Washingtonia Robusta - What would you do?

[Swolte]

See poll above

Edited April 27, 2023 by Swolte
typo

[Xenon]

If you're going to get a robusta, I'd go all the way and ensure you get the "purest" thinnest twisting telephone pole most lush lime green version. Very striking in a sea of hybrids imo (am I the only one that strongly prefers robusta over filifera or anything that looks filifera??) 

That telephone pole at the Taco Cabana in College Station was pretty close....yes yes yes go for it!! Get the smaller one, robusta shoots up like a rocket 

[DreaminAboutPalms]

I would honestly start from seed. I've seen Robustas go from seed to twice that size in one summer with lots of sun and water. In long run you'll be better off 

[DreaminAboutPalms]

Hopefully yours ends up looking like one of these 

[OC2Texaspalmlvr]

7 hours ago, Xenon said:

am I the only one that strongly prefers robusta over filifera or anything that looks filifera

I think most of us would prefer a sky scraper robusta over Filifera. Unfortunately they will prolly never last here,  instead we tell ourselves Filifera is the way to go. I prefer myself the giant telephone pole to the skinny skyscraper. The thicker the palm trunk the better imo. 

T J 

[OC2Texaspalmlvr]

I picked other as in you cant beat a Sabal palm. 100$ bulletproof for us , but I'm pretty sure you have plenty of them haha @Swolte

T J 

[ChicagoPalma]

44 minutes ago, OC2Texaspalmlvr said:

I think most of us would prefer a sky scraper robusta over Filifera. Unfortunately they will prolly never last here,  instead we tell ourselves Filifera is the way to go. I prefer myself the giant telephone pole to the skinny skyscraper. The thicker the palm trunk the better imo. 

T J 

and i thought everyone loved robusta, although filifera is just more cold hardier and pretty much survives texas ice age.

[SeanK]

If you're truly in z8b, a robusta should grow well and defoliate every year.  I would buy two.

[jwitt]

1980's/2020's

And in 40 years will you be able to deal with a dead 40' tree?

Or 20 years?

Maybe 80?

Chances are you will have a beautiful palm for quite some time.

Seed in place I bet would be as fast, if not faster than the 3" HEB palm at the end of the day.  Not so for the larger Robusta.  I bet if you seed in place, you would have a 10'-15' tall palm in ten years. 

Me, I would seed.

[PashkaTLT]

$24 & $120 WOW! You guys down there are so lucky!!!

6ft Robusta for $120 would be a no-brainer for me.

I want to get a 3-7 gallon W.Robusta (have one 15G). Any chance someone is willing to send one to me?

This species is pretty hard to find here in northern states.

Edited April 28, 2023 by PashkaTLT

[Swolte]

Woah, that's pretty clear.

Looks like I'll stop by the HEB tomorrow and see if they still have some nice specimens left. Added advantage is that I can just sneak it in with the family groceries so my personal plant budget won't have to suffer a dime (the wife will never know, hehee!). 

15 hours ago, OC2Texaspalmlvr said:

I picked other as in you cant beat a Sabal palm. 100$ bulletproof for us , but I'm pretty sure you have plenty of them haha

Yeah, definitely the majority genus in the garden! I should have almost 20 different species and varieties by now. 

 

5 hours ago, SeanK said:

If you're truly in z8b, a robusta should grow well and defoliate every year.  I would buy two.

I have a rule of one of each! Keeps collecting interesting and a garden diverse.

Its 8b but unfortunately we have been dealing with extreme weather events recently that make their (unprotected) life questionable. .

[jwitt]

Famous last words..........

"The wife will never know"............

 

[Xerarch]

@Swolte Just my 2 cents here.  Especially in a marginal area, W. robusta is no trash tree, if there aren't many around and yours looks great, yours will be the pride of the neighborhood.  It's different if you live in LA and have nearly limitless options.

P.S. how in the world does a robusta die in drought? Was it still in a pot or something? These things are literally weeds in Las Vegas and cannot be stopped.

[UK_Palms]

I'm in a similar position here. I don't know whether to buy any more washies or not. My smallish ones have had serious spear pulls and look dead. I actually ripped one out yesterday. However 30-40 mins drive northeast to London, or south to the coast, all the Robusta's are completely undamaged there. It's so unfair. I have a small potted Filibusta that may go in the ground. They're never going to be long term in my location here though. They'll get through 2-3 winters fine with no protection, then BAM. It's the same with CIDP in my location.

Getting a large one will certainly increase the chances of it surviving the next serious cold snap if it is already a decent size by then. If you get a smallish one, it may not get to a big enough size before the next major freeze hits and it may not survive. Lots of 'if and buts' though. I suppose with smaller ones they are also easier to protect. Either way, good luck with it. 

