Leaderboard

Well, I'm moving and leaving my garden behind. The amount of work I put into this yard is amazing to look back on, but life happens and you know how that goes. There is a silver lining though, my new home is only a short distance away, but due to cold air drainage, I'm getting a nice boost in my climate zone. I'll be upgrading from a solid 9b to a high 10a / low 10b. I had to consider if it would be better to just leave my palms in place, to hopefully drive by and see them thriving one day, or to attempt the dreaded transplant... Well, I had the pleasure of hosting @Darold Petty last weekend and we talked about the true reality that the next owner is unlikely to know or care to take care of a rare palm tree in the landscape... And that the chance is always worth taking; dig it up. So today I was busy! Attached are pictures of my yard in it's prime and the palms I dug up today (Chrysalidocarpus Decipiens, Brahea Decumbens & Brahea Super Silver)

Lets do a runway show of our cold hardy palms after this past winter. One at a time. I'll start! Sabal Bermudana!

Trachycarpus Fortunei

A bit of a collection in the greenhouse with some winners in the palm department up for planting in the future. We have a roscheria melanochaetes, Arenga hookeriana, licuala Spinosa, bentnickia condapanna, lanonia dasyantha, kerriodoxa elegans, chamaedorea metalica , Johannesteijsmannia Altifrons, dypsis lanceolata, Geonoma pychnostachy, Chuniophoenix nana, Chambeyronia macrocarpa chamaedorea elegans iguanura wallachiana, sabinara magnifica, livistona Australis Pinanga coronata and a polyandrococcus caudescens. All will be planted in the garden sooner or later some common ones and some rare stuff, they will add to the tropical of things in the near future.

a pair of Chambeyronia Houailou clinostigma ponapense oenocarpus distichus

we were recently in Locarno in the south of Switzerland. Here are some impressions of impressive CIDP and other exotics That made me feel small at 6ft 2inch😁 No

Planted a couple of winners today in the garden. With the weather being so good for planting you got to get em in the ground it’s the only way palms start growing in the ground! A few might recognise where they came from I will leave it those few to guess away. So you know there in good hands @happypalms in the garden.

Nice bluebonnets Steven! Here’s one of my Mexican Fan palms, it’s common I know but I really love this species. They’re growing gangbusters right now and shaking off their winter damage. I’m excited to see how they will have grown come late summer into the fall!

Such a beautiful palm, I can’t wait for it to get a bit bigger already a stunning looking palm. Kinda glad I germinated 80 seedlings now. I will be planting more of them that’s for sure.

Most of my cold hardy palms are down on my south facing slope , but cold for me is 40f! They easily brush off winter as the cold air mass flows from the top , where my house is down the hill. Harry ‘From our deck Brahea Armata , “what winter!” Livistona Australis easily growing through the coldest part of my yard.

Passed through one of my favorite East Coast cities a few days ago – the north Florida city of St. Augustine. This Spanish influenced city is one of the first settlements in the United States, and the old city quarters downtown have been well preserved. A late winter walk through the old quarters of the city was nice and I was able to see several different types of palms. Climatically, St. Augustine is zone 9b/10a (lowest temp this past winter was 32 F/0 C in January). This a low latitude humid subtropical climate, with dry, sunny winters, and a summer rainy season. Until the summer thundershowers get going in May, winter and early spring can see drought and at this latitude (28.9 north) many of the palms and plants can look sun pulverized in late winter (the Sahara is located due east across the Atlantic from St. Augustine - lol). Some random shots: Castillo de San Marcos is the oldest masonry fort in the United States (built in 1672) when Florida was part of the Spanish empire. Three 50-foot Sabal Palmettos line the old fort: Looking toward the Casa Monica resort hotel – Sabal Palmettos, Washingtonia palms, and Canary Island Date Palms: Scrubby yuccas, lizards, agave, and hot afternoon sun in this north Florida city: Waterfront area near Bridge of Lions – Canary Island Date Palms : The courtyard of the old Hotel Ponce de Leon with many palms and other exotics enjoying the March sun: A nice green March landscape on the pathway to my hotel:

