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This Cocothrinax was labeled as argentea or argentata, but when I posted it in past years I was advised it didn't key to either. I am still waiting for its first flowers. It does have some silver color on the leaf underside but it is modest. It has been a good grower. I thought it was time to solicit thoughts on a species id again. Here it is...

@JLM Haven’t posted in a while, so thought I’d give you a little yard update after the last few of not so good back-to-back winters. The only thing that’s been protected with just blankets (no heat) is my Pygmy Date. Still growing out half of it’s defoliated fronds but is otherwise doing good. The coastal areas have stayed within 9A throughout all these past few bad freezes, including the snow event, so no real palm losses here fortunately. Sorry to hear about your Queen! It looked beautiful and had good size to it.

Here you go, updated photos. This flush is going through senescence. No sign of the next flush yet but this plant can do that. My female one went bare between its last flushes too. I included a photo of a leaf on the female plant too.

Phoenix palms are one of worst for being poisonous in my opinion, even more so when they are dead and dried up, absolute killers. Iam sure they have been the vain of many a trip to ER in the hospital. There can be some dangerous plants in the plant kingdom and many have been used throughout history for such foul play. But look on the other side of the coin at all the medicines derived from plants. Iam sure a bit of tennis elbow is a small price to pay for a thorn in the elbow. There is a fern in Australia called bracken fern and oh my step on a dead stem of that one and see what happens if you can’t dig it out, not a pretty picture in about 4 days time with more than a needle required for removal of that one. Home surgery at its best for that one. Richard

I have very little experience with mules personally, but I have always liked them. I now own two. I have one that I bought last summer at roughly a 3 to 5 gallon size. I grew the other from seed. (It was the only one of 12 seeds I was able to germinate) Both have grown well in pots and in the ground for me thus far. Seed grown: March 2025 June 2026 (bottom right) Tonight 6 August 2026 (1st pinnate frond) Mail ordered mule: September 2025 March 2026 Tonight, 6 August 2026 This mule in the ground is the most marginal palm I have planted in my yard. My area is rated zone 9a. If you ask January 2021, it is an 8a. I have planted my landscape with the idea that I want my palms to be able to look good down to 20F, and survive 15F. I would like to think I am not being overly cautious or confident. Time will tell, I guess.

Wow. I knew you guys had it bad, but didn’t think it was that bad. Sorry to hear about the losses, a real kick in the stomach as a collector.

Supplied by equatorial exotics, and very cool tolerant even as tube stock not a problem in my climate.

Which is also no longer in use and is considered a synonym of P sessilifolia. But I don’t think that’s the same palm which has floated around in the nursery trade as P ‘sarawakensis’. I think the palm Richard is referring to is the highly mottled palm that has been posted on here before. Either way, I doubt any of these lowland Bornean palms would be the best choices for California. I’d be looking for ones originating from decent latitude away from the equator (P baviensis, P gracilis, P tashiroi, P sylvestris) or highland species (P capitata) or a mix of the two (P declinata, P annamensis, P kontumensis). As noted, some others seem to have some level of hardiness despite relatively tropical origin like some of the Philippines species, P javana and P coronata.

Red Latania

Welcome ! You have chosen well , the Howea palms are great indoor choices . The Foresteriana being best suited for your situation. As was mentioned , Bell palms are much slower and probably would need more direct light . The Palor Palm ( Howea Foresteriana ) has been used for many years as a way to bring tropical foliage indoors . Use a pot with really good drainage ( I put smooth medium size pebbles in the bottom ), soil that has more of a sandy loam mixed with perlite , and a pot slightly larger than what it came home with. Do not over water , but they like regular watering . Let the top few inches dry to the touch in between watering , then water thoroughly ( you’ll want a nice tray under the pot ).The occasional outdoor shower and fresh air is a huge benefit . I would find a shady spot with a slight breeze for its holiday at least once a month , even over night if it isn’t below 50f or so. It sounds like a lot and they will survive with less , but to grow reliably , a bit of attention goes a long way. They will take low temps if planted in the ground and established but not cold. Good luck and enjoy . Harry Edit: interesting that you are finding them elusive where you are , they are quite common in Southern California . Most good nurseries have a few available. They are a bit expensive for anything over 3 gallon size. Howea Belmoreana are a bit harder to find.

Hey! I bought one from Phil as well . Mine was not labeled and when I posted pics here I was told it was C. Barbadensis. Mine is about the same size . It grows slow and steady. Jungle Music had a few Cocothrinax species when I was there about 20 years ago so not sure if mine is the same as yours. Very small when planted and full afternoon sun . The fronds on the one I got don’t stay stiff and tend to relax with age . It has an orange-ish hastula . Harry Trunk is pretty typical Cocothrinax The fronds are more relaxed a year or so after opening Orange colored hastula. I’ve got this one labeled Cocothrinax Barbadensis. I was at one of Jungle Music’s sales many years ago and Phil had some that had no label and were too little to identify . These pics are from when I posted a while back ( couple of years?) . Someone on PT said it was Barbadensis. Since these photos were taken , and seeing others , I started giving it more water and feeding it . I believe mine is a different species than yours.

palmenthusiast100 Welcome to Palmtalk !

