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Thee Washingtonia Filifera of Wilmington, NC

frienduvafrond

By frienduvafrond
in COLD HARDY PALMS

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frienduvafrond Collaborator

frienduvafrond

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Carolina Beach Rd. almost to Carolina Beach, at a nursery that sells palms. It used to be at a putt-putt golf course in town, got moved to another nursery that went out of business, and ended up there. It got around. Stands to reason there may be another in town, but not that I'm aware. The Robustas are toast. This one looks as if it will pull through. The guy there said I could collect the seeds as he does nothing with them. Has been seeding for a few years now, I've just been lazy .

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Anthony_B Enthusiast

Anthony_B

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Did you see the one on 2nd between Market and Dock?  It is smoked.  But that thing gets smoked every year, and by July it looks brand new.

 

Then there are the two at 3rd and Castle.  They were so beautiful last year, but those three 9 degree nights in January just destroyed them and they cut the tops off.

 

Personally, I think they are all going to pull through.  If you look hard enough, Washingtonia's are everywhere in this area.  There are dozens of them along Wrightsville and Carolina Beaches, and it seems like hundreds at the Brunswick beaches.  Some guy in my neighborhood in Leland planted 3 of them along his walkway.  Those may not make it since they were so young.  The guy obviously has no idea what he is getting himself into if he wants to grow a Washingtonia anything in close proximity along his walkway...

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frienduvafrond Collaborator

frienduvafrond

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21 hours ago, Anthony_B said:

Did you see the one on 2nd between Market and Dock?  It is smoked.  But that thing gets smoked every year, and by July it looks brand new.

 

Then there are the two at 3rd and Castle.  They were so beautiful last year, but those three 9 degree nights in January just destroyed them and they cut the tops off.

 

Personally, I think they are all going to pull through.  If you look hard enough, Washingtonia's are everywhere in this area.  There are dozens of them along Wrightsville and Carolina Beaches, and it seems like hundreds at the Brunswick beaches.  Some guy in my neighborhood in Leland planted 3 of them along his walkway.  Those may not make it since they were so young.  The guy obviously has no idea what he is getting himself into if he wants to grow a Washingtonia anything in close proximity along his walkway...

Those are all Robustas. The one downtown is in a nice microclimate. There are quite a few, but many less than there used to be, Every year a few more get removed, and yet a few more get planted, thanks to the big box stores. A few may make it through this historic cold event we had, but you will see  many taken out this year. The cold wet winters eventually nail them. I planted one in '98' at a yard I was landscaping on the inter-coastal waterway, which I had bought at a big box store for $5. It is (was) probably 30' now. It pulled through in '14' and '10', but me thinks it crapped the bed this time.  The palm above is the only Filifera I know of in town, and is just hardier, but slower growing.

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TexasColdHardyPalms Grand Master

TexasColdHardyPalms

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PURE Filifera leaf hardiness does vary quite a bit. I have a few that won't defoliate in single digits while others are completely burned at 13-15 10 feet away.  Same seed batch from the same tree in the same native area.

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Anthony_B Enthusiast

Anthony_B

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On 4/9/2018, 8:40:25, frienduvafrond said:

Those are all Robustas. The one downtown is in a nice microclimate. There are quite a few, but many less than there used to be, Every year a few more get removed, and yet a few more get planted, thanks to the big box stores. A few may make it through this historic cold event we had, but you will see  many taken out this year. The cold wet winters eventually nail them. I planted one in '98' at a yard I was landscaping on the inter-coastal waterway, which I had bought at a big box store for $5. It is (was) probably 30' now. It pulled through in '14' and '10', but me thinks it crapped the bed this time.  The palm above is the only Filifera I know of in town, and is just hardier, but slower growing.

The one at 2nd and Market is the only Robusta I've seen.  I don't know how that thing survives.  It looks like it belongs in Beverly Hills.

