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Sorry mate, kept all the good ones for myself 😉

I have a question for you Australian friends, but does Ceroxylon grow in your area? Are there adult plants? Here in southern Europe they die in the summer due to the heat, I have tried 3/4 species, germination is easy

Maybe not something commercial landscapes might do, but, I wonder if folks there / in similar, extremely marginal areas treated it like something you might cut back to near the ground right before a significant cold spell, then cover w/ heavy leaves ..couple layers of Palmetto fronds perhaps? thru those episodes if that would be enough to get the roots / any section of remaining trunk thru sub - 30F cold spells. Seems it grows fast enough, especially there, that it would be flowering not too long again after pushing new growth, esp. if sited in an ideal spot. Yea, it's St Armands and " cold " really isn't an issue there, but, specimen there has been planted since... ..at least.. 2013, perhaps a year or two earlier? ( 1st shot ) ..Bad quality street view shot, but still there in '19. iNat Obvs. from 2020 < Blue > and again last fall < Purple > ..That's over a decade of surviving a few chilly winter evenings. Not bad, imo..

A few updates as we progress from near-record cold to record heat. The Atlantic Tall is moving toward a full crown at a decent rate The Maypan has less progress, but they typically do not grow as fast as talls since they're hybridized with semi-dwarfs. The Chrysalidocarpus Corner doesn't look good, but surprisingly, has only one casualty. One of the Chrysalidocarpus pembanus died and hasn't come back yet, the other is doing relatively well. Anything I thought might be dead, like the cabadae, has come back from the ground. Clustering palms for the win. The circular garden in front was planted with Sabal minor 'McCurtain' as the backup planting in case of a bad freeze. The Cordylines and Crotons were assumed dead, other than a few that somehow kept a few lower leaves. At this point, all have leafed back out. Please pardon the weeds - been a busy spring. The Mango tree finally started leafing back out. Native Ficus aurea is coming back very well. The Avocados are leafing out almost the entire way up.

I stayed at The Wave Hotel in Lake Nona which is several miles East of MCO and about 25 miles East of Bay Lake. The exotics faired better than to the West of MCO. Survival was very hit or miss, trunk diameter and proximity to buildings seemed to make the biggest difference.

Here is what’s left of the world famous Animal Kingdom Yak & Yeti Kapok tree(and a few others). This used to be a beautiful, majestic tree.

Well done I got some quindiuense to sprout from the last RPS batch, I checked a couple of the parvifrons and found they had no embryo.

I can’t believe I managed to get these ceroxylon seeds to germinat. I wasnt doubting the quality of seeds. I was more worried about my climate being to warm for once, pretty well much sown at the start of summer so my fear was was that I wasn’t going to be able to keep them cool enough to germinate. It was a long hot summer, so the seeds were kept inside on tile floor in the coolest part of the house. So nearly 6 months later they are a popping. Not sure what I will do with them I might have to send them to the polar bear growers down south!

Next challenge for you will be keeping seedlings alive during next summer.

Hi Guiseppe. I’m not aware of any mature specimen in Melbourne, but that’s more due to their slow growth and relatively recent introduction to cultivation here I think. There are a number of long term survivors growing well including in my garden, but they need at least filtered light or shade when small. I think there may be a mature Ceroxylon alpinum in Sydney. I lost many seedlings years ago when temperatures got up to 46.4C but a Ceroxylon alpinum is still growing well today from that batch. Moisture and shade are important.

Hi! Can anyone tell me if an Orange Geiger tree would grow in Sarasota? Thanks.

You might look over street view shots over at Bayfront Park.. Aside from Geiger trees there, from 2019, but, some interesting palms that may still be there ( Were as of an overhead view in 24. ) Be interesting to see how much a particular sp., planted near the entry arch, have grown since '19.

Finally starting to get some of the seedlings into the ground. A few additional Livistona species start the perilous trek to adulthood. @Plantking165 pointed me in the correct direction for a true Dwarf coconut. That coconut is going to attempt life opposite of the Atlantic Tall for best survival chances. You can also see the new Adeniums from GreenThumb resting on the rocks. The next couple of photos are plants from the CFPACS Spring Sale at SJBGNP. This Bismarckia nobilis will start life in the ground this year. Hopefully, I was gentle enough with the roots while cutting the pot apart. Thank you, @CodyM The first Chrysalidocarpus decipiens seemed to do pretty well during the heat last summer. I had an opportunity to add two more to the garden. Thank you @STLOUISPALMGUY! Clay Porch had 3G Phoenix theophrasti for sale. I've had trouble with these getting a fatal leaf spot in the past, but as tough as they are, I'll roll the dice again. Let's all hope we actually have a rainy season this year.

@Silas_Sancona Pretty neat! I've driven that roundabout, but didn't notice it at the time. Thanks for pointing it out!

