The Bottle Palm - SoCal Style

[MattyB]

Notoriously hard to grow in SoCal, Hyophorbe lagenicaulis, is doable if planted in the right micro-microclimate. By that I mean that it seems like just having a good microclimate isn't always enough, but the specific planting location on that property is important too. My neighbor, Bob, has had some luck and some failures with the bottle palm depending on how much exposure it was given. It seems to want full sun, but setting it out too far away from a wall or canopy makes for a harder knock-back once the low 40's & high 30's come in the winter.

Here's some pics of mine taken this morning. This is the time of year when it looks the best. A long growing season has produced many healthy leaves, but soon we'll experience a cold snap and the leaves will get a lot of cold spotting and scorching. So, might as well enjoy it while I can.

[Chris Chance]

Wow Matty that thing is looking really good. Truly is a bummer the cold is going to set in soon.

[Stevetoad]

Looks perfect!

[quaman58]

Whoa Matt, that thing has gotten big! Which grows faster during the summer. the bottle or spindles?

[MattyB]

Bret, the Bottle Palm puts out more leaves over Summer (4-5 leaves), but the Spindles put on more vertical growth.

[Phoenix Bob]

That bottle is really impressive, especially considering how far inland you are. It is my understanding that the closer you are to the ocean in So. Cal., the better your chances are of remaining frost-free. Rivals any I've seen on Maui.

[LJG]

You gots mad skilz.

[Jastin]

Loos great Matt. Do you protect it in any way if it gets too cold?

[MattyB]

Thanks y'all, especially nice to hear from MC LJG.

Jastin, the first two years I threw a sheet over it when we got down to 38F or so, maybe 4-5 times, but half the time it would be blown off by the time I came out in the morning, plus the dang thing was spotty as hell anyway, so I gave up trying to protect it. The sheet is really to keep frost off of things, and we haven't ever seen frost in this area of the garden the five years I've been here. Once it gets to the lower 40's the leaves spot and scorch no matter if you protect it or not, so I just let it be.

This was one of the first palms I planted, back in July of '07, just two months after we moved in. I cleared a bunch of jade plants in this area and popped this guy in a sunny spot. Here it is back then.

[Kim]

Looks fabulous, MattyB!

[Jastin]

Thanks for the pics and explanation Matt, I wish I would have taken more progress pics along they way with my place. Those pics are priceless!

How much sun does it get? Seeing yours is really making me want to try one. I also haven't see frost at my place since I bought it in feb 2009.

[Gonzer]

Need a photo of Rick Luna's up in San Clemente. That one's tops.

[MattyB]

It used to get full sun from sunrise to sunset, but that livistona is cutting off its late afternoon sun now. Soon it'll shade it a lot. Not sure what will happen. They are sun lovers.

[Pedro 65]

Looks like "Da Bomb"

[Don Little]

Wow Matt, that looks as good as any I've seen in the tropics. I'm blown away, never thought I'd see one that big and nice in so cal. That looks great no matter where you are.

[Walter John]

That's a terrific looking lagencaulis, very well done. You never know, the bottle palm may benefit from the Livistona coverage in colder days.

[Hammer]

That palm looks GREAT! You make growing tough and marginal palms look so easy. I gotta stop reading your threads...they give me hope and that hope won't materialize at my place like at yours!

Did you amend the soil before the original planting? Or was it straight into the clay? Why did you pick that spot to plant it? Was it purely a function of sun and proximity to the house? Where there any other considerations? Thanks.

[BS Man about Palms]

Well done Most Honorable "MattyB-san"

But the many rave reviews here just emphasize what i've said in the past i have noticed touring MANY SoCAL (and out of So Cal) gardens in the past several years... ACTIVE palmtalker gardens ROCK! Its the rapid exchange and knowledge base of someone immersed in this forum that contributes and reaps the vast knowledge here!

Its far superior to a quarterly or bi monthly printing of sometimes outdated material.