[MarcusH]

I have three hybrids one is more robusta the other ones maybe 50/50 robusta/filifera only time will tell to see what they are. I like washingtonias they grow fast but if money wasn't an issue back then I would plant Sabal Palmettos at least 8 ft trunk but 2500 dollars each is not a good deal. I would also replace my Queen in front with a mule in future just for the looks . I love queens but prefer a mule.  I personally wouldn't replace a dead robusta with a robusta . They only get one time chance.  

[MarcusH]

9 hours ago, UK_Palms said:

I'm in a similar position here. I don't know whether to buy any more washies or not. My smallish ones have had serious spear pulls and look dead. I actually ripped one out yesterday. However 30-40 mins drive northeast to London, or south to the coast, all the Robusta's are completely undamaged there. It's so unfair. I have a small potted Filibusta that may go in the ground. They're never going to be long term in my location here though. They'll get through 2-3 winters fine with no protection, then BAM. It's the same with CIDP in my location.

Getting a large one will certainly increase the chances of it surviving the next serious cold snap if it is already a decent size by then. If you get a smallish one, it may not get to a big enough size before the next major freeze hits and it may not survive. Lots of 'if and buts' though. I suppose with smaller ones they are also easier to protect. Either way, good luck with it. 

I think Robustas look very nice where it rarely freezes . Here in San Antonio I think going through 2 big freezes in 2 years they look crappy . For most people to tall to prune without hiring a professional.  Robustas look good and healthier in a warm 9a and higher.  Cheap isn't always good because it cost you some money to remove a 50 footer Robusta.  

[ChicagoPalma]

44 minutes ago, MarcusH said:

I think Robustas look very nice where it rarely freezes . Here in San Antonio I think going through 2 big freezes in 2 years they look crappy . For most people to tall to prune without hiring a professional.  Robustas look good and healthier in a warm 9a and higher.  Cheap isn't always good because it cost you some money to remove a 50 footer Robusta.  

this is why us northern people grow palms or canadians like robusta here and they will grow way slower than they might in texas saving time and longing laster. But also one nice hot summer and it grows 6 feet in 4 months!

[MarcusH]

7 hours ago, ChicagoPalma said:

this is why us northern people grow palms or canadians like robusta here and they will grow way slower than they might in texas saving time and longing laster. But also one nice hot summer and it grows 6 feet in 4 months!

What's left are mostly Robusta Hybrids but we still have pure Robustas here and there especially close to downtown and on the Southside.  I wouldn't replant Robustas here in San Antonio just my two cents but also pure Robustas are hard to find in Texas anyway .  They do get old here ! 

[ChicagoPalma]

2 hours ago, MarcusH said:

What's left are mostly Robusta Hybrids but we still have pure Robustas here and there especially close to downtown and on the Southside.  I wouldn't replant Robustas here in San Antonio just my two cents but also pure Robustas are hard to find in Texas anyway .  They do get old here ! 

True, but they can last longer up north and take time longer to grow. Although the palms were made for your climate but they are now getting used to the Texas ice ages but the robustas that grow up north are acclimated to temps below negatives some times, just look at James palms, he goes to Bahamas while his palms sit protected against -10 F.

[WSimpson]

I voted Other because I would try a Fayetteville , NC Filibusta . That thing would grow fast and is hardy . I'm planting one this spring .

Will

[cm05]

They grow so quickly I’d go the cheaper route. I’ve had them go from a seed to palmate fronds inside of 3 months in full summer sun, and I’m well outside of their range, I imagine they grow like sunflowers in Texas.

[Swolte]

12 hours ago, Will Simpson said:

I voted Other because I would try a Fayetteville , NC Filibusta . That thing would grow fast and is hardy . I'm planting one this spring .

Thanks, good tip! The one at the HEB was gone but I missed that these were for sale. Just ordered one! Good story.

Thanks @knikfar for collecting these!

~ S

[N8ALLRIGHT]

On 4/29/2023 at 9:40 PM, Swolte said:

Thanks, good tip! The one at the HEB was gone but I missed that these were for sale. Just ordered one! Good story.

Thanks @knikfar for collecting these!

~ S

Is @knikfar selling these again? Where are they posted if so? I would love to try a couple

 

[Swolte]

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1173806048/hardy-washingtonia-filibusta?click_key=465dc5e3cb4510aee6653ce5242994d9c0660498%3A1173806048&click_sum=612fd80f&ref=shop_home_active_1&crt=1

Seems like a few left.

[MarcusH]

Pure Robustas aren't that cold hardy as you think so from what I've learned is that most Robustas you can buy at your BBS are Robusta dominant hybrids

I also highly doubt that palms get used to colder temperatures where they can withstand weeks of freezing temperatures (ground freeze) unprotected.  Even at a slower growth rate there comes the time where winter protection is nearly impossible .

You saw the devastation that mother nature caused on non native palms here in TX in 2021. A week of freezing temperatures whipped out a large amount of pure Robustas.  

