Plants ..in the 'Hood ...take #1 ..Palms in the hood...

[Silas_Sancona]

Now that it isn't blazing hot, time to wander around nearby neighborhoods to check on how various things survived our 55 days of 110+ heat / 30-something nights over 90 ..and barely any rain..  Aside from the usual suspect, palms planted made it through this summers hellfire w/ out issue..

Some other pleasant ..and not so pleasant.. sightings and surprises along the way..  See Pt.#2,  when i get it up.

As suspected, what Queens were still present around the 'hood ..this section of it.. Checking out other areas nearby soon.. after 2020's torching are ..uhh, done ..or headed that way.  Your yearly reminder that despite their prevalence in the big box nurseries, these aren't a good option here. Like the look? plant something else ..Like Mules.






Pygmys look great, even the biggest ..though this group is a bit over trimmed headed into winter though, imo..  I myself would add some smaller plants between these as well ...Not Lantana however.




A couple of the numerous large Chamaerops  specimens in yards back there..





Nice group of CA. Fans.. What could that " green blob " in the lower right back ground be??



..And of course, the Desert heat champs, Brahea armata, one group over trimmed, the other, next door, looking like they should..  Saguaro in shot #2 looks healthy too.  Unfortunately......   Green tree to the right of Sir armata in the same picture is a Tipu.

[SeanK]

You can definitely tell which palms will take the dry heat and do OK if not watered every day. 

[peachy]

I am amazed at the S romanzoffianum looking ratty after heat.  When I lived out in country (read Queensland bible belt) mine took months of 40c plus daily and down to -6c for many consecutive nights in winter and nothing ever bothered them.  The other palms take forever to grow and personally I would be enjoying the size and foliage of these mature specimens, not making them look like survivors of the Texas chainsaw massacre. My pygmies are just 1 metre in height but the leaves are green right down to the base of the trunk. The only time they will get leaves removed is when they die or one gets me in the face.

 It's a bit like people who buy lovely long haired dogs then pay some moron a fortune to clip it all off !

Peachy

[Silas_Sancona]

4 hours ago, peachy said:

I am amazed at the S romanzoffianum looking ratty after heat.  When I lived out in country (read Queensland bible belt) mine took months of 40c plus daily and down to -6c for many consecutive nights in winter and nothing ever bothered them.  The other palms take forever to grow and personally I would be enjoying the size and foliage of these mature specimens, not making them look like survivors of the Texas chainsaw massacre. My pygmies are just 1 metre in height but the leaves are green right down to the base of the trunk. The only time they will get leaves removed is when they die or one gets me in the face.

 It's a bit like people who buy lovely long haired dogs then pay some moron a fortune to clip it all off !

Peachy

We're closer to 50C during the day / 29-33C ..or hotter at times in certain parts of town overnight  ..for weeks during the summer,  w/ little ..or no rain ( this year = 0.78" at the house, all summer )  Winters here rarely dip below 0C for more than a couple nights, if at all.    Queens are simply a horribly adapted option for those kinds of conditions.. For the most part, they do great / look great in California though.

Don't get trimming Pygmys the way many are though.. Look better w/ fuller crowns.

Never understood that either, haha..  Me myself, i'm a lifer Basenji dad ..Perfect size, attitude and temperament.  Only other " breed " i'd own would be New Guinea Singing Dogs, ...if able to get a permit to do so.

[peachy]

20 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

We're closer to 50C during the day / 29-33C ..or hotter at times in certain parts of town overnight  ..for weeks during the summer,  w/ little ..or no rain ( this year = 0.78" at the house, all summer )  Winters here rarely dip below 0C for more than a couple nights, if at all.    Queens are simply a horribly adapted option for those kinds of conditions.. For the most part, they do great / look great in California though.

Don't get trimming Pygmys the way many are though.. Look better w/ fuller crowns.

Never understood that either, haha..  Me myself, i'm a lifer Basenji dad ..Perfect size, attitude and temperament.  Only other " breed " i'd own would be New Guinea Singing Dogs, ...if able to get a permit to do so.

Queens here a declared pest species and it is illegal to sell them but you can keep old ones. (stupid law actually because they spread everywhere) Those Brahea should be like  an umbrella giving some nice shade to the place, not doing a toilet brush impersonation. (just my opinion) I love my hairy little monsters (Pekingese) and 2 of the Chihuahuas are long coats as well.  As for the singing dogs from PNG, the locals mainly use them in recipes.

Peachy

[Palmfarmer]

Those armatas have shorter fronds than normal? Maybe from too much pruning? 

[Silas_Sancona]

4 minutes ago, Palmfarmer said:

Those armatas have shorter fronds than normal? Maybe from too much pruning? 

Possible ..though i've seen numerous, rarely touched specimens here where the leafstalk length is shorter than other specimens ..say those in parts of California.  How much water they're getting could be another factor as well.