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When I first moved to Florida, I planted a Bismarckia in mid2010 and a sabal uresana in summer 2011. Uresanas are often mentioned as alternatives to bismarckia in 9a. These palms have stood next to each other over the years making for an easy growth comparison. Bismarckias are generally regarded as fast growers and uresanas are said to be slow. First, Bismarckia several months after planting a 5 gallon bought at a big box store. Everything but the spear had heavy mold spots so I kind of treated it as a rescue. It seems to have that purplish hue after winter that is often associalted with a whiter leaf. It adapted fast to sun after being tortured inside the box store with palms stacked in a pile around it. It put 5-6 new leaves out the first year. late july 2010 bismarckia then about a year later I planted a sabal uresana "icy blue" I bought from tejas tropicals in texas. It was a strap leafer and I put it in a pot. About 6 months later it was ready to go into the ground as the pot was root bound. A little over 2 years later in sept 2013 both had grown well. IN this pic the uresana looks a bit bigger than it was (relatively) since it was closer to the observer. It had turned darker with less "icy blue" color but was clearly not just a green sabal. The uresana was about 6' overall and the Bismarckia was closer to 10' in this pic At this point the bismarckia was trunking and growth was accelerating and here is the pic from june 2015. The uresana not trunking was putting more leaves for a bigger crown About 4 years later the uresana had lengthened it leaves and had gone into trunking mode. It went skyward chasing the bismarckia but still 6-7 feet over all behind the biz in height Last week I took another pic and noticed about a 10' gap even though the uresana had sped up and grown to about 25' tall. compared with 35' for the bismarckia I thought it was interesting that the growth burst of each happened at trunking, as we are often told by the literature. Yes even sabal uresana grows well after trunking. I also though it is interesting to note that Sabal Uresana has a wider crown, that was a surprise. I had always thought Bismarckia would be wider as it throws more shade but its a couple fee less in width of the crown. The Uresana crown is more open though, and it took a lot less damage than the Bismarckia in hurricane Milton(oct2024). Part of the lesser damage suffered by uresana could be due to less wind damage as there are higher wind velocities at height, but also part might be the Uresana having an open crown with smaller leaves that have less wind drag. I do think Uresanas will have more blue than mine in a drier hot climate. Bismarckias are very versatile, they don't need much fertilizer and mostly they are self shedding. Just keep them happy and the weevils wont come to dinner(I had a sick one attacked by weevils and killed). I treated the Uresana same as Bismarckia, limited fertilizer compared with my other palms The Uresana has persistent leaf bases which are still strongly attached near the ground. Since I do the trimming, I am happy that Uresana is a slower grower, as the Bismarckia is now too tall for me to trim from the ground. And the Bismarckia(female) is a mess, dropping 150-200 lbs of seed a year. I just got done raking up half a trash can full of Bismarckia fruits, and there is at least that much still hanging on the tree. Uresana has not fruited yet at 15 yrs. Sabals are notorious for liking heat to grow fast and they both had plenty of Florida heat. For those thinking about Sabal Uresana, its not Bismarckia fast but its more of a medium grower for me after trunking.

The “sap” you have is the dust and debris that collects on the fronds . When moist air cleanses the fronds that dripping mess ends up on you car . It washes off easily (unlike sap from conifers) but can still be annoying. All my large palms do this. I would recommend the Archontophoenix palms ( King or Alexandrae) . The thing with Cuban Royals ( Roystonia Regia ) is that fronds fall on their own , which is great but when the palm gets bigger can be harmful to cars and humans. Queen Palms ( Syagrus Romanzoffiana) are messy and require trimming unless you enjoy sweeping up after it flowers, and that happens a lot. There are others as well , depending if you want slow or fast growth . My first choice for ease of growth would be Archontophoenix Cunninghamiana ( King Palm) , a pair of them would look very nice in that spot. They just want lots of water . They will burn a bit when first planted and may look a bit tattered at first but will settle in and look great within a year . They can be root sensitive so care must be taken when planting them . Also , they too will flower and eventually drop pea sized fruit , but not near like the Queen palms . The fronds are self cleaning , like other crown shaft palms , but don’t weigh 40+ lbs like a Royal. Welcome to the forum . That’s my two cents opinion and worth about what you paid for it! 😂Harry

The cascade palm, an old favourite that has been around for some time now. A fantastic ornamental palm, perfect for a small hedge or a nice fill in for a corner or anywhere in the understory. Makes a great patio container palm, has somewhat of a cool tolerance. A landscapers dream Paolo that’s as tough as nails. A great all round chamaedorea that’s ver forgiving to a growers blunder or two!

