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Really a magnificent palm. Stout, but not overly large, moderate grower, and good color especially after losing a leaf sheath. Prominent basal leaves on extraordinary long fronds add to the picture. Planted early 2012 from a 1 gallon. Tim

Planted in 2015 as a 5 gallon

If you have an hour or two of free time coupled with a chainsaw and a ladder I don’t see why you couldn’t just do it yourself and save a 2,3,400+$. I think a chainsaw would cut it up decently quick as long as the trunks aren’t thicker than average. You could always just keep the trunk chunks, dry them out, and burn them as firewood later on. Also personally I wouldn’t bother digging up the stump/root zone if you don’t have to. A lot of extraneous labor for something that can easily be covered up with a few flowering bushes and mulch. Unless you plan to plant a new palm in the exact same spot I would just let nature do the decomposition for you.

It's been a few years so figured I would update on our Sabal rosei. It handles cold extremely well and looks like it will start getting ready to push a trunk soon

Maybe this is a useful addition to this thread… I recently visited Nong Nooch gardens in Pattaya Thailand. I was lucky enough to see all of Tahina, Lodoicea, Corypha utan, C umbraculifera, C lecomtei, Borassus flabellifer, aethiopum, Bismarckia and many Copernicia species all at their ultimate girth and crown size. Of course there will be variation between specimens, but it seems like Tahina fits in with some of the Borassus sp and Lodoicea just behind Corypha umbraculifera in terms of crown size, maybe 90% of a healthy C umbraculifera. Tahina ends up a LOT bigger than any Copernicia or Bismarckia. All are so huge they kind of detract from the scale of each other, but these photos show the relative size of the specimens in this garden.

spent the last couple days building a new potting bench. Long overdue! I can sit on a lab stool and pot up now; much nicer on my back and neck. 😎

I suspect in the coming months, I'll be counting the handful of 2026 survivors. Volusia didn't actually get that much colder than we did. Considering that it got down to 38f in Key Largo, 30F in West Palm Beach (with a good number of 28/29F readings from independent stations in that area), 26F in Port St. Lucie, 25F in Melbourne, and 24F in Merritt Island, you would have expected probably 19-21F range for Daytona beach, 17-20F for St. Augustine, and 15F or so in Jacksonville. However northeast Florida fared comparatively well. If that same air mass blew in more directly from the north, you would have seen the same mid 20's from Tampa down to Cape Coral, and probably 28/29F in Naples, single digits in the panhandle and low teens on the coastal bend. This topic I think could very well go into the "Freeze Damage Data" section.

After a few months : dictyocarium lamarkianum first leaf !

Thanks! Every Sabal is different. Sabal maritima struggle even in 8b so they are not all tough as nails, but by and large as a genus they are. Another example of this whole story is look at the sabal antillensis and lougheediana. No one had any clue these were two wildly distinct species and they are but one island a part. Research is always changing, and what we find/understand is always changing so to just go by what was originally proposed or discovered without an understanding of things always changing is ludicrous.

C. maxima x 'La Churonita.’ My first experience getting a maxima to bloom. One of the baggy babies I picked up from ecuagenera at the Cape Cod orchid show last year.

Tim, Paul Latzias sent me those pictures above along with an C. ovobontsira sp. metallic the other week. I guessed they'd come from Hawaii, but had no idea they were yours. Really lovely palms. Paul also sent me this image the other day, which made me chuckle. From left to right, Michael Smith, Harry Edwards, Ben Allgood, Josh Sullivan, Bruce Lowe, and finally Paul.

It was so weird flying into Orlando on Monday after the cold front and just seeing brown everywhere from the plane. It felt like we were flying into Denver. It definitely looks like winter around here. I'll certainly be very glad to see some green soon! I'm surprised that those reclinata fronds burned so hard. I had always thought they were hardy but then again, the combination of winds and cold were awfully tough for these palms.

Brassavola mueller × nodosa is blooming again. It is interesting how the color changes from pink to yellow as the flowers mature.

These mid winter flushes are so slow on Encephalartos genus. Rain and wind next week could wreak havoc on soft leaflets mid flush. Encephalartos laurentianus in my case.

Hope it makes it. We're all in wait-and-see mode.

Still have plenty of green on this coconut. Trying to mark the spear to get an official read. Buccaneer is browning, starting to get a bit worried. I keep applying hydrogen peroxide and there's a minimal amount of bubbling. Everything else seems to be trying to push through. Just gave the plumeria a good prune to get off the squishy tips. I'd be surprised if it made it but honestly the wood looks pretty good so we'll see!

