Colorado River Valley Thread

[Desertlife4me]

Hey all,

I am not sure how many PT members live in the Colorado River Valley (Bullhead City/Laughlin to the north and Lake Havasu City & Parker to the south) but I figured I would start a thread about my attempts to grow palms and other exotics in my corner of Arizona (Mohave Valley).

It is difficult to get any accurate data for my neighborhood as it is unincorporated Mohave County and sparsely populated (most lots in my neighborhood are 1 acre+, so no heat island effect). The weather stations are in Needles or Bullhead City, both of which are higher in elevation and see more extremes than we see in the valley.  Also people often post data about the area, but few of those people actually live here.

USDA lists us currently as a 9B but has in the past listed us as a 10A. The picture I uploaded was from 1990 data, the 2010 data was reversed and showed the higher elevations as 10A, which I know is false.

While I do not know how accurate my outdoor thermometers are I have seen light frost on the rooftops and I did get some ice in the garden hose once, but the freezes are short and usually just before/after dawn. I have yet to see any frost on the grass or leaves of the trees, probably due to lack of moisture. I would guess our lowest lows would be around 29/30 degrees.

As for high temps, we had 124 here two years ago and 116 was our high last year. We have many days over 100. In the summer our nights don't cool off as much, often the temperature is 90 plus before dawn.

For rain, I have been here two years and the county flood department tells me this has been the wettest two years for decades, going back at least 20 years. 

My elevation is about 475 feet, depending on who you ask.

Water table is 12-17 feet down, water has a lot of iron, calcium and salt (about 1200ppm of salt), so salt tolerance is important for me.

Soil is loamy silt with large chunks of clay (makes it easy to remove). I prepare my planting holes with a mixture of topsoil (bark, manure and sand) with chicken manure, compost, mesquite duff and native soil. The Washingtonias don't mind the local soil, they grow like weeds here.

Wind, we get wind, not as much as Bullhead, but we often see windstorms with gusts to 60mph. Winds almost always come out of the north or south depending on the season.

My house has a north/south exposure and I have trees (Eucalyptus & Mesquite) on the north, east and south side, but not the west unfortunately.

Some of the palms will be placed in my pool enclosure which is about 40 x 100 feet and has a 7 foot block wall on three sides and my garage on the south side.

 

Here is what I know will grow here, based on trees in my immediate vicinity (5-mile radius)

All Washingtonias, I personally have Robustas and Fillibustas in my yard and one possible Fillifera, not sure yet. I get volunteers everywhere, probably 40 or so currently growing.

The usual Phoenix palms, Dactylifera, Canariensis, Senegal and Roebeleniis

Butia/Pindo palms (I have three very healthy ones growing)

Chamaerops Humilis (I have two of them, neighbor across the street has a 1/2 dozen or so)

Queen Palms (I had two die, but a neighbor down the way has two healthy large ones).

 

Here is what I want to grow:

Phoenix Dactylifera

Mule Palms

CococQueens

Pseudophoenix Sargentii

Beccariophoenix Alfredii

Roystonia Regia

Bismarckia Nobilis

Copernicias?

Cocothrinax?

Sabal Mauritius?

I also plan on growing some bamboo and other tropical plants, I already have Asian Lime, Seabreeze and Green Temple bamboos in the ground and they are doing well, my black bamboo looks like its done for. The bamboo has been placed in order to provide shade for some of the plants I have plans for.

I would like to grow some plumerias, hibiscus and other tropicals.

The big problem is getting my hands on these palms, my local nurseries only carry the typical phoenix & washingtonias

I am planning a trip to Phoenix this fall to pick up some of these and I have an order pending with Floribunda for some B. Alfredii, Bismarkia, Cocothrinax Brohindiana & Copernicia Macrolossas which I will pot up for this summer and plant in the ground next spring.

Feel free to chime in with any advice and if you live in the area, let me know what has worked for you.

 

 

[Alberto]

Nice project! You don' t like Braheas?

[Desertlife4me]

I don't know much about them other than they are a fan style palm. I am new to the palm game. My goal is not to collect as many varieties as possible, but rather to have a good variety of tropical looking palm trees.

[jwitt]

You are in an area that has always interested me. That being said, brahea armata is one palm that should absolutely love your yard/area.

Pic off the net

Edited June 12, 2023 by jwitt
Corrected wording

[Desertlife4me]

Visted member AZ tropic over the weekend and picked up some palms

2 Date Palms

2 Buccaneer Palms

2 Royal Palms

1 Silver Saw Palmetto

 

 

[aztropic]

Always happy to spread the palminess, with species that have already proven themselves for years in Arizona gardens. 😀 

 

aztropic

Mesa, Arizona 

[Desertlife4me]

my palm nursery is growing, today a package from Hawaii (Floribunda) arrived including:
 

3 Becarriophoenix Alfredii

4 Bismarckia Nobilis

4 Chamerops Humilis V. Cerifiera

2 Cocothrinrax Borhidiana

3 Copernicia Macroglossa

 

Edited June 29, 2023 by Desertlife4me

[Desertlife4me]

been really hot here the last week and a half, but most of my palms are surviving. The Washingtonias are not even phased, I have two volunteers in the pool area that are putting on massive growth in full all-day sun. I wish all palms could handle heat the way they do.

