Palm suggestions for plant beds touching a house?

[chad2468emr]

Hello everyone! I'm excited that I'm moving to another rental home that isn't a townhome and has it's own yard. The landlord has given me permission to garden freely once I'm there, but I want to make sure I don't do anything that will be hard for other tenants to maintain and thus end up looking ugly. The HOA of this community is fairly strict on yard appearance as well, so I can't go full-jungle for that reason either. Obviously I also want to make sure I don't plant anything with a trunk that gets too large since it would cause issues. 

I wanted see your guys' thoughts on what I can add to this plant bed to replace the Ti plants and that hibiscus. Also, the small spot between the driveway and the path to the front door. I might also add a plant bed even in width to the pillar left of the walkway that leads towards the road and ends at the corner of the walkway.

Mostly south facing exposure, but turned slightly east. Orlando, zone 9b. East of 417 in the Waterford Lakes area, so heat island effect will be minimal, but given the volume of pavement around, I'm willing to make a zone pushy move here. (Particularly in that spot next to the driveway) I'll be there for two years so I have plenty of time to throw something else in the ground of a zone 10+ plant dies after this winter. 

Pic of the front of the house:

• Can I get away with a D. leptocheilos where that bush is next to the driveway? I like that idea because their fronds tend to point upward and not get into people's faces. Not sure if once huge the trunk would mess up the pavement, thought hat spot is easily 20+ inches across. 
• I was thinking 3-5 trunks of lutescens where the hibiscus is. Using just 3-5 trunks (maybe even less) would prevent it from going as wild and bushy as those packed bushels sold at nurseries can go if unchecked. I like the look of their trunks anyway, which is depreciated when people clump them together too heavily. 
• What chamaedorea species can handle full sun given the SE exposure? Thinking I'd want the space to the right of the proposed lutescens to have those in there, peppered with small clumps of orange bird of paradise as a filler. Maybe I'll leave 2-3 of those ti in there as well. 
• For the walkway bed I want to put in left of the walkway, I'm not too sure! Is there any kind of clumping dyspis I can get away with putting directly in front of the pillar in the bed? I worry about it being annoying until its grown tall enough though, with fronds spilling into the walkway. Maybe single clumping pembana trunk? They grow so fast, I imagine it'd only be a year at most until it was tall enough to get out of the way. 
• For the rest of that new bed left of the walkway, I've got no idea, haha. Are there archonto species whose trunk bases aren't too wide for that? They grow fast enough to get out of my face quickly too if I start with the right size. Also worried about the volume of sun. I know full sun burns them when small, so I'd really need to throw in some large ones which doesn't thrill me because this is a rental property and large archies are not cheap here. 

Thoughts overall? Am I missing an opportunity for something really unique? What else could I do? Honestly I've never had the opportunity to plant something IN-GROUND, so I'm excited but also unsure of possibilities / logistics of planting so close to a house. I'd love to try something zone-pushy given the SE exposure, but anything I can think of that stays small enough in width ALSO doesn't like full sun. 

 

Edited May 24, 2021 by chad2468emr

[Merlyn]

My first thought on seeing the picture (before reading your ideas) was D. Pembana at the corner to replace the scraggly bush.  And if it's not in PM sun a common "cat" palm under the windows with orange bird accents.  But Pembana might be a better choice to replace either the small pine bush or next to the path.  They don't cluster too much in my experience, so it's not too much of a hassle to maintain them.  If you planted a 3' tall Pembana now you'd probably get up to over head height by the end of the year.  I have Pembana and Lutescens along my East side pathway, both are approximately 3' from the edge of the path.  Both are equally irritating, being around 8' across.  Both have fairly soft fronds, but they do get in my face when walking down the path.  I definitely wouldn't plant them 2' or less from the walkway, but if you make the walkway bed 6' wide then it might work.  Caryota Mitis is actually less irritating because the cluster doesn't seem to grow a lot of low fronds once it got up to 15' tall.