 

I'm not the best with Washingtonia's, but I think the two at 3rd and Castle are more Filifera.  They're pretty wide and thick. They don't look like a Robusta to me.  I think they're hybridized.  The tops are lopped off now.  I hope they come back, they were picturesque.

2.thumb.jpg.3f816e2954258b7e80a3178befaf

 

There are Washingonia's all over the place.  Well, they're probably filibusta's or whatever crafty name they came up with for the hybridized versions.  They are literally all over the place at the beaches, and they look like they've been there for decades.

1.thumb.jpg.5473a2f308097ba893591cc44b8c

It seems to me that the key to success is getting something Filifera-based established.  Once you get them established in Wilmington, they look like they keep coming back, and established ones along the southern beaches appear to be pretty bulletproof.

 

Bookmark this one.  I have got to see if these things survived the past 4 winters.  Dacty's in Brunswick County, can you imagine.  This guy looks like he made a 5 figure error in judgment.

 

3.thumb.jpg.a3099698f647907ba38de1a60403

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Anthony_B Enthusiast

Anthony_B

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On 4/9/2018, 12:37:51, TexasColdHardyPalms said:

PURE Filifera leaf hardiness does vary quite a bit. I have a few that won't defoliate in single digits while others are completely burned at 13-15 10 feet away.  Same seed batch from the same tree in the same native area.

That's when you buy 5 of them, leave them out in containers all winter and plant what survives.  It would be cheaper weeding out the weaklings that way than to plant them and have to cut them down later.

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TexasColdHardyPalms Grand Master

TexasColdHardyPalms

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We left 7500 1gallons Filifera out in 19F this winter and weeded them out for our customers.  Only the strong survived and will live a long life.

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PalmTreeDude Grand Master

PalmTreeDude

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22 hours ago, TexasColdHardyPalms said:

We left 7500 1gallons Filifera out in 19F this winter and weeded them out for our customers.  Only the strong survived and will live a long life.

This is something that I like about how you sell your palms. You make sure to sell the strong ones that have a chance. I will most likely end up ordering from you sometime this spring. 

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PalmTreeDude

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PalmTreeDude Grand Master

PalmTreeDude

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On 4/11/2018, 5:58:50, Anthony_B said:

The one at 2nd and Market is the only Robusta I've seen.  I don't know how that thing survives.  It looks like it belongs in Beverly Hills.

 

I'm not the best with Washingtonia's, but I think the two at 3rd and Castle are more Filifera.  They're pretty wide and thick. They don't look like a Robusta to me.  I think they're hybridized.  The tops are lopped off now.  I hope they come back, they were picturesque.

2.thumb.jpg.3f816e2954258b7e80a3178befaf

 

There are Washingonia's all over the place.  Well, they're probably filibusta's or whatever crafty name they came up with for the hybridized versions.  They are literally all over the place at the beaches, and they look like they've been there for decades.

1.thumb.jpg.5473a2f308097ba893591cc44b8c

It seems to me that the key to success is getting something Filifera-based established.  Once you get them established in Wilmington, they look like they keep coming back, and established ones along the southern beaches appear to be pretty bulletproof.

 

Bookmark this one.  I have got to see if these things survived the past 4 winters.  Dacty's in Brunswick County, can you imagine.  This guy looks like he made a 5 figure error in judgment.

 

3.thumb.jpg.a3099698f647907ba38de1a60403

Those Dacty's are not going to have much fun there in the winter. Washingtonia are fun to mess around with in the Carolinas but only have a good chance (in N.C.) along the coast. In S.C. I have seen some huge Washingtonia inland. 

PalmTreeDude

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frienduvafrond Collaborator

frienduvafrond

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The Washingtonias are fun to "play" with as you say. When I put in a landscape I guarantee the plants for a year, so I quit using the Washy's in the late 90's. They can weigh as much as 100 pound per foot of trunk. They are not fun to remove. None of the nurserys ever offer pure filifera here, or probably even know the difference for that matter.  Big difference between "survive" and "thrive" in my opinion.  This will be a particularly interesting year, as thousands of Butia are looking dead. Med. Fans look bad. I had spear pull on pamettos this year. The warm December, record cold January, hot February, record cold wet March was a funeral durge for palms. On the bright side, the ones that make it will be the ones to collect seed from.

