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Forgot to post these RGV palm pics back in April:) photos range from McAllen over to south padre too lazy to add individual captions don’t hate me 😤😂- thoroughly impressed with the valley’s resilience 5 years post freeze :)

Casa De Palmas, McAllen. It’s a banyan protected next to a parking garage it’s huge .

That works. Thanks!!!

I appreciate the concern about it being planted too close, but a majesty would be toast if it were planted open yard here. When I recorded 27f by the house it was 20f open yard… The temp drops quick as you move away from a house.

I miss rainy season. I too hope this isnt the new normal, but have seen climate projections suggesting we will get closer to an arid Cuba climate in the future. It seems like we cant win, either la nina brings freezes and dry winters, or el nino brings hot dry summers (at least early) and wetter winters that are less useful for the garden. Gardening anywhere has challenges, but it seems like Florida hates us on the west coast again this year. Up to 7 days this summer at 80 for the low temp and upper 90s mulitple times, both more than typical for here. After 12 freezes this past winter, and the heat now, Florida is making the case for desert style landscapes in the future. Im going that route anyway for much of my front yard, outside natives that hopefully do well.

Four pairs of healthy Phoenix roebellini / Pygmy Date palms (8 palms total) currently have a date with a chainsaw. 😢 Thought I’d offer them here in case someone wants to rescue them. I’m in Carlsbad (North San Diego County). Another palmtalker was interested, but the logistics didn’t work out. These are mature palms, already planted when we bought the house in 2007. They were transplanted once many years ago (from backyard to front), so digging *might* be a little easier than if they’d never been moved—but they’ve been in place for a while, so not sure on that one. The deal: You do the digging. My husband can help move them to your truck, and the smaller plants around them would be removed in advance for easier access. Hard to get a good pic, but here’s a few of them. There are 8 total, in pairs of 2… And here’s a ChatGPT interpretation of them in early March if no interest… It’s a bit sad to cut healthy palms, but something’s got to give to make room for the more exotic stuff. PM if interested in them.

Great pix. A few I recognize quite well. Where is the ficus on the 2nd and 3rd last pix?

That's right, folks. It's a dense substrate that drains well, but doesn't become waterlogged. You'll have palm trees until you're gone.

This species of Coccothrinax, native to a small beach in N. Cuba, is definitely one of my favorites. Similar in looks to the old man palm, (Coccothrinax crinita) but apparently much hardier. Great palm to grow in the desert, even in full blasting sun. Unfortunately, like many others in the genus, it is a rather slow grower. 5 gallon pot grown from seed in Arizona is already 10 years old! 🤯 aztropic Mesa, Arizona

I have a hybrid borhidiana here in much cooler Bay Area and it’s growing at a reasonable rate. Cute little palm. Yours is awesome!

I've had this happen several times over almost 45 years of Trachycarpus seedling growth. Every one of the doinkers died. They stopped growing not long after exhibiting this phenomenon and then began to decline inexplicably.

They grow pretty well here, at least between record cold fronts. A few of mine made it through. I've started seedlings in cups full of Hydroballs ( 1/4" expanded clay ).

Or very free draining medium, such as pumice, leca, lava and pine bark. If I knew already it many years ago, I would be having now a nice trunking specimen.

A faster growing option with similar looks, is a hybrid with a borhidiana parent. Not quite as hairy, but way faster growing and just as hardy. This compact species fits in well with today's smaller gardens. aztropic Mesa, Arizona

I agree with you that the palm is planted too close to the house. Seems to be a common mistake among palm growers. One thing I don't agree with is fronds touching the house. Some palm fronds are very long and I doubt everyone owns a big property, also nothing gets harmed or damaged to the house or the palm tree.

Some of my favorites that have no problem with desert extremes include Bismarckia, Brahea, Coccothrinax, Copernicia,, Hemithrinax, Pseudophoenix, and Sabals. Unfortunately, most are slow growers, and somewhat difficult to locate, especially in larger sizes, on the west coast. aztropic Mesa, Arizona

I grow 2 majesty palms in pots and I can say their hardiness is underrated. Very bud hardy from what I read and the foliage grows back quickly. Beautiful palm.

It’s always been one of favourite palms, knowing they grow so easy in my climate. I just had to order 1000 seeds from rps and ended up with about 700 of them. One of my number one selling palms. A palm as spectacular with black petioles, no thorns and a beautiful silver underside leaf. A perfect deep shade understory palm. They make great patio plants. They will always have place in my garden any day.

This is my understanding as well. I have seen it numerous times but mostly with Sabals. If you germinate enough palm seeds you will experience this.

A nice Ferox cone, in the far red spectrum of the afternoon sun.