Here is the Live Update Link to the Vietnam Itinerary Brochure: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lJnpjq_TKqmPs2liuA1zNABhWAXLJorU/view?usp=sharing

Next week, our hardy palm enthusiasts head for Vietnam. I can't make it this year but it doesn't keep me from learning more about the critically endangered palms in Vietnam. Vietnam’s vegetative biodiversity has been severely impacted by decades of war, rapid industrialization, and illegal logging. While the country has successfully increased its total “forest cover”, much of this is compromised, consisting of monoculture plantations (like acacia or rubber) rather than rich, biodiverse natural forests. The damage” in Vietnam is no longer just about the quantity of vegetation, but the quality of the ecosystem as well. Current problems include:· Fragmentation and “Empty Forest” Syndrome: While green cover exists, many forests are fragmented. Intense snaring and hunting have removed seed-dispersing animals (monkeys, birds, small carnivores) leading to “empty forests” (where trees and palms cannot naturally reproduce or move seeds across the landscape. · The Rise of Monocultures: Large areas have been replanted with exotic species like Acacia and Casuarina. These grow fast and provide timber but offer almost no habitat for native wildlife and fail to support the complex undergrowth found in primary jungles. · Endangered Flora: According to the 2024 Vietnam Red List the number of threatened plant species in general has risen to 656. · Soil Degradation: In areas like the Central Highlands and Coastal Dunes, the loss of original vegetation has led to severe soil erosion and a loss of the “seed bank”,…the natural store of seeds in the soil that allows a forest to bounce back… Vietnam is a biodiversity hotspot for palms, but many species are restricted to small “refugia”. The most critical locations for endangered palms include: Region Notable Endangered Palms Key Habitats Central Vietnam (Quảng Ngãi, Thừa Thiên Huế) Truongsonia lecongkietii, various Licuala species Steep, moist slopes in the Truong Son (Annamite) Range. Northern Limestone Karsts (Hạ Long Bay, Ninh Bình) Guihaia grossifibrosa (Dragon Scale Palm) Clinging to the sheer cliffs of ancient limestone "towers." Southern Highlands (Đà Lạt, Lâm Đồng) Pinanga and Calamus species Subtropical montane forests often threatened by coffee plantations. National Parks (Cúc Phương, Bạch Mã, Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng) Multiple endemic rattan (climbing palms) Dense, undisturbed primary rainforests. You cannot rebuild without the original genetic material. Locating and protecting the remaining “mother trees and palms” is a top priority as they are sources for indigenous seeds. There needs to be a move away from commercial nurseries that foster monocultures. Local nurseries would focus on Framework Species by growing off a mix of indigenous trees and palms that grow fast and have big crowns to shade out weeds, nurture seedlings and attract seed-dispersing wildlife. Connecting fragmented patches of forest will also allow wildlife to move about dispersing seeds. This gives you a quick overview of how Vietnam is working to bring back ecosystems that were lost due mostly to human excess and war. Those of you going to the Vietnam biennial are taking a trip of a lifetime!

It adds a nice color backdrop. Dave you saw this at Dorian's house when the Pam Society last visited his garden here in Leucadia.

The bulging crownshaft on this almost twenty year old Chrysalidocarpus decipiens makes me think there’s something good lurking underneath it. Could it be about to produce an inflorescence? Will have to wait ‘til the attached frond dies and falls off.

Only ONE, pah u folks must try harder, mine were in pots for years but were from the original batch of seed, only went in the ground couple of years back hence smaller size, my friends which went straight in the ground is bigger than that 20 footer. Medemia behind

Btw, When I said I didn't know of any in So Cal doing well, I forgot Matt Pettrocelli has a good sized one going.. probably a 1/4 the size of Jeffs, but doing well!

For some accuracy, we decided to see how tall the Tahina stood next to this length of PVC pipe. The pipe measured at 16 ft., 5 in. That would make this Tahina a solid 20 ft. Thanks for the pose Bill!

Taken today at the Searle Botanical Garden

Two big surprises. These had to be protected, because I don't know how else these would be in the condition they are now: Cocos nucifera Pritchardia spp

Once again, south facing of the building. These were in much better shape than the ones anywhere else. This is further evidence that being on the south facing side of a building is an effective strategy against advective freezing events.

Maybe it's me, maybe this is common knowledge. Twice now I've collected huge inflourecenses of tightly packed Sabals and twice they've been full of weevils. If I find a solitary tree, or trees with some space between them, no issues. Anyway, after freezing and soaking both these and a few pounds of palmetto seeds, I end up left with maybe a dozen or 2 sinkers and lots of stinkers. The palmettos, ironically the ones I wanted more, after freezing, soaking, and peroxide I just said the hell with it and sprinkled them around the tree line and in the woods. It's not like they're hard to come by or expensive. And it's not like I don't have a couple dozen seedlings already, and they're not big sellers anyway. These minors got the same process albeit a much shorter time in the freezer and a much smaller inflourecense. I think I ended up with 20 of those that are soaking again and I got maybe 10 palmettos before I got tired of squeezing them and getting stink on my hands. There was a clean batch of Minor seeds I found between the library and a food bank, and those are on their way to Washington State right now. Again, much smaller batch from a couple solitary trees. For future reference if I do decide to grab a huge pile, is there a treatment process? Like straight to the fridge, fill a bucket with water and peroxide, or is this just something that happens when there's massive plantings all flowering and seeding together?

