new Beccariophoenix alfredii street plantings in downtown Orlando

[Eric in Orlando]

Thanks to a tip from PalmTalker donalt, I went downtown Orlando to investigate a couple of possible Beccariophoenix alfredii street plants. Sure enough they turned out to be BA. The first and second photos are of 7 planted in a median that separates bus and car lanes. It is on Livingston St. just east of I-4 in between the LYNX bus station and ACE Cafe. Interestingly the ACE Cafe is located in the historic Leu Building; Mr. Leu of Leu Gardens fame, this is where his business and warehouses were located. 

[Eric in Orlando]

These 3 are planted on the east side of Orange Ave., just south of the 408/East-West Expressway where Orange Ave. crosses Lake Lucerne. Sorry for the poor photos, there was a heavy thunderstorm occurring.

[Really full garden]

Very exciting to see public plantings like this.

[Eric in Orlando]

There also also quite a few planters around downtown with Hyophorbe lagenicaulis. These have in there for several years now and surprisingly most have minor to no damage after this past winter. Some had moderate burn.

[Zeeth]

Awesome!

[Palmensammler]

Your weather looks like mine during the last days...

Lot's of rain while we are waiting for the sun to shine.

Beautiful palms. Have to come to Florida once again (last visit was in 1992)

Eckhard

[RedRabbit]

Wow, I didn't expect to see public plantings for years. 

[Jeff Searle]

Its about damn time! I started growing this species years before most people knew what it was and tried to get others to grow it up there.....to no avail. So nice to see a few planted. Thank you.

[pj_orlando_z9b]

This is great to see! Downtown Orlando does a great job of not going with the status quo for their landscapes. These look similar to the ones all flagged as 'sold' at Lucas Nursery in March. I like this sticker...'preferred choice'. Imagine Orlando littered with BA one day.

Edited May 18, 2018 by pj_orlando_z9b

[GottmitAlex]

2 minutes ago, pj_orlando_z9b said:

This is great to see! Downtown Orlando does a great job of not going with the status quo for their landscapes. These look similar to the ones all flagged as 'sold' at Lucas Nursery in March. I like this sticker...'palm of choice'. Imagine Orlando littered with BA one day.

Love it...

I hope the idea develops.

From the 900 palms in habitat to being the new P. Canariensis. That would be awesome! (Self cleaning btw)

My other (negative) me says:

https://youtu.be/YBQvt-t6NcA

 

[Jerry@TreeZoo]

Very unusual to see plants of any species installed this small in a public place.  Usually fully mature specimens are specified.

[richnorm]

Good to see but not the best location on that skinny strip next to a cycle way!  We have some nice city plantings of Parajubaea and a group of Archontophoenix purpurea but they are the rare exception.

[Mandrew968]

And someone please take the trimmers out of whoever's hands-they are already butchering them, as near seedlings!

[Bill H2DB]

   Are  B.Alfredi's  now readily available ?       In what sizes ?

How do we make the identification of them in relatively small sizes , such as those pictured ?

[Eric in Orlando]

The last couple years I have seen wholesale growers at trade shows with 25/30 gal. specimens and also some field growing them. So fairly larger specimens are becoming available. We really promote them here at Leu Gardens. There is one large one growing outside of our main gate along the street so it gets seen by thousands passing Leu Gardens every day and people do notice it. I have been asked a few times how we keep a coconut palm looking perfect without any cold damage. There are also a couple dozen planted out in Leu Gardens .Several local nurseries have them so good to see them filtering out. I have 2 in my yard in Altamonte Springs. I am about 12 miles north of downtown Orlando and in a colder pocket. I had 27F at my house the night of the Jan. freeze and my BA in the front yard out in the open had no damage.

[Bill H2DB]

   In the sizes likely to be seen for sale , or otherwise , how do we differentiate the 3  Beccarriophoenix species ?

I have one 3.5' Alfredii , and another at approx 7-8'  (at full frond stretch ) , but I have some reservation regarding the

larger one .  The smaller one was well tested in this years freeze , and passed very well at 27.5 deg measured  right on the plant.

   The other was not here at that time , being added in mid February . It was root bound , and somewhat off-color , from its

nursery days , appears very much like the other , but a guide to id-ing would be appreciated .

[Kailua_Krish]

Orlando really does a great job with landscaping!

[Josue Diaz]

That's awesome. I wonder when we'll see public beccariophoenix on the west coast?

[Silas_Sancona]

Great find Eric. Hopefully this is a trend that picks up on both coasts, and other areas where they'll survive.

[Lou-StAugFL]

With all the rain mine are both pushing out new fronds from the slight damage they had in Jan. Hopefully they will push out fully not stunted new fronds.  We will see in the next month or so.  I think this palm is going to be a winner even up here in St. Augustine where at my house we got down to 28.  Didn't seem to bother them too much.

[donalt]

the city planted small ones because there still are not large specimens available....if the city will care for these properly (as well as put more in select locations), they will attract even more interest and sales.

we should help promote what the city is doing.....and they chose heavily trafficked areas to plant, so exposure will be at max!

gotta love it !