Update. Just 3 years of growth later. Once a final trunk diameter is formed,vertical growth speeds up considerably from 1 new frond per year,to two. 🚀😆 aztropic Mesa, Arizona

It’s been quite awhile since I’ve chimed in on this thread. (Or any thread for that matter.) I did some clean up on my side yard this last weekend. This palm is the second palm pictured in the first post on this thread. (The second palm, not the second picture. ) Anyways, it took me awhile to get this in the ground but once I did this palm has really took off. What I also really love about it is it seems to maintain a deep green color to its leaf’s. This one doesn’t seem to be as beefy as some pictured on this thread which is why I was willing to gamble in a fairly narrow space. The other two are still waiting for just the right spot.

Planted a Washingtonia Filifera two days ago. Albuqueque, New Mexico 7b-8a.

A shot of Tracy’s C. prestonianus and beautiful garden in Encinitas. Thanks Tracy for taking the time on a beautiful afternoon to ‘talk plants’. Such a well maintained and extensive collection of palms, orchids, cycads, and other unusual specimens. We got so caught up sharing information that taking photos wasn’t a priority,…next time. Tim

If I were doing what you’re doing, I’d get big pots and remove their bottoms. Place them on top of the ground and fill with soil and the palm’s root balls and the palms roots will be able to grow into the ground, anchoring them well so they are stable in the wind. Queen palms grow fairly fast when healthy so you’ll get some privacy for a few years but they will eventually grow tall. There’s no good way to curtail their growth without making them look sickly.

From the Mercer Botanic gardens yesterday. It’s hard to really understand the size of these palms unless you see them in person. Especially the uresana.

I’ve been noticing a decline in this Hedyscepe for over a year. I have babied it and threw all I could at it. Alas, it has succumbed to some rot. One slight nudge and the crown popped right off. I’ve had this one over 20+ years. Cathartic post! We move on and put another palm in Its place! ON A POSITIVE NOTE- I have a 20 + year old Parajubea that was at deaths door. It is finally shooting out long green leaves again. I see a lot of manganese in the soil, and need oil with a tad of daconil. In the crown. I guess we all fight losing a sickly palm or two no matter what zone. I am in the market for a replacement.

The 1 remaining Washingtonia hybrid at the downtown Dallas hooters is beginning to push green again after being defoliated by 13F about a month ago. Meanwhile a Filifera a few blocks away looks unscathed. I’m sure it will look acceptable again by Memorial Day

Needle Palm Before and After Winter: Butia Odorata Before and After Winter:

You asked to see one here’s one in my garden for you.

Took a trip to the Outer Banks last week. I was very interested in seeing the native population of Sabal minor in Hatteras. They were growing EVERYWHERE! It amazes me how adaptable this species is growing in swampy understory, exposed dry sites, and close to the beach. I also found naturalizing Sabal palmetto and unexpectedly a few Trachycarpus fortunei growing wild right along the marsh boardwalk in Buxton Woods Natural Area Preserve. I don't know how they got there I didn't find any T. fortunei planted nearby but they were growing in shady understory in a natural area. Very palmy place has anyone else found naturalizing Trachys or could confirm if this is indeed the start of a feral population?

Still on the hunt for a REALLY weepy oni. A fellow Palmtalker was kind enough to give me seeds of his very weepy one, but I'm not great at seeds... and no action as of yet. Hopefully soon though. 🌱🤞 I did spot this possible weepy this morning though. It had no label, but looks like it might be onilahensis. It was quite expensive though, so I would only buy it if you guys can attest that it's indeed an oni, and specifically one that's "off the charts" on weepiness. Thoughts?

Hello , and welcome . You are in a very warm , dry area of Southern California . They will need constant watering in containers and may suffer a bit of die back in the hottest months. I would use large , ceramic pots for weight and use a good soil with some sand mixed in for drainage . Make sure there are good drainage holes in the bottom of the pot and put a layer of pebbles in the bottom before putting the soil in . Concrete boxes , like seen in shopping centers would be great if you could find them . Use light colored pots so you don’t cook the roots in the summer. I’ve seen potted Queen Palms in pots that look good but I’ve also seen a lot that don’t . Mine are all in the ground so I have no experience with long term growing in pots. Harry

March ‘23 to now

I planted a group of 7 but not really colorful yet.