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Joe NC Proficient

Joe NC

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On 4/12/2018, 7:05:13, PalmTreeDude said:

I'm not the best with Washingtonia's, but I think the two at 3rd and Castle are more Filifera.  They're pretty wide and thick. They don't look like a Robusta to me.  I think they're hybridized.  The tops are lopped off now.  I hope they come back, they were picturesque.

I know the former owner of those palms, and they are/were filabusta of some degree.  The one on the right doesn't take the cold as well as the one on the left.  They were accidentally planted instead of Sabal.

WP_20161007_026.thumb.jpg.23a25f77b662dd  

My hybrid (RIP) did not make it this winter. No amount of trunk cutting found any living tissue.  It was all a pink rotten soup, and I had put the peroxide to it .  I used all my lights and thermo-cube on the Mule (which is fine).  This guy was getting too spiny and huge to protect, and I was hoping it would be strong enough to survive on it's own.  One less Washy in Wilmington.

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I saw some green coming out of the Washy's on Carolina Beach Rd. at the place that sells propane and grills. Nice micro-climate (southeast facing , up against a wall). This lingering cool/wet weather is probably not ideal though.

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Joe NC Proficient

Joe NC

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On 4/11/2018, 5:58:50, Anthony_B said:

The one at 2nd and Market is the only Robusta I've seen.  I don't know how that thing survives.  It looks like it belongs in Beverly Hills.

 

I'm not the best with Washingtonia's, but I think the two at 3rd and Castle are more Filifera.  They're pretty wide and thick. They don't look like a Robusta to me.  I think they're hybridized.  The tops are lopped off now.  I hope they come back, they were picturesque.

2nd and Market = Dead.

3rd and Castle = Dead.

Filabusta @ Sahara Pitas and Subs on Market = Dead.

Riverfront Hilton = Dead and removed.

I forgot to look a the one behind Barbary Coast downtown, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say dead....

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RJ Grand Master

RJ

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Wow rugged. How cold did you guys get up there? I used to live in Raleigh about 10 years ago but only for a year then I got shipped (Job xfer) to Greenville, SC then back north. Sure am glad to be back south for good this time. Looking forward to planting some palms in the next few years. 

 

 

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Joe NC Proficient

Joe NC

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18 hours ago, RJ said:

Wow rugged. How cold did you guys get up there? 

From the Airport (downtown was probably a little warmer?) 

Jan 2018               Temp. (°F)          

Day        high       avg         low                                        

1              32           26           19                          

2              35           26           17          

3              35           26           17                                          

4              35           30           24                          

5              35           25           15                          

6              31           21           11          

7              33           23           12                          

8              54           34           14                          

9              68           51           34                          

10           65           50           35                          

11             63             59             55

 

Freezing rain then snow on the 3rd which stuck around until the 9th....

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Anthony_B Enthusiast

Anthony_B

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On 7/17/2018, 2:25:33, Joe NC said:

2nd and Market = Dead.

I went by there a month ago just to check on it, but I haven't been back.  I am still holding out hope that it is just a REALLLLLY late push.  I'm really going to be upset if that one is a gonner.

 

3rd and Castle haven't budged. They were very nice.

 

Meanwhile, the Canary Island Date Palm at the Checkers is looking pretty decent.

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Anthony_B Enthusiast

Anthony_B

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9 hours ago, Joe NC said:

From the Airport (downtown was probably a little warmer?) 

Jan 2018               Temp. (°F)          

Day        high       avg         low                                        

1              32           26           19                          

2              35           26           17          

3              35           26           17                                          

4              35           30           24                          

5              35           25           15                          

6              31           21           11          

7              33           23           12                          

8              54           34           14                          

9              68           51           34                          

10           65           50           35                          

11             63             59             55

 

Freezing rain then snow on the 3rd which stuck around until the 9th....

