Livistona nitida- third winter in the books

[Chester B]

Another palm I sourced as a seedling from TCHP a few years back. It lives against the west side of my house so can get extreme heat radiation in the afternoon. The first two years there was a large Rhododendron growing over it protecting it. I trimmed the Rhodo back last year and early this spring I removed it to allow it access to full afternoon sun based on my success far. A Trachycarpus a few feet away had some rotted fronds and spears this winter yet this one has endured. Hoping this one sticks around. I have some Livistona chinensis but they don’t look as good and grow too slowly. And now it’s gotten big enough it’s throwing two spears at a time. 

[DAVEinMB]

@Chester B right on man that's some good stuff! I sourced an l. Decora from him that's been through 2 winters and looking solid. I'd like to add l. Nitida at some point if I can source it, guess we'll see

[Chester B]

20 minutes ago, DAVEinMB said:

@Chester B right on man that's some good stuff! I sourced an l. Decora from him that's been through 2 winters and looking solid. I'd like to add l. Nitida at some point if I can source it, guess we'll see

FYI there is a seller on Etsy with nitida. I think $40. Never purchased from that seller before so have no feedback. 
 

This palm has impressed me and I’m hoping with it now getting full sun it will help speed it along if I can get enough water to it. 

[DAVEinMB]

19 minutes ago, Chester B said:

FYI there is a seller on Etsy with nitida. I think $40. Never purchased from that seller before so have no feedback. 
 

This palm has impressed me and I’m hoping with it now getting full sun it will help speed it along if I can get enough water to it. 

Thanks for the lead, and as always I love seeing what you got going on in your garden. Really great work

[Chester B]

Thanks. I don’t really show my larger palms, not much too show as they’re all Trachys and one Big Butia. You have a better diversity, but I’m working on it. 

Edited June 27, 2022 by Chester B

[ShadyDan]

Nice, great info. I have 10 in my greenhouse currently, starting to really pick up speed in their pots. I may have to chance one in the ground soon at my place. Good to have more data points on how hardy these really are!  

[Chester B]

1 hour ago, ShadyDan said:

Nice, great info. I have 10 in my greenhouse currently, starting to really pick up speed in their pots. I may have to chance one in the ground soon at my place. Good to have more data points on how hardy these really are!  

24F is the coldest it’s seen with a max of 36 hours below freezing. Has endured a few ice storms where it had some damage to the tip of the emerging spear once. However existing fronds were undamaged.  Hasn’t been growing super fast but it is definitely quicker than chinensis. 

[GregVirginia7]

20 hours ago, Chester B said:

24F is the coldest it’s seen with a max of 36 hours below freezing. Has endured a few ice storms where it had some damage to the tip of the emerging spear once. However existing fronds were undamaged.  Hasn’t been growing super fast but it is definitely quicker than chinensis. 

One of my favorite palms I can’t grow here…the color and shine on the fronds is really beautiful…yours, in its protected area looks great…good call on getting it more sun. I ordered one by mistake several years ago…it held on for a year or two but eventually croaked…but I remember that fantastic lime green color…had it in front of a direct south facing brick wall with black mulch…the contrast was so cool…however…zone 7 is a no go for this palm.

[Meangreen94z]

It’s funny how much has changed in a few short years. Livistona nitida is available but a lot of other palms/seeds have become inaccessible for now. 

[Peachs]

On 6/27/2022 at 12:27 AM, Chester B said:

Another palm I sourced as a seedling from TCHP a few years back. It lives against the west side of my house so can get extreme heat radiation in the afternoon. The first two years there was a large Rhododendron growing over it protecting it. I trimmed the Rhodo back last year and early this spring I removed it to allow it access to full afternoon sun based on my success far. A Trachycarpus a few feet away had some rotted fronds and spears this winter yet this one has endured. Hoping this one sticks around. I have some Livistona chinensis but they don’t look as good and grow too slowly. And now it’s gotten big enough it’s throwing two spears at a time. 