I haven't seen a mid-sized D. Leptocheilos myself, but mature ones have HUGE crown diameters.  I think that a 6-10' trunk one would cover the entire walkway and half the driveway.

[Fusca]

22 minutes ago, chad2468emr said:

What chamaedorea species can handle full sun given the SE exposure?

Chamaedorea cataractarum can handle a lot of sun if it gets plenty of water.  Nice dark-green foliage.  C. radicalis can also take a lot of sun and doesn't need much water but both species look better with some shade.  Cat palm is a clumper while radicalis is solitary.

[NOT A TA]

From a design point of view I'd screen the objectionable items you see as you pull up to or drive or past the home I notice in the pic. It's a nice looking house but my eye is distracted by the West neighbors AC condenser, utilities, and fence, East neighbors garbage cans & utilities, and the weird downspout emptying onto the driveway. 

[chad2468emr]

4 minutes ago, Fusca said:

Chamaedorea cataractarum can handle a lot of sun if it gets plenty of water.  Nice dark-green foliage.  C. radicalis can also take a lot of sun and doesn't need much water but both species look better with some shade.  Cat palm is a clumper while radicalis is solitary.

I thought about cat palms, but definitely not as much a fan of the idea of clumpers through that whole section. Also thought about radicalis, but I’ve never actually seen one for sale in this area. Aside from the seeds Dave sent me and have since germinated, I’d never seen any in person. I love the idea of them filling the bed to the right of whatever I use on the left, though. 

11 minutes ago, Merlyn said:

My first thought on seeing the picture (before reading your ideas) was D. Pembana at the corner to replace the scraggly bush.  And if it's not in PM sun a common "cat" palm under the windows with orange bird accents.  But Pembana might be a better choice to replace either the small pine bush or next to the path.  They don't cluster too much in my experience, so it's not too much of a hassle to maintain them.  If you planted a 3' tall Pembana now you'd probably get up to over head height by the end of the year.  I have Pembana and Lutescens along my East side pathway, both are approximately 3' from the edge of the path.  Both are equally irritating, being around 8' across.  Both have fairly soft fronds, but they do get in my face when walking down the path.  I definitely wouldn't plant them 2' or less from the walkway, but if you make the walkway bed 6' wide then it might work.  Caryota Mitis is actually less irritating because the cluster doesn't seem to grow a lot of low fronds once it got up to 15' tall.

I haven't seen a mid-sized D. Leptocheilos myself, but mature ones have HUGE crown diameters.  I think that a 6-10' trunk one would cover the entire walkway and half the driveway.

Pembana on the left to replace that bush sounds nice!! Really feeling the idea of that and then the orange bird of paradise + some c. radicalis filling it to the right. Now I’ll just need to find 7-10 fairly mature radicalis in central Florida… ooof, haha.

I have a mid size leptocheilos now (Though I’m promising myself all my present palms are staying potted until I own a house and can plant them on MY property.) and it stays pretty vertical. The fronds all point upward. That being said, I really don’t see how I’d be able to find one tall enough to replace that small shrub without worrying I was wrong and it ends up getting too wide. It’d have to be taller than the roof which would be way too expensive to justify abandoning it at a rental home. 

[chad2468emr]

Welllll, I found myself with too much time on my hands this morning and took some time to literally photoshop what it would look like when what I've decided on adding has grown into maturity. Everything is relatively to scale, and while its not my most-polished work, I focused less on absolute realism for this masterpiece and more on directionality + general aesthetic, haha. Feeling pretty good about what this would all look like once grown in!

Here's the actual before, for contrast. 

 

Edited May 25, 2021 by chad2468emr

[iDesign]

I'm "building" my new yard in Photoshop as well (graphic designer background).
It's so fun to see the yard come together quickly, even just if it's just in my mind ;-)

My two cents from a design background...

- The Dypsis Leptocheilos looks fabulous there, assuming there's enough room for the fronds. And they can take some sun! I remember you have a fairly mature one that's a standout. Rather than plant a seedling in the spot, perhaps you could dig a hole and put your own gorgeous one in that spot (still in the pot)? Or keep it in the pot above ground and hide the pot with crotons, loropetalum or similar?

