Wish me luck on a Lemur in San Diego, any bets?

[BS Man about Palms]

Well, I have had various ones of these some of you know and think they are actually more hardy than most think.. BUT I've had a few die, mostly to me letting them go dry when they weren't ready for it...

ANYWAY, I decided to give this small 5 gal Lemurophoenix halleuxii a chance in the ground.

[BS Man about Palms]

Since the front yard is the one I can make an "attempt" at watching right now, I decided it should go there... And I planted it next to the driveway to give it some warmth via reflection.

I also planted it 5 feet from my Dypsis highland mealybug (now nauseosa) that I planted over 5 years ago and was not supposed to live here either..

Its in a 15 gal gopher cage, and now has a shade cloth protection to help. It has pretty much lived outside under 30% shade for the last year and still managed to push 2 leaves. I saw a spear "just" peeking up as I planted it yesterday..

[BS Man about Palms]

Oh yeah, since my Orania that I thought died a year ago or more has been making a comeback, it prompted me to try this ..

We shall see, eh?

[LJG]

Glad to see you are still into palms.

Good luck. Hope this becomes a success story.

[MattyB]

Way to go on the planting Bill. I hope it lives.

[Gtlevine]

I thought you quit the palm hobby, glad your still into them.

[BS Man about Palms]

My first sentence makes little sense due to my excitement that I experienced..

[Kostas]

Way to go Bill!!!! Great to see you are trying it out and that your Orania is recovering!!!

I actually have 2 Lemurophoenix destined for the ground shortly as well,so it was great to see your post!

[Pedro 65]

Bill, "Good Luck" with your Lemur, treat it like your "favourite car" Bill dont let it run out of fuel ( food n water) keep it garaged till the motors ready to go ( under shade cloth) and of course keep it clean ( No weeds and mulched)

Great to hear your back into Palms

Pete

[LJG]

Nice analogy Pete. Head must be getting better

[Shon]

I'll drive by in February and check it out. Good luck.

[Tyrone]

All the best with your Lemur. This is one palm I never could quite get hold of and wouldn't bother with any more in my new cold part of the world. Do what ever you can to keep it alive. Even cover it in the cold until it gets bigger. I reckon it may have a chance in your climate if you can get it 6ft tall.

[DoomsDave]

Hmm.

What's good for Oceanside might be good for La Habra,

Bill, watching closely!

[trioderob]

those things want to be hot and humid

[DoomsDave]

Well, Triode, humid maybe.

They rock Hawaii, which is humid but not hot.

[Walter John]

$2.75 each way bet.

I stopped growing palms once, lost interest completely, threw away the tools and locked away the books and placed the fertiliser out of sight. Five minutes later I was back...

[Jim in Los Altos]

those things want to be hot and humid

As pessimistic as everyone seems to be with the likelyhood of it surviving up here, I planted one in late March and it's putting out its second new leaf since planting it out. The new spear is deep deep red and the previous new leaf was ruby red for a few days before turning green. It is very happy growing under a much larger foxtail palm and gets morning sun and shade thereafter. It isn't like me to spend time protecting any of my palms from the elements but, with this one, I'm willing to baby it as much as needed. These Lemur palms are so incredibly beautiful.

One more thing to note. We had an unusually hot and desert dry heat wave several weeks ago that was breezy too and it left not one scar on my Lemur. It's been humid and balmy since.

[BS Man about Palms]

those things want to be hot and humid

As pessimistic as everyone seems to be with the likelyhood of it surviving up here, I planted one in late March and it's putting out its second new leaf since planting it out. The new spear is deep deep red and the previous new leaf was ruby red for a few days before turning green. It is very happy growing under a much larger foxtail palm and gets morning sun and shade thereafter. It isn't like me to spend time protecting any of my palms from the elements but, with this one, I'm willing to baby it as much as needed. These Lemur palms are so incredibly beautiful.

One more thing to note. We had an unusually hot and desert dry heat wave several weeks ago that was breezy too and it left not one scar on my Lemur. It's been humid and balmy since.

JIm, It didn't register that you had planted one earlier... looking back I think I saw Axel is giving it a try too? That sounds like amazing growth since just March!

I know mine is "hardened".. so we'll see if that helps or hurts its growth.

I will say That I have only had issues with these in the spring. I have had several that went right thru some cold winters in the cold frame and seemed fine. Long ago I decided to treat these similar to a "heeled Dypsis" at least in my locale. That is, when its cool or cold, I would rarely water lest I rot them out. Once bigger with bigger roots, they take plenty of water. They would breeze through winter, but its the spring time when I was trying to ramp back up the water that I would lose them, usually from drying out. (A bit of that is job related, when a heat wave hits, I get busy at work, sometimes to the detriment of my palms.. ) This one had some heavier soil, but the soil "split" while planting, so I hope thats not an issue. I think if it makes it the first month, it stands a good chance.

