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Harry’s Palms
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DoomsDave
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Showing content with the highest reputation on 08/08/2026 in Posts
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Gettin’ the Ring
3 pointsThis VERY fast growing Kentiopsis oliviformis (now classified as Chambeyronia) showing its first ring as of last month. This is one of three of this species in my garden and the other two are WAY behind in growth despite being the same age and growing in the same conditions. This one in the pictures was planted as a one gallon plant just five and a half years ago.3 points -
So What Caught Your Eye Today?
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Ptychosperma Sanderianum hits the dirt !
I finally got a palm planted this afternoon. I’ve been waiting for cooler weather but it ain’t happening so impatience won. I came home with this palm after visiting @DoomsDave a few weeks ago. It is one of about 5 or 6 palms I adopted. This one is just a bit of a push for my climate but I’m pretty confident it will be fine. I chose a nice spot that only gets sun after about 1:30pm and only for about 3 hours this time of year. As it grows , it will see just a bit more . Palmpedia says these like a warm tropical to sub tropical climate and like a rather sunny location. Digging holes in rocky soil with many mature palms sending out feeder roots is a chore , especially in 89f temperature! I dug out three fist sized rocks and chopped through a bunch of roots . There will be enough room in this spot for a few stems if it decides to clump( very likely). Harry It doesn’t look like much right now but in a few years, it will be looking great! If you are growing this species , post pics so I can dream!😂3 points
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Cocothrinax no ID
3 pointsYes, I did get it from Phil back in February 2018, and you can read the label below. From my perspective this has been pretty fast growth given that this genus tends to be a smaller palm (compared to Copernecia, Pritchardia, most Brahea and Sabal, which are all fan palms). I should get a copy of Paul Craft's book as a reference as well as a few other palm books. I will definitely check out the Cocothrinax miraguama. I will have to post my other Cocothrinax from Phil about the same time. My other Cocothrinax specimens came from George Sparkman a couple of years earlier as I recall, but the photo records are my best resource on timing.3 points -
Gettin’ the Ring
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Did any East Central Florida Chambeyronia survive last winter's freeze?
Ouch sorry to hear!!2 points -
Update on the stuff in the backyard
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Ptychosperma Sanderianum hits the dirt !
@Harry’s Palms if it grows for me it should also grow great for you. Looking forward to lovely future pics.2 points -
Ptychosperma Sanderianum hits the dirt !
Nice one, who needs patience when you’re a palm grower. Just plant em in the ground, my motto is if there is no frost in the garden or threat of frost, then the best time to plant anything is 20 years ago! Hot, cold, wet, dry to me it doesn’t matter. If the plant has survived these conditions in a container already in the collection then it’s fair game for planting in the garden, keep em coming Harry, there’s always room for one more palm in the garden, somewhere 🤣 Richard2 points -
Cocothrinax no ID
2 pointsHey! 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.2 points
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Gettin’ the Ring
2 pointsA species that probably doesn’t get much attention on here - Gaussia maya. It’s been bulletproof for me on a north facing brick wall which probably helps with additional heat retention. Love the chunky base, will look great when the leaf bases start to fall off.2 points -
Gettin’ the Ring
2 pointsWhile definitely not its first ring, I’ve always loved how defined the growth rings are on Hyophorbe Indica. -dale2 points -
Update on the stuff in the backyard
It's doing pretty well, all things considered. I lost most of the Chambeyronia, Archontophoenix, and Veitchia, but my two large coconuts are still kicking. Overall survival in the yard was around 67% or 2/3rd of the garden. Considering all of the crownshaft palms and other sensitive species, that's not bad. My replanting scheme is going to include a lot of Brahea and Livistona species so I can enjoy myself more when it cools off. The threads below cover the damage in my area pretty well. This way I won't completely hijack @JLM 's thread My own personal thread: https://www.palmtalk.org/forum/topic/52296-palms-and-others-of-interest/ February 2026 cold damage thread: https://www.palmtalk.org/forum/topic/92659-2026_02-florida-palmageddon-observations-and-damage-photo-thread/?page=10 Threads for the municipal gardens (Still in the process of getting updated photos) : Downtown: https://www.palmtalk.org/forum/topic/94081-downtown-lakeland-lakeland-fl/ Lake Hollingsworth: https://www.palmtalk.org/forum/topic/93816-lake-hollingsworth-lakeland-fl/ Lake Wire: https://www.palmtalk.org/forum/topic/61996-lake-wire-lakeland-fl/?page=2 Common Ground: https://www.palmtalk.org/forum/topic/61890-common-ground-lakeland-fl/ Tigertown: https://www.palmtalk.org/forum/topic/75211-tigertown-lakeland-fl/ Hollis Garden: https://www.palmtalk.org/forum/topic/18482-hollis-gardens-lakeland-fl/?&page=21 point -
