Those promiscuous Phoenix palms

[Tracy]

I have walked past this yard many times over the years without really paying attention to this palm.  Perhaps the fact that it and some adjacent palms had been trimmed drew my attention.   With about 6 foot long drooping leaves with soft and pliable leaflets, it is clearly a Phoenix roebelenii hybrid.  Trunks indicated its a clumping species and other indications say Phoenix reclinata is the best candidate for the hybrid.

[Billy]

Interesting find, Tracy. Based from the photo I'm not sure if I've ever noticed these palms, but I imagine I had to have passed by that house at some point in my wanderings. I agree that it indeed looks like a roebellini x reclinata hybrid. 

[Bazza]

Here in Florida we have Date Palm crosses all over the place!  Once you realize what they are, especially you start paying more attention. I'll have to get more pics of the ones in my area. I'm always fascinated by this beautiful Genus and their hybrids/crosses.....

[Phoenikakias]

I can see those tiny hooks along the midrib on the back side of the leaflets. Without any doubt one of the progenitors is roebelenii. Perhaps a close up of the spines could betray whether former had been mother or father of the hybrid. I have one such hybrid from roebeleni father and reclinata mother and spine arrangement is very close to roebelenii. I have seen also other hubrids with same spp as parents but probably in reverse order, which have a spine arrangement quite similar to reclinata.

[Tracy]

20 hours ago, Billy said:

Interesting find, Tracy. Based from the photo I'm not sure if I've ever noticed these palms, but I imagine I had to have passed by that house at some point in my wanderings. I agree that it indeed looks like a roebellini x reclinata hybrid. 

The far north end of your street on the east side, second to last home before entering the private driveway homes on the lagoon.  I am sure you walked by without noticing it too but now you will be looking closely. 

[Bazza]

On 12/24/2022 at 1:47 PM, Bazza said:

Here in Florida we have Date Palm crosses all over the place!  Once you realize what they are, especially you start paying more attention. I'll have to get more pics of the ones in my area. I'm always fascinated by this beautiful Genus and their hybrids/crosses.....

Well I was going through some old photos and found these from April 2021 of a local cross that I really liked.....what a beauty!!! Has a coquina rock at the base - probably to protect against lawn equipment (?). Location is just west of US1 north of Wayne Avenue in NSB.....

 

[Phoenikakias]

11 hours ago, Bazza said:

Well I was going through some old photos and found these from April 2021 of a local cross that I really liked.....what a beauty!!! Has a coquina rock at the base - probably to protect against lawn equipment (?). Location is just west of US1 north of Wayne Avenue in NSB.....

 

Are they 3 distinctive individuals planted in group or a real clump? Answer is relevant for the disvovery of one at least of the parental spp. The other one must be roebelenii. Does anyone of the stems set fruit? Also color of fruit might prove helpful to the identification.  On the premise of roebelenii being one ancestor, if the other one is rupicola, apart from the solitary status of the hybrid) fruits should be red or purple.  If othe other hand ancestor is reclinata, fruit should remain rather orange to brown. Just my theory!