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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’ve had this Syagrus Schizophylla sitting by my front door for a while now . It is pushing a new spear and roots out the drain holes of a very deep nursery pot . What does a “ palm dad “ want to do for Father’s Day? PLANT A PALM. Perfect weather and you know it’s gonna be a great day when you can dig a deep hole in good soil without hitting a rock. When I picked out the spot , I chose a place with full morning sun and afternoon shade . There were a couple of seedlings sprouting ( I have a habit of pushing seeds in the ground in random places about the yard.) I easily dug them up to place in pots , the soil was very easy to dig so I didn’t disturb them too much. One of the seedlings is a C. Radicalis , they are everywhere. The other looked like a Chamaedorea until I got the dirt away from the plant ….attached was a C. Decipiens seed! Yay. So I guess one of the many seeds I had planted , germinated , a very special surprise. The planting of the S. Schizophylla went well and I was done in about an hour . This after a lovely ride to Ventura on my bicycle. I hope the rest of you are having a great day. Harry My special surprise! Chrysalidiocarpus Decipiens It sprouted right next to this C. Radicalis on the right. A very deep pot means a very deep hole! The “birth certificate was buried in the container . Nice info to have I know….my Sketchers are no match for @DoomsDave red Converse!😂 The new spear is just recent , since I acquired the palm. I think it will be happy here , sharing space with a young Archontophoenix C. that is growing rapidly. Harry

An argentinian palm friend found this beatyfull variety of Syagrus romanzoffiana ( called "pindo" in Argentina and "pindó, pindoba or jerivá" in Brazil) with very dark collored petioles. VID-20260619-WA0001.mp4

Here are most of the palms I own

The longest day of the year and gloriously gorgeous. Maybe share thoughts or pictures or both.

My friend Tuki from Rapa Nui shared some photos of his island and its palm trees with me. He explained that the Cocos nucifera palm trees were brought to the island from French Polynesia (Tahiti).

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 :)

I planted these Veitchia joannis as small 4" pots last year and they are rockets in our cool montane tropical conditions growing next to our coast redwood trees.

Dypsis louvelli, Geonoma atrovirens.

Bismarkia and White Triangle

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 only have two in the garden. Both are 30 years old, one is raging along while its cousin is still doesn’t even have a trunk, planted about 3 meters apart. They are tough palms and have done the job that I wanted when planted with a vision. I see them planted around the place in my home town in full sun situations but to me they look better in shade I think. A wonderful tough palms and worth growing!

First pics were taken june 2021 and the following two today. It isn't slow after forming a trunk.

I purchased seedlings from a reputable seller on palmtalk probably 7 years ago of Brahea calcarea ‘blue’. He stated the seeds came from a known specimen in California and differed from ‘Super Silver’. The most obvious difference being this palm is blue from the start. I unfortunately am down to one but the palm has rapidly developed over the past 2 years. Up until the last flush or so the petioles had stayed pretty much “unarmed”. A trait of calcarea. As of this last set of fronds, nubs or small teeth have started to form. The palm has a lot of similarities to Brahea armata except A)it’s fronds are flat and don’t have a crease in the center like armata B) the palm is drastically faster than a neighboring larger armata. The calcarea was probably a 3/5 gallon 2 years ago and the armata a 15 gallon when planted. Likely by the end of the growing season or early next year the calcarea will have caught up in size. I know that’s not definitive but of note. Both survived mid teens (Fahrenheit) with minimal damage. I covered the calcarea and it took no damage unlike Brahea clara that had minor burn, but was also protected similarly. Does anyone know of the origin of Brahea calcarea ‘blue’? Identifying traits? Any other useful information ? If this one is accurate then it appears to be a hybrid likely with armata. Thanks Brahea calcarea ‘ blue’ in front, armata in rear : Brahea calcarea ‘blue’ old petiole New petiole: Brahea armata petiole:crease in Brahea armata frond:Brahea calcarea ‘blue’: Brahea armata:

One could say that the coronata is a lot of bang for a little buck! Super easy to grow and germinate. A good old landscaper’s favourite palm. It may be common and not as great looking as some other Pinanga palms , but its good enough to stand next to them in the garden and look just as spectacular!

Two palms that have surprisingly taken the cool weather quiet. The Calyptrocalyx was the biggest surprise as they are quite fussy, and the dypsis was a surprise as well for such a tropical looking palm. Either way both have lived through my winters in the ground with temperatures dropping down to 2 degrees celcius.

