Leaderboard

Chambeyronia, Areca vestria and kerriodoxa elegans getting my attention!

Ravenea Rivularis are water lovers but , crucial to ant potted plants is good drainage . You can water them as soon as the top 1-2” starts to dry out but if the water doesn’t drain well and the soil gets mushy at the bottom of the pot it can cause problems or , eventually , kill the plant. Also , any direct , hot sun on a non hardened off palm can cause burning. Welcome to the forum and good luck with them . I know they are very common palms and if you lived in a more favorable climate , I would recommend planting them in the ground . They like being out doors rather than indoors . I have two potted ones and they are in mostly shade under other palms . I also have one in the ground and it got huge. Harry

First new leaf since planting out our Lepidorrachis mooreana, obtained from @Darold Petty last autumn.

It looks like it’s overpotted, this has caused the drainage issues. Most likely if you were to tip the palm out of the container the bottom portion of the soil would be sour. Creating problems with drainage issues, lack of oxygen and wet sour soil, not a good combination!

Sabal Yapa

The flush on my Chunky Monkey Encephalartos longifolius has stretched out and is beginning to harden. It looked stunning in the low summer setting sunlight.

This Dioon caught my eye . Actually it happens every year about this time! Harry Bought this in a 10” pot many years ago.

Did you ever pull the trigger and grow one? They get big over time. I am in a different climate zone but do have experience growing a couple of Caryota species including gigas now lumped in as obtusa. I would not underestimate the project it will be to remove it someday. The one I acquired as gigas is well over 20 years old. The trunk is massive in diameter but it hasn't gained the height of some around town in Encinitas and adjacent communities.

An old favourite that’s been around for a while. A real classic chamaedorea, perfect for container production, a true landscaping palm that’s very predictable in growth. A great indoor plant, patio or a bright shaded spot in the garden. And best of all super easy to grow!

Echoing comments above...HEAT! This wants hot days and very warm nights (80s F). Since tissue production occurs at night, a location with cool nights is going to severely impact the speed of growth on this heat-tuned species. This is why it's not a common palm in the cool coastal climate of California, since it just frustrates so many growers there. It survives but just is glacially slow. Here in the low desert of the Palm Springs area, it pushes at a quite decent clip, as it did for me when I lived in its native Florida Keys. And since I think you get a good amount of precipitation, I'd recommend a dryish, gritty growing medium (coarse sand, lava rock or crushed limestone, something similar, and just a little bit of open-textured organics like coco-coir chunks). Also I'd recommend getting it out of the container and into an open growing medium in the ground. If you're keeping it in a container, maybe get a black net-pot and fill it with black lava-rock (for maximum oxygen at the roots, and quick water-dissipation) in a full-sun situation. In its native habitat in the Florida Keys, it grows on solid limestone with a thin layer of humic material and has evolved to tolerate months of dryness every year. They don't like a wet, hypoxic root-zone and appreciate perfect drainage and abundant oxygen around the roots. But I don't think this species actually requires a high-pH medium, it's adaptable in that way, but you might want to plant it on a slight raised mound/berm for great drainage if you're in a wetter, more humus-rich environment, and definitely I'd recommend giving it a hot western exposure and equator-facing against a hot wall in your cooler zone, maybe with black lava rock or similar over the root-zone for nighttime heat retention, or some other hack to make it think it's in a hotter climate than you have there. One thing I love about this palm is that, even at a small size, once the palm has three leaves or so, it has its uniquely open, sculptural quality and unusual color, which is eye-catching. My own tactic with slow palms like this is to pick those that have ornamental qualities while small, planting them in groups or even randomly through an area, and enjoy them for what they are in concert with their surroundings. If they grow large and flourish, so much the better, but if they stay slow, as long as they maintain a good appearance, I don't sweat it. With other palms, like many Syagrus species, the multi-year waiting period in the often lackluster juvenile period can be agonizing in anticipation of that first pinnate leaf that signals an imminent growth-spurt into the "beauty phase." If you just really have to have the mass of a larger palm quickly, I'd recommend you use something like the somewhat similar and much faster growing Hyophorbe verschaffeltii in its place. Or if you have access, grow some of the 'Navassana' form of the palm, which is known to grow vertically more quickly, due I think primarily to wide internodal spacing on the trunk. Otherwise, maybe put the Pseudophoenix sargentii amidst a fast-growing backdrop of bananas, gingers, heliconias, etc. and later on you can cut those back somewhat once the palm has some size to it.

