Leaderboard

Have been joyful to see my Windmill Palm grow and thrive in NoVa over the last 9yrs+;

Intrigued by the stilt roots of this palm attracting airborne Tillandsia and a home for a benign orange lichen. It’s a beautiful palm with the roots, spiny trunk, and entire leaves. Here are a few photos starting with the roots. Tim

With some good rain about I can’t help myself I gotta plant a palm or two. A nice trio of houalouensis should see the garden has a bit of a tropical look. And it’s time to get a few gracilis throughout the garden in those little viewing spots where they can’t get lost in the jungle, being a great container palm they will easily go into those small spaces left around the garden.

Ok, the rest of the palm……. Shovel for scale. Tim

I woke up at 4 am and checked the temp, it appears sensors around me showed 28 or so. 15 minutes later 30 appeared to be what was recorded. I don’t know where I ultimately ended up but I can say the plants with tender leaves really browned off, more than the first frost we had. When I did actually wake up there was no sign of frost. I protected nothing as the apps were saying low of 32 and 34. Next weekend looks like more freezing temps and rain. Not the best combo. I think we’re in the real danger zone these next 4 weeks. I’ve been planting consistently every weekend but with pretty hardy plants zone 7b-8a material.

Aeoneum arboreum "Schwartzkopf" blooming behind a nice green Encephalartos. I like the mix of colors.

Pinanga maculata. Tim

Coconut seems to handle frost better than a lot of other stuff. The bad damage on it was from 27 and 6+ hours below freezing last winter unprotected

I was still a kid and lived on Long Island, NY during that time but do remember getting some nasty winter storms. As a kid it was great haha but as an adult I'm sure it caused a lot of headaches. Also, sometime around 2008-10 I believe we had some epic winter storms around the Philly area. I remember walking along a path and was able to stick my arms and rest them on the snow because it was so high. I don't remember the exact dates but we had two or three major winter storms in a very short period of time. The Philadelphia area is weird. I experienced at least one winter with over 100" of snow if I'm not mistaken and yet there are other winters where hardly any snow falls (I believe one year had less than 1"). Another problem is the area occasionally gets random warm weather in the 60s and even low 70s in late February which takes a big toll on sensitive vegetation. Everything starts waking up and gets ready to bloom only to get destroyed by another deep freeze.

For me, it was the winters from 1993-1996 where we got 4 ft. of snow in one storm and then the ice storm in October 2002. Friends and family still tell me about the winter weather there. It is not missed to say the least.

Here is an example here in San Antonio. It produced flowers last year but no viable seed was formed, same story with the uresana at John Fairey Gardens to the northwest of Houston in Pine Island. Following the freeze of 2021 they’ve so far failed to reproduce.

It’s been a long road to get to this point, but we’ve finally achieved it, we own acreage in Australia 🥳. The acre parcel is located 3 km from the township of Malanda, 15 minutes to Atherton (main hub on the Atherton Tablelands), and just over an hour down the stunning Gillies Range highway to Cairns. 740 metres above sea level and typically 6-7C cooler than Cairns in summer (29 Vs. 36C this Saturday), with minimums rarely dropping below 12C in winter. Also humidity tends to be lower. I’m hoping the climate is a suitable candidate for Juania australis, Ceroxylon, and Hedyscepe. The land is red volcanic soil, which is very fertile with good drainage and moisture retention. Ultimately I would like to build a house on it and retire up there over the next 10-15 years, but that all depends on if I can convince my wife to leave the Gold Coast. If not, we’ll use it as a holiday home and split our time between the two locations accordingly. For now, it’s my playground to plant sun loving palms that will provide future canopy. As each species goes in, I’ll update this thread. The YouTube video shows the land as it is now. Over the next few months all the infrastructure will go in (town water, underground power, sealed roads, concrete access driveway etc).

Nice little batch you got going there Harry. Fear not summer is around the corner and retirement is just a hose away, nothing beats watering the garden in summer. But I fear an Indian summer is not one you want to experience, relentless heat for months, I will stick with my hot northern summer winds! Richard

A nice little chamaedorea adscendens flowering a bit late. This little lady is planted way down the bottom of the 5 acres, never received much attention yet growing strong.

The usual goodies in the baby palm department. It’s fun waiting and watching for who’s going to germinate, it’s always a lovely surprise, and a good sign you got viable seeds! Money well spent you think.

These are from a really blue one growing in Del Rey (just south of Fresno), and the owner there said seeds came from Mexico, but couldn't tell me where. These all sold out. I had a similar batch last year they sold out pretty quickly too. I'll try to get pics of the mother plant.

Among other things.

