Favorite Short Palms

[Ashton]

I live in a little community called Palos Verdes Estates (zone 10b) which is just south of Los Angeles and bordered by the Pacific. The town has rigid view impairment laws, and with the great view that I have, I can't say that I blame anyone. Consequently, as I start to plant out my backyard, I'd like to grow palms that would tend to top out at 15 foot total height.  

I have several possible candidates, but I'd like to learn from others what their favorite vertically challenged palms are.  I've got a blank slate and I'm ready to have some fun.

Ashton

[bgl]

Ashton,

Is this a 'full sun' area or partial shade?

Bo-Göran

And I guess we can rule out Roystoneas...!

[Walter John]

Try this fella, the famous Ravenea glauca, the king of short stops. Here's mine, photo taken 20 minutes ago.

[Ashton]

Bo, I put four roystoneas in my front yard (no view issue there).

At the moment the intended planting area is in full sun. I'll try to find as much sun grown larger palms as possible. I also intend to plant as many fast growing bananas as possible. They can provide some coverage (and bananas) for a few years while my smaller stuff hardens. When the time is right, I'll remove the bananas.

[Neofolis]

I have imposed similar height restrictions, although mine is purely space related.  Recently, I've become quite taken with Dypsis florencei, but there are many I could add to the list.  Unofrtunately, most of the smaller plams are understory palms, that don't generally do well in full sun, which I guess if you are protecting nice views could be an issue, unless your building shades the garden.

[SunnyFl]

(Wal @ Sep. 08 2006,03:32)

QUOTE

Try this fella, the famous Ravenea glauca, the king of short stops. Here's mine, photo taken 20 minutes ago.

Wal - they're stunning!  What a sight!

WOW!!

[SunnyFl]

Back to the question at hand.  Jungle Music has a nice list, broken down by sun and shade.  It can be found here:

http://www.junglemusic.net/palmadvice/palm...rtpalmtrees.htm

Of course, I think the best choice is R. glauca.  

Another lovely is the R. hildebrandtii.  And for a touch of silver-blue, check out Serenoa repens or Chamaerops humilis "cerifera."  They could look dramatic in a grouping with a green, pinnate palm.

I don't know if you can grow licualas, but the licuala grandis is a little gem, topping out around 8'.  A shade-lover, but I grew mine in very little shade without ill effect.

Is the bottle palm too tropical for your climate?  It's a short sun-hog, with great style.  How about Phoenix roebellenii - can they be grown successfully in your area?  They love sun and stay below 15' - the reclining ones are particularly graceful, esp. when grown in a group.  

But of these, my favorite would be the glauca.  And added plus is that it's not difficult to grow, esp.  in your climate.

[deezpalms]

How about Dypsis rivularis and Lytocaryum weddlianum??  

[MattyB]

I agree with Wal; you gotta go with at least one Ravenea glauca.  They always look good in sun or shade.  Another more unusual fan palm for sun would be Brahea decumbens.  Very slow but if you want a dwarf blue fan palm that handles sun this is a beaut.  I'd also recommend:

Dypsis albofarinosa

Dypsis onilahensis (may start to exceed 15 feet after 20-30 years)

Dypsis psamophila

Licuala ramsayii & spinosa

Johanesteijmania magnifica (slow, wants shade)

Laccospadix australisica (new red leaf)

Linospadix monostachys

Ptychosperma caryotoides

Cyphosperma balanse

Leppidorachis mooreana

Cyphophoenix elegans or nucelle

Allagoptera arenarium

That's all I can think of for now.

Steve in So Cal has posted some Yucca rostrata pics lately.  They're nice, you should plant one.....so should I

[deezpalms]

(MattyB @ Sep. 08 2006,09:19)

QUOTE

I agree with Wal; you gotta go with at least one Ravenea glauca.  They always look good in sun or shade.  Another more unusual fan palm for sun would be Brahea decumbens.  Very slow but if you want a dwarf blue fan palm that handles sun this is a beaut.  I'd also recommend:

Dypsis albofarinosa

Dypsis onilahensis (may start to exceed 15 feet after 20-30 years)

Dypsis psamophila

Licuala ramsayii & spinosa

Johanesteijmania magnifica (slow, wants shade)

Laccospadix australisica (new red leaf)

Linospadix monostachys

Ptychosperma caryotoides

Cyphosperma balanse

Leppidorachis mooreana

Cyphophoenix elegans or nucelle

Allagoptera arenarium

That's all I can think of for now.

Steve in So Cal has posted some Yucca rostrata pics lately.  They're nice, you should plant one.....so should I

All great palms Matty but a few of these get pretty big!! Laccospadix australisica (new red leaf) and Cyphophoenix elegans or nucelle. I've seen huge Laccospadix around town.

[MattyB]

Oh.  oops.  Hey, at least I didn't say Ceroxylon!

[Matt in SD]

Lots of good suggestions already.  Some of them are pretty marginal though (Johannesteijmannia, Cyphosperma, Licuala), so you're going to need some good performers as a backbone.  Ravenea glauca is a guaranteed bet.  Laccospadix would take more than 30 years to get over 15 feet in our climate (if ever), and it is a great palm in my opinion, always looks good.

I think a Pritchardia martii as as sure a bet as Ravenea glauca.  Pritchardia glabrata, and sp. 'lanai' are also both shorties.