- Consider replacing the middle palms with something more different-looking than the palms on the left... the two palm groupings look too similar to my eyes.  In my mockup In a similar space in my yard I'm Photoshopping a couple Bentinckia Condapanna, but I'm guessing it's MUCH too sunny of a spot for that. But maybe something along those lines size-wise for the middle spot? Or (gasp) psosibly even a small fan palm. Just thinking there's not enough variety having three tall pinate palms next to each other, and eyeing the middle spot for something different. Alternatively, you could put the Teddy Bear there and put something smaller near the house.

- I agree with the post about using plants to hide the undesirable items. If you're allowed to put a plant in the grassy area I would love to see something tropical & bushy in front of the air conditioner on the left, and also something on the right to hide the trash can and drain spout. I'd put those two areas as a higher priority than adding a planter in the middle if you have to pick.

- The Elephant Ears are gorgeous and a favorite of mine... but they're seasonal and it's disappointing when they start "flopping" on the ground. A solution I've implemented is to put the elephant ears behind another low plant. That way they look amazing when they pop out from behind... but you don't have to stare at their dead carcases laying on the sidewalk when they flop (since the carcases are behind the small front-row plants). Here's a photo of my elephant ears to see one possible solution (the elephant ears are showing right now, but are lying on the ground dead-looking most of the year).

- When in doubt, add Bromeliads ;-)

 

Edited May 25, 2021 by idesign123

[iDesign]

On second thought... What I would do if I were you would be to connect the two skinny planters and have a "pie sliced" planter instead. That way you could have lots of delicious plants without worrying as much about smashing into the house.

Here's a quick mockup I made for you based on my own "dream Photoshop" yard (i just dragged layers from my yard into yours). The Bentinckia Condapanna would be a no-go in that spot, but is included as as demo for the "look" I'd ideally put there (perhaps you could do a flamethrower there?).

Then come up with something for the air conditioner & trash cans.

That's what I would do anyway... not necessarily these exact plants (other than the Teddy Bear)... but that's the look I'd do.

Hope that helps!

 

Edited May 25, 2021 by idesign123

[Fusca]

48 minutes ago, idesign123 said:

even a small fan palm

That's what I was thinking too.  I like the blue/silver fan palms myself - most are thorny and/or slow growing.  Bismarckia and Copernicia alba blue form grow fairly fast and also get pretty large.

[chad2468emr]

Love the suggestions! When I finally have my own yard, I plan to do a lot very similar to the “pie-sliced” portion you’d laid out, @idesign123. I am a huge fan of landscapes layered out from a single focal point and using a plant’s eventual mature height to build those layers. Also, I typically love mixing textures and having fans / pinates of proper proportions.

That being said, most fan palms that do well in full sun here either get HUGE (bismarckia, fallaensis) or they require a ton of maintenance (Washingtonia, chinensis) or both. I’d also love to block that ac unit + honestly probably line the entire right side of the driveway, but I’m trying to keep my changes minimal. Landlord’s only pre-requisite was not to add TOO much to where upkeep would be wild and where it would require too much maintenance from subsequent tenants if they don’t like gardening. For these reasons, I’ve got all pinate palms that shed leaf bases without much help and really just need fertilizer + water. It’s a rental property and I’ll be there for just a few years, so really just looking to keep the majority of plant + palm budget focused on growing my container garden so I have more to put in-ground when I buy. I also chose all really fast growing species so I can see them develop as much as possible in the two years I’m at the house. I also plan to put some of my zone-pushy, larger potted palms in the square between the two beds anyway, since it’s the warmest side of the house, so that’ll kind of create the pie piece!  

The D. pembana (left palm) and the two archontophoenix (middle) will look much different when compared in real life than the photo implies. Since pembana is a clumping palm, it took me a good while to find an image that featured an entire palm that I could easily clip out without spending too much time. Haha the photo doesn’t do the species justice and the green, ringed trunk should be much more prominent in real life.