Take all of those lows and deduct 3 degrees.  That is how bad it was in Leland.  I had 8 and 9 degrees.  We had a 7b winter.

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Joe NC Proficient

Joe NC

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1 hour ago, Anthony_B said:

Take all of those lows and deduct 3 degrees.  That is how bad it was in Leland.  I had 8 and 9 degrees.  We had a 7b winter.

Gross.  I'm by the airport and my digital outdoor thermometer never went below 11.  My large Butia has pushed new growth and flowered, I was worried for a bit.  A surprise survivor in my yard was the silver Serenoa. It lost a couple in the clump but plenty made it without serious defoliation.   

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NC_Palms Mentor

NC_Palms

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On 4/6/2018, 9:02:50, frienduvafrond said:

20180405_145524-1.jpg

Do you know if this filifera ever came back during the summer? This photo still shows some green in the fronds.

Zone 8a/8b Greenville, NC 

Zone 9a/9b Bluffton, SC

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PalmTreeDude Grand Master

PalmTreeDude

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7 minutes ago, frienduvafrond said:

Looking good, and flowering.

20181019_131714.jpg

Nice filifera for the Northern Southeast! 

PalmTreeDude

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NC_Palms Mentor

NC_Palms

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33 minutes ago, frienduvafrond said:

Looking good, and flowering.

20181019_131714.jpg

Nice! I've once heard that washingtonia filifera is as hardy as sabal palmetto

Zone 8a/8b Greenville, NC 

Zone 9a/9b Bluffton, SC

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Mr.SamuraiSword Veteran

Mr.SamuraiSword

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3 hours ago, NC_Palms said:

Nice! I've once heard that washingtonia filifera is as hardy as sabal palmetto

in the desert climates they are close but not in the southeast and humidity

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NC_Palms Mentor

NC_Palms

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Was in the Wilmington area this past weekend and saw a few washingtonia. This washingtonia (robusta?) is growing near the Kure Beach Fishing Pier. According to Google Maps, this washingtonia had a full crown before January 2018. 

https://www.google.com/maps/@33.9992527,-77.9055241,3a,75y,289.08h,91.91t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sT57E_Q01f7Kl0OzxzEpCwg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

IMG_0477.thumb.JPG.05dfd12042893ff8177e8

 

Zone 8a/8b Greenville, NC 

Zone 9a/9b Bluffton, SC

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Mr.SamuraiSword Veteran

Mr.SamuraiSword

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11 hours ago, NC_Palms said:

Was in the Wilmington area this past weekend and saw a few washingtonia. This washingtonia (robusta?) is growing near the Kure Beach Fishing Pier. According to Google Maps, this washingtonia had a full crown before January 2018. 

https://www.google.com/maps/@33.9992527,-77.9055241,3a,75y,289.08h,91.91t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sT57E_Q01f7Kl0OzxzEpCwg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

IMG_0477.thumb.JPG.05dfd12042893ff8177e8

 

damn! any updates on the super tall wilmington one?

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NC_Palms Mentor

NC_Palms

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12 hours ago, Mr.SamuraiSword said:

damn! any updates on the super tall wilmington one?

I am not sure, I didn't get downtown. I will have to ask Gary. 

Zone 8a/8b Greenville, NC 

Zone 9a/9b Bluffton, SC

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pennerchris@gmail.com Contributor

pennerchris@gmail.com

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On 4/11/2018, 7:29:25, TexasColdHardyPalms said:

We left 7500 1gallons Filifera out in 19F this winter and weeded them out for our customers.  Only the strong survived and will live a long life.

If anyone in the history has done more for the practical study of cold hardiness in palms, I'd be shocked.

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NC_Palms Mentor

NC_Palms

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I have an update on that tall Washy downtown. It has died :(

Zone 8a/8b Greenville, NC 

Zone 9a/9b Bluffton, SC

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