Time to start a "Lemurs" of California thread! hahaha

[Jim in Los Altos]

those things want to be hot and humid

As pessimistic as everyone seems to be with the likelyhood of it surviving up here, I planted one in late March and it's putting out its second new leaf since planting it out. The new spear is deep deep red and the previous new leaf was ruby red for a few days before turning green. It is very happy growing under a much larger foxtail palm and gets morning sun and shade thereafter. It isn't like me to spend time protecting any of my palms from the elements but, with this one, I'm willing to baby it as much as needed. These Lemur palms are so incredibly beautiful.

One more thing to note. We had an unusually hot and desert dry heat wave several weeks ago that was breezy too and it left not one scar on my Lemur. It's been humid and balmy since.

JIm, It didn't register that you had planted one earlier... looking back I think I saw Axel is giving it a try too? That sounds like amazing growth since just March!

I know mine is "hardened".. so we'll see if that helps or hurts its growth.

I will say That I have only had issues with these in the spring. I have had several that went right thru some cold winters in the cold frame and seemed fine. Long ago I decided to treat these similar to a "heeled Dypsis" at least in my locale. That is, when its cool or cold, I would rarely water lest I rot them out. Once bigger with bigger roots, they take plenty of water. They would breeze through winter, but its the spring time when I was trying to ramp back up the water that I would lose them, usually from drying out. (A bit of that is job related, when a heat wave hits, I get busy at work, sometimes to the detriment of my palms.. ) This one had some heavier soil, but the soil "split" while planting, so I hope thats not an issue. I think if it makes it the first month, it stands a good chance.

Time to start a "Lemurs" of California thread! hahaha

Bill, We'll all have to give each other cyber high fives next Spring if all of our Lemurs do well. I'm surprised at the growth rate of mine too. At first I figured it was Floribunda growth momentum but, after four months in the ground, it's still pushing hard and it was only a 4" potted specimen. When the spear opens I will take a picture and either start a new Lemur thread or add to an existing Lemur thread. Which ever comes first.

[palmislandRandy]

That Lemur's gonna rock, Bill. I understand they like it warm & humid, but i see you don't take no for an answer. I also have quite a few palms that shouldn't grow here. Sometimes you have to go through a few until you find the one with the right "genes". Glad you're going for it. If I had to bet, it at least has a chance knowing your skills.

-Randy

[Jeff Searle]

Listen, I hate to sound negative, but a palm pushing a leaf or two in the last several months is NO positive results to get excited about. To me, if a palm has been planted out for a couple of years and is maintained a certain growth rate and still looks healthy, then I think one could start to feel happy that the palm has a good chance of survival. Good luck on this one Bill.

[Daryl]

Just remember to keep it well watered...they really are a water lover and don't like to dry out.

[Jim in Los Altos]

Listen, I hate to sound negative, but a palm pushing a leaf or two in the last several months is NO positive results to get excited about. To me, if a palm has been planted out for a couple of years and is maintained a certain growth rate and still looks healthy, then I think one could start to feel happy that the palm has a good chance of survival. Good luck on this one Bill.

Jeff, you know what's worse? A palm not pushing a leaf or two in the last few months. That, I would have nothing to be happy about. I'm going to continue to enjoy my Lemur as long as it's doing well and, if at some point it's not, then so be it. and if it does make it after a couple of years as you state...Jump for joy, scream with delight, uncontrollably drool, and tell the world!

[BS Man about Palms]

^ That.

[trioderob]

those things want to be hot and humid

As pessimistic as everyone seems to be with the likelyhood of it surviving up here, I planted one in late March and it's putting out its second new leaf since planting it out. The new spear is deep deep red and the previous new leaf was ruby red for a few days before turning green. It is very happy growing under a much larger foxtail palm and gets morning sun and shade thereafter. It isn't like me to spend time protecting any of my palms from the elements but, with this one, I'm willing to baby it as much as needed. These Lemur palms are so incredibly beautiful.

One more thing to note. We had an unusually hot and desert dry heat wave several weeks ago that was breezy too and it left not one scar on my Lemur. It's been humid and balmy since.

wait till winter hits - its a greenhouse only palm unless it is larger and hardened off

hope you can prove me wrong

Edited July 21, 2014 by trioderob

[quaman58]

Listen, I hate to sound negative, but a palm pushing a leaf or two in the last several months is NO positive results to get excited about. To me, if a palm has been planted out for a couple of years and is maintained a certain growth rate and still looks healthy, then I think one could start to feel happy that the palm has a good chance of survival. Good luck on this one Bill.