The placement of that purple elephant ear you put on the right side of the driveway had me thinking though… not the most low-maintenance plant, but I might put a few red abyssinian bananas or similar! 

[kinzyjr]

@chad2468emr

Something to consider if you want something that stays smaller and not all that common in HOA communities - Allagoptera arenaria

https://www.palmpedia.net/wiki/Allagoptera_arenaria

[chad2468emr]

4 minutes ago, kinzyjr said:

@chad2468emr

Something to consider if you want something that stays smaller and not all that common in HOA communities - Allagoptera arenaria

https://www.palmpedia.net/wiki/Allagoptera_arenaria

Love it! I have a small allagoptera caudescens - crazy to think that’s even the same genus haha. They look so different to me. 

The size thing is killing me. At first I was so pumped to get to plant ANYTHING in the actual ground, but now the more I (and we, I guess!) brainstorm the more I’m becoming bummed what I can’t, yet again, do because it’s a rental. Renting is for the birds! Can’t wait to have my OWN DIRT to plant stuff in. If this were my actual yard, I know damn well I’d find a way to stuff a bismarckia, alfredii, and fallaensis SOMEWHERE on the property, and then fill in the spaces around then with all this small(ish) stuff. 

[Looking Glass]

4 hours ago, chad2468emr said:

Here's the actual before, for contrast. 

 

Amazing transformation!  

This looks great and if I owned it, I’d scoop out the area on the left like idesign123 did, and fire up the wow factor.   But since it’s a rental, I wonder if it’s worth putting in palms that require a fair amount of care and water, that surely won’t get it when you go.  

I wonder if you might put in some drought tolerant sun lovers, that will survive the next 6 tenant’s neglect, and maybe bury pots of your prized palms, so you can take them out when you go.   

Btw what’s the irrigation situation, and where do the gas, water sewer, and irrigation lines run?  Put Archontophoenix on top of an old cast iron sewer line and you’ll be looking at some “unpleasantness” in the future.  
 

***PS- I wonder if you could casually slip a 1 gallon B Alfredii in the center of the front yard....

Edited May 25, 2021 by Looking Glass

[PalmatierMeg]

I would hesitate to plant Dypsis pembana close to a house. Not only do they cluster but their trunks tend not to grow straight to the sky like all those photoshopped "ideal" landscapes. Instead, later trunks will lean away from the main trunk and grow up at varying angles to avoid one another. Also, the bases of the trunks will widen and "flatten" until they are 18-24" inches wide. Not roomy enough in those skinny planting beds. And they will drop fronds onto the roof. A D. lastelliana might work next to the driveway but not right up against the house but far enough out to clear the eves.

I recommend a solitary palm that does not get too massive. My Archo alex is the skinniest of my Archos, save A. myolensis, which would work but might be hard to find (and why give a rare palm to your landlord?). Can you grow any of the Ptychosperma? Ptycho elegans is a fast growing but compact solitary palm that might work on that corner. And you won't be heartbroken when you move and leave it behind.

Will spindle and bottle palms survive there? I believe Gaussia maya and gomez-pompae are 9b palms.

[Merlyn]

Spindles and Bottles would do ok, as would Gaussia Princeps.  For something small and silver, consider the silver form of Serenoa Repens.  They are slow to get big, tough and easy maintenance.

[JohnAndSancho]

I'm just stoked that Frank will have a yard @chad2468emr

[dalmatiansoap]

Sorry for derailing thread but I'm interested if there is an app for this garden photoshopping?

[chad2468emr]

@PalmatierMeg @Merlyn - I know a lot of people are big fans, and they certainly have their place in the landscape, but bottles / spindles have always been least favorites of mine. Something about the weird trunk shape has always bothered me, but it’s just a personal hangup! 

15 hours ago, PalmatierMeg said:

I would hesitate to plant Dypsis pembana close to a house. Not only do they cluster but their trunks tend not to grow straight to the sky like all those photoshopped "ideal" landscapes.

