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And here's a trio, rousselii is the big one, crinita front right, and rubra in back

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.

This one is in a prime spot. Trunk is almost a foot across at the base, much more robust than the others, but hard to tell in photos.

Just thought I would share photos of this Mexican fan palm that I have been tracking for a couple years. Self seeded right up in the rocks along a bayou here in Northwestern Florida. Very tough palm, has survived some flooding and a rare Florida snow with a few inches.

Walt's wife just posted on the main forum on an Elaeis guineensis post that he passed away in June 2025. I don't know if she is aware of this subforum so figured I would post here. I never met Walt, however, have been following his posts on his garden since approximately 2003. He was one of the first contributors who regularly posted photos in posts, which I always appreciated because I lived in Seattle, WA at the time and loved seeing palm photos. It was fascinating learning about the difference between USDA zones in CA and FL because of him, as he would "famously" grow coconuts in USDA zone 9b! He also would share photos of his trees that would recover from seasonal frosts. Anyways, his posts will be missed!

A couple of common palms got a bit of attention this afternoon! Dypsis lutescens Howea fosteriana rhapis loaensis wodyetia bifurcata dypsis plumosa

I will be as soon as I can get these three in the ground, but for now they are quite fast growing and have cool tolerance, another year of growing them and see how I go planting them in the garden.

Acquired from Floribunda and planted January 2019, this palm is looking really lovely at the moment. It has always been a very spiny thing, but yesterday I did a double take -- it's as smooth as a fine suede jacket! And such color! No evidence of the "rubra" (red) for which it is named, but beautiful all the same. Still young, and has only a few spines on one side of the trunk. I'm interested to see yours -- please share photos if you are growing this species.

Thought I'd share a few pics from my yard after a rather chilly winter - the Central Valley of California had a record-breaking fog event from late November through about the end of 2025. Temps stayed in the 40s for 360+ consecutive hours - no freezing, no frosts, just consistently cold and wet with next to no sunshine for nearly a month. Most palms grew right through it, but a few of the more tropical species really hated this - I rehomed a few to warmer (drier/sunnier) climates down south. Here are a few shots from today - everything in growth mode as we're getting 80s and 90s consistently - racing toward the 100s too! In just a matter of weeks winter will be a far memory as we bake in the 100s until we cool again in October. Archontophoenix tuckeri - grown from seed from @DoomsDave. I'm pretty sure you threw a handful of seeds at me during one of my visits to your place. Trunking archontophoenix cunninghamia in the back. Seed-grown howea forsteriana & allagoptera peeking in behind tuckeri. Syagrus rommanzoffiana - nothing special, but I recently did clean up the trunk, which makes it look 10x nicer. A shot of my front yard - the pink Handroanthus is just about done blooming. Below it I have Brahea Super Silver, Brahea Pimo, and closest to the bottom is a Jubaeopsis affra, recoving from an irrigation mishap in summer of 2024. The irrigation timer went offline mid June while we were out of the country traveling, and this whole area went without water for 2 weeks. Jubaeopsis took that personally. It's been slowly recovering from that 'drought' event. Handroanthus umbellatus was in bloom just a few weeks ago. This is Livistona speciosa. I grew this from seed, and gave the rest to folks in Southern California. Does anyone have any still growing? I think some of them may have gone at palm society auctions. Chamaedorea hooperiana - The ficus roxburghii looks so pretttyyyyy in the back with all that new growth Sabal uresana - looking stretched. This thing is slowwwwwwww This is the view out our back door. Arcontophoenix tuckeri on the left. The red amaryllis is an heirloom passed down from a neighbor before she passed. Phoenix rupicola. You can spot the Brahea Super Silver in the background. The silver-ish palm below it is Chamaerops humilis var. argentea. There's a Cycas deboaensis on the bottom right that will need to find a permanent spot. I have a habit of putting plants in temporary spots, then moving them when I decide on a permanent spot. I feel like plants develop much better in the ground than in pots. They also benefit from regular irrigation being in the ground, and I don't have to worry about forgetting to water them in pots. This little corner area is filling in so nicely, and will become very thick with vegetation as plants keep growing. Beccariophoenix alfredii is in the far back. Ravenea glauca is center toward the left. Sabal mauritiformis is off to the right. Cycas revoluta x deboaensis is front and center. Lastly, a shot of a Clytostoma callistegioides flower, and a Dendrobium chrysotoxum which I have in bloom. The Dendrobium is grown inside a greenhouse. The last photo is of my plumerias waking up after a chilly nap. I had lots of rot to deal with this winter. BONUS - see if you can spot the Chrysalidocarps prestonianus... It went into the ground directly as a 4-inch plant from Floribunda some 5 or 6 years ago. Almost forgot the Chrysalidocarpus decaryi as well. Decaryi doesn't like the prolonged cold/wet conditions, but it grows out of damage fairly quickly - and we don't always get those particularly cold/wet winters. Some years we are dry and sunny like the rest of Southern CA.

Here’s a nice container grown Bismarckia I spotted while travelling in India!

