Layering Palms

[_Keith]

I have a large bed in my garden called "The Arch." Each end is anchored by palms. I didn't, as Katheryn so indelicately recently stated, want telephone poles to look at. So at the base of each Washingtonia, I put in a triple Livistona chinensis. As you can see, the effect is exactly what I hoped to accomplish. In another 5 years, as the Livistona start to grow longer legs, I will likely have to add yet another under-story level. Perhaps some Sabal minor, or Rhapidophyllum hystrix, or ????

Anyway, I like where it was, where it is, and where it is going.

Oh, and the only thing wrong with that banana is our first winter freeze.

[Zeeth]

My favorite gardens are ones that have a mix of towering palms with medium and small palms to fill out the understory. You should plant a Sabal louisiana when the Livistona get tall!

[Sabal Steve]

I second S. louisiana. Should form a trunk after a bit as well.

[redbeard917]

Well planned. Looks very lush too. Livistona chinensis looks better over your way. I third the Sabal Louisiana, or maybe Rhapis, or maybe both.

[Alicehunter2000]

I love that look Keith....I always thought that particular combo (washy/chinese) was effective even thought they look so much alike. Something colorful underneath might look good. Doesn't have to be a palm....a blue plant to contrast with the bright green of the chinese or something that flowers alot.

[Alicehunter2000]

Something like this if I knew what it was...

[Sabal Steve]

How about those C. humilis "cerifera" you picked up?

[Sabal Steve]

Something like this if I knew what it was...20131124_123036.jpg

The different shades of shrubby green palms looks great. I have a serenoa repens that i was planning a similar layout with.

[Sabal Steve]

Something like this if I knew what it was...20131124_123036.jpg

The different shades of shrubby green palms looks great. I have a serenoa repens that i was planning a similar layout with.

[_Keith]

How about those C. humilis "cerifera" you picked up?

It will be a few years, at last 3 and maybe 5 before I need that layer. And I would want it to stay low, like a 4 foot high ground cover. The 'cerifera' would give me a different color and texture at the base, but may not spread enough. The needle palms are really appealing to me right now, but I have a few years to think about it.

[nachocarl]

Great look! I love L. chinensis, they are tough great looking palms. I have two and think they are often overlooked because they are common.

[sonoranfans]

Layering is critical to a beautiful palm garden, IMO. Often choices are restricted by zone and shade requirements. I started layering two years ago, putting more cold hardy understory in like several serenoa repens silver under livistona chinensis, jubutyagrus, sabal uresana. Other pairings have chamaerops humilis under livistona decora, and arenga engleri and caryota mitis under roystonea regia. those understory are permanently smaller than the canopy due to species size. Layering can also be done by putting slower growers under or nearby faster ones. I have a phoenix rupicola triple in between bismarckia and jubutyagrus. someday I will have to plant under that rupicola, but it is only 3-5' tall overall now. I also have beccariophoenix alfredii, (6' tall now) layering under a larger 25' tall roystonea regia. Another pairing or tripling is live oak over archontophoenix alexandre triple that is in turn over/near dypsis pembana. Without layering a palm garden will grow into a bunch of poles. I intend to evolve the garden as shade/canopy comes over more of the yard. chamberyonia, satakentia, and more smaller dypsis as well as archronto purpurea are in the plan as shade and canopy winter protection increases.

[Moose]

On 12/6/2013, 10:05:04, _Keith said:

I have a large bed in my garden called "The Arch." Each end is anchored by palms. I didn't, as Katheryn so indelicately recently stated, want telephone poles to look at. So at the base of each Washingtonia, I put in a triple Livistona chinensis. As you can see, the effect is exactly what I hoped to accomplish. In another 5 years, as the Livistona start to grow longer legs, I will likely have to add yet another under-story level. Perhaps some Sabal minor, or Rhapidophyllum hystrix, or ????

 

Anyway, I like where it was, where it is, and where it is going.

 

Oh, and the only thing wrong with that banana is our first winter freeze.

Great planning. 

On 12/6/2013, 10:05:04, _Keith said:

 

 

[_Keith]

Moose, didn't have the right sun angles this afternoon, but they have both grown well together.  I am off on a jet airliner tomorrow morning, but at the end of the week, I'll post more photos, including an update of this one in this thread. http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?/topic/47634-called-out-by-da-moose-pictures-at-11/

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