St. Augustine, Anastasia Island. 9b. Looking for recommendations for interesting palms or tropicals to grow in yard and garden
I wouldn't cross off Licuala species from your list, just cross off L. Grandis. That one is a zone 10 palm. I have Ramsayi, Sumawongii, Distans and Spinosa. They all did great at 22.5F, with minimal damage on most. Only the three Ramsayi in full sun took some significant burn, but the Ramsayi in shade took 0 burn. My two Grandis were burnt to a crisp but are still struggling to put out a new frond 6 months later. All will need some PM shade except maybe Ramsayi, which seems to be adapting ok to full sun. Copernicia Alba took no damage, but Baileyana, Gigas and Fallaensis took a lot of burn but survived and are growing back fine. Arenga Engleri is a goof hardy choise. Dypsis Decaryi (Triangle) is the only one that survived. Pembana, lanceolata, Leptochoilos, Lastelliana, all D-E-D. Lutescens is slowly groing back from the roots. Attalea Speciosa, Brejinhoensis, Phalersta and Cohune were all badly burned but survived. Cohune is the wimpiest, speciosa is probably the toughest. Chinese Fan is a great foundation palm too, along with others like Decipiens and Nitida. If you like the fan palms then they are all hardy and could be good for long-term shade. So is a silver Bismarck, and many Sabals like Palmetto, the "Lisa" mutant, Causiarum, and many others.1 point -
Cycad cones and flushes
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Current Favorite Cycad?
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Copernicia Alba Flush
1 pointI originally bought this copernicia alba from Ken Johnson. It had 3'+ of trunk in mid august 2011, with a tiny crown due to sitting in 90 gal pot for years. Ken said nobody wanted it and he recommended it to me. It was delivered with a few other specimen palms(C oliviformis). Over the years I notice that each year a bunch of spears(~10 or more) at the same height rose up and pushed the previous years leaves down towards the horizontal. The new leaves open pretty quickly when the palm is ready. They can be seen separated against the sky fromt he old ones in a cluster. It reminds me of a new flush of flowers. SO I use the term "flush" when a good number of leaves open is quick succession( a couple weeks). A couple days ago against a story sky but some sun peeking through at my back I took a pic to show the "flush". The only other palm I have that does this is P, rupicola. The rest take a week or more between the opening of spears. This palm was hit by Hurricane Milton and lost some was as leaflets were bent. It was one of the better performers of the well exposed palms in my yard. Here it is with the dead leaves from Milton still hanging on. You can see this years flush is separated from last years by angle to the horizontal. As you can see its in sandy soil and has a little clay underneath at 2'. Its not in a wet spot irrigation or soil wise, and it did suffer in this drought but looks ready to go after the recent rains. The leaves are now self shedding to a smooth trunk the latest 3' of trunk(out of view here). Does anyone else out there have an alba story or a newly planted alba?1 point
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Mule palm growth rate
1 pointYour mule was pretty amazing Allen. I have really enjoyed many of your videos as well. I am only planning to protect for the first year or two if some nasty (by TX standards) winter weather is predicted. My first two winters here have both had some freezing precipitation, which is not the norm according to the locals. On the other hand, it has only been lows of around 23F and 20F. So I am hopeful I can get this established before we get anything too ugly. I know of a home pretty nearby that looks to have at least one mule in the backyard that are in the 6 to 8 ft of overall height range. From what I can tell freezing rain and 20F caused 40 to 50% from damage. It has recovered quickly though.1 point -
Update on the stuff in the backyard
Let’s hope for better winters going forward! Statistically, we should have warmer ones lined up after these last few colder ones. Definitely go with the Mules, they’re great. Yes, the droopy one looks awesome. Sadly, out of the four that I have only one has the droopy characteristics. Seems to be a rare trait.1 point
