Leaderboard

Never get tired of Chambeyronia macrocarpa var hookeri new growth.

This is the Jubaea you can see behind the little trailer in picture from last year. We have been having an unusually warm winter with plenty of rain. I have two Jubaea at 5’ one at 3’ and two others at 1’ . I messed up last winter and left my potted palms out for a freeze . I lost several and set most of the survivors back a year.

Another flushing Zamia. This one is Zamia tuerckheimii.

More trees flowering around here, maples are looking good and red. Pollen is starting to accumulate on surfaces. I can confidently say we are now in Spring in the FL Panhandle. I also still think we get another freeze before the end of March. For now though, highs in the 70s approaching the low 80s at the end of the 7 day period will certainly get all the tropicals going again, especially with the lows only being in the 50s and 60s.

Here’s the one in Mt Joseph University Cincinnati, OH This was planted in 2000 it was cut down for unknown reasons by the Landscapers around 2020~ and yeah came back strong! Somerset opens at 2PM so we will check that out later!

A stroll around the slope today… mild winter and warm days between drizzle never hurt anyone…

I really wanna know what was going through the landscapers mind to decide to randomly cut it down

This is a common drive through South Orlando post-freeze

I think it is just wait and see at this point. I am sorry to see this but , hopefully , by Spring you will see new life. Harry

There are two species; N ritchiana and N baluchestanica which is the blue/silver one from Iran. My understanding is that N ritchiana is still variable from green to bluish, but never as silvery as N baluchestanica. I feel like the one pictured in this thread is likely N ritchiana. Photos are N baluchestanica I’ve seen seem to show them being ghostly white/silver from the first frond.

Very similar temperatures and observations here in Fort Myers (in town, with a combined urban heat island and some protection from the river.) Overall this event was comparable to Christmas 2022, the only two times I've seen evidence of frost, both times in a small dip in the lawn where the weeds turned black. Only thing I'll add is I have a small Areca catechu, regular form, which has grown quickly and beautifully up until now but every day since the cold looks progressively worse, leaves are now all completely covered in spots and it will probably end up mostly defoliated. Not surprised at all but I'd say this species is worse with cool weather than even Pritchardia pacifica. Overall I feel like I dodged a bullet, not much permanent damage to speak of, just lots of slightly yellow leaves and several long months of hand watering ahead of me.

My Robusta isn't very leaf hardy. Low 20s , the fronds will turn brown, all of them. I see some they look exactly like mine but seem to handle the cold better. At least mine is pretty bud hardy and recovers fast. I leave the fronds on until they're crispy but the new frond that is currently seeking daylight doesn't look bad at all.

I'm in zone 8a/b and I just planted some Sabal species seeds (Caribbean giant and Miamiensis x maritima) in the backyard. Hopefull I'll have a couple of sprouts this summer or spring.

I reckon those odds are pretty good! Would be super keen to give them a go, that's for sure. Great idea to put in mass plantings for seed production...that was also the idea behind my little Lepidorrachis plantation. I'm surprised that these haven't been split from the Isalo form yet, clearly a very different beast.

Cibolo TX Post Winter storm report: Temps in my neck of the woods hit 19F or 20F, with some freezing rain. As usual, I think the freezing precipitation was the bigger problem. C. radicalis with East Northeast exposure and partial overhead protection from the eave of the house. P. dactylifera was almost immediately dead. It was about 3 ft in overall height and very healthy going into this event. I covered it, but not until it was already wet. So it's spear pulled almost immediately after the freeze. It's leaves were brown within a few days. I cut the trunk down and there was no living tissue left, despite treating it with hydrogen peroxide within a couple of days of the ice. Butia took a little longer to show damage. It was covered with a large patio umbrella, but it blew off during the storm. It was a couple of weeks before the newest leaves started losing color. Spear pulled, and I have been treating it with H2O2 as well. No signs of a new spear yet. Even my S. mexicanas (No protection) have a leaf or two that have lost their color. This surprised me: My Washingtonia that grows like a weed looks pretty much perfect with no protection: Not all Washingtonians are created equal though. This is what another one just a couple of houses down from mine looks like: Small trachycarpus F x Ws took no damage with a bucket to cover them:

Yeah Cincinnati! The palm bug has arrived! Siting and microclimates are your friend. Also, bricks as thermal mass!