That was a buzz-kill..

[Gonzer]

What's all this jibber-jabber about Bill quitting the hobby? The guy takes a hiatus from posting and you guys are ready to throw him a good ol' fashioned Irish wake. Remember what William does for a living then see if maybe he hasn't been a tad busy.

BTW Bill, your Lemur's gonna be a goner by this time next year. Your choice of bromeliad if I'm wrong.

[Mauna Kea Cloudforest]

I have one but it's in a pot, and that's where it's gonna stay. In the Winter it will enjoy balmy lows of 65F in the house. Getting excited over a 4" seedling pushing leaves in the Bay area is a bit premature, especially this Summer where the Ocean water temps in Norcal are running 65F and Bay waters are in the 70's. Overnight lows in the Mission District of San Francisco are running in the upper 60's. Even our overnight lows along the coast here are running in the mid 60's. I am really enjoying this Southern California style weather, it's really weird to have a marine layer and have it be in the 70's.

I give Bill's a 70% chance of being alive and growing again by next Summer. Phil of Jungle music managed to keep one alive for quite a while and killed it by having a branch drop on it. I give Jim's 4" seedling a 10% chance of doing the same. And if it was anyone else besides Jim I'd give it 0%, but obviously Jim has pulled some impossible feats.

[trioderob]

what do you guys think of the odds of growing a

Marojejya darianii

VS

THE RED LEMUR

Edited July 21, 2014 by trioderob

[Kim]

I think Bill stands a chance of keeping a Lemur alive; but don't expect it to ever resemble the Floribunda example. You could pull off the Lemurophoenix version of the Newport Coconut, if that is satisfying.

Marojejya darianii was growing quite well at Mardy's last I saw, some time ago. Under canopy and carefully tended, it can be grown, as the Doc has demonstrated. Does anyone else have them in SoCal?

[LJG]

Ron Lawyer has a nice one. Jeff Brusseau had the nicest looking one I have seen in SoCal but a gopher ate it. It was the size of docs.

[trioderob]

Jeff Brusseau had the nicest looking one I have seen in SoCal but a gopher ate it.

That would be a pissa...............

[Jim in Los Altos]

I have one but it's in a pot, and that's where it's gonna stay. In the Winter it will enjoy balmy lows of 65F in the house. Getting excited over a 4" seedling pushing leaves in the Bay area is a bit premature, especially this Summer where the Ocean water temps in Norcal are running 65F and Bay waters are in the 70's. Overnight lows in the Mission District of San Francisco are running in the upper 60's. Even our overnight lows along the coast here are running in the mid 60's. I am really enjoying this Southern California style weather, it's really weird to have a marine layer and have it be in the 70's.

I give Bill's a 70% chance of being alive and growing again by next Summer. Phil of Jungle music managed to keep one alive for quite a while and killed it by having a branch drop on it. I give Jim's 4" seedling a 10% chance of doing the same. And if it was anyone else besides Jim I'd give it 0%, but obviously Jim has pulled some impossible feats.

Okay, I'll take the 10%. It's certainly better than 0%. Over the years I've been told I can't grow Dictosperma, Roystonea, Wodyetia, Gaussia, and on and on and somehow those palms and others, are doing just fine, thank you. I don't listen to that stuff much anymore. If I did, I wouldn't even have Archontophoenix or Bismarckia or Chambeyronea or ANY Dypsis. I'm going out on a limb and giving my Lemur a 50% chance since I'm willing to give it some extra babying this winter that I never give my other palms. Trying and failing is still better than never trying.

[Tyrone]

I have one but it's in a pot, and that's where it's gonna stay. In the Winter it will enjoy balmy lows of 65F in the house. Getting excited over a 4" seedling pushing leaves in the Bay area is a bit premature, especially this Summer where the Ocean water temps in Norcal are running 65F and Bay waters are in the 70's. Overnight lows in the Mission District of San Francisco are running in the upper 60's. Even our overnight lows along the coast here are running in the mid 60's. I am really enjoying this Southern California style weather, it's really weird to have a marine layer and have it be in the 70's.

I give Bill's a 70% chance of being alive and growing again by next Summer. Phil of Jungle music managed to keep one alive for quite a while and killed it by having a branch drop on it. I give Jim's 4" seedling a 10% chance of doing the same. And if it was anyone else besides Jim I'd give it 0%, but obviously Jim has pulled some impossible feats.

