Gorilla planting of non palm plants

[Tracy]

So when a plant fan starts to run out of space and sees an opening what do they do?  In my case, it can lead to a little Gorilla planting.  So back in 2013, when the greenhouse property was replaced with an infill development, they had a master plan to hide the new development from the older established neighborhood across the street (mine).  The builder eagerly planted what the neighbors wanted to get their permits approved with minimal neighbor opposition, despite the density of the new development which doesn't match it's surroundings.  Fast forward a couple of years, after the HOA for the development decides to ignore the prior agreements with adjacent neighbors for the project approval and rips out the trees designed to buffer the new neighborhood.  Now the old neighborhood sees an opportunity in the voids to fill a few spots. 

A neighbor planted a couple of Dracaena draco's  in the void a few houses down.  I think that prompted a gorilla to arrive one night across the street from my garden and drop another younger Dracaena draco in the ground.  So this "gorilla planting" is starting to get a little bigger these days and actually popped out it's first inflorescence.  Do you have gorillas in your neighborhood doing some plantings????

[Darold Petty]

A friend of mine scattered my excess Rhopalostylis seeds on Mt. Davidson, where the Eucalyptus forest provides summer moisture from fog drip, similar to a redwood forest.  I confess that I have never returned to see if any became established.   Really, I need to get out more, perhaps later this week.   

[Merlyn]

I bet training that gorilla to plant at the midpoint between the curb and sidewalk was pretty difficult!  It must have been even harder to train it to just strip off the old dead leaves and not rip off the nice green ones. 

[rprimbs]

When one of the little street trees on my road, next to a wall died, I was sorely tempted to replace it with a mango.  And then I figured I could continue down the road replacing more and more with mangos.  But I never did..

[Tracy]

19 minutes ago, rprimbs said:

When one of the little street trees on my road, next to a wall died, I was sorely tempted to replace it with a mango.  And then I figured I could continue down the road replacing more and more with mangos.  But I never did..

It is never too late to start your well intended project. 

[Tracy]

An update on the gorilla's efforts to beautify the neighborhood.  Post flowering the trunk branched.

[Tracy]

On 12/4/2022 at 8:42 PM, Darold Petty said:

A friend of mine scattered my excess Rhopalostylis seeds on Mt. Davidson, where the Eucalyptus forest provides summer moisture from fog drip, similar to a redwood forest.  I confess that I have never returned to see if any became established.   Really, I need to get out more, perhaps later this week.   

So Darold,  have you.made the jaunt to Mt Davidson yet?  I am not familiar with it so I have to ask where it is too.

[Darold Petty]

Mt. Davidson is right in the center of San Francisco, the west side only gets the incoming fog drip. The east side is more like a NorCal  chapparal. It is notorious for the gigantic cross at the summit, featured in one of Clint Eastwood's Dirty Harry movies.   I checked, but did not recognize any palms in the undergrowth.  I suppose I must 'discard' more seeds !   

[ahosey01]

On 1/24/2025 at 11:17 PM, Tracy said:

An update on the gorilla's efforts to beautify the neighborhood.  Post flowering the trunk branched.

That much growth in one year?!  Is that a Dracaena or a Pauwlonia lol

[realarch]

Man, what a great ape!

Tim

[Jonathan]

19 hours ago, realarch said:

Man, what a great ape!

Tim

Yeah, but would have thought bananas would be more his style...or Ape-ricots! (Sorry).

[happypalms]

On 12/6/2022 at 1:20 AM, Tracy said:

It is never too late to start your well intended project. 

They say when is the best time to plant a tree 20 years ago.

[Kim]

That is one clever gorilla!

Every time I drive into Ocean Beach/Point Loma where the I-8 ends, I think "this broad, boring median could sure use a nice Bismarckia or three!"  Haven't done anything about it. 🫤

[Tracy]

On 1/27/2025 at 2:23 PM, Jonathan said:

Yeah, but would have thought bananas would be more his style.

I guess having plenty of banana's in his own yard, this gorilla didn't find it necessary to plant them elsewhere.🙊

[rprimbs]

On 1/31/2025 at 9:59 AM, Kim said:

That is one clever gorilla!

Every time I drive into Ocean Beach/Point Loma where the I-8 ends, I think "this broad, boring median could sure use a nice Bismarckia or three!"  Haven't done anything about it. 🫤

That would probably work.  I have a Bismarkia in the ground that I have never watered, and it is doing great.  They are a good xeric palm.

[Aquamarine]

On 1/25/2025 at 12:17 AM, Tracy said:

An update on the gorilla's efforts to beautify the neighborhood.  Post flowering the trunk branched.

Nice plant! And I love the planting across the street too!