Dioon rzedowskii with its first flush

Dypsis basilonga seedlings looking good, somewhat a few years behind @Hilo Jason but they will get there.

Chrysalidocarpus Basilongus

I was able to stop by my old garden today and got these pictures of the parent plant. Much taller than it was about 18 months ago.

The bulging crownshaft on this almost twenty year old Chrysalidocarpus decipiens makes me think there’s something good lurking underneath it. Could it be about to produce an inflorescence? Will have to wait ‘til the attached frond dies and falls off.

In Chile, they can withstand sub-zero temperatures. But they must be large. Michael Lancel's Belgian friend sells them to Europe at very high prices. He lives in Chile and ships them in containers.

Yes it is gyuseppe, I got this one from my grandmother. And it’s very well loved in loving memory of her.

I am in cincy and wanted to know if there any in the area? I know the Mt Saint Joseph University one ima check out and the Somerset Bar outdoor Trachy, Needle, and sabals. What else?

Yea they look bad, it’s been 80 during the day, so I think the cold is done.

I believe this is a Nannorrhops, but am unsure of the species. I'm hoping the bloom might help with a positive ID. The bloom is the center stalk Anyone know this tree?

They looked cooked, not a lot you can do ATM, just wait for it to warm up prune off all the dead foliage and wait and see, you may need to rethink your choice of palm for the position they are in. It looks like there is no thermal protection except for the pool. If it’s still cold watering is making the situation worse you need warm soil temperatures to get the palm’s metabolism moving cold wet roots are not helping.

I think it’s called another day in paradise! I could not handle a climate unfavourable for tropicals, it’s bad enough I can’t grow a lot of super tropicals but to have 0 degrees Celsius and below with frosts no thank you. I would sell up and move, iam lucky I can get away growing what I have for now, I think the game changer was that’s there is so many new exotic species available now as compared to years ago.

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/338620461 Evidence that it dropped below 30F in coastal Collier county

With forecasts looking good, I made my first planting moves of 2026. I removed my dead papaya tree and fishtail palm. (may they rest in peace) I replaced them with a couple of golden cane palms I grew from seed that my daughter collected at Discovery Cove on a vacation in 2021. Like the fishtail last year, the golden canes are getting big enough that I don't want to keep moving them around in pots forever. So, they will be a nice annual near the pool this year: There are a couple of Rajapuri banana stumps there alternating with the palms as well. The bananas have shown just a centimeter or two of growth since I chopped them down low, so they definitely survived the winter.

From livestream today by YouTuber ResortTV1. The large Pandanus in Tomorrowland at Magic Kingdom doesn’t look good. Mast trees also look rough but I see a little green farther down.

Just added to eBay- Chrysalidocarpus × lafazamanga Dypsis nodifera (cool hardly plant from seed I collected in habitat)

You had the benefit of ground heat and snow cover but many butia die of wet cold

Such an amazing palm! Thanks for sharing pics and distributing seeds a while back 🙏

I bet in a hundred years they will be natural all along the east coast probably even up to NY and maybe further. they are already planted all over in Delaware, Virginia and Maryland. that would be cool to see but probably all of us will be dead by then. I wonder if there's plants in heaven lol.

spent the last couple days building a new potting bench. Long overdue! I can sit on a lab stool and pot up now; much nicer on my back and neck. 😎

Planted today experimentally in far West Cork, less than 0.5km from the sea in zone 9b/bordering 10a: - Phoenix canariensis (actually twins, but felt I could not separate them safely without damaging the root systems) - Sabal bermudana - Sabal uresana ‘Green Form’ - Syagrus romanzoffiana ‘Littoralis’ They are facing south on a south-facing slope with some salt spray during strong southerly/southwesterly gales, but well protected from north and east winds by stone structures and tree breaks. I used black landscaping fabric and dark mulch to boost the temperature and control weeds. Fertilised with ample Irish seaweed fertiliser. Winter high temperatures are around 10C typically, maybe a touch colder. The winter cold is not a concern given siting but strong wind is, as is pests/animals, duration of cold, especially for the Syagrus, but I want to stay optimistic. Also shown is existing New Zealand flax (invasive), full blooming Hydrangea, and Escallonia elsewhere on the property.