Thanks Tim. I’m already working on a landscape design in ChatGPT that separates 4 distinct geographic areas (Africa, Americas, Asia, and Oceania) 😂.

Thank you for sharing, sir. You are very fortunate, like some others here on this great forum. Thank you, sir.

I did wrap them Wednesday had a low of 27(from a thermometer in my backyard) and tomorrow is 32, sadly my yard is alctually a few degrees cooler for some reason. But they are doing just fine

I'm in West Seattle and I grow a whole bunch of palms. Established in the garden I have Butia odorata, Jubaea chilensis, Trithrinax campestris, Chamaerops humilis, Chamaedorea radicalis, Chamaedorea microspadix, Butia odorata x Syagrus romanoffziana, Butia eriospatha x Butia microspadix, Jubaea chilensis x Butia yatay, Butia odorata x Parajubaea torralyi, Parajubaea cocoides x Jubaea chilensis, and Trachycarpus princeps. I have many more in containers waiting to be planted.

Its prettier in daylight. It'll be gone within the next 2 hours. Winter wonderland vibes in the Panhandle this morning.

Status update: we have a dusting of snow.

Cocos nucifera opening a new frond

I have been asked to spread the word about the World Palm Symposium supported in part by the IPS as part of our research, education and conservation mission statement. Below I copy a letter from the Organizing Committee: Dear fellow palm researchers and enthusiasts! Abstract submissions and early-bird registration are now open for PALMS 2026 Singapore! We are now accepting submissions for talks and posters related to the following themes about palms: 1. Ecology and ecophysiology 2. Systematics, phylogenetics, and evolution 3. Biogeography, macroecology and macroevolution 4. Plant-animal interactions 5. Uses and conservation 6. Palms in the human landscape Hands-on workshops in palm propagation and collecting—plus exclusive field trips into Singapore’s nature reserves—are coming up. Join us and be part of it. If you are early career researcher or student, we are also excited to announce travel grants to help support you. For more information, check out our website: https://palms2026.sg Sign up here for news and announcements (e.g., workshop sign-ups and deadline reminders) or follow us on Instagram! Best, Jun Ying Lim On behalf of the World Palm Symposium Organising Committee

Dictyosperma album var. conjugatum (supposedly) new leaf.

A nice batch of kerriodoxas looking good!

This view

(Butia X Jubea) X Jubea in Dallas 5 years in ground.

Comparison with the Bald Knob Summit area: The trees in your area get leaves 2-4 weeks earlier and keep them 2-4 weeks later. This demonstrates that it stops freezing earlier and starts freezing later. That's typical for a change in elevation of 2,000 ft.+ Your summers are much hotter. There were plenty of times it was in the 70s at the house and I'd go down to the swimming hole on the Juniata and it was in the mid-80s. There was one instance where a friend from Florida stopped up for a visit and it was in the 50s at the house. I suggested we head to Bedford county to at least get a few more degrees, and when we got there it was in the 70s and people were getting ready to go in the water. From your area over to Philly, you tend to get the snowstorms that blow moisture in from the Atlantic rather than the fronts that come over Lake Erie. In our case, it didn't matter which way the storms came - we were getting it.

I believe it was the 2017-18 winter that was the worst I ever experienced when I still lived in southeast PA. It never dropped below zero but it seemed like weeks went by where the temp never went above freezing. It was a small miracle the pipes in my house never burst (woke up to ice chips in one of the toilets and faucets didn't work). That winter along with the ridiculous amounts of rain we had around that time are what planted the seed for my eventual move to the southwest. Yes, it gets stupid hot here in the summer but it's still worth it just so I can avoid what you just posted. I had to leave behind two windmill palms and a takil palm that I planted. The windmills made it through two winters and looked very nice at around 4' tall when I left. The takil made it through three or four winters but was only 2' and would defoliate unless the winter was on the mild side. Good luck and hopefully your palms are able to pull through.

Although it is just mid-january, my metallica's, radicalis and nationsiana are already pushing new inflorescenses; the same goes for Citrusses, for example grapefruit and aurantium corniculata variegata! Cannot wait for spring.

Nice to be planting , especially when the ground is moist . Harry

The few I have tried are doing well here so far . Although some are now Chrysalidiocarpus. Harry

I don't think I ever remember temperatures like this, it gets cold and then warms up a little bit and then really cold again. This winter has been crazy I keep saying this but let's hope for a mild February.