[hbernstein]

Sabal palmetto would probably grow just fine, with some irrigation. I've saw one growing happily in the U.A.E.

[Tom in Tucson]

14 hours ago, Desertlife4me said:

been really hot here the last week and a half, but most of my palms are surviving. The Washingtonias are not even phased, I have two volunteers in the pool area that are putting on massive growth in full all-day sun. I wish all palms could handle heat the way they do.

2 palms I grow and recommend for the Sonoran desert are Livistona mariae, and Livistona alfredii. They love heat and full sun right from the start.

Hi 107˚, Lo 82˚

Edited July 22, 2023 by Tom in Tucson

[Desertlife4me]

I'm not in the Sonoran desert, I'm in the Mohave Desert, not that it matters much, Phoenix and the Colorado River Valley have similar weather

Some of my palms are struggling.

Here is a Butia Orodata I planted at the beginning of summer, burned pretty bad, but still pushing up new green growth

 

[Desertlife4me]

Same with this Robellini, looks ugly, but still green in the middle

 

 

[Desertlife4me]

In between those two is this healthy Washingtonia (I think it is a Filifera) that I transplanted as a volunteer that I found at the back of my property this spring, it put on some beef in its trunk 1st and is now starting to get some height.

 

[Desertlife4me]

Then we have this Washingtonia Robusta, I planted it last year in the spring, took until 2 months ago to start putting on growth....its unstoppable now

 

[Desertlife4me]

Here is a Royal I got from AZTropic, it is suffering, but still alive, I have a couple of shade cloths giving it relief from the afternoon sun.

[Desertlife4me]

Here is another Washingtonia volunteer, just popped out of the ground about 2 months ago, look at this thing, full sun, all day

 

 

[Desertlife4me]

My Chamaerops Humilis is doing fine as well, also gets full sun all day, to the left of it is another Washingtonia volunteer, they are like weeds here

This is my seabreeze bamboo, which is next to the Chamerops and Washingtonias, full sun, almost all day, the wall gives it some shade in late afternoon, no burn, new growth, getting full

 

 

 

[Desertlife4me]

Then there is this guy, maybe someone can help me identify it. I grew it from seed in Seattle and brought it with me, planted it in the ground in the fall of 2021, it has taken off. I thought it was a Butia Orodata, maybe it is a Phoenix Dactylifera?

[kinzyjr]

2 hours ago, Desertlife4me said:

Then there is this guy, maybe someone can help me identify it. I grew it from seed in Seattle and brought it with me, planted it in the ground in the fall of 2021, it has taken off. I thought it was a Butia Orodata, maybe it is a Phoenix Dactylifera?

It does look more like a Phoenix dactylifera.  If you have a photo of the seed, that will narrow it down.

[ruskinPalms]

Any chance these palms will acclimate to these desert conditions given how they look in these pics? A genuine question, not trolling. I have been dealing with the worst drought I’ve ever experienced in my area because of unrelenting westerly winds this summer (they are supposed to come from the east…). But, the westerly winds are still insanely humid coming off the Gulf of Mexico so less frond desiccation I guess although my grass would beg to differ… and I have a mediocre builder special irrigation system that causes more trouble than it is worth…reclaimed water at least. This has been a lackluster growing season here to say the least. No real growth from my foxtails. Ironically, the only palms still showing strong growth here this season are Roystonea, C. lutescens, Cocos (lol), and Adonidia.  The others are sulking for the most part. I’ve been surprised to see how slow Wodyetia has been here this summer without the rains. So, back to the desert topic, I admire how you guys manage to grow a lot of these tropical palms out west in the desert 👍😁

[Desertlife4me]

On 8/10/2023 at 7:35 PM, ruskinPalms said:

Any chance these palms will acclimate to these desert conditions given how they look in these pics? A genuine question, not trolling. I have been dealing with the worst drought I’ve ever experienced in my area because of unrelenting westerly winds this summer (they are supposed to come from the east…). But, the westerly winds are still insanely humid coming off the Gulf of Mexico so less frond desiccation I guess although my grass would beg to differ… and I have a mediocre builder special irrigation system that causes more trouble than it is worth…reclaimed water at least. This has been a lackluster growing season here to say the least. No real growth from my foxtails. Ironically, the only palms still showing strong growth here this season are Roystonea, C. lutescens, Cocos (lol), and Adonidia.  The others are sulking for the most part. I’ve been surprised to see how slow Wodyetia has been here this summer without the rains. So, back to the desert topic, I admire how you guys manage to grow a lot of these tropical palms out west in the desert 👍😁

good question, I think for the most part it is luck, there is always some genetic mutation and if you get a plant that has a mutation that helps it tolerate the heat, sun and low humidity then you got lucky. That is why we keep trying different breeds, different locations etc..

I lost a store bought CIDP, yet I have one salvaged from the side of the road and one I started from seed in Seattle that are doing just fine....

[Desertlife4me]

On 8/10/2023 at 6:01 PM, kinzyjr said:

It does look more like a Phoenix dactylifera.  If you have a photo of the seed, that will narrow it down.

I am thinking it is a CIDP, I had grown a couple of those as I thought it might survive in my 8B Seattle location, it is growing like a weed here...

[Desertlife4me]

took some pics of the growth of some of the palms

 

the CIDP is going crazy

[Desertlife4me]

here are the two volunteers that I discovered in June