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Pics of the crop
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Palm Help Post Malibu Fire
1 pointSurprised the rostratas didn’t bloom This year as they all overwintered with no hiccups. Hoping next year they bloom up good.1 point
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Livistona Australis deadly little juvenile thorns
Better weeds than human pin cushion ! Harry1 point
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St. Augustine, Anastasia Island. 9b. Looking for recommendations for interesting palms or tropicals to grow in yard and garden
@SeaLaVie that property you have is amazing! With all that open space, I'd start planting a bunch of live oaks first and foremost. I've found that when grown in tighter spacing, they can actually fill in an area pretty quick. If they're planted 20' apart then you're not waiting for one tree to shade the entire area, which can take a lifetime. Instead each tree only needs to have a 20' crown and they'll all work together to shade a huge area. If you planted a bunch of live oaks, I'd bet you could have great shade and canopy coverage in 10 years. I'd also bring in a bunch of the mature sabal palms. Then you only have to wait ~3 years for their crown to grow back in and you've got mature palms. That'd give you alot more options in the future for plantings.1 point -
Satakentia liukiuensis fast growing
yeah another of my palms in the process of growing taller than I want. I like them right where they are at 8'+ trunk.1 point
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So What Caught Your Eye Today?
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sad bougainvillea
1 pointWhen you planted it, did you disturb the roots at all? IE: teasing a tightly bound rootball apart, breaking any? ....Is something mentioned a lot that can kill or temporarily set back smaller sized ones. Here at least, older, well established specimens? you can chop a big spiny menace to a nubby 5" stump poking out of the ground and they'll explode w/ new growth within a couple weeks of being hacked. ..is something you see landscape " slaughter crews " do w/ Bougs planted in various commercial / highway landscapes just about every spring here. The specimens i yanked this past spring were 6' x 5' before i chopped them to the ground inc. using an axe head to chisel out chunks of the above ground portion of the burl / some of the roots on one of them ( = figured that would end it.. ) Nope, it started to throw new growth from the remaining stumpy burl within days ..which is when i yanked what was left, and it's buddy.. Did the planted specimen that died receive the same light exposure as the healthy one? or does the healthy one see ..even slightly different.. conditions ( say more shade thru the hottest part of the day compared to the dead one? ) If both saw the same conditions, and they were getting the same amount of irrigation than something else got the dead one.. And i highly doubt it involves the soil being modified vs being planted in natural / existing soil.. Again, from experience, while amending soil certainly doesn't hurt one bit, as long as it drains well / isn't a swamp, these seem to be pretty indifferent about that aspect.. If they did? i'd have lost at least half of the ones i've planted over the years, esp. here. The pot aspect is an interesting thought but not something i might place high on a list of potential causes since people keep Bougs in pots for years ( ...or far longer, lol ) as Bonsai subjects. A nursery i worked for had some hanging around in a greenhouse long enough that they were ready to go bonsai subjects ( 60% of the soil in the pots missing yet the plants were healthy and chunky and could live out their lives in a 8" deep x 14 or 16" wide Bonsai pot. ). Only caveat? If the pot is black and sits in full sun a good chunk of the day? = i'd move it to somewhere shadier since you can cook roots in a pot. Cooked ...and now decaying.. roots? = perfect environment for pathogenic fungi / bacteria issues. Shriveling / lax looking / cupped leaves, vs brown - tipping, = can all be related to too much / too little water, and other issues associated with. Most things that i see brown tipping on = quantity of dissolved salts in our water.. = un avoidable. That said, when i see it, i know i might want to ease up on any watering.. Our extreme heat + low dew points thru the summer can cause that to occur too of course.. When i see a well watered, perfectly green plant suddenly wilt / 80 -99% of green, but totally dried out leaves start shedding, w/ out any prior issue being noted ( ...brown tipping or whatever? ) = highly likely some soil borne thing got it.. Not much that can be done about that except starting over. Is ..what it is..1 point -
Is chelated iron a miracle nutrient for Cycads?