It is difficult to assess just how big this Encephalartos horridus × woodii is in a photo without a human for scale. Looking up at the top.of the new flush when I walk by it, reminds me why this is often my favorite cycad growing in my garden.

Thought I’d bump this thread and post an updated photo. So far so good, still going strong. Tim

Yep the governments have a lot to answer for, Australia could become almost totally self sufficient, yet we choose to import stuff like it’s going out of fashion. And a lot of it has too do with trade agreements with other countries. So the government can get tax’s. Not listen to its people or the environment crying out. If not for the people standing up and having their say governments would just tax the living daylights out of us all.

Zamia Fischeri is always one of my favourites.

Thanks Harry, she lived 19 years as princess, she actually designed the garden I was just her gardener!

I see green hopefully it pulls through somehow. For reference here is a large coconut in port Isabel Tx zone 10A that survived like 23° in 2021 .

For years, this wonderful palm masqueraded as Trachycarpus wagnerianus, but, as it turned out, it was botanically described from a cultivated specimen (a no-no) and never known from the wild. This is simply a seed cultivar of Trachycarpus fortunei, albeit a truly fine one. In addition to proving very winter hardy, it makes a 20' tall trunk exactly like typical Trachycarpus fortunei, except the stiff round leaves are stunningly beautiful and much shorter...18" diameter compared to 33" diameter for typical Trachycarpus fortunei.

Howdy all! I just joined and hope I'm posting this in the right spot... I live in Orange County, California (zone 10b). I've owned the house for 20+ years now, and the 2 giant palm trees in my front yard are just getting too tall and too much to handle so I've decided to remove them (hopefully the picture comes through!). They require trimming every year (about $300), and during the summer they drip a fine mist of sap on any cars parked in the driveway. I had quotes from $2200 to $3800 to remove them with stump grinding, and the $2200 bid has tons of outstanding Yelp reviews, so the existing palms will be removed next week. I'm thinking I might replace them with a smaller and lower maintenance palm tree. After doing a few hours of research, it seems like either the Cuban Royal Palm or more likely the King Palm might be a good fit. Sounds like the Queen Palm might require more maintenance that I'd like to avoid. So anyway, I'd love to tap into the expertise of this group for any advice I might be able to get. I'm looking for recommendations on types of palm trees (and whether planting 2 together might make sense) and how easy it is to plant them yourself. The small lawn is on an automatic sprinkler system so the area gets plenty of water. Thanks!

I agree with harry a cluster of three king palms would look amazing. If you’re close enough to the coast you can get away with Kentias.

A nice royal would do fine. I would get an oleracea if possible

As far as Joey palms , I think one would survive on the west side of my house that has a very nice canopy . I just think the hot , dry Santa Ana’s might kill it🫤. I would be willing to try though , gonna put in a Licuala , maybe a Joey if they have them , as soon as my friend gets back from Japan we are going in on a nice Floribunda order….YAY! Harry

My only work around was to video record a complete tour of my palm garden , crawl space , forced air heating equipment , water heater area , and surrounding area. I snuck in a shot of the fire hydrant across the very small street ( hillside property ) . During the Thomas fire , we were evacuated and the fire dept. used our neighborhood for staging. Our little tract of homes ( 9 on our street ) was built in 1997 and we were the second home owners to buy one of these homes . Almost 30 years no claims and we were dropped by our other carrier . They sent a drone over our house and said “too many palms” . My broker found this company but it was tough to qualify ….and expensive!! Like most of the palm collectors , my palms are trimmed and well watered . They actually cool the house ( no fronds within 6’ of the cement shingled roof) . No wood exposed , vinyl fencing , etc. Insurance premiums increase every year and so on. Otherwise it’s “ cut down all your palms!” Enough said , Harry

Our big box stores no longer carry them up here . Too many came back I guess. Even our local palm friendly nursery in Ventura no longer stocks them . I got the two small ones I have now off a private seller through Palm Talk . He was in Newberry Park and sells palms . I bought the last 5 he had . He said “ I ain’t doing Foxtails any more “ , so I got 5 for less than $10 each . That was 3-4 years ago and 2 are thriving . The other 3 were not that healthy so I culled them . They can be so easy , my friend has one that is the healthiest one I’ve ever seen , but he also lost one (started with two) . I just always warn people who want them that they can be a bit fussy . San Diego is a bit better in terms of climate so you have an edge on us , but still…. Harry

I’m curious, could it be a rodent: mouse or rat? My 30 year old 6 1/2 ft tall Chamaedorea metallica largest (1 of 2 trunks) stem fronds were eaten by a mouse or rat. Luckily, the rodents didn’t eat the heart so it’s slowly recovering.

