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Hello everyone, My name is Sebastián Vieira, and I’m writing from Colombia. I’m a naturalist and currently the Executive Director of Salvamontes Colombia, a non-profit organization focused on the conservation and restoration of threatened species and their habitats, mainly through the creation and long-term care of private natural reserves. Although I didn’t come to conservation through a formal biology track ( I originally studied and worked as an engineer and spent many years working in telecommunications ), my interest in plants and the natural world has been with me for as long as I can remember. Over time, that curiosity slowly turned into field work, conservation projects, nature photography, and taxonomic research, especially on Pleurothallid orchids. It was that long, hands-on relationship with nature that lead me to be a co-founder of Salvamontes, and nowadays, its leader. Andy Hurwitz invited to come and participate in PalmTalk, and share with everyone here our amazing story, so it’s really nice to finally introduce SalvaMontes and our work here, especially thanks to the invitation from the International Palm Society, whose support has been fundamental for one of the projects I care most deeply about. That project is the Sabinaria Natural Reserve, located in the Darién region of northwestern Colombia, close to the border with Panama. This is an incredibly rich rainforest area, still poorly studied, and it happens to be the only place on Earth where the striking palm Sabinaria magnifica is found. A few years ago, while visiting the area, it became clear that much of the known habitat of Sabinaria magnifica was privately owned and increasingly exposed to deforestation and land-use change. Given how limited the species’ distribution is, it doesn’t take much habitat loss to create serious long-term risks. With that in mind and with crucial support from the International Palm Society, we were able to acquire and legally protect 50 hectares of tropical rainforest, securing what we believe is a meaningful portion of the global habitat and population of Sabinaria magnifica. Today, that forest is permanently protected as a private natural reserve. What makes this especially rewarding is that Sabinaria magnifica also works as an umbrella species. By protecting its habitat, we’re also conserving many other threatened organisms that depend on the same intact forest. This includes species like the critically endangered harlequin frog Atelopus fronterizo and the rare tree Magnolia sambuensis, along with many other plants and animals that are still little known. For us, Sabinaria is much more than a single-species project. It reflects a broader way of doing conservation: protecting habitat first, learning directly from the field, working with local communities, and committing to long-term stewardship rather than short-term interventions. I’m really glad to be here and look forward to learning from all of you, sharing updates from the field, and exchanging ideas about palms and their conservation around the world. I am also sharing some images showing the Sabinaria palm and its natural habitat. Finally, it is very important to thank and recognize the important support and participation of biologists Norman Echavarría, Norberto López, Saul Hoyos, Gloria Galeano and Rodrigo Bernal. Without them this project would not be a reality. PS: I will come back soon with additional information and images. Warm regards from Colombia, Sebastián Salvamontes Colombia

A great chamaedorea variety to have this one, right at home on jungle floor in the understory of the garden. If you create the palms habitat in the garden they certainly reward you for that microclimate, and thus chamaedorea is right at home!

A bit of rain has sparked the garden back up after a dry spell.

Linospadix minor and Chuniophoenix nana in the background!

I just made another order of never before tried palms. Can’t wait to get them.

Bummer I guess mine isn’t going to bloom this year!!

Not very long at all to germinate 5 to 8 weeks, bottom heating 30 degrees Celsius, coco coir perlite mix just slightly damp for germination. My growing medium is 60 percent coco peat, 30 percent good quality potting mix, 20 percent perlite, with volcanic crushed rock powder. I don’t overwater them as seedlings they don’t like too much water especially in winter. I also use Agrifos a systemic fungicide for root disease. I have some in my garden in black sandy loam soil.

She's doing well, and we're very grateful for that, since it didn't work out a few times...

Yes an easy mistake in labeling rules, how a rare palm can get lost in the collection! Glad you helped thanks.

And we finish up with the native bee hive in the garden, inherited from my late father!

Marojejya darinii, liking this spot in the garden at the bottom of a drain getting all the water!

This Spring’s annual order from Floribunda has arrived! Three one gallon Basselinia glabrata, two Pinanga coronata, two Cyphophoenix alba, and three 4” container Prestoea montana. Are are robust and big for container size as is usual.

Yeah, the climate here is basically frost free. Sometimes a bit of frost on cars and exposed lawns once or twice durning the winter. With all the canopy in my garden, it adds a couple of degrees on clear nights. A little bit of elevation (323 feet) further helps. I’ve been to Monterey a few times in the summer and every time it was overcast and very cool. Would be ideal for Ceroxylon and other cool cloud forest species.