This year I bought 2, I guess the following year they will start to grow. I like them! zone 8b
 

[VA Jeff]

Nitida has grown in a cold pocket of Savannah for well over a decade, so it must have seen the upper teens by now.  It isn't one of the most beautiful livistonas, but it is still worth growing.  The one I saw was maybe 20 feet tall.  

[smithgn]

16 hours ago, VA Jeff said:

Nitida has grown in a cold pocket of Savannah for well over a decade, so it must have seen the upper teens by now.  It isn't one of the most beautiful livistonas, but it is still worth growing.  The one I saw was maybe 20 feet tall.  

I visited the same one about 5 years ago. Plus that Acrocomai Totai which is the most exotic palm grown without protection closest to where I lived. 

[VA Jeff]

7 hours ago, smithgn said:

I visited the same one about 5 years ago. Plus that Acrocomai Totai which is the most exotic palm grown without protection closest to where I lived. 

That totai is nearly dead now.  There is a 3 foot totai growing in another part of the garden now.  The sickness of the totai came on fast this spring. 

[smithgn]

5 hours ago, VA Jeff said:

That totai is nearly dead now.  There is a 3 foot totai growing in another part of the garden now.  The sickness of the totai came on fast this spring. 

Ah man, I hate to hear that. I wonder what brought that about? Perhaps a slow death from the fact it was from the accumulation of harsh winters over the years?

[VA Jeff]

Totai images from the bamboo farm before and after, both from this spring.

[VA Jeff]

Livistona nitida and saribus , plus baby acrocomia totai, all at the Bamboo Farm.  I drive past it a couple times a week.  

[smithgn]

Unbelievable. What in the world happened?

[RJ]

18 minutes ago, smithgn said:

Unbelievable. What in the world happened?

Looks like some sort of crown infection.

 

You might know this. Isn’t there a L. Nitita at the riverbanks zoo? I’ve looked but haven’t found it?
 

 

[smithgn]

1 hour ago, RJ said:

Looks like some sort of crown infection.

 

You might know this. Isn’t there a L. Nitita at the riverbanks zoo? I’ve looked but haven’t found it?
 

 

There WAS a Livistona Decora some years ago. but I have no idea what happened to it. I searched for it but the place where it was has palmettos now. I actually made a post about it a good while back. There IS a brahea armata there that seems to be doing quite well. 

Here ya go: 

Trunking Livistona in Columbia, SC? - COLD HARDY PALMS - PalmTalk

Edited July 11, 2022 by smithgn

[smithgn]

RJ, you actually inspired me to send an e-mail to Riverbanks. I promptly got an e-mail back from the same guy that planted the Livistona 20  years ago! Check out what he said: 

 

"We had a Livistona decipiens (maybe its decora now. Can’t keep up with all the nomenclature changes).

 

I planted it probably 20 years ago as a fairly mature specimen…probably 6’ trunk at planting. It did OK for a number of years, possibly due to protection from a wall. It would burn in some winters, some burn worse than others depending on the year. It started to get too out of scale and suffered some major damage, so we removed it.

 

I probably wouldn’t rush to plant one again, but certainly worth a go in our climate if you want to test it."

 

 

 

So if I'm reading into this correctly, the Livistona defintely got some damage once it outgrew the protection of the brick wall but it didn't die. They removed it. Or maybe that's just really wishful thinking. The one cool thing that gives LIvistona's hope in marginal climates and for the OP in Oregon (sorry to hijack your thread) is that they grow back just as quickly as Robusta's do which gives them a fighting chance. Sure they might look raggidity till June or so, but if it survives and you get some very fair winters, you can enjoy it in all its glory. 

[Chester B]

I have a robusta and the nitida, for me the robusta is many times quicker.   No comparison in my climate.

However the nitida's fronds always look unblemished come spring, I can't say that for the robusta.