You are so correct! We’re supposed to have a big urban forestry planting project here in the US, and they’re cutting down plants, shrubs and trees instead of planting them! It’s insanity here in California right now! I think the people will eventually win out, though.

Get two that’s what I did, one is not enough! 😂😂😂

A nice little female Zamia Fischeri cone.

Could be some type of beetle larvae or a moth larvae, possibly even a cricket.

Springtime plumeria and vibrant color showing on the adjacent hibiscus. Both plants are commonly associated with the tropics or at least tropical gardens.

Well, it’s never too late! If you can get past the seedling stage, they are actually pretty tough. Ten years? I probably won’t know a palm from a rose bush! Frightening eh? Tim

I did actually pull off the smallest one and cut it open just to see if anything was in there. The knife sliced right through it, but there was definitely something in the middle. It was a white/tan inner part that was different from the green flesh around it. It seemed to be slightly harder than the flesh too (still could squish it though). Hopefully that was a developing seed.

Sobralia xanthaluca starting to bloom with this flower today.

i can ship probably 25-40 deepening on location

Do you know if this palm is still there since they rebuilt the botanical building? I don't remember seeing it in the last few years, but I definitely remember it from yesteryear. I've been looking for seed ever since and now RPS has it and I ordered it.

Here’s that coconut today. Slight bit of green showing in the center, so there is a chance.

That is definitely not Spain and not Mallorca! 100% not

Beauty Tim. I'm a bit late to the party but am giving them a go. Fingers crossed we're both around in 10 years so I can give you an update..

Three more great winners! Basselina eriostachysCalyptrogyne ghiesbreghtiana Hedyscepe Canterburyana

And finally sari the cat who used up all of her nine lives a week ago passing away in the wifes arms.

Always time for a few more pics!

Many people here are fighting the new restrictions, but not sure what will happen. Cutting down all the trees around houses is going to cost hundreds of millions of dollars. It also goes against the urban forestry program.

Curse the insurance companies, any new buildings now in Australia in rural zoned areas have to have a certain things done to be up to code for fire ratings. Iam lucky my house was built a long time ago. But the new regulations make it a lot more expensive to build now. A lot of things required for insurance purposes are just unpractical. They said it a while ago that the insurance companies are creating high prices for a lot of things, common sense is no longer a thing that was once used ! Build a giant greenhouse over the whole garden I say that will create a microclimate much needed.

Still alive @happypalms

Thank you for sharing your years of experience with me! I hope I can duplicate your good experience with my one plant here in San Diego. Here’s a pic of my very small Joey palm.

There are a number of flushes working there way through my California garden right now. I wish I could spell the old abbreviation for California with the Encephalartos species names, but I am not growing any ferox so lack the "f". I detest the term some use as a substitute for the state, which is "Cali" but without the "f" that is what I'm stuck spelling: C = for Encephalartos caffer A = for Encephalartos arenarius L = for Encephalartos lehmanii or longifolius I = for Encephalartos ituriensis Back in the day, before the postal service implemented the two letter state abbreviations, we wrote "Calif." for the abbreviation on mail. Anyone remember using that abbreviation and how much a stamp cost in that day? On a slightly different note, I can't help thinking of the tragic outbreak of ebola virus currently happening in the Ituri region when I look at my two E. ituriensis.

Mid May Hi -lights: Surprise seed pods forming on the Yellow Adenium.. Who pollinated it? and could the timing have been such that it crossed w/ the bigger flowered specimen next to it? ..Regardless, First time i've ever seen pods on any of my specimens and will be the first time starting these from seed, once they're ready.. Adenium X " Thai Purple Jade " ..the " named " half of that specimen.. starting to flower, as this round of flowers on it's partner half start finishing up.. G. coulteri = Gearing up for round #2 ..3 out of 4 of 'em at least.. Speaking of... If handled right, afterwards, appears these can transplant well ...at an early age at least. Is the seedling that popped up in the front yard. Moved because it will get wayy too big for that spot. Bursera microphylla v. " Waterman Mtns form " ..The supposed, natural cross between it and B. fageroides from far S. AZ... starting to flower.. Tough to see but the flowers possess both male and female parts.. Some husky Hurcules at a local nursery.. Notice the cuts on these, which tells you ...yes, they can be cut up, and re- rooted, if necessary.. The lone survivor from the " Canna Experiment " last year.. ..Speaking of..... >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