A nice group of three ghiesbreghtiana planted with the third one going in the ground today. Couple of years and they should be looking good adding to that tropical look!

You realize your summer high temps are warmer than quite a number of areas in the Los Angeles metro! And your winter temps don't seem that far off from Santa Monica. Another place that is so unexpectedly hot in my own experience is Big Sur...how many times setting out from the consistently refrigerated air of Carmel...driving that amazing coast, and suddenly you arrive at Nepenthe, get out of the car, and you're absolutely roasting. Bizarre!

Neat plant ..if you can keep it alive.. Picky about what it likes / hates.. Mild and moist < but not wet > ? = likes ..Heat and too dry ..and temps below the lower 30s? = hates.. Beautiful, when happy. Genus, ..of neotropical origin, was recently chopped up and served into separate resurrected / new genus. What once was listed as T. unvilleanum, is now in the genus Pleroma, ...as are a couple of other sps. grown in the U.S.

Yes Michael, I purchased five Pinanga ‘Maroon Crown shaft,’ one Pritchardia aylmer-robinsonii, three Chamaedorea arenbergiana, and three Chrysalidocarpus ‘Baby Red Stems.’ The P. coronata are my first attempts. The climate here is warmer in all twelve months than in Carmel as can be seen by the two average temperature charts below. A full 20° summer to early autumn.

Tibouchina another native Australian tree. A fantastic tree.

6 years between the before and after shots of my larger C oliviformis.

Looking good Richard. They’re pretty fast down here. Maybe there’s not enough warmth for them up there 🤣 Here’s 8 years of growth from a very nearly dead seedling I managed to transplant from a garden before it died. Glad I did.

Date: Saturday, June 6th, 2026 Time:10am – 2pm Location: A Private Garden in Melbourne, FL Details: The tour will feature a new garden that contains over 50 species of both natives and exotics. The garden is planted on grade and has measures in place to control run-off to combat drought. Vendors are welcome. We will have a plant auction at the conclusion of the meeting. Please Bring: An Umbrella A chair for comfort A palm, cycad, or companion plant for the auction *** Please reply with an RSVP to cfpacs.membership@gmail.com if you plan on attending to receive the address. ***

My guess is that our stick trees may not bloom until June. With your mild winter, most kept their leaves and are already rolling!

This is an elegant and somewhat overlooked palm. Took a few shots around the hood:

These are two local specimens This tree has very dense wood:

Well, here are a few photos…..only took me three years to post. It certainly didn’t turn out to be the ‘weeping’ form, but nice nevertheless. Huge inflorescence for such a small palm. Tim

I'm gonna open with this meme. Anyway as always price is OBO, white monstera. Yes it was sold by Costa but it's been confirmed they did not grow them, it's from the Kunzo lineage also confirmed by them. Not an albo or creme Brule or Thai con. Rehabbed and is now pushing out of a 1g pot. I've got it listed elsewhere for more optimistic prices, these were sold in March and didn't last long. $75 obo for y'all plus the ride.

Certainly a very sunny April, we might get a touch of drizzle Monday night

In regards to planting small palms, from little things big things grow!

Dave, I’ve always been a “plant them even when they’re tiny” kind of guy. Many of my big honking palms were planted as 2 or 3 inch seedlings directly to the ground. Here are just a few of them… @Jim in Los Altos. I have done that as well and been ok. I was just curious how others have done it . Some of them stay in pots for a while just because I am deciding on final spot or don’t have time to dig the hole. Harry ‘These two came home from Maui with me in 4” pots . Pritchardia H. above and Chambeyronia M. below . Planted within a week of coming home .

Dave, I’ve always been a “plant them even when they’re tiny” kind of guy. Many of my big honking palms were planted as 2 or 3 inch seedlings directly to the ground. Here are just a few of them…

Harry, all but one are planted as of today. One more to go into the ground. I rarely keep any palms potted for long. I don’t like to wait until summer. I did put the Pinanga coronata palms into a big decorative pot however.

And a few chamaedorea seeds on a nice tenella!

Growing in full sunlight, Santa Barbara CA. I'm guessing Pritchardia based on the leaf shape. Fronds are about 3' wide, the whole tree is under 5' tall. It's on a hillside, so it's difficult to photograph. Could it possibly be P. hillebrandii?

Hmm. What's good for Oceanside might be good for La Habra, Bill, watching closely!

Pebble Pot in Front of Queen Trunks Balinese Lantern Above Chamaedorea elegans Stone Head in Below Chamadorea radicalis Tree Form Masks in Front of C.microspadix Wooden Toucan Above Queen X Butia X Jubaea