Well I’ve got about 15 in the ground so if there all one sex I’d be totally miffed. I planted them so they’d be good for seed production and at the rate they’re growing it won’t be decades away. When they do I will be sending you seeds. They will grow for you and you must have them.

I watered the soil really well last weekend. Wanted to do 2x a week but I was so busy with work this week I didn't get a chance. I have been following my spear growth and all my palms are at least alive. The bottle is now pushing up green which makes me happy. I'm planning to add a root stimulator. Lukas said they also recommend a nutritional spray but I thought I read no fertilizer until at least March?

Just harvested some seeds gonna plant all of them whatever they turn out to be. Any thoughts?

I've actually got a pretty solid plan and the land to do it, and my plan is to show it can be fully off grid automated and self sustaining for ppl with disabilities.

High school huh? I started my last year of high school in 1976, 50 years ago. At the risk of going way off topic, back in the first decade of the 2000's I ran my hobby nursery for a few years before the district decided it wanted permits, certificates and property rezoning. Here's a couple of pics from back then.

Satakentia, trunk is clean, smooth, and straight as an arrow. Looking good in the afternoon sun. Tim

Flush on my Cycas Cairnsiana. I guess it's surviving the cold.

Hi Giuseppe, I'm not sure to be honest. I'd say that there are still quite a few people but certainly less Australians than in the past. Although @happypalms posts enough for 20 normal Aussies!

This is mine growing here in NE Florida. This was grown from seed purchased from RPS somewhere 2002/2003 time frame, so it puts the age at 20+ years. Was potted for the better part of its life until I put it in the ground in my current location 8 years ago. So far it's been very happy and continuously pushes new growth.

@happypalms Big things have small beginnings. From my observations Jubaea grow at linear speed in three stages. First is the baby or child stage that is very slow but steady over 20 years, then the middle or pre-adult where the leaves grow significantly larger as the palm expands at twice the speed of the child stage. Towards the end of the middle stage the base of the palm begins to grow bigger and wider while the leaves get significantly larger. Then the Palm begins to grow a trunk where the rate of vertical growth doubles its speed to between 30 and 45 cm per year depending on growing conditions. During the palms entire life it is best not to cut any living leaves, as the cut can invite disease and pests but also because the green leaf provides energy and growth to the palm. Dead and brown leaves can be cut leaving a stub. Stubs should be left on the palm until the palm expansion stretches the stubs dead attachment fibers allowing it to fall off on its own. Pulling or forcing the stubs off the trunk can cause tears and eventually deep wounds into the Palm which is very bad. I have learned the above things by observation over the decades and by making many mistakes.

Here’s the few I managed to germinate. The community pot ones sown on the 5/3 2023, the other ones are five years old, so slow growing. I got advised to put the bigger ones in sunny spot out of the greenhouse.

Your right!, every so often we can get one of those Arctic Blasts that move down through Canada, pushes over the Rocky Mountains, blows across the high plateau of Eastern Oregon, sneaks through gaps in the Cascade Mtns. and slides down and over the Klamath Mtns. and then is absorbed by the cool marine air of the Pacific Ocean. Back in the last century these Arctic blasts were more common and would reach as far south as San Diego, California destroying all the Orange crops. Last 30 years or during this century the Arctic Blasts seem to move south or southeast to Texas and Florida and not towards the west. Seattle and Portland however seem to be getting Arctic air on regular basis during last 10 years or so. The above are my observations only and I have no idea why or what is the reason. That picture of the Jubaea in Hobart is a real beauty and looks very happy with its home. Thanks for the information about the 42 degree parallel. While back on palmtalk a guy in Spain posted a picture of two really big and tall Jubaea growing near the 42 parallel and close to the ocean, which confirms everything you said.

In the ground. The rest of the mound area will be redone with weeds killed, more sand brought in and cannas moved. I’m going to put in some Encephalartos cycads, move some Ravenea xerophila to this area and plant the rest of my Ravenea glaucas.