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My second order this season from Floribunda arrived this afternoon and all are new trials for me. They all are BIG in their respective containers as is usual from this excellent vender. Pritchardia aylmer-robinsonii Chamaedorea arenbergiana Chrysalidocarpus ‘Baby Red Stems’ Pinanga ‘Maroon Crown Shaft’ Anyone with personal experience with any of these, please comment.

Dave, I ditto a lot of the same recommendations as @Tracy. I do think Hedyscepe and Ambositrae are fantastic growers in my area. Do they get “too big”….maybe. But you b will get many years of beauty before you need to worry about the power lines. They are an average grower, not like Archontophoenix that grow feet per year. I’d say plant away but know your previous Hedy or Ambo may require removal in 20yrs. Pritchardia Minor, Bentinkia Condapanna, Pinanga Javana, and Hyophorbe Indica are all winners as well. You could also get away with planting a clumping Dypsis like Heteromorpha or Lanceolata as well. They don’t get massively tall (less than 20’) and are fantastic looking. Subsidizing palms for Encephalartos is a winning combination. Some big Encephalartos like Whitelockii, Ituriensis, or Kisambo get very tall if kept upright. You’re talking decades before those would be a concern. HB is prime location for growing Encephalartos. All of mine seem very happy. Cordyline, Plumeria, Heliconia etc all excel as companion plants. My lot is fairly small @ 6500sqft so my gardens are cramped. I know without a doubt I will have to dig plants out as they mature but that’s ok. I knew the job when I took it. If I can get 20yrs out of a plant, I will be very happy. I completely understand I’m the outlier and not the rule though. HB is prime palm tree, cycad and tropical plant growing conditions. So many possibilities. -dale Bentinkia Condapanna Pinanga Javana Dypsis Ambositrae Hyophorbe Indica

Not under the powerlines though. My guess is about 14 to 15 years before a 1 gallon will hit the powerlines. My sun exposure Chrysalidocarpus ambositrae is about 10 or 11 years in the ground from a 1 gallon and it will hit that height in another 4 to 5 years, so give it head room. Cocothrinax do well here but won't be a height problem. Arenga engleri cap out on height so are well suited for positioning under those powerlines. You get the added bonus of their fragrant flowers this time of year.

Cyphophoenix elegans and nucele do well in the coastal zone as does Clinostigma savoryanum. Maybe my neighbor a couple of blocks away, Billy or Dale in HB, can share their experience growing Bentinckia condapanna in the region impacted by the marine layer. I think they will be positive comments.

Kentiopsis Oliviformis opened a new leaf today. Compared to some others on here, it looks to be more stretched out. It has no rings of trunk yet but it’s 10ft+ to the top of the frond. -dale

Dave, I am a little suspicious as to which palms that you can grow that they can't grow in Huntington Beach. You have been to my garden in Leucadia and seen what I am growing. Huntington Beach is very similar if not a little warmer and windier than her due to both local topography and the large flart plane inland from Huntington Beach. Look at Dale's plantings in Huntington Beach and some of the other members both there and in Seal Beach. So there are two parts to your question, first the palms that grow well in the coastal zone of Southern California, and second the ones that are smaller for small lots with lots of power lines impacting the overhead heights. On the coastal zone issues Chambeyronia of all variety will grow, several of the Burretiokentia species, Howea's of both variety, Rhopalostylis of all variations. Chrysalidocarpus of many species will all grow here, ambositrae, affinis, basilongus, cabadae, pembanus, rufescens, prestonianus, robustus, lanceolatus, lutescens, saintelucei and the list goes on. I could continue, but the focus isn't on what will grow in the coastal zone of Southern California, but what will grow that is appropriately sized. So I'm now going to focus on the smaller palms that will grow well in Huntington Beach, here in Leucadia, down in OB, Cardiff by the Sea, or Venice where the next SoCal Palm Society will be. Someone mentioned above the various Chamaedorea, which are good choices. Ravenea glauca is a good choice, but Ravenea xerophilla is a bit of a challenge unless there is a good southerly exposure, perhaps with a good wall behind it for reflected heat. Some of the smaller growing Pritchardia won't interfere with power/comm lines overhead. Burretiokentia kogihensis is a slower growing species that won't be a problem overhead for a long time compared to hapala. Cryosophilia stauracanthia is an uncommon small palm that will meet the criteria. Several Coccothrinax do well here in California's coastal zone. On a slightly different note, there are a bunch of Cycads that give a tropical feel. I don't think is a species in the Encephalartos genus that can't be grown here (Dale in Huntington Beach will verify that). Ceratozamia, Cycas, Lepidiozamia, Macrozamia and several Zamia thrive her for a tropical, palmy feel. Complementary plants like Anthuriums, Bromeliads and Orchids will all thrive. I know I'm missing a bunch of good recommendations but this is just a first swing.

