New appreciation for the Mules

[ErikSJI]

Faster then Butia slower then queen. 1 1/2 foot a year. in south FL.

I agree Zeeth.

[_Keith]

Faster then Butia slower then queen. 1 1/2 foot a year. in south FL.

I agree Zeeth.

In my experience, much fast than a Butia, slightly slower than a queen.

[mnorell]

I wanted to weigh in on the mule discussion. I just returned from spring cleanup in my garden in Natchez, Mississippi, which saw 18F and three solid days of continuous subfreezing weather, plus ice, snow, and all the rest throughout this past nasty winter. Similar in lows to Keith and David but for much longer durations. My mules initially had looked good but most experienced the usual delayed die-off of fronds. One had spear-pull but I'm sure will survive. A few others look pretty good with most fronds still in good shape. Here is one (the worst hit) of my two large mules, which defoliated except for the frond at left, which partially snapped due to partial necrosis in the petiole (I am leaving it until new spears open, as it's feeding the plant). Note the growth-markings on an emerging frond. The distance from the baseline to the top mark on the rachis of this (partially browned) new spear, approximately one foot, represents about three weeks of growth during early April, which was unusually chilly (and please ignore the intermediate marking). Mine are all Erik's hybrids, so apparently B. odorata x Syagrus romanzoffiana, and I do think all of them (6-8 around the property of varying sizes) will be fine and all are pushing now. But definitely varying in post-cold appearance depending on amount of wind-protection or adjacency to a live-oak/courtyard, etc. (And that is a Chamaedorea radicalis at lower right.)

And re: Phoenix sylvestris, I can say that mine are fine, albeit mostly or totally defoliated. Below is my largest P. sylvestris 'robusta' at nine years from a seedling. What you see is about 12' in height and when fully refoliated will be about 18' or more. Note that this is now in full flower! You can see the inflorescences emerging from the spathes near the top of the trunk, and since this photo was taken, several are now fully open. It really doesn't seem unhappy in the least. I have another smaller specimen that defoliated but is pushing; and two 'standard' P. sylvestris that are young and growing despite defoliation. I also have a P. theophrastii that half-defoliated but is fine, and a small P. loureiroi (humilis) that defoliated and is returning. I also have a P. reclinata hybrid (which I got from MB Palms, I think they said they thought it was crossed with P. sylvestris or P. roebelenii), my two remaining young plants of which sat out in their 3-gallon community plastic pot frozen solid during this winter's cold events. They are now in the ground, with leaves emerging, for what is sure to be a happy career. This was really not a fatal Phoenix event in the 9a Gulf South, unless you're talking about P. roebelenii or perhaps P. rupicola or some of the other most tender species. And BTW nobody should be judging any Rhapis as dead. They will be back! I have new growth at ground-level on R. excelsa, what I think is R. multifida (sold to me as R. humilis), and R. laosensis, which is always the quickest to return each year despite its above-ground tenderness.

[Tropicdoc]

Good grief, C. radicalis is indestructible! I'm glad I bought 5 or 6 liners.

[_Keith]

Good grief, C. radicalis is indestructible! I'm glad I bought 5 or 6 liners.

So is C. microspadix, which I also think is a better looking palm.

[Alicehunter2000]

Excellent info....It has been a dang chilly spring! .... this is the first week that we have had consistent temps in the 70-80 range with 60's at night. That's still too cold....the winter that just keeps on giving.

[Walt]

Today I was up in the Sebring area and decided to drive by and photograph a tall mule palm I've been eyeing for years. About five years ago I was driving by and happened to see the owner out in his yard, so I stopped to talk to him. As I recall, he told me he moved up to Sebring from south Florida (I think Miami) in the early 1980s. He said the mule palm was already there. But he didn't know then (when he first moved there, nor even when I talked to him) what species of palm it was. He told me passerbys would sometimes pick up seeds off the ground. I told the owner the seeds were sterile and explained what I knew about this hybrid palm.

