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Yeah, a Royal Palm would have a long bright green crown shaft on its trunk beneath its canopy of fronds. $500 sounds reasonable for a Majesty that big but starting out with a vigorous younger one would probably make more sense.

An easy seller rhapis, indoors, patio and even the office, shopping centres. It has a well earned reputation for good reason. Just not in my garden anymore, especially in a landscape setting near a house. I much prefer the variegated varieties near the house garden, the green one can take a back of the garden situation. Where it can get out of control and do no harm in taking over small understory palms. But that said a few small individual canes work a treat when thinned out and even a single stem can fool many a palm nut as to what licuala variety is that in the understory!

I'm afraid the terrible appearance of your palm is likely wind-burn and cold damage. Areca catechu is a heat-loving palm from southeast Asia that will suffer and fade away if exposed to cold and wind such as you describe. It is most at home in full, hot tropical sun with low temperatures in the 80sF (say, 27-30C) and high temperatures around 90F (about 32C), year-round. While it certainly appears not to have died yet (which would happen quickly due to a sharp frost or freeze), it is being slowly killed because its metabolism just can't function properly in such a chilled atmosphere. From the point of view of a warmth-dependent tropical palm, this is a sentence to a near-frozen misery...very much like planting a coconut at the beach in California, which, despite being above 0C, is pelted by cold ocean winds and under chilly overcast for most of spring and often in summer, with cold nights year-round and cool days (very comfortable to many people!) except during heat-waves. Except that Areca catechu is probably more chill-sensitive than a coconut. To these very tropical palms, the temperatures we may not consider too bad are really a death sentence. By the way, USDA zone ratings indicate the average minimum annual temperature over a period of 30 years (but if you have the extended data, many prefer to calculate it over their maximum data-set). So you would not be a zone 9a or 9b...because this would indicate you have average annual minimum temperatures of -1 to -6C or so, which i believe is not the case in your location in the Azores.

The funny paradox with Rhapis being that, considering the number of complaints bandied about in re its multiplication...it probably fetches one of the highest prices in the palm-market. So maybe the thing is to look at it as a nice money machine! Bamboo certainly wouldn't qualify in that department...

I posted on another thread how I did a walk about the garden after watering . Then I ventured down “the hill” where I don’t go very often because it is steep and sometimes I slip and end up on my butt. I had planted a Rhapis Excelsia that was divided from one of my large Rhapis clumps and growing nicely in a pot …..until a huge frond fell and smashed it . Bummer , I stuck it under a Butia Oderata in almost full shade . Looks like it survived! Harry

Love this forum, that’s why I paused. At first I thought not bad for a mature specimen. But perhaps better to buy smaller and I don’t really want a majesty.

Yes , like pony tail palm , nick name only . They are cool though! Harry

Now for the hillside crew. Harry Solitary Chamerops Humilus , never suckered Next to the Mediterranean is the first Cycad to show new growth. Cycas Revoluta This Rhapidophylum Hystix has survived two gopher attacks and numerous wind events. Livistona Australis ‘Brahea Edulis. I call it the elephant! Brahea Armata needs a bit of a trim? This Sabal is a mystery . It was a very small seedling when I planted it . It’s either a Palmetto or Riverside . It was a gift and the grower lost some tags . Livistona Chinensis is a monster….with teeth! One last look up through the Mediterranean Fan palm before heading up to the deck. Believe it or not I have recently cut over 50 fronds off this thing. No suckers ever produced from it but , man , tons of fronds. Harry

OK , you showed us yours , I’ll show you mine!😂 After watering , I took a walk about the garden . I even wandered down the hill. Our rainfall this year has really helped a lot of our plants. An early warm spell , minus the wind , was a bonus. Harry CYPHOPHOENIX Nucele getting ready to open a new frond Chrysalidiocarpus Lanceolata enjoying some morning sun Pritchardia H. Not shy at all! Chamaedorea Radicalis Tree Form a volunteer that popped up in just the right spot. Howea Foresteriana needs no introduction. It seems like the Rhopalostylus Bauri Cheesemania just opened a frond and the new spear is already shooting up Caryota Mitis has opened a few fronds already . This thing has had a few trunks cut out of it over the years and just keeps on trucking.