A nice row of hookeri with almost three in a row putting on show.

East facing backyard garden. This is really my prime location. Gets the morning sun, warms up relatively quickly but then protected from afternoon sun. New Caledonian and Oceanic species seem to love it. Some things it here which aren’t known to grow in Melbourne elsewhere doing well. Cyphophoenix nucele Bentinckia condapanna Chambeyronia divaricata Euterpe edulis ‘Orange Crownshaft’ Chambeyronia oliviformis Pritchardia napaliensis Hyophorbe indica ‘Red / Southern Form’. Only 4 years from seed, getting too large to capture well in photos. Chambeyronia macrocarpa var hookeri Pritchardia martii settling in after a rough start in ground. Chamaedorea woodsoniana big male getting ready for its Spring pollen spreading. The crownshaft of this one always bulges heavily this time of year. Chrysalidocarpus baronii Black Petiole/Vokona Lodge Chambeyronia macrocarpa var flavopicta Cyphophoenix elegans. One of my favourites in my garden. Very large and great colours.

Moving on to the North facing little nook outside my back door. I use this space for some of my marginal species as it gets reflected heat off the North facing brick but is still somewhat protected to the West from the deck and pergola. Chrysalidocarpus lanceolatus Gaussia maya Dypsis rosea. This frond has been red for months. Chambeyronia oliviformis Chrysalidocarpus arenarum Chrysalidocarpus arenarum crownshaft and petiole detail. Love these colours.

Growing season pretty much over now in Melbourne, so time for some updates. Starting with the South facing backyard garden. Generally cooler climate stuff growing in here: Archontophoenix myolensis getting very large now. Howea belmoreana to the left, Chamaedorea hooperiana to the right. Hedyscepe canterburyana Lepidorrhachis mooreana pair. Pleasantly surprised with how they coped with multiple 40C+ days and a couple around 44C/111F. Didn’t stop growing over summer. Chuniophoenix hainanensis. Slow here, but happy enough. Oraniopsis appendiculata getting (too?) large A couple of Chambeyronia divaricata settling in nicely. Linospadix apetiolatus (left) and L microcaryus (right). I like the contrast of the entire fronds and finely divided leaflets of these two. Caryota monostachya Ceroxylon alpinum Archontophoenix purpurea. Possibly the nicest colour a palm can produce in my climate.

Gaussia princeps and any of the Hyophorbe will grow in the coastal zone. Give Hyophorbe lagenicaulis reflected heat from a wall for best results. Pseudophoenix sargentii is another Cthat will be slow enough to not cause problems for closer to 3 decades in a height constricted position. If you have headroom for something bigger in a spot, Chrysalidocarpus decipiens does well along the coast from Ventura to Point Loma at a minimum.

They absolutely can survive planted in the ground, in Phoenix, if sited correctly. (Think microclimate) Here's one I had grown from seed that was in that spot for several years. Also had a bottle palm in the ground for about 20 years before our brutal summer of 2020 took out both of them...🤷‍♂️ aztropic Mesa, Arizona

Pseudophoenix vinifera at Mounts:

Update May 2026..

Dark mode!

An interesting little batch of seedlings, seeds kindly donated by @palmtreesforpleasure it will be an interesting palm to grow for sure!

It just goes to show never give up on your seeds. I had this lot dead and buried, took them off the heat mat and put them on the potting bench around 12 months ago to use the old medium in some potting soil. Well iam glad I didn’t use that mix. I lucked up on one seed sprouting. If they haven’t rotted away completely, keep those seeds around you just never know your luck.

North facing backyard garden away from the house. These palms need to cope with hot sun and frost. Not much protection from anything here. Jubaea chilensis Brahea calcarea Beccariophoenix alfredii (left) and a Syagrus sp from S sancona seed many years ago which isn’t. I think I’ve narrowed down to S orinocensis, S picrophylla or S oleracea. Arenga engleri. Slow grow here. Sabal bermudana Chrysalidocarpus sp bef. Never been completely happy this one, possibly too exposed and planted too small. Pritchardia maideniana looking great now. This is a tough palm. Phoenix rupicola. My only Phoenix in my collection (mostly by choice due to size constraints)

Tim, I was shocked to find this unlabeled older specimen at Mounts in the back! There are actually two side by side:

I had read in the past that it may occur, but I knew it only as theory. Now I am experiencing it live in my garden: a Phoenix dactylifera up to now male, bearing this year also female flowers! Yes it is true. Only presignal was that it was belated in opening the spathes. Pretty much belated almost by three weeks. At first I thought it was caused by the weather but now I am starting thinking of hormonic causes because of the female flowers. Exciting!