Its been obvious to me percentage wise, that a HUGE majority of the best looking gardens I've toured in the last 5 years or so ACTIVELY contribute here or at the very least have been guilty of lurking a bit..

MATTY practices what he preaches!

Amen brudder!..

[Tassie_Troy1971]

Matty B your bottle palm is looking perfect !

Here is a pic of Rick Luna's bottle palm

Matts Bottle palm taken by me in Sept 2010

[MattyB]

Did you amend the soil before the original planting? Or was it straight into the clay? Why did you pick that spot to plant it? Was it purely a function of sun and proximity to the house? Where there any other considerations? Thanks.

I don't have "clay" I have a thin layer of rocky topsoil (0" - 18") sitting right on top of a solid rock shelf. I always mulch heavily, but I don't ever till the soil, that would just be asking for erosion, and not necessary in my opinion. I picked the planting location because it's up near the house and workroom, but just enough set out to get the sun the entire day.

Here's the pics from the planting of the Livistona in 2009. As you can see my "soil" is ridiculous. But once I saw how they were growing palms on the Big Island, right on top of rock, I knew I could do it, I just needed to drip irrigate and mulch heavily.

[Hammer]

Thanks Matty. I think I'm gonna try one!

[MattyB]

Good luck. Put it next to the south wall of the house.

[Hilo Jason]

Wow, that thing just gets better and better looking!

[Kennybenjamin]

From what I understand of your climate that is amazing..... From what I can see of your soil etc that is brilliant!!!

Thanks for your continued updates and congrats on your excellent achievements thus far...................5 more years????

[Kira]

Hi Matty B, I know this thread is old but I live in OC and would like to try growing a bottle palm. Do you know where to buy one in Southern California?

Thanks!

[akamu]

Call around to your local home depots some of them carry bottles from time to time . Planting against a wall on the south side has worked great for me also I have 2 that are doing great with a little spotting in winter 1 of them has some canopy over it with the sun slipping by underneath it and does not experience much spotting at all.

[Josh-O]

Kira,

I sent you a PM

I've got some 8'+ tall specimens available

[MattyB]

Here's the update. Its 22" diameter now.

[LilikoiLee]

_{Those are the most fantastic Bottles I've even seen, and I've seen quite a few here on the Big Island.}

_{Ours look like runts compared to yours and they've been in the ground for a good number of years. I think our mistake was planting taller plants around them so they're not getting enough sun. Time to cut some things down.}

_Lee

[DoomsDave]

M O M M E E E E

[_Keith]

Here's the update. Its 22" diameter now.

Wow.

[GottmitAlex]

On 11/14/2012, 7:01:15, Don Little said:

Wow Matt, that looks as good as any I've seen in the tropics. I'm blown away, never thought I'd see one that big and nice in so cal. That looks great no matter where you are.

Check this one out.

http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?/topic/57292-pra-in-la-jolla-san-diego-ca-usa/

[GottmitAlex]

On 6/14/2015, 8:20:31, MattyB said:

Here's the update. Its 22" diameter now.

How is it doing Matty?

[DoomsDave]

On 6/14/2015, 8:20:31, MattyB said:

Here's the update. Its 22" diameter now.

How about another update, @MattyB?

[MattyB]

Here it is today.  4' of clear trunk and you can see lump on the internodes that will eventually turn into the flowers.

[Palm Tree Jim]

Beefy bottle Matty!

[Pete in Paradise Hills]

Gorgeous palm

[DoomsDave]

@MattyB obscenities have been duly screamed over yours and the one from our last PSSC meeting

[NatureGirl]

I know u guys are talking about So Cal bottle Palms, but I wanted to see if anyone’s heard of this before on a bottle Palm. My bottle has been mature for many, many years. It’s blooms and forms seeds regularly, large size seeds that eventually turn purple. Only thing is....they are completely hollow. Nothing inside. I guess they aren’t pollinating themselves, but why form mature seeds w/nothing inside?? Strange behavior..

[NatureGirl]