I would certainly remove from the pot and check the bottom . Another thing about house plants , they enjoy some outdoor time on a shady porch or under a protected area . Let the breeze blow through them for a few hours if you get a break in the weather. In the summer , they will need shade most of the day at that age . Harry

I would think a deep watering at least twice a week , depending on the weather and soil condition. Keep in mind that the palm will take time to fully recover . The new growth will slowly look better as the palm get the water it needs. The older fronds will not improve but they will be replaced by healthy fronds. Southern California is very dry this time of year . Harry

If there is no rain, then 30-min once-a-week seems like too little water.

That I can provide, I shall move it to a sunny place. Thanks. I just some seeds from rps and got 4 to germinate out of ten seeds. And that was after a six week delay in customs. So rps come good on this batch.

After about 2 years i waited, finally its getting pinnate😄

Looking at habitat is always a good start. They occur on dune sand or limestone. I’d say a good starting point would be a very well drained mix with pH above neutral. Maybe add some dolomite lime? Full sun also seems to be the way to go for these based on what I’ve seen, but I’ve never tried growing one myself.

More heat and sun for better growth (Considering this palm is very slow growing) For watering not dry and not too wet I would love to have one and try my chance but can't get any (sargentii or ekmanii)

My one with the trunk is at least 27 years in the ground and about 6 feet tall, so I guess after 30 years 7 to 8 feet perhaps.

Areca vestaria, looks like it might be the red form.

Nicely grown one there Tracy. Seems like near the coast, they don't suffer much brown tipping. Mine is going nowhere fast fortunately. Probably 15 years old & still has held onto all its leaf bases. Looks like a giant fern at this point, as does yours.

Buenas días, tengo está plántula de pseudophoenix ekmanni, que transplante a tierra a sol directo. En 3 semanas se puso color amarilla como seca, se le daba los riegos cada 2 días a 3 días, decidí sacarlo y volver poner en maceta para darle cuidado. Que tendrá mi palmera? Cómo le puedo ayudar a que no se muera? Será alguna clase de hongo? Anexo foto antes y después. Lo blanco que se ve es bicarbonato de sodio. Saludos.

Love the glossy leaves on these

Just planted this lipstick queen hybrid palm In zone 10b Whittier California ( So Cal ) Los Angeles County It has two suckers growing on it Filtered sun Wish me luck 6/9/26

This is in the ginger clan, and it has heavenly fragrance born on flowers that are hanging overhead usually from 8 to 10 feet hanging down. I really like the overall plant but my goodness this plant can spread, it spreads through rhizomes and also the spent flowers when they hit the ground can root and animals move them around and I’ve got it in places I did not plant and I love it, but be careful. Couple other nearby Ginger’s thrown in…

A nice macrozami communis, and a nice little rhododendron!

If it is, in fact, overpotted (too big of a pot) it won't be for long. They're fast growers, if they're happy.

@pooroldmajesty NICE TO MEET YOU AND WELCOME TO THE FORUM! Majesties in habitat literally grow standing in water, or at least "dipping their toes" (of the roots) in it. I sincerely sincerely doubt you're anything close to overwatering them. Now that the weather is warm, I'd separate the ones in your pot and give each its own pot, and stand it in a deep saucer and keep the saucer full of water. They're thirsty things. A good friend from Eire called them "like Irish fish."

Here in Southern California it seems every nursery had lots of them about 20 years ago. Now , I rarely see them . I have a couple of clumps and the one in the shady side of the house is huge and dark green , planted in the ground. It has to be tied in a bundle to keep from being destroyed by the wind we get . The other is in a more sunny location and still in a pot . It is a lighter green and only about 6’ tall , including the pot. I have had them for many years , even before this house. They were originally house plants at our old house. In the shade they do very well and thrive . Yours look very happy there . Cool tolerant and can handle a bit of wind if bundled up and tied. Mine have seen over 60mph gusts without losing a frond . Harry We love looking out our kitchen window and seeing the “jungle effect” . The line that holds it up is tied to a single trunk C. Tepejelote to the right and a C. Lutescens to the left.

I agree. Nice ones too.

Not a gigas, but just as big growing the Caryota maxima!

They fit into any part of the understory!