You mentioned that Robustas can last longer up north.  Keep in mind before Palmaggedon we had Robustas that were 0 to 50 plus years old and we still have old survivors.  There's absolutely no chance you can keep a Robusta or any large growing palm for that long in cold winter climates.  I wish you could but that's reality.  The ground here in San Antonio/South Texas doesn't/didn’t freeze that's a huge advantage to succefully grow palms . Also we usually get only light freezes for a couple of days most of the time .  That's why a lot of different palms can be grown here . 

[N8ALLRIGHT]

23 hours ago, Swolte said:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1173806048/hardy-washingtonia-filibusta?click_key=465dc5e3cb4510aee6653ce5242994d9c0660498%3A1173806048&click_sum=612fd80f&ref=shop_home_active_1&crt=1

Seems like a few left.

Thank you  

[D Palm]

I understand people like washies. I enjoy the more costa-palmate Sabals though.

[Swolte]

I ended up getting the Robusta from the HEB and the Filibusta from Fayetteville , NC (thanks @knikfar!)

They had moved the Robusta around a pot at the HEB so I didn't see it the other day. Last week, I stumbled on it and I just couldn't resist adding it to the shopping cart. Do you have that with certain plants at times? They kinda call to you? Its hard to get them out of your mind? It was such a beauty and actually ended up being 15 dollars despite the sticker saying $24, yippee! I just planted it, as you can see now in the first pic (isn't she great!?). It will be at a spot where there is room to cut it down if it does turn out to live until 20+ feet and dies in the next record-breaking arctic freeze. I hope one day it will be 20 ft and someone asks where I got it (most of my garden has uncommon-rare species) so I can say: the local HEB! Heh.
😄
The second pic is the Filibusta from Knikfar. The rock is to deter our ox-beetle and hold on to some heat during cold nights.  We're having some hot and rainy days ahead here (nighttime lows hitting the 70s now more regularly) so I am expecting some growth from scraggly here. Its located in a spot where cutting down a mature Washy would be more challenging so I hope they will be hardier than the Robusta. 

Edited May 8, 2023 by Swolte

[knikfar]

On 5/7/2023 at 10:52 PM, Swolte said:

I ended up getting the Robusta from the HEB and the Filibusta from Fayetteville , NC (thanks @knikfar!)

They had moved the Robusta around a pot at the HEB so I didn't see it the other day. Last week, I stumbled on it and I just couldn't resist adding it to the shopping cart. Do you have that with certain plants at times? They kinda call to you? Its hard to get them out of your mind? It was such a beauty and actually ended up being 15 dollars despite the sticker saying $24, yippee! I just planted it, as you can see now in the first pic (isn't she great!?). It will be at a spot where there is room to cut it down if it does turn out to live until 20+ feet and dies in the next record-breaking arctic freeze. I hope one day it will be 20 ft and someone asks where I got it (most of my garden has uncommon-rare species) so I can say: the local HEB! Heh.
😄
The second pic is the Filibusta from Knikfar. The rock is to deter our ox-beetle and hold on to some heat during cold nights.  We're having some hot and rainy days ahead here (nighttime lows hitting the 70s now more regularly) so I am expecting some growth from scraggly here. Its located in a spot where cutting down a mature Washy would be more challenging so I hope they will be hardier than the Robusta. 

Grow little filibusta grow!!

[joetx]

On 5/7/2023 at 9:52 PM, Swolte said:

I ended up getting the Robusta from the HEB and the Filibusta from Fayetteville , NC (thanks @knikfar!)

They had moved the Robusta around a pot at the HEB so I didn't see it the other day. Last week, I stumbled on it and I just couldn't resist adding it to the shopping cart. Do you have that with certain plants at times? They kinda call to you? Its hard to get them out of your mind? It was such a beauty and actually ended up being 15 dollars despite the sticker saying $24, yippee! I just planted it, as you can see now in the first pic (isn't she great!?). It will be at a spot where there is room to cut it down if it does turn out to live until 20+ feet and dies in the next record-breaking arctic freeze. I hope one day it will be 20 ft and someone asks where I got it (most of my garden has uncommon-rare species) so I can say: the local HEB! Heh.
😄
The second pic is the Filibusta from Knikfar. The rock is to deter our ox-beetle and hold on to some heat during cold nights.  We're having some hot and rainy days ahead here (nighttime lows hitting the 70s now more regularly) so I am expecting some growth from scraggly here. Its located in a spot where cutting down a mature Washy would be more challenging so I hope they will be hardier than the Robusta. 

They have $15 robustas at the HEB here in Round Rock too. Hard not to buy a few!

[Collectorpalms]

The Cheddars on University had about 15 Washingtonia Robusta brought in from California. Yes, they were California looking, but burned at 25F that seemed to slow their growth. They later planted a few small 5-10 gallon hybrids. In the 15 or so years, those hybrid caught up in height.

Long Story short, every single one died. They even had Pindos, that also died much earlier one by one due to soil and water that plagued this part of CS.

All my 25 or so Washingtonia did not burn until 14-19F, and I was only a mile away. So I Felt like to was doing the right thing.