Hey palmtalkers. Just wanted to share the progress of my bailey palm. I planted this one from an overgrown, rooted in the ground, 1 gallon baby palm back in May 2016. A picture of that at first planting is shown as well with it being the tiny palm, center of the pictures. It has about an overall height of 9 to 10 feet now to the top of the leaf. Has been slower growing for me than I would like. It gets way to much shade from the surrounding palms now that they outgrew the bailey. It's hard to show in the photos, but this one has that blue-green color. One I prefer. Has been through 3 major hurricanes. Irma, Ian, and Milton. Some winds from Helene as well. It still holds damaged leaves from Milton, but I didn't want to over trim. Took some leaves off and left the others. Hopefully now that it's getting larger and a bit more sun, it will start to grow a bit faster.

Harry, Someday we need to meet , maybe at the Jubaeopsis in Ventura. I have a successful young palm from the Sullivan mother tree and I would like one to find a home in Santa Paula. My relatives lived there a hundred years ago. Maybe put it where the seeds might roll onto the sidewalk someday for future growers. You can find me at Winfieldfarm.us you can find a phone there too. i made the mistake to promise one to a grower in Texas but couldn’t figure how to legally get it there. Direct handoff suits me better. Had five, gave one to SB friend. So I have four. This year I only have one germinated . Waiting !

The good thing of clumping palms is that normally, there's always a second, third or more chances with them.

I’ll have to dig through some older photos, I would have a hard time believing that Disney would have such a prominent tree mislabeled for years. I’m sure there are some forum lurkers who are more familiar with that tree.

Hmm, no, those definitely aren't Ceiba sp. do you have a pic of their leaves? The one with the circular shaped crown looks like the benjamina in South Texas and northern NE. Mexico after 2011. Might as well be microcarpa.

A while back, there was some consideration among a few growers in Orlando to try growing these. Not sure if anyone actually planted one outdoors, or if it managed to come back from the ground after most of the city saw 24F-25F this winter.

I think the best way to think of Cordia sebestena is just one of those beautiful-but-marginal plants that will likely have to be replaced at some time in the future everywhere but in 10b or warmer areas. Of course most of us know that we regularly install sensitive plants that are not long-term, even if they are widely planted. We have seen quite a few on this forum that were decimated by this year's freeze, which was far from being a record freeze. A stretch of warm years gives people undue confidence. And whether people replant them or choose a hardier alternative is just a personal decision dictated by garden attitudes, patience to see if the plant can return, or the strength of the wallet when a replacement is contemplated. Perhaps the smartest advice if you like Cordia in a marginal area is to plant either the Yellow Geiger (Cordia lutea), which is a bit hardier and probably sensible long-term in zone 10a; or the White Geiger (Cordia boisseri), which is a solid 9b or even 9a...being extremely hardy (to 20F) and makes a gorgeous tree, even though it lacks the orange color. It is nevertheless quite showy. There are beautiful trees in the Key West cemetery and around town there. It's native from the Rio Grande Valley southward and thus very used to "Blue Northers." It's also grown all over the low desert, and even does well at the cool California coast (I noticed a beautiful blooming specimen in Balboa Park, San Diego), so a very adaptable tree. I also agree with Nathan (and he has noted this in other posts on Cordia) that the Mexican orange Cordia (C. dodecandra) is very much worth trialing for cold-hardiness, as it has been overshadowed by C. sebestena in the trade, even in Mexico...but getting plants or seeds from Mexico is not necessarily easy under current USDA regulations.

Any more is just teasing a palm pedophile! More......!

Yeah, what a legend. We were trying to think of other people who have had such universal adoration worldwide for such a long period...Nelson Mandela was the only name that sprung to mind. Both very remarkable gentlemen!

Nobody has mentioned sabal Bermudana which is a very nice palm and has been unfazed down to 18f and a foot of snow for me

I do, I have! The fact that he hasn't stepped up to defend his honour, seals his guilt.

Agree. 1 and 2 look like T fortunei to me. 3 is P canariensis. Easiest way to tell from Jubaea is the armed petioles and induplicate leaflets.

1: Tough call but looks more like a windmill than Brahea.. Can see the fuzz on the trunk if you look close enough too. 3: Phoenix.. Could be a reg. ol Canary.

So with time, Dioons do get some chunky trunks, at least some species. My cousin has some large older Dioon's in her garden that I thought are mejia with a few feet of trunk but they are skinnier. So that was what I was comparing Bubba's photo to. I was looking at the base of my Dioon mejiae which is getting chunky after I responded to this the first time. No trunk on it yet, but it appears it will be fat when it does get there. Bubba, when you get back to where that Dioon is growing the id will be easier for others when you post the leaf close ups and the whole enchilada (should have posted that on Cinco de Mayo).

I have no photos but recall numerous large specimens that survived the 1989 freeze. For reasons unknown, they are not as prominent. This may have something to do with developers, who seem determined to utilize plain specimens.

@epicure3 Here are a couple maps via iNat w/ all observed specimens < on their site > for the Sarasota / Bradenton area.. 100% sure there are more. Circled are specimens located in Twin Lakes Park, just east of the 75, off Clark Rd. / 72, and specimens located at Ringling College, Bayfront Park < ..near Selby Botanical, > ...and others planted on St Armands / Lido key.. Can't remember if there were any planted on Bird Key at the park there. Couldn't find the exact specimens i mentioned i'd observed at the Aquatic Center nextdoor to Kopsick, but appears there are some others nearby. One might be inside Kopsick itself, based on zooning in on that observation, using Satellite data. On a side note, Noting the obvious differences in flowers on flowering specimens, compared to C. dodecandra, ...A common sp. in W. Mex., appears C. sebestena in much more common on this side of the U.S. than i'd have thought..