Upon request by the owners and IPS president Andy Hurwitz I am posting information about a one of a kind legacy property available for sale in Hawaii. PT is not normally the correct venue for real estate ads, but I believe when you read more you will see why an exception is made here. Although memories of my visit there in 2022 will forever be etched in my mind, please address inquiries to the owners, not to me personally. Please see information and photos from the owners: A New Chapter for Casa de Las Palmas We purchased Casa de Las Palmas in 2017 from the estate of legendary nurseryman Jerry Hunter. Jerry was the owner of Rancho Soledad Nurseries in California, Palms of Paradise in Hawaii, and Mount Soledad in Pacific Beach. Dubbed the "Dean of California Landscape Architects", he held license #33. His designs are found throughout the San Diego area, including San Diego Zoo, Balboa Botanical Gardens, and a host of other public and private venues. Along with collecting and hybridizing many new plant varieties, he built the first plant tissue culture laboratory in San Diego. Casa de Las Palmas was Jerry's private Hawaiian retreat. Over the course of 35 years, Jerry transformed seven acres of upper Hilo farmland into a true garden masterpiece, creating a magical realm of exotic palms, waterfalls, meandering lava-rock paths, water gardens, and flowering tropical plants. Now over 45 years since planting began, it's a vast and mature botanical collection of rare palms, cycads, philodendrons, bromeliads, anthuriums and orchids. We have been honored to be the caretakers, but the time has come for us to move on, so we are offering the property for sale. Before we list it on the open market, we want palm and garden lovers to know it is available, in the hope that we can find a custodian for the future. The property has a 2-bedroom, 2-and-a-half-bathroom house with a separate apartment, and potential for additional dwellings. We currently do private garden tours, film shoots, and small events, and there is plenty of room to grow a successful business here. We had the delight of hosting IPS members for a lunch and tour during the 2022 Biennial in Hawaii. Please do contact us if you would like any further information. Irene Francis & Lars Woodruffe 646-338-7882 irenefrancis@hotmail.com https://houseofthepalms.com/

That’s certainly one I’d like to visit. Beautiful garden.

Just had a read thanks. So is there really only 1 C andersenii? It mentions multiple attempts at growing in So Cal failing - surely other Hawaiian growers gave it a go? The article doesn’t seem to mention any effort to get pure seed from this plant which I’d expect would be important if it is truly the only known example of a new species.

I woke up to my coffee maker at 6am and the outdoor temp was a nice 33F. Checked the temp again just as the sun rose and it was 26F. This will be a neat experiment to see how a few of my non-palms deal with the quick zap. Still makes it a zone 9B winter! Ready to hit the ground running in another 6 weeks or so!

Was on the west coast of the South Island recently for 2 weeks camping and experienced lots of great habitat. Here are some photos, mainly from start of the heaphy track. The first photo is from the deck of a friend’s house at the Mohikinui River mouth.

One of my Chamaedorea Ernesti Augusti decided to flower . It already needs to be repotted after only a year in this pot . I think I will wait for Spring and just freshen up the soil unless it is root bound . Harry It looks like it has gotten a bit of a trunk as well. These grow very well here . This has been the warmest January I can remember . Highs in the mid 80’s f and lows in the mid 50’s . We had lows in the upper 40’s already this year but ,since all the rain we got , it’s been very warm . Harry

lilium tiger bicolor

When did the yeti move in?🤣

Some nice flowers on the dypsis minuta in the summer heat!

Burretiokentia vieillardii. Tim

Yay , free palms! If I were there I would tell my wife to “get the truck , we’re going to the beach!” Harry

I completely agree with Meg’s info to you. I have two over 8 ft, in the garage right now. They were 4” pots 6-7 years ago. Always sitting in tray of water and I use “Florikan” slow release fertilizer on all my palms. Expensive but worth it, usually get the 6 or 9 month bags. Like Meg, might be selling mine next year, going to be too big to fit in garage. I have another one about 4 ft from a sucker off on the bigs ones. To me they have grown pretty fast! We hit 38 degrees last night, they would melt at that temperature. I also have used the Diathane M-45 every month during winter, got the same advice. I had one years ago in Ft Lauderdale, grew great to about 3 ft, then got the fungus and died in the winter. So disappointing.

Thank you @PalmatierMeg Years ago I posted another question about this palm, and someone schooled me in the slow and delicate ways of the lipstick palms. Whenever we go below 50 here in Miami, which isn't often, we bring the pot inside. That baffles us because in Costa Rica it gets chilly/cold and they thrive down there; perhaps it doesn't get 50s cold. I haven't fertilized it, but my wife will use new palm soil when repotting it. I will wait to add the fertilizer until March, and we'll just keep watching it grow slowly. We brought 7 of them from Costa Rica in 2015,and this is the last of them.

Vinifera in my Thailand garden