Red latania

I'm happy to report that I've got a very precocious and showy Heliconia blooming like crazy out here in Palm Springs. It's a Heliconia stricta cultivar called 'Sunrise' and it's available from Plant Group Hawai'i. This is apparently a seasonal bloomer as my two clumps, which are growing in slightly different sun/shade profiles and different areas of the yard, started throwing their inflorescences synchronously, within a week of each other this spring. I planted one around mid-2023 and the other in April, 2024. I think it's safe to assume this is a second-season bloomer due to its strong desire to flower in spring. The inflorescences are really quite large and showy, and I'm a little surprised to be seeing so many appearing in two separate clumps (three on one, two on another). Each bract measures about 4" long and the overall inflorescence height is about 7". One thing to note is that this, like a number of strictas, seems completely happy in quite a bit of shade, so it's a good sub-canopy subject to try, at least in hot interior areas. Cold-tolerance hasn't been tested in extreme conditions, but mine have survived low 30sF up to 124F so it seems quite strong to varying environmental conditions. We have 30-to-50-degree diurnal swings out here with most December/January mornings 40-45F with maybe a dozen or so in the 30s F, and highs pretty predictably somewhere 65-75 (average high 70F). The plant keeps quite a good appearance over winter with minimal damage here, and the overall height of 6-8' with rather long leaves makes it a really nice landscape element. Spring starts here the second half of February and warmth accelerates very quickly. I have no idea how this would do in the much cooler coastal plain or right at the coast in SoCal, but I think it's certainly worth attempting by any "Heliconia nut," particularly if you have a nice, protected area with dappled sun/shade. It would likely need more sun right in the fogbelt within a mile or two of the coast, and I would think you would need to carefully carve out a wind-protected area under canopy that gets some winter sun-warming. This one is very easy to root in a tub of warm water. Just put the rhizome in and let it sit in full sun so it will warm up (use an aquarium heater if necessary to keep it around 80-85F while sprouting). But water should be changed every day or two to prevent fouling and also for oxygenation, which is very important. Once it has a mass of roots you can put it straight into the ground (that's better than in a pot, where it may rot). Closer to the coast where there is winter rain, I'd strongly suggest planting on a raised mound composed of really chunky high-drainage materials (like a good homemade Philodendron potting mix). While these clumps were not planted on mounds, I have more recently found that treatment to really accelerate growth for many Heliconia. Out here in the desert I mix coco-coir chunks (not fines) as a spongy moisture-reservoir, combined with lava rock, pumice and coarse sand. I'd also recommend avoiding the north side of a building or other winter-shade area where it may "wet-chill" to death. H. stricta 'Sunrise': I also (finally) have a couple of H. rostrata throwing blooms, one H. rostrata 'Misahualli' and another that is probably either a '5-day'/'Peru' or '10-day.' Inflorescences are still pushing but I'm very happy to finally see this stunner blooming out here in the desert. This one will bloom in appreciable shade but requires propping up under these circumstances because the pseudostems will stretch to find light and fall over under their own weight. In sunnier conditions they will stay stronger and more compact. H. rostrata 'Misahualli.' This one is under the canopy of a rather large Cassia javanica and an adjacent Thevetia peruviana, so it doesn't get very much sun at all...just dappled for the most part, but seems quite happy in its spot. H. rostrata (probably '5-day' or '10-day'), just starting to push. This one is in a pot that has rooted into the ground, and in too much shade, which is why its long, thin pseudostems are lying almost horizontally, being propped up by some nearby plants.

It's a blank slate!

I passed by two unprotected ones in Pearland this afternoon they defoliated 100% but look great now .

My Encephalartos ituriensis is flushing but this is a very difficult one to photograph. In order to get the whole plant in the photo I have to stand pretty far back and lose detail while the tall leaves blend in with the canopy. Also, the existing leaves are erect and do a good job at hiding new flushes. Here’s a couple of photos from different angles trying to show the flush.

I acquired this as Encephalartos middelburgensis as a 2 leaf seedling. Some have said it looks more like nubimontanus but it has more upright leaflets than the nubimontanus I am growing. Perhaps a nubimontanus × middelburgensis. Patience and cones may sort out the mystery for me. Both the main caudex and the largest pup are pushing out flushes in the photos below.

SE Houston the past few days (Pasadena/Deer Park) These pygmies have survived the last few cold years, planted 2021/2022. The buds are quite hardy relative to the foliage. There's a reason they managed to stick around for 20+ years prior to the 2021 freeze. New royals to usher in the warm epoch

That’s awesome Stacy! Right after I moved to this house in 1997 someone walking by noticed all the palms I was planting from our old house . He said he had some “prickly” type palms on the side of his house that he was gonna cut down but if I wanted them I could take them . They had about 2’ of trunk , two together. I literally had to get on my butt and dig as the slope was so steep . Lost a lot of the roots but managed to get them home . They didn’t even flinch , started growing almost immediately. Those will make someone happy in their new home. Harry Here they are now , greeting me as I come through my gate on the side of our house. I think of that day , 29 years ago , digging them up and dragging them UPHILL to my little Toyota pick up. When they get tall , no “prickly “ , it’s all overhead! Harry

Mission accomplished! The truck ended up being particularly helpful for pulling, and they slid pretty well over cardboard boxes my husband put down (see video). Hopefully the palms will find a great new home. Either way, I’m excited about the additional planting beds that just opened up! IMG_5513.mov

He sent this screenshot of his trailer. Looks like that will fit them no problem. 👍

Clearly growing palms isn’t your thing nephew. Ha! Sure, I’ll give it a go..