Washingtonia filifera

[MarcusH]

Can someone tell me from this picture if these are Washingtonia filifera or robusta? The person sells it as California fan palm here in San Antonio. I messaged the seller but no response yet.  I'm looking for a filifera but everyone unfortunately sells robustas in San Antonio.  

Edited October 11, 2022 by MarcusH

[ZPalms]

10 minutes ago, MarcusH said:

Can someone tell me from this picture if these are Washingtonia filifera or robusta? The person sells it as California fan palm here in San Antonio. I messaged the seller but no response yet.  I'm looking for a filifera but everyone unfortunately sells robustas in San Antonio.  

I think robusta

[Las Palmas Norte]

12 minutes ago, ZPalms said:

I think robusta

You'd be right. 

[MarcusH]

Thank you guys . I have a robusta so I couldn't tell the difference. 

[UK_Palms]

One thing's for sure is that they are pretty stretched. Not in the best of condition where they have probably been mass-grown in close proximity to others and had to compete for light. A washingtonia of that size should be much more compact usually. They're actually very stretched out, not that it is a huge issue.

The petiole bases also look pretty green and although it's hard to see the spines, they don't look too aggressive either. Both of those things would indicate Filifera, as does the amount of fibres that are present too. I certainly see way more Filifera traits than Robusta, although they are probably hybrid Filibusta's anyway, as most are these days.

[DreaminAboutPalms]

Unless seeds came from a Filifera with no robustas nearby it’s a hybrid like everything else for sale these days

[jwitt]

3 hours ago, MarcusH said:

Can someone tell me from this picture if these are Washingtonia filifera or robusta? The person sells it as California fan palm here in San Antonio. I messaged the seller but no response yet.  I'm looking for a filifera but everyone unfortunately sells robustas in San Antonio.  

Not robusta. 

[5am]

I’m no authoritative source but based on this single blurry image I think it leans filifera. Here’s why:

* deeply divided leaflets. Filifera leaf tips tend to droop more when they’re big.
* frond color appears to be a little more dull 

* fibers sticking out from the leaf tips. 

* no teeth on the petioles. They may be present but I can’t see them in this image.

* leaf bases look green 

I could be wrong about any of that because I don’t know of many filifera examples where I live but considering palmageddon recovery results in some other threads on this forum I think a filibusta leaning filifera should do well in the San Antonio area.

Just picked up another myself that looks a lot like those (except with spines) on clearance in front of the HEB in Seguin for $16 last week. They’re getting kinda crispy but the one I picked is already making a recovery. 

[jwitt]

Crowded filifera 

I think yours most resemble these, but yours are root bound and sun starved/fertilized.

 

Edited October 12, 2022 by jwitt
Addition

[MarcusH]

I'm still waiting for the sellers answer.  It's not a typical walk in nursery they sell online from what I read. Anyway I used their picture and I tried to zoom in to see the teeth but the picture becomes to blurry . I don't want another robusta I already have one I'm trying to replace it with filifera since they're more cold hardy and do very well in San Antonio.  We do have a lot of them but can't find them at the store.  They only sell robusta.

[NBTX11]

Looks like mostly Filifera to me.  They just look very stretched out.  They have that dull green frond that you are looking for.

Since Either hybrids or Filifera are good for San Antonio, these palms should be fine if you want to plant them.   

[Collectorpalms]

On 10/11/2022 at 5:53 PM, MarcusH said:

Can someone tell me from this picture if these are Washingtonia filifera or robusta? The person sells it as California fan palm here in San Antonio. I messaged the seller but no response yet.  I'm looking for a filifera but everyone unfortunately sells robustas in San Antonio.  

Here is an example of a hybrid that is growing out of my sidewalk that lived through palmageddon under the snow. Looks like most on the market listed as Filifera. But I know it’s not cause I didnt get pure filifea until after the freeze. It’s also in full sun most of the day. 
 

Filifera and Robusta both have thorns. Not sure we’re that idea came from. If it was that easy then that would have been amazing.

[5am]

On 10/13/2022 at 7:36 AM, Collectorpalms said:

Filifera and Robusta both have thorns. Not sure we’re that idea came from. If it was that easy then that would have been amazing.

Thanks for the correction! I definitely had that wrong. 

[MarcusH]

Ok I bought my new Washingtonia from that private nursery . Might be a hybrid or not I don't know but it definitely doesn't look like my mexican fan palm that I bought at Lowes when it was about the same age.  Less smaller teeth,  leaves have deeper cut outs and the petiole is longer.  

[NBTX11]

If it’s a hybrid you’ll be fine. Medium trunked hybrids survived the Feb 21 freeze in San Antonio for the most part

[MarcusH]

16 minutes ago, NBTX11 said:

If it’s a hybrid you’ll be fine. Medium trunked hybrids survived the Feb 21 freeze in San Antonio for the most part

Yes I think so too I would guess most filibusta made it through last year's artic winter.  I haven't seen one that died only robustas had a tough time.  

[Ltapia]

On 10/18/2022 at 10:19 AM, MarcusH said:

Ok I bought my new Washingtonia from that private nursery . Might be a hybrid or not I don't know but it definitely doesn't look like my mexican fan palm that I bought at Lowes when it was about the same age.  Less smaller teeth,  leaves have deeper cut outs and the petiole is longer.  

Any update on this palm ?

[MarcusH]

23 hours ago, Ltapia said:

Any update on this palm ?

Yes. The ones I've bought aren't pure Filiferas . They're definitely Filibusta I would say from my observations these are leaning towards Filifera, by how much it's hard to tell right now , definitely some Robusta in it. I have a Robusta in front so I see the difference.  Coloration is a little bit different,  less curved petioles growing more upright,  a lot deeper leaflet cuts and a lot less red on the base of the petiole.  Some petioles have no red on it.  I'll post pics of the two Filibusta and one Robusta I have.  You'll see the difference.  

[Ltapia]

10 hours ago, MarcusH said:

Yes. The ones I've bought aren't pure Filiferas . They're definitely Filibusta I would say from my observations these are leaning towards Filifera, by how much it's hard to tell right now , definitely some Robusta in it. I have a Robusta in front so I see the difference.  Coloration is a little bit different,  less curved petioles growing more upright,  a lot deeper leaflet cuts and a lot less red on the base of the petiole.  Some petioles have no red on it.  I'll post pics of the two Filibusta and one Robusta I have.  You'll see the difference.  

Thanks for the reply !!

Looks like the filabusta is filling in thanks for sharing as I have a bunch of juveniles washatonias trying to figure what they are as there’s not much pics of seedlings and juveniles but im starting understand the differences as im new to this 2 years thanks all!

Edited June 12, 2023 by Ltapia

[MarcusH]

You're welcome.  I'm happy with my Filibusta,  I like the looks of it even I wanted to have pure Filiferas in my backyard I'm not disappointed at all.  They're definitely not Robusta.  I do like Robusta don't get me wrong I'm just afraid that one day it gets too tall then I would have to cut it down . If I could reset the button and have the financial resources I would fill in my yard with Sabal Palmetto starting with 8ft trunk.  With installation would be $2500 . So much for that.