Chelated iron does more than supplying missing iron. It is a pivotal element for absorption of NPK and other minors. So getting nice flushes around the application of iron is a result completing the missing key to other trapped elements.1 point -
arenga
1 pointArenga micrantha and Engleri, two species that grow very well here and are also resistant to light frost1 point
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Cocothrinax no ID
1 pointThat "Jungle Music argentata" is certainly not argentata. I used to live in a forest of them on Big Pine Key and we had large specimens on our property. C. argentata doesn't have those beautiful, neat, light-colored mummy-wrappings you show here, Tracy, and what fiber argentata does have doesn't extend down that far below the crown; and the leaves have a different form, they have a bit of a wave and the tips droop, it's not one of the "stiff" Coccothrinax. Also, I think you'd never see C. argentata attain the sizes you have here, when grown in coastal SoCal, in any reasonable time-span. It is slow even in a tropical climate. But these also don't look at all like the C. barbadensis/C. alta I know, which, as Bret notes above, doesn't have a blade fully encircling the hastula (mine here only cover a little over a half-circle). Though it's the species I always expect to see growing near the coast, since it may be the fastest-growing. This is why it's the one you really find in the trade in Florida on any sort of scale (often sold there as C. alta), it's maybe the only profitable one to grow. I have quite a few of them here in Palm Springs and have acquired them both from Phil and from Florida sources...and they match, so I think what Phil has sold (at least recently) as that species, does seem to be accurately labeled. I remember several decades ago, it seemed the most common one you'd see in SoCal was C. miraguama, and I have a feeling that may be what this is. The mummy-wrappings in particular on your beautiful specimen. I planted a miraguama at my old apartment-building in West Hollywood in the mid-90s (probably bought from Phil), and this looks somewhat similar in my memory, I remember how beautiful the wrappings were...unfortunately that one was removed at some point in the intervening years so I am relying on old memories. Some of the photos of miraguama on Palmpedia really resemble yours, though of course you have to assume that their pictures are accurate as well. But you might want to try to key it out in that direction (and note there are three subspecies with differences in the fibers...see Paul Craft's book on the Palms of Cuba). Phil has also carried C. montana in the past...I bought a "Coccothrinax sp." from him a year or so ago and spoke to Ricardo at the nursery about it, he said in his recollection they had carried C. montana in the fairly recent past, and I am inclined to believe what I bought there as "sp." may be that one, but it's very stiff, definitely looks different to me from what you're all showing here. Hopefully someone with some good Cocco-chops from Florida will chime in here with a more authoritative idea. This genus is a really underused one, in my opinion, just the right size for home gardens, especially courtyards, and I wish there wasn't so much confusion with all the species (and that more species were readily available)...also I wish they grew a little faster, but at least there are a couple of them that grow well in a variety of climates. The nice thing is that they're very ornamental from youth, so there's no reason to decide against planting them and enjoying them, at any size.1 point
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Howea forsteriana (Kentia palm) or Howea belmoreana (Belmore sentry palm) in North Florida
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.1 point
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So What Caught Your Eye Today?
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Cocothrinax no ID
1 pointI must have a palm from the same source. I bought mine from Jungle Music as well. I've seen your previous posts about it and have wondered if there was any official ID.1 point -
Cocothrinax no ID
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So What Caught Your Eye Today?
