need supplemental irrigation during the dry season here. But they get too big and my place. My yard is flanked by two 60-70 footers in the neighbors yards. I worry about these during our next big hurricane. There are a few Loddigesii tucked away in various places around town. They appear to be totally neglected, in bad soils, many unirrigated….. and they look great and are thriving also. A much better size and speed for my place. They are said to have better hurricane tolerance than Bismarks also. They are starting to be used as street/beach plantings by the city/county. Their native areas appear harsh, open sun, with a rough dry season. and maybe 40” of rain a year. No cold spells. A good match for here. (Stolen internet pics)….. The type of palm the survives drought and poor soils, and really looks great with some care and TLC. Prettier in cultivation. Almost like many of the Cuban palms do….. Also the kind I might kill with kindness, while a neglectful non-palm person would grow it well.

I was cleaning out some old leaves a while back and noticed these very funky leaves. I finally got around to taking a photo of them. They are on a female plant and appear a little like it couldn't make up it's mind if they would be leaves or megasporophylls, and ultimately decide to be leaves with these deformed leaflets that never really opened properly.

While this is a different angle, the latest update shows how nicely these Cycas have filled in and what a great alternative to a hedge they can be as a privacy screen. They are now tall enough that they actually block more than what the wall did. My Dypsis pembana's are now up to the height of the phone/cable lines. Fortunately there are no power lines along the side of my house only these communication lines.

Not quite the same perspective as when I planted them or in 2017, but the Cycas thouarsii are doing their job of obscuring the wall. I'm even getting the added benefit now that the leaves are up and over the wall so they can be seen from the inside. They provide a little more privacy block as some of my interior planted palms are getting too high to act as screens. Late Autumn and early winter flushes are responsible for the yellower flushes compared to the greener specimens that pushed their last flush in warmer conditions.

You might be able to get away with your Ituriensis and Whitelockii hybrids in that spot, but only if you keep them trimmed to the most recent flush. I have a couple of them planted in spots that will only tolerate a pretty "vertical" plant. There's no way I'd be able to get past them if I let them grow and hold a full crown. Others are in spots where a full crown would be great. Here's the Scavloi (blue parents) x Ituriensis from Icebluecycads, just to the lower right is the leaf of an Arenga Engleri for a good color reference. It's a bit bluish, which should be pretty neat if it keeps that color as it grows. And here's another I just received, a Gratus x Whitelockii that was grown in semi-desert CA. It's a little light in color, but it was in near full sun so that's understandable. Hopefully it'll darken up a bit here in FL.

That should be an attractive hybrid, share a photo of it. It will likely be pretty big, because even E sclavoi will get pretty large then you add in the ituriensis which is a jumbo plant. I put a pair of Encephalartos whitlockii x sclavoi on the outside of the wall too. Someday I expect that both that hybrid and the ituriensis will have to be removed because they will eventually be too large for the narrow strip they are in, but until that day comes I plan on enjoying them. Hopefully it won't be a problem for me but for my sons to deal with eventually. Here is one of the E whitelockii x sclavoi along that wall.

I also added an Encephalartos ituriensis to the wall "lineup" a while back. It has adapted well and earlier this summer pushed out it's second flush since planting.

So the Cycas thouarsii have done a great job along this south facing wall to soften it's look. They seem to like the reflected heat particularly during the winter months. One of the females developed these larger seeds from last year. I pollinated it with one of my males that was coning at the right time. The male cones are very fragrant at this stage. Three male cones are at very similar stages of development so you can really smell them in the evening when on this side of the house.

Yes... so to mix it up I thought I would do something different along that wall further to the west. E whitlockii x sclavoi hybrids. Only one has flushed since planting, but I'm sure they will both accelerate after adapting to their new spot. Both were planted earlier this summer after I removed some razor sharp Aechmea bromeliads that I got tired of weeding around.