" Slaughter Pink " Blushing a bit in the heat.. J - 105 ..< Cat Calls > Whata' banger.. Crab Spider can skitter off to somewhere else though, lol.. TLD < Thornton Lemon Drop > opening in the heat. Scent is exactly as you'd expect.. beautifully lemony.. Note the difference between how it and Celadine < on the right > present their flowers.. Tons more flowers, and tons more on 2 other branches, to go. Cinnamon Swirl, Not pictured, on the way. Appears, for the moment at least, Divine will be late ..or maybe skip a season?? ..this year. Others? ..we'll see. That said, San Pedro Du Lac X?, on deck, next.. Last of the Bougainvillea yanked ..Good riddance 'ye thorny, out dated, hort. atrocity mess.. You don't die in vein however, as your thorny, drying branches slung in various areas, and across sections of the block wall, shall stab trespassing cat feet with erect enthusiasm as they try to enter the yard.. Large Leaf form of Calliandra haematocephala replacement adjusting nicely, even thru the heat.. In time, it will properly block late afternoon sun beaming into the yard here this time of year. Not pictured ..While it weeps a bit during the hottest portion of the day right now, tender -est bits n' pieces still plump, rather than burnt and drying out ..Plant itself looking normal after the sun sets = deep soakings are working as it settles in and starts initiating new root growth.. Compelled, ..and just for the heck -of -it, ventured into 109F mid afternoon heat to put the tape measure to the R. P. ..just to see where we're at as we enter the hottest / driest part of the year / await the arrival of the best time of the year < Monsoon Season > Considering it has been ..roughly.. a year since it hit the dirt as a ~approx 8 -10" tall, 1gal, a little over 4ft of growth, after being planted, last year, + 15.6" of new growth added since ..uhh, early / mid - March < new growth added so far this year, above the section i'd painted to protect just before it woke up > = Not bad, -at -all.. Other than seed, no way i'd pay money for one of these ..or any other tree that grows as fast.. Now that the top is just above the height of the stick next to it, peeking over the back wall at the neighbors across the alley, We'll see how much growth is added by the end of what could be a perfect summer /early fall growing season ahead.. Side note: While it tries, constantly, all signs of side branching that try and form as the top moves upward are pinched. I'll do this until the bottom of the top has cleared 7 - 8ft in height.

Hey Nathan, here's my Chilopsis 'Sweet Bubba' blooms yesterday. It's still small and the blooms have been sparse so far. How does Sweet Bubba do over there? Is it floriferous?

More neighborhood Plumeria.. Pink specimens could be something like Slaughter ..or Courtade Pink.. Lighter in color than the darker / brighter hued specimen noted elsewhere on Sunday. Not a Rose or Sweet 'Tader fan but have to admit both seem to accent these two Plumeria quite well.. Yellow flowered specimen on another side of this property.. Mid Spring = Waterlily Peak ..#1.. Nymph. X " Colorado " in this case May need to check on the " feral " Mex Yellow Waterlilies in a different area.. As warm as this winter was ..and March ofcourse, i wonder if some Tropical Night Bloomers spotted in a park nearby might be up already. Not so sleepy Cassia Fistula.. Wil that effect how it flowers this year??.. Ficus religiosa.. ...And Poinciana in this yard.. Same 3 trees in a yard across the street. Side eye of the day: ..This pine half a block up from the house has been steadily dying since ...last spring.. Yet ..whomever owns / maintains the Apmt. complex has yet to get the effected limbs down ..something a smart person would have already.. If they don't remove 'em before the winds of Monsoon Season arrive, it will be interesting to see what happens when that occurs.. Got plenty of proof to share w/ those parked under / nearby should they fall and damage property.

Right - On - Time J's, And a Sleepy Golden Shower.. ...Near some nice T's ( Tipuana ) ..and some early P's We'll see whether or not this is the year for a majority of the rest of these.. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Other neighborhood Plumeria.. " Red Bird " Season off to a fiery start... and accompanying, papery - barked Gold.. >>>>

Cocheima fraileana.. While Calla Lilies are kind of ho -hum, ..though nice of course, Deep Purple looks quite nice on these. Datura wrightii : Trimmed a little to remove some ground hugging branches a few days ago, and this is i get.. After the sun went down... 1st " Surprise " Plumeria inflo of 2026, Plumeria X " Novelty / Cinnamon Swirl.. " Because it's arms are a touch thin atm, was not expecting anything on this specimen until ..at least.. next year. Lets see how accurate the description for it's highlights are.