Last post was in October when it opened a leaf and it just opened another yesterday. It does seem to be getting faster as the last leaf took a whole year. It’s a super slow palm for me but it’s not dead so I’m stoked. The leaves holding look perfect too so that’s good. Not too impressive tho. -dale

Just a few more Chams in the greenhouse!

The Cyphophoenis nucele will grow to be a beautiful specimen Harry. Mine has several years of growth ahead of yours so is a nice preview of what to expect. Separately, what caught my eye in the garden this morning were some flowers in different states of development. First on a Burretiokentia koghiensis, then some blue and red orchids growing adjacent to each other. Cleisocentrum gokusingii (merrillianum) are the blue flowers and fragrant Maxillaria tenufolia is the red flower.

Moving towards heavy:

My little Cyphophoenix Nucele has been in the ground 11 months and it is opening its second frond. This one takes a while for the frond to fully open . Harry On the right side is the frond that opened about 5 months ago , much larger than the other fronds . The lower , yellowing frond will be trimmed off after the new frond fully opens. this view clearly shows how each frond is getting noticeably larger with wider leaves. I guess it’s happy in a spot that only sees a couple of hours of morning sun . This is a palm I had never heard of , so a bit of a gamble . I am expecting similar growth habits to Chambeyronia .

Here’s one out back; just a massive beast, with a leaf spread of at least 15’. An absolute seed factory, with three generations of seeds, holding at all times. 5 gallon bucket for scale…

Syagrus weddeliana Trachycarpus princeps Liospadix monostachya Ceroxylon vogelianum Trachycarpus nanus x princeps F1. Slow but finally putting out divided fronds. Ceroxylon quindiuense Pritchardia minor Chrysalidocarpus baronii ‘Black Petiole/Vokona Lodge’ Group of 4 Chamaedorea tepejilote ‘Yellow Inflorescence’ Parajubaea tvt getting monstrous. Size 11 for scale Parajubaea sunkha Rhopalostylis sapida ‘East Cape/Fine Leaf’ Chamaedorea benziei Chamaedorea nubium Ceroxylon amazonicum

I bought this as beccariana about 15 years ago. It seems to fit but I would be interested in other views. The trunk is quite thin for such large leaves. It's protected by a huge stand of henon bamboo which is flowering so it's going to be a challenge to keep it protected from prevailing winds.

Down in Key Largo:

A lot of red, with 5 hokoeri in a row!

Here are a few shots of the mature P. beccariana. Tim

This was the last red leaf from earlier this year . I grew this from a little 4” pot I brought home from Maui. It is now flowering regularly with about 5-6’ below the crown shaft. Since it broke through the canopy , the red leaf lasts about 3 days , that’s all. The fronds on these are very large . Harry You can see a bit of burn , but no where near as bad as a couple of years ago . It now gets at least twice as much water as before. This shows the size of the fronds in relation to the crown and trunk.

Tall skinny Thrinax radiata in the bright:

Why not let volunteer orchids grow

Yellow Poinciana starting after looking like a stick tree:

Some of my Encephalartos growing in the front are pushing flushes, finally catching up with the rest of you in Southern California.

C saintelucei fresh trunk caught an eye.

I don’t see many sabinara on palmtalk, iam sure they are out there I just don’t see many here. I have 4 in the ground and a few seedlings. Surely iam not the only one growing them, are there any Australians in a subtropical zone growing them. Or am I the only one growing them this far south.

My (4) Kentiopsis are fruiting for 3-6 years now and some spots under them are wet and shady enough for volunteers. Overall height I estimate at 22-32' tall. They still are a few leaves short(~3-4) of a full crown(10-12 leaves) after Milton stripped them 18 months ago. Some have currently green fruits that will turn red in a couple months if restrictions are lifted and we can get them watered. They are water lovers, maybe its better they have less leaves in a drought. Trouble free palms that add the dark green crownshafts and leaves for a complementary look to the other crownshafts. These do like their Mg, K to stay that darker green color. I dust them along with my cuban copernicias with langbeinite every year and fertilize with florikan palm osmotic release fertilizer. They are so tall, I have to crank my neck to look at the crowns these days. They do provide some good filtered shade for the C. macrocarpas I have under them.

Royals as the sun goes down:

Only one new frond but looking good, they're slower when grown in shade.

Upskirt to show seeds:

Caryota mitis

Lagerstroemia speciosa or Queen's Crepe Myrtle:

I was surprised to see this at Leu Gardens in Orlando, Florida back in December 2025. Wonder how it handled the big freeze event?

Phoenix market home depots have imported some rarely seen (here) tropical palms for the houseplant/patio department. If you've ever been in search of some spindle palms or Chinese fountain palms at a reasonable price, opportunity might be knocking... 😄 I saw a few chunky ones in my area that were tempting, but still passed as I already have a spindle. 🤷‍♂️ aztropic Mesa, Arizona