1 pointFloribunda 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.1 point
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Cocothrinax no ID
1 pointTracy, was that a Jungle Music purchase? I have a spitting image from them; argentata if I recall..1 point -
Gettin’ the Ring
1 pointI guess this could be considered a ring! @tim_brissy_13 here’s another Gaussia , sharing the spot light here in Southern California. One of my recent acquisitions. Harry Gaussia Gomez Pompae . I peeled the leaf base off when I got it home. So far , I believe wifey , who loves my palms but not like me , has claimed this one . Probably end up in a sunny spot later this year. I think somewhere out front , they are so cool , they deserve attention for sure.1 point
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Did any East Central Florida Chambeyronia survive last winter's freeze?
Similar to @flplantguy, I'm west of US-27, so I consider the location West Central FL. Here on the ranch, the only survivor is a Chambeyronia oliviformis (syn. Kentiopsis oliviformis). The Houailou held on for dear life for a while, but eventually gave up the ghost. The Chambeyronia macrocarpa and the Watermelon variety died about 2 months after the cold from their injuries. There may be some survivors in the city gardens, but we'll see as my schedule permits. My guess is that there are probably some survivors on the east and southeast sides of large lakes in Orlando. A few of those locales stayed at or above that magical 26F mark where stuff like these tends to skate by with some damage.1 point -
St. Augustine, Anastasia Island. 9b. Looking for recommendations for interesting palms or tropicals to grow in yard and garden
If you're looking for other varieties of bamboo, I have Dendrocalamus validus, B. textilis mutabilis, B. chungii barbellata, Triple hybrid Dendrocalamus latiflorus x D.daii x B.textilis and B. guangxiensis. Even though everything just started shooting, I may take some divisions as I need to clean up many of these.1 point -
Gettin’ the Ring
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Gettin’ the Ring
1 pointHi there, I had already the impression that there was something going with one of my seed grown Bismarckia's but couldn't make it out from the accessible side. So, I approached it from the backside - I had to work myself through a couple of weeds grown already men-high close to the fence but got finally rewarded... First pic,... Back in September 2020 after being planted out. Here it is now... ...and here approaching it from a different angle: Well, still not really clean but I think we have got some 'evidence'.... 🧐 Lars1 point -
How Bout a 'Color' thread?
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How Bout a 'Color' thread?
1 pointIt’s that time again as the Chamaedorea Radicalis are full of fruit and starting to ripen. Harry A load of fruit leaning on the Lanceolata This batch is hiding behind the fence! I see you!1 point
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How Bout a 'Color' thread?
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Gettin’ the Ring
1 pointRhopalastylis Baueri getting the ring. Planted out as a small 15G in the winter of 2020 it’s grown way more than my other Rhopalastylis. This one is happy. -dale1 point -
Gettin’ the Ring
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Gettin’ the Ring
1 pointA couple of palms getting the ring in my New Caledonia planter. Chambeyronia Houailou: Kentiopsis pyriformis:1 point -
Palm Help Post Malibu Fire
1 pointSo happy you are ok and the plants are recovering somewhat. I think Pritchardia are a bit more hardy than some think , I never expected mine to do as well as it is. Hopefully soon yours will be pushing along at a normal clip again. The fact that it survived is really saying something. Four fronds a year sounds about right for a healthy specimen in Southern California . Again , glad you are ok , thanks for checking in and progress report . I can’t imagine going through what you ( and your plants) have had to endure . Harry1 point
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Palm Help Post Malibu Fire
1 pointSo sorry for your loss. That’s heartbreaking stuff. As others have said leave the green stuff alone and trim off the dead. My advice would be to go gentle gentle with the fertiliser and maybe head towards the seaweed fish emulsion direction and give them a good drink with that regularly. There’s plant growth hormones in that, which is missing from an NPK fertiliser. They need a tonic to give them the will to live. That and time will help. All the best.1 point -
Palms of Coastal Georgia
1 pointLooks like the area is ready for a joint tour by CFPACS, FCPCS, and SEPS.1 point