These are awesome looking. Used to be my holy grail palm. but South Florida was not k8nd to these. Not sure why more people don’t grow these… maybe those spines when young. I picked up a couple of babies from Floribunda a few years back. At first they grew like crazy, then (like so many tropicals) when the summer nighttime heat really picked up, they got miserable. They went back and forth like this for a couple of years, then I decided to it was cruel and unusual punishment. They looked terrible. I took the loss. They kind of have thin, soft leaflets, like teddies, or a R rivularis.

I just got back from a brief road trip to Bahia de Los Angeles to see the northernmost red mangroves on an island in the Gulf of California! It is a tiny coastal village in the middle of nowhere with no cell service and only satellite internet. Nevertheless, I stumbled upon some incredibly rare palms in a random garden! Anyone know any information about this garden? I tried knocking on the doors nearby but nobody was home, but there was a house pipe with wet ground beneath it so it looks like someone is tending to these palms. Click here if you want to see ALL the photos from the road trip First is the trip's purpose: the colony of red mangroves with the second pic being the particular northernmost mangrove in the colony. I'm guessing palms are Medemia argun, Bismarckia nobilis, Copernicia baileyana, Hyphaene coriacea, Cocos nucifera (only one in the village), Sabal riverside, Brahea armata (native), and Chamaerops humilis var. cerifera.

My biggest Hedyscepe canterburyana that I grew from seed from the beauty in pogobob old garden is finally setting seed. Last summer when Tim from Hawaii was visiting it flowered but the seed aborted.

The palm didn’t miss a beat with the move… Seems equally happy in its new location. Both the old and new locations see a lot of sun (the new location slightly more sun than the old). I haven’t tried it in either of my two “worst of the worst” spots for sun, but it seems fairly sun tolerant to me (within reason). Likely similar to lutescens in that regard, but more cold tolerant (as in fewer “fried” looking fronds coming out of winter). Here’s a snap I just took at 9:30am this morning…

Hi Bret, I gave up on trying to clean the seeds, it's just too hard. They germinate anyways. Disclaimer that I have never waited it out to see if I actually get a good overall germination rate. I got ~10 germinated seeds from several hundred, and then gave the rest to Len, then he got several and I think tossed them. I thought it was maybe because our climate is not ideal that the seeds were not great, but Jeff Marcus said he has had the same experience, super slow and then very sporadic germination. The seedlings seem pretty easy despite the starting so small. This all applies to A rousselii. My A rubra haven't flowered yet, but I germinated from three different years off of Dennis' plant. One batch gave very high germination rates and the seedlings were very robust - I literally did not lose a single seedling after germination out of maybe 50-60. I just could not kill those plants. The other batches I got either no germination, or low germination and all the seedlings died within a couple months after germinating. I'm generally convinced that conditions during seed development can impact not just germination rate/seed quality, but also the health and robstness of seedlings for at least the early stages of development. Matt

Yeah, the rousselii produces viable seed. Last year, probably 5-6000. Its crazy. But germination is really slow and sporadic, starting almost a year after harvesting. And the eophyll is like 1/2" long. I have some seedlings doing well and a bag in my germination box with a few thousand seed.

Wow! Awesome idea to have all 3 to compare differences. The A rousellii crownshaft is eye catching! Has it produced viable seed? Nice Tahina photobomb too!

This is in the coldest and most exposed part of my garden

Hello Cathy, Condolences on Walt's passing. The forum members posted a memorial thread for him here: https://www.palmtalk.org/forum/topic/93162-rip-walt-in-lake-placid/

Came out true...I just had one seed I left sprouted to see if it would come true and it did. Picture attached...

Three proven winners in ease of growing and exotic ornamental look a must have! Richard

Iam now amending soil, never did in the past. Now simply just to give them a head a start otherwise the established garden eats them up, and even then I have to maintain new plantings, just to much competition from the mature garden. Interesting you noticed the nutrient factors. I dont fertilise my garden just let the garden mulch itself, I guess I could be doing more but wait for those big wet events and use irrigation as my main helping hand!

There’s always room for one more palm (somewhere) Iam tucking them in anywhere I can!

A gift from a palm talk member @Harry’s Palms sent me some decipens seeds. They have germinated quite well and apparently they came from a well know palm growers collection. Which makes them even more special to me. I put some seeds in and the rest got disturbed to a few other fellow palm talk members in Australia. And it seems none of there ones have germinated yet, so if those couple of growers need a lesson on germinater palm seeds iam running a online course just for those couple of members 🤣 so they can’t blame the seeds! But jokes aside thank you Harry for the lovely gift of seeds, they have become rather special now! Richard

Yes chrysaslidocarpus Pauleenemsis var cali Harry?