I have one too!

Floribunda palms caught my eye today, such a luxury to be only 25 minutes away, sorry I wasn’t able to do photos today (other than my order) also picked up an Areca laoensis and Asterogyne guianensis.

Tracy, was that a Jungle Music purchase? I have a spitting image from them; argentata if I recall..

There are some good ones. I also believe Houston and Dallas are drier in fall/winter than summer, and trachies there are more fall/winter growers. Here, they are spring/fall growing. They idle in summer/winter. I have learned to look at the base of trachies here in the SW. The "decent" ones usually in an irrigated lawn situation. Soil type and ph could also be a major factor.

It has been cooler and rainy most of the day. The wind picked up around 1pm and then it started raining. In addition to rain, the big blessing is that it has been very comfortable outside and gives the AC a break.

This flush is almost hard now. The leaves will get darker green than they are now but I don't think this flush's leaves will get any bigger.

Ok, I'll increase my watering to 2x a week.

Getting hammered now, HEAVY rain and wind gusts

These two palm species/varieties have done the best from my Floribunda order despite this summer's scorching Sacto sun and days of triple-digit heat. They get hours of morning sun to noon and then shade in the afternoon., (L) Chrysalidocarpus sp. Baby Red Stems (Dypsis) and (R) Chrysalidocarpus decipiens (Dypsis) Hybrid F2

Some zone 10 survivors at Disney... 2 Licuala grandis at the Moana area in Epcot. There were several others near the entrance but they are died.

Beautiful

I approach both my Livistona with caution. The younger Australis and the older Chinensis will both cause blood to flow if not handled with gloves and caution. Also worthy of respect are Butia O. and Chamerops H. They are beautiful palms but from a distance , like many Phoenix. I had a small tip of a thorn lodge in my elbow when I was trimming . The thorn went right through my sweat shirt . I pulled it off my arm and thought that was the end of it. A few days later my elbow would hardly move without pain and it swelled. The very tip of the thorn broke off in my arm . I got it out with a sewing needle with a bit of effort. Just be careful! Harry

No not that common, this is the only one I have seen being used as hedge, and it’s one heck of hedge I will say, I reckon there would be few seeds in there as well!

Im totally new at this but I am using a dry sprinkle right before I water. It comes with a plastic spoon so I put one full spoon of powder on say a 15 gal. Sized plant and less as the pot size goes down. I have had results on liners sized Cycads by just adding a pinch of the stuff. The results usually start within week or 2. As I said before the results have been stunning with not only older leaves coloring back up but most of the plants throwing new flushes as well. I have a trispinosus that was completely yellowed out and threw yellow orange flushes for the last couple of years that is throwing a nine leaf flush right now that is perfect original Tri color that I will post here soon!

my yard images

Fronds steadily increasing in size, thats what you want. Five foot hoe standing next to palm for scale. Keep the core health and away from freezing this winter and it will continue to grow. In 35 years it will look like this:

They are not a small understory palm that’s for sure!

Veitchia

Kerriodoxa elegans, Johannesteijsmannia altifrons, Geonoma atrovirens, iguanura wallichiana var major, Areca vestria red form, sabinara magnifica, reinhardtia gracilis, chamaedoreas are must have, variegated rhapis. Then there are Zamias, Cerotazamias they all compliment palms and there are many of them to collect. Good luck once the palm bug bites you it’s a whole new world of plants!

A.engleri can take up a lot of space as it suckers.

Iam impressed with them that much I got 110 seeds to get a few more around the garden!

A nice sallaca, variegated lanonia dasyantha, dypsis Pembana all looking good in the garden.

Yellow Latania

Chamaerops humilis cerifera

Dypsis decaryi soaking up the afternoon sun. And a nice bunch of Arenga engleri seeds!

Livistona Chinesis and a nice licuala ramsayi!

A nice young carpoxylon macrospermum! She’s a slow mover that one!

Has taken all year, but a frond on my Chambeyronia macrocarpa has finally opened up.

A nice young carpoxylon macrospermum!

A nice garden in Kaikoura, about 2 hours north of Christchurch, taken on holiday recently. Is the second pic a standard Butia odorata, looked a but different to me?

Wallichia densifolia git my attention today.

A nice young dypsis baby red stem, starting to show that bit of eye candy they are known for.

It’s the beginning of soil making on lava in the background of this Metroxylon is a pile of trash tree. It will take 2 to 3 years with the pigs help to get turned into soil so I’m just gonna keep throwing debris behind this bloke. We are building the soil up for a nearby rainbow eucalyptus, but the palm will benefit as well..

Latania opening a new frond

Probably either red-crowned or lilac-crowned amazons.

I can’t speak specifically to freeze damage, but my condolences for all the bronze fronds. In general though, palms can be annoying in their convalescent and perimortem states. They often don’t know they are dead for a year or two. Hanging on to green fronds long after their souls have risen into the great Zone 12 in the sky. They also have a disappointing habit of feigning good recovery, only to crap out a year later from hidden fungal mush mush. Sometimes starting over yields better results. Alfredii sales should be through the roof this year.

One can only dream

Decent growth in May