Hmmm, you might be right. Once I actually move in to the house at the start of July (these are all street view pics from Google) I’ll be able to get a much better sense of exactly how wide those beds are and what will fit. (Or how wide I can MAKE them to accommodate palms as necessary!) I did definitely think about ptychosperma elegans. I know they are FAST which appeals to me plus they have thin trunks. I might even try that instead of the c. radicalis used in my mock-up, though the size differential is large. I’ve read c. radicalis do poorly in Florida because of nematodes which is why they’re so hard to find here. 

Intersting your alexes are the skinniest of your archies. I’d read tuckerii was the skinniest with purpurea + maxima + myolensis being the largest. Is THIS SITE inaccurate? I’ve been treating it like gospel with my achontophoenix obsession. 

10 hours ago, Merlyn said:

For something small and silver, consider the silver form of Serenoa Repens.

Love that idea! That would look great between whichever two tall, trunking pinnate palms end up left of the walkway. 

18 hours ago, idesign123 said:

When in doubt, add Bromeliads ;-)

Teach me the way of bromeliads! I’ve always been dissuaded and never even looked into them because they look miserable at any nursery where I’ve looked at them, but yours look great! I did always figured I’d end up getting into them once I could get stuff into the actual ground and needed them as a foreground plant. So here I go! Can they take full sun? Are they okay long term in 9b where we have frost? Are there cheap ones that look great / varied in appearance (since this is a rental) or am I doomed to have the boring ones I see at big box stores only? 

Overall, I’ve landed on the following and you guys have been so helpful in giving new ideas! I might have a lot of OR statements now, but that’s actually exciting! Options are GOOD! (Especially when it’s so hard to find some of these species in Central Florida. MB palms better get ready for a hefty bulk order which will help me keep costs low, though, so that’s always a good option! 

Left window / front wall bed: 

• Dypsis pembana (left of front bed, would need to make bed wider) OR chambeyronia macrocarpa
• Chamaedorea tepejilote / radicalis throughout OR (possibly and?) 2 ptychosperma elegans 1/4 and 3/4 from the left of the bed
• Orange bird of paradise throughout 
• Bromeliads up front 

Spot by driveway:

• Two ptychosperma elegans OR one dypsis leptocheilos (if I can find one miraculously where the fronds will clear the roof) 
• Stromanthe triostar (have to be in the shaded spot towards door)
• Bromeliads up front by palm(s)

Bed to the left of the walkway: 

• Two archontophoenix OR 2 more ptychosperma elegans OR chambeyronia macrocarpa 
• Serenoa repens between the two other palms 
• Colocasia esculenta black magic  
• Bromeliads hiding the colocasia when in dormancy 

To cover the garbage cans + gutter drain to the right of driveway:

• Red leaf abyssinian banana
• Cana lilies around that

 

Edited May 26, 2021 by chad2468emr

[chad2468emr]

6 hours ago, dalmatiansoap said:

Sorry for derailing thread but I'm interested if there is an app for this garden photoshopping?

I have seen them but they often cost money and the demos I’ve used were harder to get used to than just using photoshop. I have a background that includes graphic design so it’s easier to just photoshop for me by far. For the purposes of this, you’d just need to learn how to clone to remove any existing things out of a photo that you plan to remove in real life, remove backgrounds / isolate objects / plants you want to insert, how to manage layers so you can move things around an image / bring them over from another image where you’d isolated a plant, and how to make minor adjustments to exposure, shadows / highlights, contrast, etc so it doesn’t look TOO fake. It sounds SO much more complicated than it is, and you can use pexels.com’s “advanced” editor for free which is basically photoshop. That’s what I used for mine. Check out some YouTube tutorials and give it a whack! 

[chad2468emr]

15 hours ago, Looking Glass said:

PS- I wonder if you could casually slip a 1 gallon B Alfredii in the center of the front yard....

The thought of something similar DID occur to me, hahaha. I’d definitely be doing a drive by every six months or so to check up on growth. Hahaha 

[Kris]

18 hours ago, idesign123 said:

On second thought... What I would do if I were you would be to connect the two skinny planters and have a "pie sliced" planter instead. That way you could have lots of delicious plants without worrying as much about smashing into the house.