Thanks, Harry. I don't have that many palm trees, but they're already taking up space. But more than quantity, I have more variety. I'm accumulating a lot of palm trees. I'll be like Richard Moy in Australia, Jim in the Highlands, and Floribunda in Hawaii, and like you, Harry, in a good way. And how could I forget Grand Master and friend Dave?

Those look very nice! Keep up the good work. Harry

Cut away , that is a very hardy palm that will soon replace the growth. Some palms , especially slow growing ones with fewer fronds can suffer a bit . Phoenix is not one of them. That said , I really hate to see over trimming like what @aztropic posted. I mean it’s their palm but….. Harry

Gotta love this forum. Sometimes we get caught up in the hunt for a new acquisition and overlook obvious details . The advice you have gotten is good , nothing to add. Harry

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

Thanks Kiwan. I’m fortunate to be in a very mild (for NorCal) microclimate here. Pacific influence, SF Bay buffering, and just enough inland for some good warmth. I just ordered more palms from FB. tonight. I got a suggestion to try Pinanga ‘Maroon Crown Shaft so I ordered a few as well as Chrysalidocarpus ‘Baby Red Stems, Chamaedorea arenbergiana, and Pritchardia aylmer robinsonii. It’s going to be a challenge selecting places for them all! I’ve planted all of the first batch.

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…

Took some pics of the LARGER F2s. What’s crazy is i planted some out immediately and some remained in pots until last year. I think i have 1 left in a pot which essentially is just being stunted/bonsai’d. The growth on these things are completely insane! Some of the newer leafs are 5-6’ long

It’s always evolving the garden forever changing with the seasons!

An easy palm to grow for that cool subtropical to warm subtropical climate. I have dozens of chamaedoreas throughout my garden, they are just that good for the understory.

I germinated these from seed that I collected and brought from Yucatán. Now growing in Monterrey zone 10. Notice the little hairs.

Thank you , Richard. Harry

I wish my brahea looked as good as your ones, and that Mediterranean palm a great picture. Richard

Such a joy when they sprout . Careful this could get addictive! Harry A couple of Dypsis/ Chrysalidiocarpus almost ready for pots. I m really excited about both these if they make it . The drywall screw is for when they are covered in plastic for humidity.

Nice one a few new varieties growing well for you I see. And a few good old tried and tested varieties, keep em coming. Richard

A few imported chamaedorea seeds from rps, a couple of germinated ones so a couple of good ones coming up in the collection. And a few local gifted linospadix minor seeds a very interesting Australian species of palm

Picture updates please!

Here is an update on the Lemurophoenix halleuxii growing at Leu Gardens in Orlando, Florida (zone 9b/10a). Both were acquired from Floribunda. Thie first one was planted in June 2014. The winter of 2014-15 was fairly mild. The lowest we had was around 34-35F one night in Feb. 2015. There were several other nights in the upper 30sF. It idid not suffer any damage. It is growing in a bright, filtered light location. It gets shaded by a tall old Quercus virginiana and a Delonix regia. The soil is well drained and sandy but has organic matter from the trees shedding. It gets good irrigation here in dry periods. The second specimen was planted in March 2015. It is growing in heavier soil that drains but stays constantly moist to wet from a nearby seepage spring. It also grows in filtered light but can get some direct sun a certain times in the day.

Well, any Update? Did they survive the February 2026 freeze?

Why don't you buy giant Jubaeas and parade around your house in tremendous glory, like King Solomon?

Here's two getting an overtrim in my neighborhood today. Won't affect them in the least... aztropic Mesa, Arizona

My friend, that could be worth much more. Jubaea chilensis is very expensive per meter of trunk. Expensive like a tall palm tree.