Next week, our hardy palm enthusiasts head for Vietnam. I can't make it this year but it doesn't keep me from learning more about the critically endangered palms in Vietnam. Vietnam’s vegetative biodiversity has been severely impacted by decades of war, rapid industrialization, and illegal logging. While the country has successfully increased its total “forest cover”, much of this is compromised, consisting of monoculture plantations (like acacia or rubber) rather than rich, biodiverse natural forests. The damage” in Vietnam is no longer just about the quantity of vegetation, but the quality of the ecosystem as well. Current problems include:· Fragmentation and “Empty Forest” Syndrome: While green cover exists, many forests are fragmented. Intense snaring and hunting have removed seed-dispersing animals (monkeys, birds, small carnivores) leading to “empty forests” (where trees and palms cannot naturally reproduce or move seeds across the landscape. · The Rise of Monocultures: Large areas have been replanted with exotic species like Acacia and Casuarina. These grow fast and provide timber but offer almost no habitat for native wildlife and fail to support the complex undergrowth found in primary jungles. · Endangered Flora: According to the 2024 Vietnam Red List the number of threatened plant species in general has risen to 656. · Soil Degradation: In areas like the Central Highlands and Coastal Dunes, the loss of original vegetation has led to severe soil erosion and a loss of the “seed bank”,…the natural store of seeds in the soil that allows a forest to bounce back… Vietnam is a biodiversity hotspot for palms, but many species are restricted to small “refugia”. The most critical locations for endangered palms include: Region Notable Endangered Palms Key Habitats Central Vietnam (Quảng Ngãi, Thừa Thiên Huế) Truongsonia lecongkietii, various Licuala species Steep, moist slopes in the Truong Son (Annamite) Range. Northern Limestone Karsts (Hạ Long Bay, Ninh Bình) Guihaia grossifibrosa (Dragon Scale Palm) Clinging to the sheer cliffs of ancient limestone "towers." Southern Highlands (Đà Lạt, Lâm Đồng) Pinanga and Calamus species Subtropical montane forests often threatened by coffee plantations. National Parks (Cúc Phương, Bạch Mã, Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng) Multiple endemic rattan (climbing palms) Dense, undisturbed primary rainforests. You cannot rebuild without the original genetic material. Locating and protecting the remaining “mother trees and palms” is a top priority as they are sources for indigenous seeds. There needs to be a move away from commercial nurseries that foster monocultures. Local nurseries would focus on Framework Species by growing off a mix of indigenous trees and palms that grow fast and have big crowns to shade out weeds, nurture seedlings and attract seed-dispersing wildlife. Connecting fragmented patches of forest will also allow wildlife to move about dispersing seeds. This gives you a quick overview of how Vietnam is working to bring back ecosystems that were lost due mostly to human excess and war. Those of you going to the Vietnam biennial are taking a trip of a lifetime!

Unsolicited opinion but I lived in Asia for a while (N China)... F*** the law, please collect seeds. None of those countries value preservation of species over leveling an area and turning it into a factory or coin farm. Countless plants species we still have are because people with knowledge on them knew that for the greater good ones biodiversity, they had to have some interventionist who took material, studied them, and put that knowledge into practice through propagation. Just because our species may have caused pollinator extinction, doesn't mean those plants aren't worth keeping around. Plus, pollinators aren't always so exclusive. Where I live is practically the opposite side of the world as Stangeria, for example but we also have bugs here which pollinate them without human intervention. I grow a lot of Stapeliads too, Frerea indica is the most primitive, critically endangered in its native India due to extinct pollinator. I've had it be pollinated several times in California, by obviously totally different insects. Never say never with plants. As long as the species still exist, there is a potential for natural continuation. I the meantime we just have to keep them alive. Probably an unpopular opinion, but mindful poaching is necessary. Sorry, not sorry. I've seen too many extinctions in my life already to preach otherwise.

I once saw one on Hogan's Heroes. It was visible over the barracks across from the Komandant's office. I guess they grow 🌴 in central Germany, too.

Some updated photos of some previous shots from this thread. Nice that these palms don’t get very tall, one can enjoy them longer. (Super model shovel for scale) Tim

Hi Pete, your Tanga's are beautiful, in fact, all of them are beautiful. Mine are doing well here in spite of warmer overall temps and picking up speed. Mine have developed a bifid terminal segment rather than an entire leaf. I planted out back in early 2013 from 1 gal. and they have been steady growers. One was always a 'runt', but it's still a handsome palm. Here are a few pics. The first four are Tanga One and the fifth Tanga Two. Tim