Spot on I think - most look bad because of neglect and not enough natural rainfall rather than it being too cold. Some of the better ones I’ve seen are out in the outer Eastern suburbs in the foothills of the Dandenongs where it gets pretty chilly but receives more rainfall than near the CBD or around Bayside suburbs. Same goes for Archontophoenix. I will say though, that Ravenea rivularis was susceptible to crown rot for me when young in Spring. It’s grown out of it now, but I suspected it didn’t like cold and wet conditions while it was still establishing. I planted in a cooler area of the garden in mostly shade intentionally based on what I’ve seen with specimens that dry out too much, but I think that’s the opposite risk when you go too shady and cold. The best one in Victoria I’ve seen is the one at Geelong Botanic Gardens. It gets morning sun but is well protected from all sides from wind and looks to stay quite moist in that area. There are a few mature specimens around Melbourne - this one down the street from my place looks pretty good. Doesn’t look like it gets extra attention but I assume the roots have tapped down deep now. The tree to its north must help with preventing it drying out too much too. I planted this one nearly 25 years ago. It’s the only survivor of about 5 originally planted in this garden. Soil is nearly pure beach sand and no irrigation. This is the result 🤣. And here’s an interesting planting - Singapore Botanic Gardens have them as aquatics. They like it in there in the tropical climate, but I’m certain it would be a death sentence in cooler climates.

We've crossed the midpoint of the year. The daylight hours for us in the northern hemisphere are counting backwards now. As everything in the garden that didn't die or get removed begins recovery mode, a photo of the Livistona decora and a small Copernicia alba and then @palmfriend's Okinawa Garden featuring Livistona chinensis and Arenga engleri. Happy Summer!

Who is growing or at least germinating seeds of this spectacular "cold hardy " palm? Who has more info about the botanic aspects of this apparently new species? I am fortunate to have some seeds germinating. Rarepalmseeds describes it as follow: "A spectacular new Lanonia found at high elevation on limestone hills in northern Vietnam. It is related to Lanonia dasyantha but differs in its larger, very heavily mottled glossy leaf and significantly larger seeds. Like Lanonia dasyantha, it is tolerant of prolonged cool conditions and temperatures that can occasionally go down almost to freezing even in habitat. This is despite its very tropical apperarance, and very much unlike similar palms such as Licuala mattanensis 'Mapu', Licuala sp. 'Kalimantan Mottled' or Licuala maculata, which are very demanding and only grow well in hot humid tropical climates. Lanonia sp. 'Large Mottled' will actually grow successfully not only in tropical but also in warm temperate climates, where it appreciates a protected spot in filtered light. Our seeds were collected only from a very remote, high elevation population where every single plant shows a heavily mottled leaf. Lower elevation populations, also in northern Vietnam show a less intensely mottled leaf even though their seeds are a similar size, see Lanonia sp. 'Less Mottled'" ( pics from the RPS site)

They are monoecious, having both male and female flowers. So your one lonely palm will set seeds. To help with cross pollination a single tree in a stand, will tend be either male or female, choosing this characteristic to help with cross pollination. But both male and female flowers are present on the same tree. Like a lot of plants if there are no boys hanging around they have a way of setting seeds. I guess the good old hermaphrodite works in wonderful ways.

I was out walking my dog and the monoculture of this home I walk by frequently caught my eye. Someone once got a deal on them or they had a favorite. They used to have some Livistonia chilensis mixed in but removed them a few years back. They do have an ocean and beautiful horizon view, so I understand the preference for low growing palms.

If anything the angle used for the pair of leaves on the ground underestimates the actual difference between the two. The larger of my pair of Encephalartos ituriensis is flushing now but I am waiting for it to get further along in the process before sharing photos. Mine hasn't attained the caudex height of yours yet. I will have to count flush leaves on both of mine now, as the theory you posed is interesting. My male Encephalartos turneri is mid flush right now. Old cones from last year are still partially hanging on. It is another species that starts it's flush quite furry.

Brahea Clara

This is the last palm that caught my eye at my Palm Society friend who lives a few miles from me. It’s a nine year old Licuala ramsayi. It may be getting a little too much sun.

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

3 years from 3g pots. This turned out to be a nice palm for next to a walkway. The upright fronds stay out of the way. One annoyance is that when fronds age out, they drop all of their individual leaflets one by one, and leave behind a dry brown spike to cut off. I’ve found it’s best to just cut the oldest fronds early. Overall a pretty easy palm and moderate grower here. Hard to see… but bases are quite huge actually. These hold 3, sometimes 4 fronds, so pretty sparse looking alone. A grouping seems to be the best bet, if unaccompanied.