Okay, I'll take the 10%. It's certainly better than 0%. Over the years I've been told I can't grow Dictosperma, Roystonea, Wodyetia, Gaussia, and on and on and somehow those palms and others, are doing just fine, thank you. I don't listen to that stuff much anymore. If I did, I wouldn't even have Archontophoenix or Bismarckia or Chambeyronea or ANY Dypsis. I'm going out on a limb and giving my Lemur a 50% chance since I'm willing to give it some extra babying this winter that I never give my other palms. Trying and failing is still better than never trying.

Yep. You've got nothing to lose really.

[DoomsDave]

what do you guys think of the odds of growing a

Marojejya darianii

VS

THE RED LEMUR

Darianii will grow here, slowly. Dr. Darian has one, I believe. In Hawaii they're unbelievable . . .

[DoomsDave]

I think Bill stands a chance of keeping a Lemur alive; but don't expect it to ever resemble the Floribunda example. You could pull off the Lemurophoenix version of the Newport Coconut, if that is satisfying.

Marojejya darianii was growing quite well at Mardy's last I saw, some time ago. Under canopy and carefully tended, it can be grown, as the Doc has demonstrated. Does anyone else have them in SoCal?

I've had them, and killed them.

They need lots of water, heat and humidity, but not high desert heat. Tough, but doable. I have a protected spot and I'll try one again.

[_Keith]

I know you lost some weight, but aren't you still a little big to ride on a Lemur. No need to wish you luck on a Lemur. Pretty sure you won't get bucked.

[Mr Rare]

The Lemurophenix is a stunner but I don't believe will make it in SC.

I have tried and failed on two occasions but I would love to see you succeed.

The Marojejeya I grew successfully was the insignis species.

I have not seen darianii in SC.

[LJG]

The Lemurophenix is a stunner but I don't believe will make it in SC.

I have tried and failed on two occasions but I would love to see you succeed.

The Marojejeya I grew successfully was the insignis species.

I have not seen darianii in SC.

Docs is "Darianii" for sure.

[Mauna Kea Cloudforest]

I have one but it's in a pot, and that's where it's gonna stay. In the Winter it will enjoy balmy lows of 65F in the house. Getting excited over a 4" seedling pushing leaves in the Bay area is a bit premature, especially this Summer where the Ocean water temps in Norcal are running 65F and Bay waters are in the 70's. Overnight lows in the Mission District of San Francisco are running in the upper 60's. Even our overnight lows along the coast here are running in the mid 60's. I am really enjoying this Southern California style weather, it's really weird to have a marine layer and have it be in the 70's.

I give Bill's a 70% chance of being alive and growing again by next Summer. Phil of Jungle music managed to keep one alive for quite a while and killed it by having a branch drop on it. I give Jim's 4" seedling a 10% chance of doing the same. And if it was anyone else besides Jim I'd give it 0%, but obviously Jim has pulled some impossible feats.

Okay, I'll take the 10%. It's certainly better than 0%. Over the years I've been told I can't grow Dictosperma, Roystonea, Wodyetia, Gaussia, and on and on and somehow those palms and others, are doing just fine, thank you. I don't listen to that stuff much anymore. If I did, I wouldn't even have Archontophoenix or Bismarckia or Chambeyronea or ANY Dypsis. I'm going out on a limb and giving my Lemur a 50% chance since I'm willing to give it some extra babying this winter that I never give my other palms. Trying and failing is still better than never trying.

Jim, it's one thing to push the envelope in Northern California and grow things that have made it down south but might be a push in Norcal, it's another matter altogether to try to grow things that even the best Southern California growers have trouble with. Lemurophoenix is not comparable to a foxtails, there are mature foxtails in Riverside of all places, so it's not impossible in Norcal. But lemurophoenix is one of those like pritchardia pacifica that even the best have failed at in Socal. I have pritchardia pacifica that grow like weeds here during the Summer, but I am sending mine to a better climate in a couple of weeks. No amount of protecting is going to make a palm survive the Winter if it can't take chill. It's not a matter of frost or freeze, it's a matter of how many hours below 50F you have. The only places where Lemurophoenix has a chance is in the parts of San Diego right next to the Beach where the average Winter low is almost 50F, those places see maybe 10-50 hours of chill per Winter and maybe 5-10 nights per year with overnight lows below 50F.

I actually think you have a shot at trying one out, but not by putting a 4" seedling in the ground. If you raised it in a pot for a couple of years until it's nice and big, then you would have a decent chance. I had a chance with my lastelliana highland form, but I did the dumb move of putting it in the ground way too soon.

I am actually trying Marojejya insignis up here, it's a much higher elevation palm than dariani, and reports from Socal are much more favorable. It's definitely a stretch here, so it will probably get a few more years in a pot with bottom heat during the Winter.