Pinanga kuhlii is another great grower here for coastal areas that doesn't get real tall.  I have one that gets a few hours of direct midday sun in the summer and it does great.

Arenga engleri definitely does not get over 15' here and thrives in full sun.

For a bushy look, you can throw in some Rhapis.  Rhapis multifida tops out around 10-12' I think and makes a nice barrier.  It will take a few hours of sun.

I'm not totally sure, but I think Hyophorbe indica does not get real tall either.  It is a very fast and easy grow, and will take full sun.

If you have VERY good wind protection, Crysophila warscewiczii is a very nice and different looking short palm, but needs filtered light.

Then there are tons of the large Dypsis, Coccothrinax, and Copernicias, that in principle would grow over 15 feet tall, but they won't do it in your lifetime.

Matt

[Neofolis]

Another of my favourites Chamaedorea cataractarum can supposedly handle sun when it gets a little larger, so you could pot grow it in some shade and put it in the ground when it gets bigger or just buy a big one.

[paulgila]

matt in SD has some great suggestions!

[DoomsDave]

Ashton:

Matt, Matty, Sunny and Wal all have made excellent suggestions.

You may also want to consider Rhapis, particularly humilis multifida.  They will take sun, especially near the coast, and if your View Nazis get too agressive, too-tall stems can be removed, leaving other shorter ones.

Phoenix reclinata, and Caryota mitis can be treated the same way.

Also consider Pritchardia lanaiensis, which will eventually hit 20 feet, as well as P. remota and other short Hawaiian Pritchardias (don't bother with the South Pacific species).

Definintely use R. hillebrandtii if you can find them.  (Tell me, too!)

How about a picture or two of your fab dive?

dave

[SubTropicRay]

Reinhardtia are great looking smaller palms.  R. latisecta is a stunning, small beauty.

[ghar41]

Short, hardy but rare, Brahea moorei is a very attractive little palm.

[MattyB]

Did anyone mention Cham. radicalis?  Trunking or non trunking forms to choose from.  Can handle quite a bit of sun from what I understand. And of course lots of other shade loving Chamaedoreas as well.

[aztropic]

Don't forget about Pseudophoenix sargentii. It's very hardy,takes full sun,is drought tolerant,and only grows 1 new frond per year.This one has been in this spot for 5 years and will never outgrow it in my lifetime.

aztropic

Mesa,Arizona

[Rob Pittman]

Yow! One spear a year on the Pseudophoenix sargentii is brutal.  Mine all shoot 3-5 a year.  I guess the difference in climate makes them faster growers here.

[palmazon]

fantastic selection - now for the million dollar question:

what are the best sources for large(ish) landscape-ready specimens?

[Steve in Brookings]

(MattyB @ Sep. 08 2006,12:43)

QUOTE

Oh.  oops.  Hey, at least I didn't say Ceroxylon!

Actually, I was going to mention Ceroxylon parvum.  Rhapis multifida, Brahea decumbens, and Guihaia argyrata are three others.  Those could be called dwarf palms or ground cover palms and are, perhaps not what you're looking for.  How about Syagrus picrophylla?

[Ashton]

Great suggestions from everyone and truly appreciated! By next spring, I should have many of these in the ground.

Palmazon, I too would love to find sources for larger specimens.

I'm am surprised that I'm not hearing more Pinanga suggestions.  I think they are lovely, but perhaps it's just me.

ashton

[Neofolis]

(Steve in Brookings @ Sep. 09 2006,04:14)

QUOTE

How about Syagrus picrophylla?

You could add to that Syagrus cardenasii and yunganensis, although I've read they may actually be the same species.

I assume the dwarf Butias can take full sun, Butia archeri for example or the trunkless form of Butia paraguayensis.

[Kris]

Dear Aztropic  

that picture in post 19 is fantastic,which includes

your palm,the desert varieties and neat landscaping

using that pebbles/gravel.

simply superb !

love,

Kris.

[aztropic]

(Rob Pittman @ Sep. 08 2006,22:37)

QUOTE

Yow! One spear a year on the Pseudophoenix sargentii is brutal.  Mine all shoot 3-5 a year.  I guess the difference in climate makes them faster growers here.

Yes,they do grow much quicker in FL. Here,it seems to be either too hot (110+) over the summer,or too cold (high 20's for lows) over the winter.They survive and look beautiful,but only actually grow during the months of may,june,september and october. During our extremes,they just mark time. Now that it has dropped to 100 degree highs,I notice all of them are growing like crazy again!

aztropic

Mesa,Arizona

[Randy]

Yeah,

We have it a little tougher out here in Phoenix, 110+ temperatures are in the shade, so many plants literally cook in direct (especially afternoon) sunlight.

AZTropic, that Pseudophoenix sargentii is always great to see. How long ag did you plant it? It seems to be doing great - let's not forget to mention the great looking cacti as well, the overall grouping really looks nice.

It may be over planted around here, but my vote for a mini palm would have to be the Phoenix Robelenii - slow grower (fast compared to the Pseudophoenix sargentii)! The pinnate fronds are very thin and have little armor close to the trunk, not a rigid spiny death trap like other's in the family. Very low maintenance and the trunks become cleaner as they age.

What's not to like?

That's why it's planted in abundance here in Phoenix. The fronds will burn on hard freezes, but that MAY be one or two nights a year for us.

Randy