Palms from the neighborhood

[Don Little]

Just driving around today on errands and got the idea to take my camera along and take some pics of a few palms in the nearby area. The I.E. (Inland Empire) is the fancy name they've given this area of so cal. (not to be confused with the O.C.)

here is a tunnel of healthy P dactylifera just outside of my place of employment

[Don Little]

Here are some W filferas at a local shopping mall.  They have been there for about 10 years and have almost doubled in size.  There are is well over 100 of these thru out the parking lot

A shopping cart next to one to show size of trunk

A two headed C humilis at the Lowes here in R.C.

[Don Little]

These have got to be some of the tallest Washies in the area got to be pushing 90' to 100' and on windy days they can get to swaying pretty good.  Needless to say they have been there for a long time

Another pic of some of them.  You can see them from several miles away.  There is about 10 of these along the street all close to the same height

yet another shot with a car for comparison

[Don Little]

A nice Brahea edulis in someones front lawn.  A good friend of mine used to live here and before I got bit by the palm bug I just thought it was the slowest washie I had seen.  I love the look of these and suprisingly there are quite a few of these around the area although I have never seen them for sale anywhere other than special palm nursery

Here is another one around the corner with inflorescence

[Don Little]

Here is a Brahea armata not far from the others.  I find this to be one of the most stunning palm when it is flowering along with its nice silver blue coloration.  I don't know why I don't have one yet, I'll have to change that.

same plant slightly different view

A L chinensis about a block away from the B armatas.  He has 3 that are about this size in his yard

[Don Little]

Saw this little majesty and had to get a pic of it.  These have become very popular here over the last 8 to 10 years.  I am starting to see some that are quite large now  some pushing 20' plus and they breezed right thru the Freeze that we had here in Janunary

Here is a shot of a nice size C humilis.  I'm sure this one has been there for a while

[Don Little]

This guy loves washies.  I couldn't even fit them all into the frame.  His front yard is also very nice with a nice assortment of palms but since he was out front I didn't want to look suspicious taking pictures of his house

Here are some nice looking A cunninghamianas.   There are quite a few of these around here but unfortuantely most do not get watered enough to look really nice, which is also the same problem with the majesties I've noticed.

[Don Little]

Check out these CIDP's.  Pics don't even do them justice.  Kris I hope you like these, Just plain awesome

here is a smaller CIDP with a little B armata next to it.  The trunks on these are just massive even at a reletively small size.

and finally for now anyway this same guy has quite a few queens and some washies in his yard.  The pic was taken into the sun but the queen is almost as tall as the washies.  

I hope you found my little part of the neighborhood interesting.  Its funny, but I just never noticed all the different palms untill the bug got me.  Will post more pics tommorrow.

[elHoagie]

Nice work Don.  That B. armata is fantastic!

[Don Little]

Thanks Jack, Ive seen it around for years, I wish it was mine but since I drive by it all the time at least I get to see it regularly.  There is actually two there, one just to the right.  I should have got a pic of both

[kylecawazafla]

Is there still snow on the peaks in the shot with the CIDP's? I would have expected more damage on the King Palms (Bangalows) after the freeze since i heard there was snow there. Did they regrow their crowns already?

[Don Little]

Kyle,

The mountains in the background are south facing and so even when they get a heavy snow it doesn't last long but there could possibly be snow on the backside still, I haven't been up there recently, what your seeing is a heavy marine layer we had that day and it was finally starting to burn off hence the hazy appearance and some clouds near the mountains in the background.  The freeze we had this year was strange in that my house got down to 29 but other areas that I would have suspected to have been warmer than me saw temps in the mid to low 20's with lots of casualties.  These Kings in the pic were untouched by the freeze, there size no doubt helped too.  many of the areas nearby also saw about 1/2" snow that actually stuck for a short period but these Kings are pretty tough. About the only loss I saw in my general area was a couple of A alexandraes nearby that were still relatively small.  I can't confirm that they are dead but they looked like they might have been toast.  Will go back and check on their condition.