Licuala spinosa

Acoelorraphe wrightii Phoenix roebelenii Rhapis excelsa Livistona decora

Philodendron radiatum Pandanus tectorius

Bismarckia nobilis Borassus aethiopum Hyphaene coriacea Borassus spp

FIT campus. Two weather stations: https://www.wunderground.com/dashboard/pws/KFLMELBO63/graph/2026-02-1/2026-02-1/daily https://www.wunderground.com/dashboard/pws/KFLMELBO700/graph/2026-02-1/2026-02-1/daily 1/31 33.3 33.1 2/1 25.2 25.0 2/2 28.2 28.8 2/3 34.5 33.1 Archontophoenix alexandrae

Wow very nice! I actually think a lot of palms are at their most attractive around this stage, when they are trunking but not yet tall. Not sure if it's just an illusion because of the proportions but the crown often looks bigger and fuller than once the trunk gets very tall.

Sure looks like it (not going to walk over and find out). The palms were regularly setting seed and flowering profusely. The flowers are quite showy/conspicuous for a palm, much more so than Washingtonia

Still waiting for more seeds!!! Ugh...

I agree on the species....

All of them would go great in your grow room!

Look what is rising from the ashes !!! A volunteer ribbon palm Livistona decora. Legacy of all the beautiful ribbon palms that once graced these roads The young queen palms starting to pop up are looking good overall. Here is one at the work office that is definitely not protected

It's a beautiful day in Houston

Billy, I can revisit this post and say hurricane milton at 110mph didnt budge my alfredii one cm. Half the the older leaves bend down and will brown prematurely because of it. But 17 months later it has recovered almost as fast as my 35-40' sabal causiarum. Interestingly my 35' bismarckia has had a rapid recovery after every open leaf was made limp in the wind. MY best advice for BA is to water consistently as wide as the crown and even a bit wider. THis encourages root growth which stabilizes the palm in wind. All 3 of my BA's took leaf damage, the one in most shade had the most damage, but zero tilting, NADA. Remember that taller palms see the worst damage in a hurricane as the most leverage is exerted on the roots by wind blowing ont he crown. The other thing I love about my alfredii is trimming dead leaves it is a breeze. Though they clean their own trunks, no trimming could mean 3-4 brown leaves on the palm most of the year. If you want a strong palm in wind, consistent watering of ground at least to the drip line(crown ends) will push root growth laterally. Roots running straight down are not as effective in spreading roots in resisting leverage created by wind. Just basic physics. for your hurricane question here is the result for BA. You can see the royal nearly stripped int he back ground and second pic is sabal causiarum, crown 90% snapped leaves or bent down and doomed to premature browning. BA/Royal sabal causiarum before milton the day after milton close up causiarum looking up just after milton Causiarum as of 1-24-2026, first thing it did is set seed as you can see. Then 10-12 leaves in one grow season. Its now closer to 40' as new leaves mean new trunk growth Alfredii has also done well, it lost ~10 leaves prematurely and is regrowing the crown, but its encouraging. I expect this grow season the recovery will be complete. .

Those are some astounding roots. What was the rooting media, when you say 'neutral soil so you mean a mineral soil with neutral pH or? Also - as someone with a background in soil science, I really appreciate your interest in how soil interacts with Washingtonia growth. I'm working an an experiment with Trachycarpus (often from limestone-based soil areas) and raising pH and adding Calcium to see what differences might occur.

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.

I came to that conclusion too; from size and shape of seeds and configuration of leaves. Thanks mate!

@Jimbean Thank you for taking the time to go out and document so much of the area. The damage here is consistent with what you have there since the temperatures and wind were roughly the same. Hopefully everything recovers. The CFPACS Summer Meeting is going to be over there in Satellite Beach this year, so hopefully there is some recovery for folks to see.

Hi ! Is it normal to see this line when moving the trunk ? Like it seem too flexible to my eye. Or maybe it’s just growing and it will become stronger with time. thanks

Record lows for Key West (41F) and Key Largo (35F) are surprising. Last time Key West hit 41F was 2010.

Updated pictures of my Copernicia Fallensis and Tahina Spectabilis as of today….

I have a nice row of cycas taitungensis that are planted along the driveway and they are flushing new growth at the end of winter in some warm weather I get good viable seeds from there easy to propagate there kind alien like new growth is a nice feature.

I think the size of an alfredii will depend more on sun exposure and soil. Obviously getting knocked down just destroys roots, retarding growth. My full sun one is around 28-30' overall and it was spread out from its shuttlecock shape by IAN where we had gusts to 97 mph. I have two others in part shade(20-24') that took more damage in bent and fractured petioles. I agree ALfredii or any beccariophoenix is not a coconut substitute. Mine has a 36" thick clear trunk bulging at the base of 8' of trunk and is about 35' wide leaf tip toi tip. I think planting in sandy or rocky soil only exacerbates the wind issues which are due to a much bigger crown than roots can stabilize early in life. I guess I got lucky, only one of mine had a mild tilt in IRMA, nothing from IAN but bent and fractured petioles. The leaflets on all of mine are over 50" long, its a different "jurassic" look than a coconut. No one guesses it to be a coconut as those are notably smaller in crown with fewer leaves and more yellowish in this area. The good side is trimming is much more safe, LOL! I think I will be able to trim mine for another 20 years from the ground with my 18' pole saw.

Wow! That is spectacular growth. Hoping to see mine get that big.