Washingtonia filifera or filibusta

[MarcusH]

I'm a little confused now.  A few months ago I purchased 2 "California fan palms" . I also have a robusta for comparison.  I see the difference.  My Filifera have much deeper leaflets and seem to be longer as well . What I've noticed on one of the filifera that's been in the ground since October shows spikes all the way to the leaflets on a newer frond.  Hmmm 🤔 . On the filifera the petiole are longer and grow more straight than curved like on the robusta.  Colors on both aren't identical but very similar.  The robusta was planted in March last year had more time to establish.  Here are pictures of the 2 filiferas. Could it be a filibusta? 

[SailorBold]

3 hours ago, MarcusH said:

I'm a little confused now.  A few months ago I purchased 2 "California fan palms" . I also have a robusta for comparison.  I see the difference.  My Filifera have much deeper leaflets and seem to be longer as well . What I've noticed on one of the filifera that's been in the ground since October shows spikes all the way to the leaflets on a newer frond.  Hmmm 🤔 . On the filifera the petiole are longer and grow more straight than curved like on the robusta.  Colors on both aren't identical but very similar.  The robusta was planted in March last year had more time to establish.  Here are pictures of the 2 filiferas. Could it be a filibusta? 

You may get lucky.. but just from my experience.. every 'mass produced' labeled California  fan palm I ever bought ended up being a hybrid.. and unattractive forms at that. The only way I was able to get a pure one was to source it myself.  I don't know how the nursery trade gets their seeds.. but all the ones I've got.. ended in disappointment.

[MarcusH]

6 hours ago, SailorBold said:

6 hours ago, SailorBold said:

You may get lucky.. but just from my experience.. every 'mass produced' labeled California  fan palm I ever bought ended up being a hybrid.. and unattractive forms at that. The only way I was able to get a pure one was to source it myself.  I don't know how the nursery trade gets their seeds.. but all the ones I've got.. ended in disappointment.

I guess you're right about that. I like the looks of all three types of Washingtonia I just wanted a filifera for two reasons after planting one robusta , number one cold hardiness and number two thicker trunk + plus shorter height.  I've planted our robusta in front of our house I assume in less than 20 years it will look kind of awkward maybe I don't know I mean I'm not going to see anything but a pencil thin trunk while the canopy is way way up there so I might to get it removed someday . Not the end of the world. I actually do like the look of a filibusta . It's too early to tell what I really have but worst case scenario I might got a filibusta as long as it's cold hardier have a thicker trunk and less height I'm good with it. 

[jwitt]

Missing the inverted "v" . Skinnier hybrid is my guess.

[MarcusH]

7 minutes ago, jwitt said:

Missing the inverted "v" . Skinnier hybrid is my guess.

Thank you that's fine with me down the road it will be a good looking palm that all matters to me . We have many of these hybrids around here and they definitely can handle our cold winters .  So I call it a filibusta ? California fan palm ? 

[jwitt]

I call any Washingtonia that survives my climate a blessing.

 

[Las Palmas Norte]

15 hours ago, MarcusH said:

...So I call it a filibusta ? California fan palm ? 

Mexicali or Calexico. 😁

[MarcusH]

Haha I like washingtonia Calexico that's a good name and yes every Washy that survives our winter is a blessing.  Like I said down the road I don't care about if it's a filifera or filibusta as long as they survive our rare artic winters I'm happy.  We have two palms (mexican fan and Queen) in front and three palms ( 2 Calexico lol and 1 Queen in the back yard. They're all very young but I can't wait to see them growing big . My wife said no more palm trees haha. 

[Las Palmas Norte]

4 hours ago, MarcusH said:

... My wife said no more palm trees haha.

Mine welcomed the idea enough to help me with a small palm and exotics nursery 20 years ago. 

[MarcusH]

21 hours ago, Las Palmas Norte said:

Mine welcomed the idea enough to help me with a small palm and exotics nursery 20 years ago. 

She's supportive but our yard has other plants and trees as well and we kind of reached the limit of planting anything big if we still want the sun reaching the ground.  

[MarcusH]

This palm is in our neighborhood.  Could this be a Filibusta ? For a pure Robusta I think the crown is too large 

Edited February 17, 2023 by MarcusH

[Teegurr]

1 hour ago, MarcusH said:

This palm is in our neighborhood.  Could this be a Filibusta ? For a pure Robusta I think the crown is too large 

Looks like a mostly filifera filibusta to me.

Edited February 17, 2023 by Teegurr

[ChicagoPalma]

I've seen a filibusta before in northern Florida,  it looks like a Filibusta, but leaning towards a filiferra look.

[ChicagoPalma]

Also can anybody explain how did someone photoshop the washingtonia into the tree so well, or is it real?

Edited February 17, 2023 by ChicagoPalma

[SailorBold]

2 hours ago, Teegurr said:

Looks like a mostly filifera filibusta to me.

Agree.. filifera x robusta..with additional hybridization perhaps.. that cross creates a filifera trunked palm but with twice as many 'smaller' leaf bases on the trunk.  It still may be a quick grower.. but takes longer to add trunk height..

It's advantage may be a hardier overall trunking washingtonia..but foliage is not as leaf hardy by a few degrees as pure filifera.. 

Edited February 17, 2023 by SailorBold

[Michael112211]

Hi there I recently got a Washingtonia palm it was advertised to me as California fan palm but now I am having second thoughts, I would like to know if it’s robusta filifera or filibusta, I know it’s likely still to young to tell what type it is but any educated guesses would be great.

[NBTX11]

On 2/15/2023 at 3:15 AM, MarcusH said:

 

In 20 years your Robusta will be over 40 feet tall, if it’s a healthy palm. 

[NBTX11]

Marcus do not worry if you got a Filifera or medium to fat trunked Hybrid. Both are fully hardy to our freezes. It’s only the super thin Robusta or robusta like hybrids you have to worry about in major freezes. 

[MarcusH]

Yeah I should be fine as long as they're hardy I'm a happy camper.  Filibusta looks very good.  

[MarcusH]

12 hours ago, Michael112211 said:

Hi there I recently got a Washingtonia palm it was advertised to me as California fan palm but now I am having second thoughts, I would like to know if it’s robusta filifera or filibusta, I know it’s likely still to young to tell what type it is but any educated guesses would be great.

Very hard to tell maybe some of our pure Filifera growers can tell you what it is.