[osideterry]

The mountain in the photo is Cucamonga Peak, the highest summit on the east end of the San Gabriel Mountains at almost 8900ft. It gets great color at sunset. I can't help but notice it when I go up that way.

I think that younger CIDP is a beauty. I like the more restrained cleanup on the trunk. More natural looking.

[Walter John]

Imagine what some people have tucked away behind their houses in the back. Great camera work. Those washies so tall are impressive I must say.

[palmmermaid]

Very nice Phoenixes!  Also glad to see they haven't been shaved and varnished!  That is the new trend here in Palm Beach County.  They are actually varnishing the trunks!  When they are done the palms look like artificial palms!  Your climate is much better for them than ours.

The tall washies are unbelieveable!  The filiferas are very nice.  The robusta is common here and not used very well.  When we bought our house there was a group of 3 planted right in front of the house.  While they looked nice for a couple of years, they soon outgrew nice and would eventually have turned into telephone poles!  I cut them down and planted a Copernicia prunifera.  While it may get tall, it won't be in my lifetime!

Nice pics!

[Kris]

Dear Don  

those stills have virtually brought me to my knees,since all my loved onces were there_Jesus ! iam speach less !

to name a few_the brehas,CIDP,Washy Filifera's,Med Fan Palm..

And Don thanks for rembering me...

And how old will that little CIDP be any guess and it seems its trunk is painted white,is it for esthetics or any pest control treatment ?

Since i wish to see my CIDP grow to at lest to that size in my life time_say some where 62 to 64 years of my age.

And don once again thanks a thousand times for showing me those beauties !

Love,

Kris  

[Don Little]

(osideterry @ May 08 2007,15:44)

QUOTE

The mountain in the photo is Cucamonga Peak, the highest summit on the east end of the San Gabriel Mountains at almost 8900ft. It gets great color at sunset. I can't help but notice it when I go up that way.

I think that younger CIDP is a beauty. I like the more restrained cleanup on the trunk. More natural looking.

Terry,

There is a hiking trail that starts in the back that takes you all the way to the top of Cucamonga peak (its a pretty tough hike but worth it) and if you are up there on a clear day you can easily see Catalina and beyond.  At the Huntington Pier in Dukes canoe club they have a picture taken from the pier showing those same mountains while snow capped.  

My neighbor had a CIDP the same size as the smaller one with about 8' of trunk with all the leafbases on.  I came home one day to find out it was gone.  He had some guys come and cut it up and take it out.  Could have had a heart attack when I heard that.  I would have taken it off his hands and paid for its move if only he had said something.

[Don Little]

(Wal @ May 09 2007,05:32)

QUOTE

Imagine what some people have tucked away behind their houses in the back. Great camera work. Those washies so tall are impressive I must say.

Thaks Wal, I'm still learning to use it. I want to make sure I get it down before we go to the Philippines in September to visit my wifes family.   Looking forward to getting some nice palm pics there of things I could only dream of growing.  

Occasionaly I like to take a drive thru some of the neighborhoods to see what people are growing and sometimes you find some gems that  people are growing that for years you never even knew were there.

[Don Little]

(palmmermaid @ May 09 2007,08:17)

QUOTE

Very nice Phoenixes!  Also glad to see they haven't been shaved and varnished!  That is the new trend here in Palm Beach County.  They are actually varnishing the trunks!  When they are done the palms look like artificial palms!  Your climate is much better for them than ours.

The tall washies are unbelieveable!  The filiferas are very nice.  The robusta is common here and not used very well.  When we bought our house there was a group of 3 planted right in front of the house.  While they looked nice for a couple of years, they soon outgrew nice and would eventually have turned into telephone poles!  I cut them down and planted a Copernicia prunifera.  While it may get tall, it won't be in my lifetime!