Here's a quick mockup I made for you based on my own "dream Photoshop" yard (i just dragged layers from my yard into yours). The Bentinckia Condapanna would be a no-go in that spot, but is included as as demo for the "look" I'd ideally put there (perhaps you could do a flamethrower there?).

Then come up with something for the air conditioner & trash cans.

That's what I would do anyway... not necessarily these exact plants (other than the Teddy Bear)... but that's the look I'd do.

Hope that helps!

 

This still looks more pleasing to my eyes,since its more colourful now. Few silver or blue cycads,succulents and Agaves would fill the free spaces if you desire.

[Merlyn]

9 hours ago, dalmatiansoap said:

Sorry for derailing thread but I'm interested if there is an app for this garden photoshopping?

I use GIMP for doing my editing, it takes a little getting used to but works well. 

[iDesign]

3 hours ago, chad2468emr said:

Teach me the way of bromeliads!

Just made a new forum post for you! (and anyone else who wants to dabble in bromeliads). You can actually start right away if you want! If you want to copy the look shown here, order one each of the following...
- Aechmea Blanchietana (orange)
- Aechmea Yellow? Aechmea Red Candles? Aechmea Pinot Noir?
- Alcantarea Julietta?
- Neoregelia Fireball cluster (or two)

* Ideally order the Julietta from Bromeliad Paradise, since they don't remove the grass "pups". They're out of them right now, but should be getting more.  Or I might be able to sell you a "pup" in the future (I have a bunch, but they're still too young to remove).  The others are pretty common and can be picked up anywhere. I have a favorite source for the Fireballs if you want to PM me.  To save money, always buy the aechmeas as "pups"... they grow fast.

If you buy one of each now, you will have more "pups" soon, and won't have to buy more. In other words, small investment now + time = lots of beautiful bromeliads.

Have fun!

[iDesign]

A couple more random comments on your home plan...

- Like Elephant Ears, Canna is seasonal.  Consider it a "bonus plant" that looks beautiful when in season. But don't make a huge bed of it by itself, or it will be disappointing when it dies back and you have nothing in that area. I was canna-crazy initially, but after they flopped I cooled on it. I'm now adding some back, but (like elephant ears) just in places where it doesn't make a big difference whether the canna is in season or not.

- I have most of the Chamaedoreas, and tepejilote appears to be the least sun-tolerant. The slightest ray of sunshine will fry the leaves. Radicalis has the best reputation for sun, but doesn't look as "neat & tidy" as the others in my opinion. Microspadix might be a good compromise. Or - if you can get away with it - my favorite is Costaricana (shown in one of the photos on the bromeliad post). I've been shocked by how much sun they take at my house (since I had heard they preferred shade). But I'm in a relatively mild area, so I probably just got lucky on that one.

- My only other advice is to consider adding more "mid-level" plants to your plan. I personally started with bromeliads so had the "low" side covered. Then I went nuts with buying palms, so had the "tall" level covered. The mid-level has tricky for me. My personal go-to for the mid-level has been Hawaiian Ti's (mostly red, but purple/black is also fabulous), and Yellow Dracanea in shady spots (looks like a yellow Ti).  Also Bird of Paradise of course, though they're everywhere in my neighborhood. I'm still looking for more "mid-level" plants for my yard, since that's my own personal weak spot (latest mid-level experiments have been Queen Emma Lilly & Purple Loropetalum). Layering is key to a balanced-looking yard, and for both you and I the mid-level is the toughest area to plan for.

Hope that helps

- Stacey (idesign123)

[iDesign]

17 hours ago, dalmatiansoap said:

Sorry for derailing thread but I'm interested if there is an app for this garden photoshopping?

If there is, I’m sure it wouldn’t have the exotic stuff :-/

Arranging plants in Photoshop is a great tool for visualizing a yard. Also helps you see what it might look like in the years to come. 