Bit of an unusual trait for a flower to have fasciation. Somewhat of a different flower trait, not uncommon, but a bit rare. Definitely makes for an interesting bit of a conversation piece.

A great little understory fern, a true Australian classic fern. Will grow on a rock log and even in a hanging basket. I have seen them in habitat, wet sclerophyll subtropical forests in gullies and creek beds. Somewhat easy to grow. The plant in the picture was my grandmother’s fern and is well loved in my garden!

Well I got plenty sand and a pinch of dolomite it shall be from the doctors orders. Thanks Tim.

Brahea edulis, or the Guadalupe palm, is a slow-growing, hardy palm native to Mexico's Guadalupe Island, known for its large, fan-shaped, green leaves and edible black fruit. It's highly tolerant of drought, wind, and poor soils, making it a popular ornamental plant in warm climates, though it's considered rare in the wild due to habitat threats like feral goats. This self-cleaning palm grows to about 30-45 feet tall and is suitable for full sun and well-drained soil.

@Bill H2DB If you're down in the Sarasota area sometime, or don't mind making the drive I can confirm that "Your Farm and Garden" nursery on Beneva Rd in Sarasota has them. I just dropped by a few weeks ago and they had a bunch of them in stock. They are definitely the dwarf variety too, although they're pretty expensive. I believe it was $150 for a 3 gallon. Other than that, the link provided above might point you to a dealer closer to your area for them.

Es una palmera muy sensible, incluso los jardines botánicos tienen dificultad en cultivarlo. Es muy probable que tú palmera ya se haya muerto.

A couple of Cycas at different stages of flushing in the next photos. The Cycas thouarsii was acquired as a seedling in a 3×9 liner. It is ringed with pups and has a long spread or said differently, it takes a big footprint if allowed. I trimmed many of the lower leaves again, to allow the new flushes space. The almost hardened flush on a Cycas acquirdd as taitungensis is the second plant. It was also acquired as a seedling in a 3×9 liner. Patience is rewarding. I read that Cycss taitungensis has been lumped in with revoluta. This plant has more red fuzz on the lower sides of the rachis and top of the caudex than my plants acquired as revoluta though.

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.

No wonder they are a popular choice for the garden!

Yup, either feast or famine in these parts. Glad to hear ya'll are getting some much needed rain. Has actually been raining down south as well. We are starting to get a nice crop of mosquitos. But can't complain. If I do, it won't rain again for 6 months.

Thank you, that looks to be about right, another mystery solved! Cheers.

Bismarkia

Such a pretty tree! Mine in Arizona is starting to flower again. It's never actually produced a fruit yet, but its teeny tiny flowers that smell like nutmeg are abundantly produced. Daily high temperatures are currently 105 - 110F so the pollen never has a chance. Just too hot - too dry...🤷‍♂️ aztropic Mesa, Arizona

Sad to hear of her passing, especially in the manner it transpired.

Temps under 30 here caused severe damage to mine. But that's with frost, a big killer of all marginal plants. The same temps also killed small Urens and some Mitis trunks, though the rest of the cluster always grows back. I'd think the main cold risks are either frost or high and really dry dessicating winds at night. If you don't have either of those, there's probably not a lot of risk around 30F. Depending on the size you get, you could either cover it with a cardboard box or frost cloth initially. I did that here with a few questionable ones like Corypha, Elaeis, Attalea, etc. This helped prevent frond damage on the one or two really bad nights. A touch of fungicide in the crown during the winter would help prevent crown rot.

Mine is almost 25 , no flowers yet but plenty of frond size . Not nearly as tall as Urens . Harry ‘Caryota Obtusa at over 25 years old on the right. , Caryota Urens even older on the left . No flowers yet🤞. Already talked to the tree service about cutting them down when the time comes. I was quoted $300 for the Urens . I may be able to do the Obtusa myself , neither one have flowered. This pic was taken over a year ago. Harry

Obtusa grows in Fresno, and urens will bloom and seed in Fresno. I dont know of an obtusa old enough to bloom in this area, but I know of at least 3 big juveniles, and one trunking palm in the Fresno area (Old Fig Garden, Sunnyside, Del Rey, Tower District). It's only a matter of time before one of them does bloom - likely the one in Del Ray which is the oldest and biggest. This is a picture of mine from a year ago. It's put on some size since then.

Here are mine this morning:

Mine is slow but steady. Recently started flowering too.