Although native to the Florida Keys, this specimen has proliferated throughout South Florida.

They look great in my opinion! Skinned not too much and not too little to even notice.

Jonathon, your info makes perfect sense. Fulva is likely too heat sensitive for my climate. Mine died so definitively I decided not to apply my "3 strikes" rule and go straight to "out". BTW, last week I watched a Public Broadcast System documentary on some of the animals on Tasmania. Very cool. David Attenborough narrated and anything he does is great. Love that guy - 100 y.o. and still carrying on.

I have some of the same seed batch and they are germinating well. About 50% to date. In a baggie outside in a shady spot here in NZ.

Maybe one of these boys crossed Bass Strait! Would have thought drudei would do well for you Meg? I've seen them in habitat north of Townsville growing in sand nearly right on the beach. Pretty similar climate to south Florida, hot with cyclones!?! On the other hand, the Blackdown Tablelands where fulva comes from can be pretty damn cold at night in winter.

Also...have never had problems germinating Ceroxylon species in the past, which is frustrating now that I've got seeds of the one I've always wanted...Bah Humbug!!

I would like one in the right spot out front. It looks like they handle sun at an early stage . Harry

Great to hear. Here is mine. Location: Orlando, FL south side of town. I'm on the E side of a large lake, giving decent microclimate benefits especially on radiational cooling nights. Temperatures: 1 night below freezing. Feb 1: 46F / 25.7F Feb 2: 55F / 34.4F Feb 3: 65F / 34.8F Protection: some (marked with * below) From my personal experience, I'd rate hardiness of my palms as: 1a) Phoenix roebelenii (40% burn [front], 10% burn [backyard]) 1b) beccariophoenix alfredii (10-20% burn, mostly tips) 3) Majesty palms (50%-60% burn) 4a) Foxtail palm (total defoliation, spear had green) 4b) Bottle palm* (total defoliation, spear had green) 6) Coconut palm* (total defoliation, minimal green in spear) 7) Christmas palms* (total defoliation, minimal green in spear) I don't have Royals but from what I'm seeing around town, I'd put them above Foxtails. One note about my coconut. I did experience bleeding and after much research and courage, I did cut some of it away. thankfully it wasn't deep. After spraying with copper very well and allowing it to dry, I applied a natural homemade patch of beeswax, olive oil and tea tree. What I learned is it was caused by a broken irrigation system. ugh. Always check your system. My pump was breaking and basically poured water right on the coconut trunk. I'm guessing a stressed tree couldn't fight off some early rot. My recovery method was: 1) Within one week of freeze, sprayed with copper fungicide. Repeated every 10-14 days for 2 months or until I didn't notice any sign of rot. If I was really concerned about rot, applied Banrot to specific palms. 2) Within one week of freeze, applied a root stimulator and repeated once a month for 3 months. 3) 15 days after freeze, applied a recovery formula to soil which is basically a light fertilizer. 4) Once soil hit near 70F, applied fertilizer 5) Watering often especially with this bad drought and heat. All pics below are about 60-90 days apart.

I grow this in Jacksonville FL ----collected the seeds in 1988 from habitat in Northern Domincan Republic --- in my front yard ---

May 2026.. 13 years in ground

The solitary one I have in Leucadia is getting more light now that I removed a Guava tree to its west and a little north. The top of the wall is 6 feet high for perspective.

It could be boron or manganese deficiency Why at that stage? It's hard to say, but something like this happens to my palms too, they grow well and suddenly start to show signs of micronutrient deficiency

How bout a small ‘BUMP’. So, how are all of the posted specimens doing? Thriving I hope. Here is a photos I took yesterday of a grouping grown from seed back in 2012. The tall palm in the center surrounded by B. condapanna is B. nicobarica. Tim

Attalea speciosa

Archontophoenix cunninghamiana

Whopper ! When was it planted ?

1500 mile road trip to score sweet palms , Jon you are my kind of guy !

This is a hybrid that is rosea cross with ???. It is really colorful and fast growing

Ahh, but not in the areas I’m discussing: older Melbourne beach, most of Indialantic, and most of Indian Harbor Beach and Satellite Beach were fully built by the time I have my earliest memories of my aunt’s old house in Satellite Beach (1980ish) and were definitely built by the time of my first visit to my cousin’s house in Satellite Beach (1987ish). Obviously, some small developments, random new homes, and substantial new condos have gone up since 1980, but fewer than you’d think. That area went from almost nothing when my dad was born in the 1940s to fully built in the 1980s. But, yeah, the folks saying that Barrier Island in Brevard was harder hit than Orchid Island don’t seem to be too familiar with areas outside of the AFB, Cocoa Beach, and major road arteries (A1A, Eau Gallie, etc.).