Brahea Super Silver

[xvang01]

Diaz, big difference from last time. It must be the fresno heat.!

[Hillizard]

On 6/29/2017, 5:26:40, Hillizard said:

JDiaz: You'll likely see pictures of more mature specimens of Brahea sp. 'Super Silver' from others, but this is mine here in Sacto that started out quite small years ago in a liner. It's been planted in my palm berm for about 1.5 years. Between the cold and hot weather this year, it's taken a few hits, but growth now seems to be accelerating. I assume it will need to grow larger before the leaves take on a bluish tint. For that, my Sabal uresana nearby doesn't disappoint, even at its young age! 

Even though it was a relatively mild winter here in NorCal, I had a spear pull on my Brahea 'Super Silver' in early spring, which was a surprise. But to my relief a new leaf is already emerging. Now I'm hoping to see some blue leaf coloration later this year.

[TexasColdHardyPalms]

I know I sound like a broken record but I don't understand how a juvenile plant can burn and loose the spear with a 9B winter and then 4 years later becomes a zone 7B palm... 

Super silvers are the most cold hardy trunking Brahea period.

[Hillizard]

6 minutes ago, TexasColdHardyPalms said:

I know I sound like a broken record but I don't understand how a juvenile plant can burn and loose the spear with a 9B winter and then 4 years later becomes a zone 7B palm... 

Super silvers are the most cold hardy trunking Brahea period.

It's a mystery to me too! Perhaps what I have was mislabeled when I bought it years ago in SoCal and isn't actually a 'super silver' and is a less cold-hardy Brahea? And of course, there are different temperature tolerances among individual palms of the same species. Or maybe I have a microclimate cold spot where I planted it? I'm just glad it survived.

[Island mnt.]

35 minutes ago, TexasColdHardyPalms said:

I know I sound like a broken record but I don't understand how a juvenile plant can burn and loose the spear with a 9B winter and then 4 years later becomes a zone 7B palm... 

Super silvers are the most cold hardy trunking Brahea period.

Zone 9 plus its in my green house, i get almost universal spear pull every year which almost all come back, their 3-4 yrs old. I'm just hoping they can take my winter when big, im highly doubting their even a zone 8 ever? I have puebla high altitude towns on my weather and it doesn't get cold at 6000 ft. ??? Where is there an outdoor SS where it frosts or light snow in the U.S. ??

[TexasColdHardyPalms]

Our Super Silver saw 8F this year and only had 50% burn and every other Brahea totally defoliated.  My 1G's SS's all spear pulled, some died inside a cold frame at a frostless 22F and half my small 5G plants spear pulled in another house at 23F. 

[Island mnt.]

Thats very hopeful and relieves some stress. How much trunk and old is yours when u put it out?  And when it took 8*.  Ive never seen colder than 22f but very wet winters, what size / age do u think i can put it in the ground w those conditions?

[TexasColdHardyPalms]

The picture of it is on page one of this thread.

[Grasswing]

Hi everyone,

I ordered sprouted seeds of Brahea super silver and received them today. What surprised me is the size of the seed they are growing from, it is really small for a Brahea. Do you think it is legit super silver or the seller sent me something else?

[palmsnbananas]

Those were the size I germinated as well! Looks like the real thing. Yes very small. 

[Island mnt.]

On 1/9/2018, 9:00:09, Stevetoad said:

Nitida and super silver look a lot alike when young. Once they get about 4 foot super silver should be silver on top and bottom. Nitida will always stay dark green with some silver on top. I do feel that super silver would be a good try in humid south Florida though. Last summer was very humid in my area and my brandegeei showed some funk on the new growth and I lost my biggest parajubea (about 18foot). Super sile

20 hours ago, Grasswing said:

Hi everyone,

I ordered sprouted seeds of Brahea super silver and received them today. What surprised me is the size of the seed they are growing from, it is really small for a Brahea. Do you think it is legit super silver or the seller sent me something else?

Their similar to washys, size n look

 

[Grasswing]

@Island mnt. Washies have even smaller seeds with different shape. Lets hope it really is super silver. 

[Mandrew968]

Update on mine. 

[Mandrew968]

Brahea do very well in South Florida, from my observations.

[Marius]

It appears that my Palm purchased as B clara is Super Silver. It has no petiole spines. Any thoughts please? 

[Marius]

Also purchased 3 B dulcis. Are these dulcis or calcarea?  They too have no spines / thorns on the petioles. 

[Marius]

More pictures of Brehea clara. / super silver???

 

[coops 3214]

Mine is finally starting to turn blue anyone got any idea on how big these things will get whos got the biggest 1 out there??

[Stevetoad]

15 minutes ago, coops 3214 said:

Mine is finally starting to turn blue anyone got any idea on how big these things will get whos got the biggest 1 out there??

I think they will be a thinner trunk and smaller crown than armada. Maybe more like B.  edulis. Mine has a pretty small crown even getting only morning sun. 

 

[Josue Diaz]

32 minutes ago, Stevetoad said:

I think they will be a thinner trunk and smaller crown than armada. Maybe more like B.  edulis. Mine has a pretty small crown even getting only morning sun. 

