Washingtonia filibusta in West Columbia, SC

[Scot from SC]

I drove to the Columbia area today to run some errands, and I took a quick picture of the decades old Washingtonia there. Please excuse the photograph's quality; it was taken with my cell phone's camera.

[Las Palmas Norte]

I know Sabal are routine but are Washingtonia an anomaly in the area?

Cheers, Barrie.

[yabazid]

My filibustas that I had in pots died this winter. So I am not doing it anymore. They were protected from over head precipitation.

[Scot from SC]

Thanks for the replies gentlemen.

Barrie, the most common palms here are sabals, trachycarpus, butias, and needles. There are other types planted, but in public settings those are used the most. You will rarely see Washingtonias and Phoenix palms planted in public spaces.

Younis, I am sorry to hear about your filibustas. If it makes you feel any better, I lost some Washingtonia seedlings too. The thing about Washingtonia seedlings is that seedlings sometimes just suddenly die regardless of care. I have heard many people comment on this. I plant several and hope to get one past this stage. They sprout so easily so I guess this is the trade off. 

[Laaz]

Washingtonias's are fully hardy here along the coast. The further inland you go, the less you see them. Here in the Charleston area they are like weeds...

 

Having coffee out front this morning.

 

[Scot from SC]

Hey Laaz,

Oh yeah, on the coast around Charleston you guys are a definite 8b and in a few spots probably a 9a. Here inland we are 8a, so even though there are a few Washingtonias in public areas, they are fewer than in Charleston and such. I have a decent size seedling off that Washingtonia that I will put in my yard. Around here, I would say sabals are like weeds. I know of a place in Anderson (about fifty miles northwest of me) where Trachycarpus are like weeds.  I love your view by the way!

Edited June 15, 2016 by Scot from SC

[Laaz]

I'm pretty much a solid 9a here. I'm about 1,000 feet from the Ashley river which helps quite a bit. Yeah, Trachy's, Sabal's,Saw's & Butia are all like weeds here too. I have some Uruguay queens in the ground that sailed through last winter without any damage. We'll see how these work out in the future.

I don't even germinate Butia anymore, I just  pull the seedlings from the old boots where the seeds fell. They even go pinnate  in the old boots...

 

[Scot from SC]

Oh wow, that is an amazing photograph. Have you thought about planting something else in the boots? I have a hybrid J X B X S, and between that and a mule, that is about as close to a queen I dare to go.

I figured that you must be close to a 9a. You have some nice options with that zone. Do you have loquats? Mine stay evergreen, but fruiting is hit or miss.

[Laaz]

No loquats as the seeds are poison to dogs & my rottie has a taste for my citrus.

I have a full yard of citrus, 25 ft rudy red grapefruits, satsumas, clementines, navels, variegated oranges, limes & lemons...

Also have 5 mules.

[Laaz]

Just a few...

[Laaz]

Australian bloodlime.

 

 

One of a few 25 ft ruby red grapefruit trees.

 

[Joe NC]

I bought seeds from that exact "filibusta" growing in Colombia on eBay, with the thought that it has the genetics to thrive in z8a in the southeast (there are still some for sale there right now ~5 bucks for 25).  They have all germinated and are decent sized seedlings now.  I will plant one or two in my yard and the other 20 something will get renegade planted around downtown...    

Edited June 15, 2016 by Joe NC

[Brad Mondel]

Nice, I'm trying a filifera up here in Greenville. 

[Scot from SC]

Laaz, your citrus is amazing! I have a few citrus, but nothing close to the size of yours yet. I will have to remember that about dogs and loquat fruit and seeds. I know cycads are bad for them too. Thanks for sharing the amazing pictures.

[Scot from SC]

Joe...I like your term renegade planting. I do that with extra seeds that I have. 

Brad, I am about fifty miles south of you in Greenwood, SC...assuming you meant that you were in Greenville, SC and not NC.

[smithgn]

On ‎6‎/‎14‎/‎2016‎ ‎11‎:‎26‎:‎43‎, Las Palmas Norte said:

I know Sabal are routine but are Washingtonia an anomaly in the area?

Cheers, Barrie.

I wouldn't say they're an anomaly, but like Scot said, you wont see them at all as a public landscaping plant. You'll see them in residential yards here and there, more so in or near the city where we have a decent UHI effect. There's a pure (or near pure) Robusta in the Arsenal Hills part of Columbia that is just as tall as this one. Skinnier trunk and gets fried almost every year but keeps coming back. I'm going to try to post a few pictures by tonight as we do have a few impressive specimens despite only being an 8A.

 

Laaz, great pictures. Could you post some of your mules? how long have they been in ground? Any sort of frost damage at all, especially in the 2013-2014 winters?

[SailorBold]

 

On ‎6‎/‎14‎/‎2016‎ ‎6‎:‎42‎:‎12‎, Scot from SC said:

I drove to the Columbia area today to run some errands, and I took a quick picture of the decades old Washingtonia there. Please excuse the photograph's quality; it was taken with my cell phone's camera.

Yup that's a beautiful Hybrid !