Beautiful specimen in an intriguing climate! It may be a little stunted but it has character and noble lines. Your climate is a real enigma. This is a specimen (maybe a tall dwarf) in South Florida:

Is this really a Palm?

It's amazing how you have a southern california garden in northern california! Incredible garden!

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 .

It sucks they lost it. There are a surprising amount of coconuts coming back. I'd stop short of saying a majority just yet, but there are parts of town where there are more of them than crownshaft palms. Very sad. Keep your chin up, though. We have a long growing season ahead of us. With a little luck, hopefully the drought will break and everything will leaf out quick to give you some cover again. The herd was officially thinned. It looks like the building might have blocked some of the wind. I've seen a few photos of crownshaft palms coming back at Leu Gardens, if you ever go up that way.

@ryjohn "I believe planting palms at small sizes produces much hardier palms. " I concur! Root establishment is the key!

Definitely not Pritchardia so it can’t be native to the islands. I agree with Sabal yapa. If you ever read that a particular palm species requires full sun to be healthy, take it with a grain of salt. Dozens of my “full sun required” palms are in full shade and are perfectly happy. Many even look better in full shade than in the sun.

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.

We’ve had some brutal winters here recently in Northeast Louisiana as well, and all my mature Butias planted from 5 gallon sizes just seem to breeze through them. After this past winter (brutal ice storm with three days continuous below freezing) I walk around my yard and am amazed they took it with only superficial damage. No protection. The only large transplant 6’ clear trunk Butia I installed kicked the bucket a couple winters ago after 17 years of subpar growth. The ones I planted as 5 gallons had nearly all exceeded it in height. And furthermore that large transplant has four large 4-8 foot offspring that are thriving and taking its place now, having survived these brutal winters as volunteer seedlings. I believe planting palms at small sizes produces much hardier palms. And with the heat we have in Louisiana and Texas, it takes surprisingly little time to grow them to large sizes if you keep weeds and grass from under them

Eugene

Smaller F2 natwood sending out a few new ones. I’ll take a couple update photos of the larger ones tomorrow along with some f2 trans woods.

$60.00 was a significant amount for a bareroot small plant back in 1985 even though it sounds like a bargain for an E natalensis x woodii. It is a beauty and I'm curious if it pups much? My F1 horridus x woodii female is probably around 25 years old based on its size when I got it, It has one large pup, and two or three newer small pups, one of which is just beginning a flush. It thrives in the full coastal sun, even though it has become more filtered at times during the day as my palms have grown. I have 2 more seedlings of backcrosses of male and female F1 horridus x woodii, and the one in the ground in full sun is just pushing out flushes off to the side of the main flush, so it appears that one will have 3 caudices from a very young age. The main caudex on the older plant is clearly showing that it will flush as opposed to cone again; she's taking a little rest after pushing out 3 cones last year. I'm ok if she just gives me a nice big flush this spring. Here is the flushing pup, and main caudex but you can't see the flush about to emerge from the main caudex.

So sorry to hear this. I loved his constant updates he gave and will miss them. He was lucky to have a friend like you.

The sable and Pindo's are replacements. The originals were twice the size. The original sable was twice as big, and the pindos were a little bigger too. In 2021 the big arctic freeze hit texas. It was like -14F to -20F for a week. I didn't wrap that year and the sable took a big hit. It was alive but never the same. Just dwendled down to dead last year. One pindo died and the other just suffered as well and got a big bug infestation. So I uprooted that one and let installer have it. Last years freeze didn't help it any. So now that "Zone 8b" here it Texas gets major arctic freezes. Without a big wrap on these cold hardy palms. They will simply die and they are big envestments.

2026 - They year we lost legends. RIP @Pal Meir

Nice work Gene!! Thanks for the pictures. Here still moving slow indoors in the Netherlands but first year with two new leaves and happy with it.

THis is the very first one I planted in the ground. Bu the looks of it though- it's been outpaced by the ones that are still in pots

Thanks Ed!