Two midterms down, and while I have a moment to breathe, I wanted to provide a quick overview of seed biology and the purpose of the three trials. The evolutionary goal of every plant is to reproduce most effectively within the environment in which it evolved. In my opinion, no seed should be impossible or even difficult to germinate, provided we understand its basic biological needs and the environmental factors in which it evolved. Over the years, I’ve wasted many valuable seeds (which is always heartbreaking) and spent far too much money by treating every seed the same. My approach used to be as simple as soaking them, discarding the ones that floated, planting them in soil somewhere warm, and relying on the power of prayer. While this method may suffice for standard domesticated garden vegetables, ancient plants like cycads (280 million years old) and palms (80 million years old) evolved in vastly different conditions. Palms, in particular, evolved during the Cretaceous period, when the Earth was much warmer, and the world looked very different. Over the last 80 million years, as the continents drifted apart and the Earth cycled through ice ages and warmer periods, palms evolved and adapted to their slowly changing environments, resulting in more than 2,500 species today. The three primary physiological factors essential for the germination of any seed are: (a) imbibition of water, (b) cell elongation, and (c) an increase in cell number. Palms have evolved a variety of strategies to achieve these goals. As humans, our task is to understand the natural evolutionary challenges faced by these truly undomesticated plants and to find ways to maximize germination in the most efficient manner possible. A bit of background on Cociods: The ancestor of all Butia, Syagrus (Lytocaryum), Jubaea, etc., likely evolved in what was once a tropical paradise. Over geological time, however, the Earth underwent significant changes, and palms adapted accordingly. Brazil, being the cradle of evolution for most Butia species, has undergone drastic transformations. Not only has it drifted further south and cooled substantially, but it has also experienced uplift, mountain building, changes in weather patterns, and variations in precipitation. As the ancestors of our favorite palms were subjected to these forces over millions of years, some species died out, while others adapted. Today, we have species that cover vast areas and have adapted to multiple environments, such as Queens, while other species occupy very specific pockets, such as a single mountain slope in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Interesting side note: I recently came across a study from 2023 in which what was previously lumped into Butia archeri var. ‘archeri’ and var. ‘diamantinensis’ has now been reclassified into several distinct Butia and Syagrus subspecies. If you’ve been growing archeri since 1984, please reach out to me—I’d love to share the article and see what you’ve been working with. Several of the original pockets of subspecies that produced seeds are now completely urbanized and may be extinct in the wild. That’s enough background for now. I need to get back to studying, but I will continue this discussion later, focusing on how to use this data to break dormancy in Cociods. Wish me luck!

Did I hear dusty "and" windy?

Brahea edulis

These are such great palms! Here’s one of mine

Bought this on the east coast of Florida today and the nursery owner wasn't quite sure what it was. Any ideas?

Some more seeds today that needed sowing. Pholidocarpus macrocarpa, borassodendron borneense, ptychosperma microcarpum. And a batch of seeds from Colin Wilson in no particular order are tracky princess (blue silver), Geonoma mooreana, tracky Nanus, dypsis confusa, coprenica, vonitra perrieri, brahea clara icy blue, tracky takil, nannorrhops ritchiana, coprenica berteroana, pseudophoenix vinifera. Thanks Colin should keep me busy for a couple hours or more. And as for the other seeds another zone push but worth a try you just never know your luck.

@Amcsherry welcome! I’m in California and concur with all the previous comments and note a few things: don’t plant Teddy Bears under utility wires and the eaves of your house; give good drainage and plenty of water and be prepared for when they trunk and rocket skyward.

Two winners today catching my eye a Hedyscepe canterburyana and a nice little mottled lanonia dasyantha.

My royal palm color after the leaf fell down

Here's my elegans acclimating to the sun. Hopefully I can plant in a couple of weeks.