The owner then told me some landscaping company came by and offered him $500 for the palm and said they would plant a queen palm in its place to boot. He turned the offer down. I told the owner, good for you, as the landscaper would have just flipped the palm for big bucks (IMO).

I don't know what a mule palm like this one would cost retail (and considering delivery and planting costs, etc.), but I think I once read in Betrock's Plant Finder that they went for about $150/ foot of clear trunk (wholesale price). I estimate the mule palm in below photo to have 25 feet of clear trunk, maybe even more.

One other thing. The owner told me this mule palm wasn't even fazed by the advective Christmas freeze on 1989. I was told by locals who lived here then that many a queen palm was killed by that cold event. In fact, I think I read where about 60 percent of queen palms in central Florida were killed as a result of the December of 1989 freeze (a two day event).

[sonoranfans]

Today I was up in the Sebring area and decided to drive by and photograph a tall mule palm I've been eyeing for years. About five years ago I was driving by and happened to see the owner out in his yard, so I stopped to talk to him. As I recall, he told me he moved up to Sebring from south Florida (I think Miami) in the early 1980s. He said the mule palm was already there. But he didn't know then (when he first moved there, nor even when I talked to him) what species of palm it was. He told me passerbys would sometimes pick up seeds off the ground. I told the owner the seeds were sterile and explained what I knew about this hybrid palm.

The owner then told me some landscaping company came by and offered him $500 for the palm and said they would plant a queen palm in its place to boot. He turned the offer down. I told the owner, good for you, as the landscaper would have just flipped the palm for big bucks (IMO).

I don't know what a mule palm like this one would cost retail (and considering delivery and planting costs, etc.), but I think I once read in Betrock's Plant Finder that they went for about $150/ foot of clear trunk (wholesale price). I estimate the mule palm in below photo to have 25 feet of clear trunk, maybe even more.

One other thing. The owner told me this mule palm wasn't even fazed by the advective Christmas freeze on 1989. I was told by locals who lived here then that many a queen palm was killed by that cold event. In fact, I think I read where about 60 percent of queen palms in central Florida were killed as a result of the December of 1989 freeze (a two day event).

that is a spectacular mule walt! I love the form, too bad they all dont look like that one.

[Matthew92]

On 4/25/2014, 9:03:08, Walt said:

Today I was up in the Sebring area and decided to drive by and photograph a tall mule palm I've been eyeing for years. About five years ago I was driving by and happened to see the owner out in his yard, so I stopped to talk to him. As I recall, he told me he moved up to Sebring from south Florida (I think Miami) in the early 1980s. He said the mule palm was already there. But he didn't know then (when he first moved there, nor even when I talked to him) what species of palm it was. He told me passerbys would sometimes pick up seeds off the ground. I told the owner the seeds were sterile and explained what I knew about this hybrid palm.

 

The owner then told me some landscaping company came by and offered him $500 for the palm and said they would plant a queen palm in its place to boot. He turned the offer down. I told the owner, good for you, as the landscaper would have just flipped the palm for big bucks (IMO).

 

I don't know what a mule palm like this one would cost retail (and considering delivery and planting costs, etc.), but I think I once read in Betrock's Plant Finder that they went for about $150/ foot of clear trunk (wholesale price). I estimate the mule palm in below photo to have 25 feet of clear trunk, maybe even more.

 

One other thing. The owner told me this mule palm wasn't even fazed by the advective Christmas freeze on 1989. I was told by locals who lived here then that many a queen palm was killed by that cold event. In fact, I think I read where about 60 percent of queen palms in central Florida were killed as a result of the December of 1989 freeze (a two day event).

That's the perfect mule IMO

[ErikSJI]

Gettin there.

[Sanips]

5 hours ago, ErikSJI said:

Gettin there.

In my opinion, even a coconut would be envious of this beautiful palm