Trying to help out my Mom...

[edsclark]

To make a long story short(er), my mom lives in an apartment complex where she's had a lengthy stand-off with an abrasive landscape maintenance person who always wants to come around and scalp the beautiful palm that is right outside her sliding doorway. For years she prevailed, literally standing in front of the palm as he would pass by. But recently, she was hospitalized for a few days (she's 84) and wasn't there to protect her favorite palm. Well, he took advantage of the opportunity to spread some misery and cut the entire tree to the roots. She was devastated when she returned and hasn't gotten over it. I'm hoping to find another one just like it and put it in a large pot so that it will be her personal possession, instead of 'community property'. She's convinced that it was a rare palm, but I'm not so sure. I'm not at all familiar with palms, but she is and I wouldn't want to replace her favorite palm with a 'lesser' variety so I'm humbly appealing to you all to help me identify it. Also, if anyone could chime in regarding the viability of potting such a palm, it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your help!! 

[OC2Texaspalmlvr]

Welcome to PT !!! I wish I could give you a definitive ID on the palm but I'm sure someone will. My guess is it is fairly rare maybe even a copernicia sp. I definitely see why they wanted to remove it, as it was next to a walkway of some sort and the palm was armed with thorns. These palms don't make great container palms but living in Miami gives your mom tons of options to grow a palm in a container. 

T J 

[PalmatierMeg]

Do you have any more photos, esp. closeups? Is it the palm just to the left of the walk? What does she think it is? It looks like it has spines on its petioles - is that correct? I’m not excusing the sneaky maintenance guy but planting an armed palm right next to a walkway is courting a liability claim from passersby. I’ve been slashed more times than I care to admit by my own spiny palms.

[flplantguy]

Since its young and has spines (older ones of that type dont) i would guess a chinese fan palm (livistona chinensis) but im not sure.  It seems like a volunteer that came up and they can do that here too.  Its slow enough a pot could work for a time but i recomend a smaller type.  Someone local could help but i love colorful ones like areca vestiaria or a lipstick palm.  Not sure how viable or available they are there though.

[Darold Petty]

Edsclark,   Welcome to Palmtalk ! 

  I'm sorry that your Mom lost a favored plant, but I must agree that the palm shown was a maintenance problem, and a hazard to pedestrians exiting from the parking lot.

  The spines on the petiole are incredibly sharp and easily cut skin.  This was an inappropriate spot for such a palm.   There are numerous palm species suitable for pot culture in your area, and I leave it to Florida locals to suggest a replacement species.  Best wishes to you and your Mom.   

[necturus]

Hard to be certain, but sure looks like a Livistona chinensis. Should be easy to replace and can survive in a pot for a long time.

I agree with everyone it was in a bad place, but that was still sorry behavior. It looks like it could’ve been transplanted behind the shrub row.

[Merlyn]

It looks like a Livistona Chinensis (Chinese Fan Palm) to me, they are relatively common in Florida and I have 10 or so in my yard.  I also wouldn't have planted in that spot, as I prefer the blood on the inside of my body and the skin still attached to the outside.    You should be able to get a small-ish replacement at any local nursery or big box store for $30 or so.   Buying one that big might be $100 or so.  Frequently they come in doubles/triples/etc in pots at the box stores.  They will survive in a pot for years.

[SeanK]

In SoFL, you should be able to find a decent sized one for under $100. The pot may cost more.

[edsclark]

Thank you so much to all that have responded to my plea for help. I'm in my 50's and I just cannot believe that this type of collaboration and expert assistance can be made available to anyone, literally on a whim, and just for the asking. I've actually never participated in any online forum of any kind and am left wondering "what took me so long??" All of a sudden, I feel like I've been living under a rock!!  
Anyway, thanks again and blessings to all. 
 

[Little Tex]

9 hours ago, edsclark said:

Thank you so much to all that have responded to my plea for help. I'm in my 50's and I just cannot believe that this type of collaboration and expert assistance can be made available to anyone, literally on a whim, and just for the asking. I've actually never participated in any online forum of any kind and am left wondering "what took me so long??" All of a sudden, I feel like I've been living under a rock!!  
Anyway, thanks again and blessings to all. 
 

That’s why we’re so lucky to have this community, it truly is a blessing, online forums are a dying breed, with most similar communities switching over to discord servers and Facebook groups this is a diamond in the rough, I’m a part of numerous other forums and they are all dying or slowly switching platforms, except palmtalk, which seems to be growing strong!

also I have 10 seedlings from a Chinese fan palm like shown, if you would like a few for your mother( free of charge of course) please message me