Here's the three planted near each other. It's hard to see them among the impressive crop of hardy native and imported annuals and perennials...aka "weeds." The Nucele and Elegans were planted in late May 2024, and the Alba in August 2024. The Elegans has a big spear that's not quite visible in the photo: This is a couple of days after the Alba was planted. You can see the Elegans was struggling to acclimatize in the summer, since it was in basically full sun: And this was the day the Elegans and Nucele were planted. The Nucele was in some shade, so it didn't get burned immediately:

Pigafetta filaris don’t hang about do they!!! Sown last Sunday (some just popping). This species is zone pushing in SE Queensland. Hoping I can get one to thrive in the right microclimate.

My good friend Phil has a heritage listed home that’s over a hundred years old. The old photo was taken in 1915 the cidp has long been gone but the magnolia tree on the left in the picture is still standing to this day and is looking very healthy for its age. The size of the tree in comparison to the old picture tells a lot of years in history.

Here is a preview of what to expect. Seedlings in August 2021 about a month after planting seeds directly in 4" pots. Same plants in January 2025. They are almost through the slow phase of growth. Once they start to trunk, you can get 2 m of new trunk each year. Full sun and a tremendous amount of rain. They drop fronds like crazy if they go 3 weeks without rain. Must be one of the most spectacular palms in the world. Just keep them far away from structures and utility lines. In my hands at least, they are sensitive to root disturbance. Be careful with the root ball when potting up or going in the ground. And of course, plant a group if you want viable seed down the road. Separate male and female trees.

From Sulawesi, Indonesia, Pinanga caesia is a very colorful, very attractive palm at all stages. Like many palms, dropping a frond gives you a bold shock of color on the trunk. Dropping a flower spathe will reveal a stunning and delicate pink inflorescence. The leaves are beautifully mottled. All this in one palm! Are you growing this Pinanga? Share a photo or several. Below, the rings revealed today Still young and leaning toward the sun Below: looking up at the underside of the leaf Another angle of the entire palm

Cycas panzhihuaensis x Cycas taitungensis is a nice hybrid. Nice color while flushing. Planted a group of these in garden with 1” caudex a little over 4yrs ago.

Spotted this one in the greenhouse this mornings. A new one in the collection so yet to see if it makes through winter. But a lovely looking palm so far.

A spot of potting up to do. Some lanonia dasyantha, dypsis baronii black petiole, chamaedorea metallica and a couple of small burretiokentia kogiensis. Some definite examples of some nice exotic palms that will give the tropical look to any situation. All grown with love from imported seeds. They seem to be more special if you import them for some reason when really there the same as any locally acquired seeds.

@Bigfish Is correct that this is a very different situation due to the cell density of the endocarp. This is a cross section of a Butia odorata seed that has been cleaned and dried. The endocarp is very thick and inhibits imbibition of H2O. As I mention in my earlier post imbibition of water is the first physiological need of the embryo to break dormancy. This fact is the sole reason why trial 2 was designed. De-lidding in the case of Cocoid seed is conceptually the same as the 2 articles posted earlier but in this case only the eye of the pore opening is removed to allow immediate imbibition. (I can post a Cocoid specific tutorial if needed) This process in theory should break dormancy and minimize damage to the seed as well as minimizing fungal and bacterial contamination. While it does promote higher and quicker germination rates there are some drawbacks backs to this method as well. Fresh seeds of most species respond best to this method and I prefer it for species that have a tendency to rot easily such as Jubaea. I also prefer to use this method if the seeds are only singles. The last advantage is that any seed that does not germinate can still be used in Trial 3 which I will discuss on my next post.

A few Dendrobium speciosum flowers at a friend's.

I just assumed all queens had the potential, but according to the captions on PalmPedia photos, there is a less-hardy variety and the more robust variety with a fuller crown. @idontknowhatnametuse I've seen them across the valley on this side of the border. Here's in Harlingen. They flower year round.

Another day, another garden walk. And Rocky 2 is great at posing for photos and providing scale for some of these palms! semi-dwarf Areca Catechu Chrysalidocarpus Basilongus a pair of Kentiopsis Pyriformis

Another couple of winners most definitely caught my eye today. Calyptrocalyx tinum and Areca warhbo.

Had to run somewhere tropical to escape the hell scape of dead palms in Texas lol @Miami