[pj_orlando_z9b]

Here is another growing in Orlando...my front yard. BTW, got to love how grass love the extra potassium I fed in that area.

[Jeff Searle]

13 hours ago, Bill H2DB said:

   Are  B.Alfredi's  now readily available ?       In what sizes ?

How do we make the identification of them in relatively small sizes , such as those pictured ?

Buy them from a very reputable grower.

[Eric in Orlando]

On 5/18/2018, 7:18:59, pj_orlando_z9b said:

Here is another growing in Orlando...my front yard. BTW, got to love how grass love the extra potassium I fed in that area.

 

PJ, that one looks great! I have one almost exactly the same size at my house in Altamonte Springs. I need to get a photo.

 

 

[pj_orlando_z9b]

2 hours ago, Eric in Orlando said:

PJ, that one looks great! I have one almost exactly the same size at my house in Altamonte Springs. I need to get a photo.

 

 

Thanks Eric. I got it from MB Palms at the Leu plant sale in March. They always have a good, healthy selection. I wish I had bought the 5 gal instead of 3 gal...it looked so good.

[mike-coral gables]

This is a great palm for Central Fl . Mine have been in the ground since 2010 , no damage this past January , even the small ones did great .

[mike-coral gables]

These are about 4 years old 

[GottmitAlex]

20 minutes ago, mike-coral gables said:

This is a great palm for Central Fl . Mine have been in the ground since 2010 , no damage this past January , even the small ones did great .

8 years in the ground. Impressive.

Do you reckon how old it was prior to being planted?

I'm all for the B.alfredii being propagated. I have roughly about 20+ here. What I can objectively say about them is: they are slow growers compared to well, excluding J.Chilensis and P. Canariensis, everything else. (Commercially speaking).

I assume just a notch or two below Howea fosteriana, speedwise.

 

Edited May 21, 2018 by GottmitAlex

[PalmTreeDude]

Exactly how hardy are Beccariophoenix alfredii zone wise? I think it is hardy to 9b? 

[PalmTreeDude]

I love these plantings! I wish these palms would become really common in Florida, they have a great tropical look and are hardy, perfect combo! 

[GottmitAlex]

26 minutes ago, PalmTreeDude said:

Exactly how hardy are Beccariophoenix alfredii zone wise? I think it is hardy to 9b? 

Humid USA LA to FL: 9B (minimum, unless you're Walt. :))

Dry USA CA: 9A (minimum)

 

Edited May 21, 2018 by GottmitAlex

[mike-coral gables]

I’m in Mt Dora , 30 miles NW of Orlando . My property is located on a 5000 acre lake so I enjoy a warmer 9b microclimate 

[pj_orlando_z9b]

4 hours ago, mike-coral gables said:

I’m in Mt Dora , 30 miles NW of Orlando . My property is located on a 5000 acre lake so I enjoy a warmer 9b microclimate 

Show stopper for sure. They sure get large! Mine is planted where it has about 7 feet on each side until it grows over the sidewalk/road. I have many more years until that would happen anyways. 

[GottmitAlex]

4 hours ago, mike-coral gables said:

I’m in Mt Dora , 30 miles NW of Orlando . My property is located on a 5000 acre lake so I enjoy a warmer 9b microclimate 

Nice. Age?

[mike-coral gables]

Planted in 2010 from maybe 2 year old , 3 gal liners . They are nestled under sabals in  a fairly damp environment, notice the fried fronds also in the pic ... from Kings which didn’t fair nearly as well , but thankfully survived 

[RedRabbit]

2 hours ago, mike-coral gables said:

Planted in 2010 from maybe 2 year old , 3 gal liners . They are nestled under sabals in  a fairly damp environment, notice the fried fronds also in the pic ... from Kings which didn’t fair nearly as well , but thankfully survived 

What kind of king? My cunnunghamiana did better than the alfredii and I've seen a few other kings (probably alexandrae or maxima) that did really well too.

[Eric in Orlando]

Here is one of the biggest Beccariophoenix alfredii at Leu Gardens. It is a "street planting", growing outside of the main gate along Forest Ave./Corrine Dr. It was planted in July 2007. It has a slight tilt as Hurricane Irma caused it to lean a bit last year.

 

[Eric in Orlando]

[donalt]

the BA's at Leu Gardens are real beauties ! I wish only that they would be faster growers. Would it over stress the palm to feed it more often and more heavily than typically called for ?  a friend once showed me a livistonia that he fertilized the hell out of (and watered heavily) and that thing grew like none other.

[Eric in Orlando]

9 hours ago, donalt said:

the BA's at Leu Gardens are real beauties ! I wish only that they would be faster growers. Would it over stress the palm to feed it more often and more heavily than typically called for ?  a friend once showed me a livistonia that he fertilized the hell out of (and watered heavily) and that thing grew like none other.

If it is a younger palm, I would not over do it. Use a good blend with slow release in it so it doesn't leach out fast in the heavy summer rains.