Hardest part is “masking” out the backgrounds on each plant... pinate palms are the worst if you want to isolate each frond. But if you’re just doing it to get a quick idea, you can just “paint” out the background roughly. Still gives you the info you need.

I haven’t tried pexels but the free “gimp” editor is another one that would work. They come with a ton of tools but the things you need to know for yard previewing are...

- Copy from Google images or palmpedia (ok for personal use)
- Resize for space (make sure it’s realistic) & move it to spot
- “Mask” out the background (watch YouTube tutorial... fastest is to “paint” it away)
- Might want to eventually learn “rubber stamp” to cover unwanted object, or extend plants

Have fun!

Stacey
 

[ruskinPalms]

Fun thread! I am actually more interested in the beauty of the landscape overall. Don’t get me wrong, I am most interested in palms and I do want to start adding a few rarer palms here and there now that I have a fairly decent foundation of more common palms going. But, I am trying not to cram too many palms on my tiny lot to the point that I can’t enjoy their full beauty, I did that at my first house... I also appreciate the value of the supporting actors (everything not a palm) in my landscape more than I did before. I am actually really liking the pie wedge landscape bed and I may convert a content of my back yard into a pie wedge bed. One thing to remember is that things get way bigger than you ever imagine. For example, the standard orange bird of paradise form a huge clump in a few years of well cared for. I actually pulled some smaller clumps from my yard because they can be a little tough to maintain and keep looking nice once they get big. Another bit of humble advice: you’re renting so don’t plant out your cool stuff. It’s ok to play with cheap big box store stuff at a rental. I did that before when I was renting and it was fun, cheap, and not too heart breaking to leave. You could do a lot in that yard with Wodyetia, Dypsis lutescens, Livastona chinensis, Adonidia, Rhapis, Bismarckia (out in the open yard), Hyophorbe, Ravenea if you have a wet spot, crotons, bird of paradise, heliconia, Ti plants, Arboricola, hibiscus etc. All of these can be found at Walmart for cheap. It would be good practice for when you get your actual house someday to see how big and how fast a lot of this stuff gets. I know you’re dying to plant some of the stuff you’ve been hauling around for awhile now. I know, I’ve been there! But, please consider saving your rarer palms for your own home and just have fun there with some cheap, fast growing stuff that will still look beautiful when you come home everyday. 

[chad2468emr]

@idesign123 First of all, thank you for making this thread! I’d read through your post and then forgot to leave a thank you.  

Today I made the leap and bought two! I never knew what they were called (and still don’t because Lowe’s had no label other than “bromeliad” but I’ve always loved these striped ones. What the heck are these, are they sun tolerant, and is there anything special I should know about them?? 

Thank you so much for all your help! Again, this thread is GREAT!! 

 

 

Edited June 13, 2021 by chad2468emr

[aztropic]

Pseudophoenix! Tough and slow growing. Won't outgrow the area before you leave!

 

aztropic

Mesa, Arizona

[iDesign]

3 hours ago, chad2468emr said:

@idesign123 First of all, thank you for making this thread! I’d read through your post and then forgot to leave a thank you.  

Today I made the leap and bought two...

Fun! I'm 95% sure the one on the left is a Bilbergia 'darth vader'... one of my favorites! Given time, it will eventually make lots of cute "pups" around the edges, which you can break off (when they're at least 1/3 the size of the parent), or leave a few attached for a fuller look. As for sun, the Bilbergia types are usually "part sun", so you may need to experiment with placement a bit. My Vaders do fine in all but the very hottest spots of my yard... it's a great type to collect (and propagate)!

The one on the right is most likely an Aechmea 'chantinii' (green form). I don't have that particular one, so you might need to experiment a bit with sun amount. Safest bet with most broms is to try "part sun" initially, then you can try moving to a sunnier spot if it still looks great after a few weeks. Worst case it that you burn a leaf, but even then the pups (next generation) would be fine. I experiment with my brom placement all the time to learn how much sun a particular type can handle.

