Big Chamaerops

[Darold Petty]

Axel, I retract my statement that I saw one larger than any posted on this thread. The one in Santa Monica was about the same size as the one in post # 17. I just telephoned the library in Santa Monica, there is no longer any large palm there, the librarian said that the building had been modified in 2005. Perhaps the palm was removed then. If anyone would care to investigate this, the street address of the library is 601 Santa Monica Blvd. at 6th Street.

PS - I just returned from a 6 day visit to your beautiful city!

[Axel Amsterdam]

Axel, I retract my statement that I saw one larger than any posted on this thread. The one in Santa Monica was about the same size as the one in post # 17. I just telephoned the library in Santa Monica, there is no longer any large palm there, the librarian said that the building had been modified in 2005. Perhaps the palm was removed then. If anyone would care to investigate this, the street address of the library is 601 Santa Monica Blvd. at 6th Street.

PS - I just returned from a 6 day visit to your beautiful city!

Hi Darold, i´m glad you liked Amsterdam. Lots of people from Amsterdam like San Francisco and describe it as a place with a somewhat comparable atmosphere to Amsterdam, maybe because other well-known American cities are clearly different from the small scale town of Amsterdam. I have never visited SF but i would love to.

I have checked the adress by streetview and indeed i found only tall washingtonia´s around the area. So i geuss they moved it.

[PalmGuyWC]

I doubt if there are any large specimens of C. cerifera growing in the USA as they were only introduced in recent years. I'm really surprised they weren't introduced sooner since there are some large specimens growing around Europe. They are certainly striking palms, and some can be as silver as any Bismarkia. I have a couple that I planted a few years ago, and I'm surprised how fast they grow. They seem to fruit at an early age.

Dick

[ghar41]

I don't have a photo, sorry, but the largest Chamaerops I have ever seen was in Santa Monica, California. It was in front of a public library. The plant was much larger than any shown thus far on this thread. Perhaps someone in the area could investigate this palm. It had multiple stems, all at least 3 or 4 meters tall.

I'll be driving through SM next month.....can anyone verify that this Chamaerops still stands in front of the library?

[iamjv]

Darold, that is a shame that one in front of the library was removed.... sure hope someone realized the value of the palm and just didn't cut it down.... Jv

[Geoff]

here's a few photos of large ones... this is a terrible photo, but it's on private property in Beverly Hills and harder to get much closer than this. Tallest of thes trunks is about 25 feet

[Geoff]

Here's one with about 20 feet of trunk all three trunks. This one needs no support... yet.

[Geoff]

Here's one with about 25 feet of trunk, but nees all sorts of support... couldn't get much closer so shot is poor (gated yard in Beverly Hills)

[Randall]

This photo was taken in Phoenix and credited to Darin from The Cold Hardy Palms and Subtropical Board which is growing in his neighborhood.

[Axel Amsterdam]

Thanks guys great shots.

This is one of those palms that behaves very differntly when cultivated from the ones growing in habitat. I mean look at those in Beverly Hills, who would have thought that possible if you ever saw those native shrubs in the South of Europe.

Thanks,

Axel

[iamjv]

This may not be the biggest in San Antonio but it certainly is large and interesting.... Jv

[FRITO]

crazy , thats a nice 'single' JV

[iamjv]

It's truly searching for the light... as you can imagine it gets a lot of interest even from none plant people. Jv

[John Case]

This one was just acquired and planted at one of my local nurseries. Fabulous acquisition!

[iamjv]

That's a gorgeous one.... Jv

[TonyDFW]

Here is a typical example of one of the many clumps found at Mexican restaurants in Dallas.

C.humilis grows very well in Dallas, is on the faster side of moderate in growth and reseeds itself very easily.

[palmtiki]

here's a few photos of large ones... this is a terrible photo, but it's on private property in Beverly Hills and harder to get much closer than this. Tallest of thes trunks is about 25 feet

I'm thinking that the reason this Chamaerops is growing so unusual is that a one time there probably was a large shade tree (eucalyptus maybe?) just to the right of it and the Chamaerops clumps started growing to the left seeking more sunlight. Cut down that shade tree and this is the result.

Bob

[Kris]

Terrefic visuals dear friends...

[Michel64]

Look at those two! Yes we have Chamaerops humilis here. Their history has just been told to me today on the french forum.

The original topic is here: http://fousdepalmiers.fr/html/forum/viewto...f=18&t=5847

The picture was taken around 1900 in Paris.

The Chamaerops humilis were a gift of the Margrave Louis III of Bade Dourlach to the King of France Louis XIV, in 1704.

In 1844 their trunk was more than 13 feet high.

Immediately after the first world war the tallest was 34 feet high (trunk or total?).

Their existence is mentioned again in 1920 ,for the last time . After that date, we don't know what happened to them.

Edited September 26, 2009 by Michel64

[iamjv]

Great archive palm picture and so interesting to see these chamys being that size and in pots!!! Wow! Thanks for passing on the history. Jv

[sarasota alex]

Can't really justify being called "humilis" any more

[Axel Amsterdam]

Just an additional post on an older thread.

While surfing I found this picture of a rather tall chamaerops in California.

[Kris]

Nice visual !

[Axel Amsterdam]

This is a chamaerops alley in a private garden in Italy.

(Picture from Kev Spence Growing on the Edge forum)

[Kris]

Very nice...and it did have few CIDP's in that still ! And iam very happy...

Love,

kris

[fdrc65]

The Orto Botanico di Padova is the world's oldest academic botanical garden that is still in its original location since 1545.the oldest plant is a Chamaerops planted in 1585 called the "Goethe palm", because the poet referred to it in his essay "The Metamorphoses of Plants"; this tree is now situated under a greenhouse because in the past the plant sufferd from very cold winters, Padona is in northern Italy at 45° N

ciao

Edited February 3, 2010 by fdrc65

[Dundo]

In monastery in Dubrovnik within city walls.

[iamjv]

Fdrc, cool picture and information on that Chamaerops!!! This must be the oldest chamaerops alive.... any other photos? Jv