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I wish you lived here! I have a 15 gal. Cycas Revoluta I would give you!

From the photos, I honestly can’t see anything wrong with the palms. They look healthy. They might be field grown specimens however and may show some setback in the coming weeks. Make sure they are kept well watered before and after planting. No fertilizer necessary for about three months.

No news channels are talking about the next winter because its May. We just got out of the last one. Given El Nino conditions, it will likely be a much wetter winter. Hard to give any kind of info on temperatures as there's no way to tell how cold it may be more than a week out, let alone half a year. On average, usually cooler, but this could be a byproduct of increased cloud cover and rainfall, not necessarily bad freezes. Just enjoy the growing season ahead and make the most of it that you can before starting to worry about next winter.

my butia capitata center leaves fell out and the palm is dead ! Upon investigating the center I found several cacoons. I’m pretty sure this is anlso what is decimating canariensis in so cal … Anyone experiencing issues with this ? What other palms are they killing?

I also agree that they are field grown. Most garden centres in the UK import field grown palms from southern Europe grown in the ground. As only Mainly plant nurseries tend to grow palms from seed and those tend to be rarer palms.

Cattleya mossiae is my favorite of all the orchids, and this C. mossiae yellow lip x coerulea 'Pablo' has become the favorite in my collection. I got this from ecuagenera several years ago and had to just imagine what this cross would look like going only by photos of the parents. Photos below under differing lighting conditions.

Thank you, my friend. The lucky person will surely receive something wonderful from your noble heart, my lord. You are great in mind and heart, my friend. Hugo Aravena

I'm not particularly a Phoenix expert, so I figured I'd ask about my supposed Phoenix sylvestris. I'm sure it's mostly sylvestris, but its trunk has grown quite large in circumference since I planted it back in 2021. I'm not sure if it's just natural variation among Phoenix sylvestris, but mine seems to have more arching, less-erect fronds and a larger trunk compared to what I've seen on other sylvestris. Anybody think it may have a bit of something else in it, or not? I was thinking Phoenix canariensis.

The old saying if there is a palm you have always wanted buy it. You may never see that palm for sale again.

Tracy, I’m old enough to remember Calif. and 25 cent gal. Gas lol🤣

After trimming some tall fan palms day before yesterday I was greeted with a boom late last night as the rain came down. Its more like w whumpff! One of my mature royals decided to release a leaf with a wet crownshaft. The leaf stem and leaflets were completely dry, but the massive crownshaft was quite wet and heavy. Seeing it there on the ground I was grateful I didn't have to trim that sucker from below! So I went out to see it in the morning and took a pic with Adirondack chair for scale The palm is a fattie for a royal and is approaching full recovery from hurricane Milton in oct 2024. The older these royals get the more I appreciate the self shedding, saves me being on a ladder underneath. These royals cost me $160 each with delivery and 90 for planting (each) with a bobcat. They had 3-4' trunk in late 2011 as delivered. We are aware when a leaf dries out or even looks half dried out and avoid being under them at that time. Credit florida weather and a popup automatic irrigation system for its appearance, I don't really put too much care into them! Its nice to have something bullet proof and low maintenance. Most of the time they dont drop with a heavy wet crownshaft but when they do its like what I imagine a big dinosaur sound like with the heavy footfall. I have two large royals, this is the smaller of the two and they are enough for me. Warning! You should be able to see why you should not have these in a place where you walk (or sit) regularly like a front yard path to the front door. And if you park a car under one like this, expect a big body shop repair bill as it is about 50-60 lbs falling frm 25+ feet.

Agree with Scott no problem in Phoenix they are very dry when they fall!! The one reason I like them so much is because the fronds fall off!! You can see the crown shaft is pretty dry and still hasn’t released!!

There are a number of flushes working there way through my California garden right now. I wish I could spell the old abbreviation for California with the Encephalartos species names, but I am not growing any ferox so lack the "f". I detest the term some use as a substitute for the state, which is "Cali" but without the "f" that is what I'm stuck spelling: C = for Encephalartos caffer A = for Encephalartos arenarius L = for Encephalartos lehmanii or longifolius I = for Encephalartos ituriensis Back in the day, before the postal service implemented the two letter state abbreviations, we wrote "Calif." for the abbreviation on mail. Anyone remember using that abbreviation and how much a stamp cost in that day? On a slightly different note, I can't help thinking of the tragic outbreak of ebola virus currently happening in the Ituri region when I look at my two E. ituriensis.

I have 3 Microcycas calocoma that flush annually at the start of the rainy season. Unfortunately when the rains start here we get these nasty little red beetle like bugs that destroy the new flushes. This year one of my Microcycas calocoma flushed before the first rains so my hope is that they will harden off before the rains start.

Looking at those spines, a different variation altogether. The ones from the Seychelles have more abundant smaller, thinner spines even at the seedling stage. The armor on the small ones in your photo look to be even deadlier. Tim

So the remotifolia still stands as a mystery, only now a touch of red in the new leaf, its getting even more complicated!

Reasons?

Hi All, I bought the D. remotiflora as remoltifolia. I does not seed this far south as it requires a warmer climate. When it still existed in Habit its temperature reqiluirement would be North of Brisbane It is not a Dypsis lanzeana which requires more heat than remoltiflora. Had mine for many years Hope this information and Pictures help Regards Colin 20260209_185807.mp4

Here in SWFL I lost my oldest, largest Bismarckia to the FL palm weevil in 2018, 18 months after Hurricane Irma. Normally they attack compromised Sabals but they’ve developed an appetite for Bizzies. All evidence I’ve experienced, seen, studied and read about convinced me the weevils detect their victims by scent of damage, disease or other compromising conditions. Weevils are not active in winter here but come spring, dying Bizzies release adult weevils that seek out new prey. For years we cut up bars of Ivory Soap (soap, not detergent) then watered them into the crowns of our Bizzies to deter weevil attacks. The tactic worked and we lost no more palms to them. In 2022 Hurricane Ian uprooted 4 of our 6 Bizzies. We have not tried the Ivory Soap treatment since Ian but the two palms seem to be doing okay. I won’t plant Bismarckias again. They cannot stand up to cat 4/5 hurricanes and do tremendous damage to landscapes and structures when they fall.