Nice pics!

Thanks Kitty,

I agree with you on the artificial look that some of them have.  I didn't realize they were varnishing the trunks!   The natural look I think is better.  Nice choice of replacement palms for your washies.

The washies look like poles at that height but I still find them impressive for their sheer heighth and the way the trunks sway in the wind.  As skinny as they look those bases are suprisingly wide but to support something that tall I guess thats what you want

[Scott]

Don - you opened up the topic with a great shot! Love the Brahea. Great CIDP too!

Thanks for sharing

[Don Little]

(krisachar @ May 09 2007,11:29)

QUOTE

Dear Don  

those stills have virtually brought me to my knees,since all my loved onces were there_Jesus ! iam speach less !

to name a few_the brehas,CIDP,Washy Filifera's,Med Fan Palm..

And Don thanks for rembering me...

And how old will that little CIDP be any guess and it seems its trunk is painted white,is it for esthetics or any pest control treatment ?

Since i wish to see my CIDP grow to at lest to that size in my life time_say some where 62 to 64 years of my age.

And don once again thanks a thousand times for showing me those beauties !

Love,

Kris  

Kris,

I'm glad you enjoyed the Brahea's, filfera's and the CIDP's.  You came to mind when I took the pics of those CIDP's.  As far as age, I'm not certain but I know they are pretty old.  Not certain of the age of that particular house but some of them were built in the 1930's and 40's.  I would guess they are probably close to the same age as the house though.

[Don Little]

(Scott @ May 10 2007,01:39)

QUOTE

Don - you opened up the topic with a great shot! Love the Brahea. Great CIDP too!

Thanks for sharing

Thanks Scott.  

I'm really impressed with how the company keeps those dates up.   On the opposite side of the street there is also quite a few P dactyliferas but they don't look near as healthy and are way over pruned.  Even on a hot day there is always nice shade in that tunnel.

[bgl]

Don,

Great pictures! I particularly enjoyed the one in Post 8 with the tall CIDPs and Cucamonga Peak in the background. Having mountains as a backdrop is always a big plus!

Bo-Göran

[Don Little]

(bgl @ May 10 2007,01:59)

QUOTE

Don,

Great pictures! I particularly enjoyed the one in Post 8 with the tall CIDPs and Cucamonga Peak in the background. Having mountains as a backdrop is always a big plus!

Bo-Göran

Thanks Bo,

When I took the pic I didn't even think about the mountains at first, I was jsut mesmerized by the size of them.  It wasn't untill afterward that I thought about the mountains, they certainly add to the effect.  The mountains are actually closer than they appear but on that day there was a heavy marine layer that was just burning off which is why it appears a little hazy.  When it looks like that during the dead of summer however it's just good ole smog.

[happ]

Some great shots, Don  

I remember when the countryside was citrus groves from R. Cucumonga to San Bernardino.  And the roads were lined with towering washingtonia, esp robusta.

There are some gorgeous palms in Riverside & Coachella valley.  Wish someone would post photos of Mission Inn.

[Don Little]

Thanks Happ

Last week I went out to visit some family in Palm Springs and I was noticing what seemed like thousands of W robustas there off the 10 in the Redlands area, which somehow I had always taken for granted but this time I was amazed at the beauty of all of them and the sheer quantity.  I have certainly grown in my appreciation lately for Washintonias.  

As far as the orange groves, its a shame that most are all gone now except for for some in outlying areas and a few private lots that some still have growing but nowhere near what it was 15 or 20 years ago.  Even in the Corona and Riverside area which seems to be one of the last holdouts for orange groves has seen many of their disappear for residential development.

[osideterry]

Don: Cucamonga Peak is on my peakbagging wishlist, I just don't get up that way much. It's that steep@$$ haul up Icehouse Canyon if I remember. I have to do that one before I get too old to try. Hiking really took a hit when I started landscaping my yard a few years ago.