 

I love that you take these photos to track growth of your palms and your kiddo. Thanks for the update on Super Silver. it's a spectacular palm. 

[DoomsDave]

On 5/11/2018, 3:36:40, Grasswing said:

Hi everyone,

I ordered sprouted seeds of Brahea super silver and received them today. What surprised me is the size of the seed they are growing from, it is really small for a Brahea. Do you think it is legit super silver or the seller sent me something else?

I think they're legit.

Some Braheas are small-seeded. Dulcis is another, and a great one to have, too.

 

[coops 3214]

7 hours ago, Stevetoad said:

I think they will be a thinner trunk and smaller crown than armada. Maybe more like B.  edulis. Mine has a pretty small crown even getting only morning sun. 

 

How old is this 1??

[DoomsDave]

On 2/13/2018, 10:45:25, Josue Diaz said:

 

Dave mine's catching up to yours  Not as blue yet

 

It’s gonna start turning any day now.

[Matt N- Dallas]

I’ve grown super silver from seed in three cities of TX: Dallas, Austin and San Marcos. In all three places, small plants have been cold tender and very susceptible to spear pull and defoliation- more so than b. armata.  Even quick dips to 18*-19* have defoliated them, although they’ve provided robust regrowth in the spring.  All had green leaves and have gradually changed to slightly glaucous, then silver w/ age and size- similar to b. decumbens. A beautiful palm that seems to gain hardiness w/ age and size. 

[DoomsDave]

18 or 19 F?

Run screaming down the street!

[Stevetoad]

22 hours ago, coops 3214 said:

How old is this 1??

If I remember right I planted this in 2012 as an average one gallon 

[akaranus]

On 25. 12. 2018., Stevetoad said:

I think they will be a thinner trunk and smaller crown than armada. Maybe more like B.  edulis. Mine has a pretty small crown even getting only morning sun. 

 

What a beauty...this is mine, the biggest one...also bought as nitida..survived 3 days down to 21f...

[akaranus]

In Montenegro in one garden there are few huge ones planted some years ago..

[Josue Diaz]

Someone posted this google view link on a different forum. It looks like B. Super Silver in habitat along with other Brahea. 

https://www.google.fr/maps/@18.4401652,-97.626769,3a,72.3y,51.92h,93.29t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1spHXPimqjkI4_08DZvDA9tg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

[TexasColdHardyPalms]

that's much further south than I thought they were located.

[Josue Diaz]

I was excited to finally see a shift in color with its newer fronds

[Stevetoad]

5 minutes ago, Josue Diaz said:

I was excited to finally see a shift in color with its newer fronds

this stage is fun. every leaf will be a little more silver than the last.  

[Ben in Norcal]

One of my little chaps is starting to color up.

[Josue Diaz]

Here's an update on mine

 

Edited December 4, 2021 by Josue Diaz

[DoomsDave]

On 9/19/2018 at 12:01 AM, Marius said:

It appears that my Palm purchased as B clara is Super Silver. It has no petiole spines. Any thoughts please? 

You are lucky (expletive)!

[palmfriend]

Hi,

just found this thread - awesome images of a spectacular species! 

I somehow got aware of this palm probably a year ago and had ordered a few seeds, I am glad to have now some young plants like 

this one...

 

They are already sticking out with their silverish straps - next spring I will "unleash" the first one into the garden... 

I hope it will do well.

 

Lars

 

[tim_brissy_13]

1 hour ago, palmfriend said:

Hi,

just found this thread - awesome images of a spectacular species! 

I somehow got aware of this palm probably a year ago and had ordered a few seeds, I am glad to have now some young plants like 

this one...

 

They are already sticking out with their silverish straps - next spring I will "unleash" the first one into the garden... 

I hope it will do well.

 

Lars

 

I’ve always known B ‘super silver’ to go palmate well before turning blue/silver. Any chance you’ve got another Brahea? B armata starts out blue/silver pretty much straight away. 

[palmfriend]

On 12/4/2021 at 7:26 PM, tim_brissy_13 said:

I’ve always known B ‘super silver’ to go palmate well before turning blue/silver. Any chance you’ve got another Brahea? B armata starts out blue/silver pretty much straight away. 

I see. It might be possible that I got something else then what I had ordered. It was a supplier

via amazon Japan.... 

Thanks for the hint!

 

Lars

[Island mnt.]

On 7/6/2017 at 6:19 PM, Stevetoad said:

I got one. Fastest brahea I have other than brandy. 

Monkey for scale

Do you think we can get an updated pic, I’m trying to average it’s growth rate, how much trunk growth you think it did this year? Is it seeding yet?

[Stevetoad]

On 12/5/2021 at 7:57 PM, Island mnt. said:

Do you think we can get an updated pic, I’m trying to average it’s growth rate, how much trunk growth you think it did this year? Is it seeding yet?

Here an update. The lowest petiole is 7ft. Not sure of the overall height. It’s getting close to the bottom of the crown being taller than my roof. I’m looking forward to letting its crown stay full. It will also get full sun at that point.