Now all I have to do is convince you to climb up that ladder and get those Hedyscepe seeds 🤣 Richard

Once again thank you for such a lovely gift. It’s a nice thing having a story with a plant, to the general public they would have no idea about the growers background or where they came from. But for people in the plant world it’s recognition of a grower and a great remembrance of a great grower or gardener. A great legacy to have Richard

That is beautiful, and a palm you don’t encounter much on this forum or, come to think of it, in gardens either. Tim

Here are a couple of pics from the garden and the parent to your babies! Harry One of two that produce copious amounts of fruit . This is the smaller one of the two. A Ceroxyline ( spelling?) at the Sullivan garden. Hedyscape that is doing quite well in Ventura at their apartment building by Ventura College. Looking up at the SECOND STORY of the building ( to give scale).

Still going strong, thanks to our mild winter. I'm curious to see how it does above the roof!

Thank you... The fascia behind the palms is approx. 8' off the ground level... Butch

A few more exotics going in again! It’s not only rare palms but the exotics accent the palms and the palms accent the exotics! Draceana surcullosa zingiber sp from Borneo cycas deboansis x multipinata

~5 years since planting update..... The Satakentias have not enjoyed the past year of drought, and are looking a little anemic at this time. They are getting taller though, and also harder to photograph. I expanded and connected the garden beds a bit recently, in my slow quest to minimize the grass footprint. Neoveitchia are gorgeous palms, and very Satakentia-like. People do grow them quite successfully around here, but I think they appreciate a bit more shade then I can provide, and are more finicky than Satakentia when it comes to care.

Here’s a picture of Sabal palmetto along the St. John’s River in central florida. Roots can grow in air and in standing water. The river edges get flooded from each hurricane and thats what probably eroded away the shoreline overtime. I thought this picture clearly shows how resilient and impressive this species is.

A few more goodies going into the garden. This lot should get the garden looking like a tropical paradise! anthurium tilarance x vietchiidypsis pinnatafrons pink crown trachycarpus princeps socratea rostrata

@Foggy Paul I have one that is just starting to get rings . Pretty fast grower here , thirsty palm. Harry

A beautiful little dypsis lantzeana!

All of the new plantings and some well established palms are tucked in well after a long hot summer. Another couple of years with this lot and there will be quite a few new palms well established in the garden!

A couple of nice chamaedoreas chose to stand out for a moment in the garden.

Back at again buying a few for the garden. heterospathe scitula linospadix minor gardenea tubiferaantrophyum callifoliumAll potted before winter gets here, any new tropicals to the collection won’t get potted up from now on, going into winter it’s not good for them!

Spring is entering gradually and new growth starts appearing on Bismarckia and Nannorrhops. Which one is more blue in your opinion?

Mine has grown really well throughout our summer despite multiple days of extreme heat. Mine gets filtered light for most of the day; it’s on the south edge of a south facing garden (southern hemisphere) so larger palms in the garden give it a degree of protection but definitely does see at least brief periods of direct sun throughout the day.

Well , yesterday I spent the day working on a section that had been cleared by my wife . There was a fern that I had planted that was taking a bit too much space and crowding a few other plants . A large Rhapis palm had to be trimmed back so we could get to the water valve . I spent a lot of time finishing up the work she started and spreading fresh mulch (wood chips) . The trunk of our large Archontophoenix Alexandrea is now fully visible and I could feel the sigh of relief coming from the garden . With fresh mulch , a bit of trimming , and time consuming cleaning of the beach pebbles ( while sweating my arse off!) things are back in order. Harry Our little beach pebbles river was so full of debris from all the wind we had this year , it took over an hour on my hands and knees to pick the bits out and rearrange the stones. I just love the bottle shape of the Alexandrea trunk now that the encroaching fern has been cut back. The large Rhapis is now trimmed and not taking over the side walk. The container holds the garden hose. This courtyard gets very warm in the afternoon and yesterday was no exception! Harry

Some orchids are blooming! Even with an extended , unseasonal heat wave they are doing good so far . They have been outdoors , next to the house for a couple of years now . They only get a couple of hours of early morning sun. Harry

Just my self indulgent contribution to this thread - I’m pretty proud of this one. Comments above are correct. These are tolerant of cool and even occasional cold nights. Mind in Melb, Aus occasionally has frost settle on the fronds with temps down to -1.5C /29F. Last winter we had about 10 frosts with temps at or below 2C/36F and the monthly average minimum temperature during the coldest month was barely above 5C/41F. Only minor cold spotting as a result. It’s also seen a few days up around 44C / 111F with very low humidity this summer and shown no ill effects to occasional exposure to these conditions. Our night times nearly always cool down significantly which may help. For reference, this one is in an east facing garden. It gets filtered morning sun until about midday. Happy to have this one growing here. There aren’t many palms that can grow here with those huge pinnate leaflets divided at random which just appears so tropical like in many Pinanga and Areca sp.

Here’s a photo of B. condapanna seedlings almost ready to be planted out. Tim

Just a couple of common ones today with a special dypsis brevicaulis. Along with a rainforest tree. Chambeyronia macrocarpa lytocarum weddlianum beccariophoenix Madagascariensis dypsis brevicaulis cordyline Australis

Cocothrinax Alta looking good!

I feel like I should recognize these palms. But I don’t. Maybe my brain is waterlogged after too many days 20 meters underwater. This is in the Fam Islands. Anyone know? Below: the view from this spot