The only broms I would avoid if just starting out is the "Vriesea" types (photo below for identification purposes... not my broms). Vrieseas are more difficult than other brom types (need full shade, some types need fertilizer & they don't pup well). Avoid the Vriesea type for now. Also avoid the "guzmania" type (aka the grocery store one)... while pretty, they only bloom for a while, then their pups don't bloom for years (unless you do tricky things to force them to bloom). Stick to the "Aechmea", "Neoregelia" & "Bilbergia" types when starting out (you now own a Bilgergia and an Aechmea).

Neither of the ones you bought need fertilizer... just give them well draining soil (and/or bark) and they should be relatively trouble-free for you.

Welcome to the addictive world of bromeliads!

Edited June 14, 2021 by idesign123

[chad2468emr]

8 hours ago, idesign123 said:

Welcome to the addictive world of bromeliads!

Thank you!!! Also, meant to leave my last post in this thread as a response in your bromeliad thread, but I guess my fingers got ahead of me.  

We’re in for constant rain + at least half a day of cloudiness for the next few weeks since FL’s incredibly dry (very unseasonably so) period broke over the weekend, so I’ve got them sitting in a spot that gets sun from about 8:00am - 12:00pm ish. The cloud cover should protect from the worst of it while it’s so rainy, so maybe they’ll get acclimated and I’ll find they can handle it. Moving to the new spot July third, so this will give me an idea of how much they can take. 

How fast do these two grow and how large can I expect them to get? Again, thanks for all your help on this! Never was a bromeliad person because the sad, pale green ones at big box stores always turned me off of them, so I’m glad you’re opening my eyes here to their potential.  

[iDesign]

These two should handle that amount of sun (likely more) just fine. That said, I’m more familiar with California sun than Florida’s. Since Florida is where the majority of my mail order broms come from, I’m guessing they’ll do at least as good there (likely better).

As for size, these two might be full size already (or close). At some point you’ll see a small pup (or two) forming at the base, and you can remove it (if you want) when it’s at least 1/3 the size of the parent. Here’s one I just found online that’s well past the size where you could remove it (if you want)...
 

As for how long, I had a Vader that still hadn’t pupped after two years. Joked that Vader is just not a good father. So I bought three more, and those pupped much better. Then OV (original Vader) finally pupped, and I named it Luke. Yes, plants make you a bit nutty 

[iDesign]

P.S. The world Bromeliad Conference is going to be in Florida next year - https://www.bsi.org/new/conference-corner/

You can either go (ideally), or just visit the featured nurseries before the conference (when they’re likely overstocked with broms). My husband brought me back a lot of nice broms when he was in Florida for another reason. I made him visit Tropiflora and send me photos while there (lol). You’re definitely in a great place for bromeliad collecting (though their ease of shipping makes them accessible to anyone). Happy collecting!

[chad2468emr]

Hi everyone! 

Been a bit MIA as of late. Executing a move, starting a new job, and some personal stuff to work through will do that. 

Haven’t planted anything out front of the new place yet aside from the p. elegans, but all my potted stuff is looking pretty damn good so far and I’m happy with it for now while I settle in. I did add a wedge mulch bed as a few mentioned, but I need to add some stone borders. 

[iDesign]

Nice!!!

If you were staying long-term I'd switch some of the placements to ensure the smaller plants would be seen... put the Bismarckia FAR from the others in a back corner for example, and give everything more room to grow. But this should work great for a short term setup. 

My favorite is the "old man" palm in the front - what a nice welcome each time you come in! I don't see "Teddy"... Is he on the back row somewhere?

[chad2468emr]

21 hours ago, idesign123 said:

Nice!!!

If you were staying long-term I'd switch some of the placements to ensure the smaller plants would be seen... put the Bismarckia FAR from the others in a back corner for example, and give everything more room to grow. But this should work great for a short term setup. 

My favorite is the "old man" palm in the front - what a nice welcome each time you come in! I don't see "Teddy"... Is he on the back row somewhere?

He's in the back yard! That's still being organized, but pics to come in the future, haha. This is all relatively temporary for now, but once I settle in some more or if anything gets too large, there will be rearrangements made.