It will probably be fine. There were pictures of wildfire that past through Vina Del Mar in Chile. All the Jubaea trunks and fronds were charred, then within a year pretty much all of them came back to life and flushed

A nice little tray of bells, collected the seeds through a door knock, in my local area. Time is all you need for these to germinate a year or more depending on how cool the conditions are. They are a beautiful palm indeed!

Good photos to illustrate the difference. I think the only thing I can add is that if it is armed, even slightly, then it cannot be pure B calcarea. Brahea sp can be prone to hybridising and I think there’s still a bit of confusion in general within the genus so I can’t give any more insight.

Here is a young Encephalartos equatorialis that is starting to push out bigger flushes.

I planted these Veitchia joannis as small 4" pots last year and they are rockets in our cool montane tropical conditions growing next to our coast redwood trees.

Got a couple hundred of them in tubes, they seem quite tough and easy to grow so far, already taking 5 degrees celcius this winter. No special protection just sitting outside. And showing good mottling at a young age!

Metroxylon amicarum gaining size while the feral hogs mine the adjacent landscape.

This post is very interesting for us who live where there aren't many wild palm trees.

Arenga westhoutii.

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 view

I’m lucky to have been given a few seedlings of L sp ‘Large Mottled’ Alberto. We’ve had a very mild June so far, so it’s too early too tell how it will go in cool conditions long term but I’d suspect it would be similarly hardy to L dasyantha based on habitat. At the one leaf stage, it looks nearly identical to every other Lanonia I’ve grown from seed.

Leaf drop on Archontophoenix myolensis revealing some nice crownshaft colour. I still can’t quite capture the colour in photo for A myolensis crownshafts. In person it has a prominent aqua hue.

Just received my ceroxylon amazonicum from Ecuador ! These palms are nearly impossible to find, & I don't have the patience to start one from seed (in addition to their difficult seedling stage). I was surprised at how large the palm is ~ US size 9 womens shoe for scale The palm arrived in amazing condition. I potted it up & hoping I can get it in the ground at some point. I am so happy to finally have a Ceroxylon ! This one will be going in shade for awhile. Will post updates here periodically. Would love to see anyone else's success with Ceroxylon. I know they thrive in cool damp weather.

I posted this Pinanga picture in the what caught your eye thread, but it really belongs in a color thread.

Yep. Fresh seed makes all the difference. I have a batch of about 40 of these going myself. Now, it's just a matter of time to get them up to my preferable 5 gallon selling size. 😄🌴 aztropic Mesa, Arizona

Iguanura Wallichiana

Dypsis rivularis new leaf looking pretty good!

The zonepushing corner today...I think things grow faster when you're not there! Everything has just grown itself in the past few months apart from the handful of days of winter protection. Hope the rain keeps getting delivered...no watering needed at all in 2026 so far. Liccuala fordiana is really looking like a Licuala Direct seeded alex getting big Lytocaryum hoehnei leaves are nearly doubling in size!

It's a blank slate!

I have always loved chatting about palms/cycads and plants in general with Maria. I've known her and her sons for the better part of 10 years, and she has always been so kind. Maria was the owner of Sago Rey Palms in Fresno, where she continued the business after the passing of her husband Thomas Wash. I was very saddened to hear of a horrible incident at the nursery over Easter weekend, and further saddened to learn of her passing. She will live on in the memory of many of us here in the area (and out of the immediate area) who have crossed paths with her. My garden is full of plants she cared for and nurtured. If any of you got those really blue Sabal uresana seedlings, they came from Maria. A few photos from her obituary: https://kmph.com/news/local/nursery-owner-dies-after-easter-machete-attack-nephew-faces-murder-charge

I just scored a fantastic deal on a bucket list palm for me. I got an Old Man Palm, Coccothrinax crinita, with 2 ft of hairy trunk for $72 !! So now I have to keep it alive. I am looking for advise on how to successfully grow this in zone 9a in a pot. North Florida Gulf Coast Panhandle region. Super hot and muggy now and got it in full all day sun. But winter is right around the corner and I know it might spend 3 months in my garage in Dec/Jan/Feb. Thanks!

I love the specific $14210.70 asking price 🤣. They could ask for $142 and still struggle to attract a buyer.

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.