Texas Palms

[Robert Cade Ross]

21 minutes ago, ahosey01 said:

Can we all agree that Sabal mauritiiformis is a really cool palm though?

Yes lol there’s one at moody gardens survived 2021 I get a updated pic of it next week:) 

[ahosey01]

4 minutes ago, Robert Cade Ross said:

Yes lol there’s one at moody gardens survived 2021 I get a updated pic of it next week:) 

I found a place in Florida that has these in 45gs and 90s. been thinking about a trip over there to pick up a whole bunch of big ass ones I love them so much and they are well suited to my soil and climate.

[MarcusH]

11 hours ago, Xenon said:

As stated, I like/tolerate mexicanas and not palmettos. Is that ok? Palmettos are the ugliest palm around here, probably due to the hidden petioles and smaller crown vs mexicana. Mexicana happens to be native to part of southern Texas too.  Post had nothing to do with queen palms 🫠

Jonathan,  my comment wasn't an attack , I thought after all this time you can understand my sense of humor that's why I included the words my friend and lol.  Do you have a sense of humor or do you feel like everything I say is an attack against you ? I'm sure we have a lot of people in this forum who like Palmettos incl. myself.  I agree over pruned palms look ugly in general .  Me, personally I appreciate every palm tree .  But I get it you don't like Palmettos and that's absolutely OK.  No further comments from my side . 

[MarcusH]

On 11/24/2024 at 6:02 PM, fr8train said:

I went on a bike ride around Fair Oaks Ranch (Boerne area NW of San Antonio) the other day, and here are some of the palms I saw:

 

Amazing,  the amount of CIDPs we have in the San Antonio area I see them all over when I do my routes.  I like the variety of palms we grow in hilly SA and they stand out in our semi desert area. Despite our mature palms I see many smaller palms still hidden behind fences and beyond . SA is going to get extremely palmy with all the Filiferas and Sabals being planted all over the place. 

[Austinpalm]

Theses were re-planted after 2021. These did not survive palmageddon; right?.

[Robert Cade Ross]

2 hours ago, Austinpalm said:

Theses were re-planted after 2021. These did not survive palmageddon; right?.

They were planted in 2022 the third one died during the most recent freeze . They are located at the waterfront apartments in Galveston. Perfect microclimate here bayside to there north which helps moderate temps .

[_nevi]

15 hours ago, ahosey01 said:

Can we all agree that Sabal mauritiiformis is a really cool palm though?

Yes, mauritiformis is cool.

Also, roystonea regia is a good looking palm, though I think oleracea is more aesthetically pleasing.

 

[_nevi]

15 hours ago, Xenon said:

As stated, I like/tolerate mexicanas and not palmettos. Is that ok? Palmettos are the ugliest palm around here, probably due to the hidden petioles and smaller crown vs mexicana. Mexicana happens to be native to part of southern Texas too.  Post had nothing to do with queen palms 🫠

If mexicana has a faster growth rate than palmetto, than that would be another factor in favor for mexicana.

The petiole thing confuses me, though. Only because I've read elsewhere that sabal palmetto can also have similarly long petioles as mexicana if grown under shade.

[ahosey01]

4 hours ago, _nevi said:

If mexicana has a faster growth rate than palmetto, than that would be another factor in favor for mexicana.

The petiole thing confuses me, though. Only because I've read elsewhere that sabal palmetto can also have similarly long petioles as mexicana if grown under shade.

Shade does weird things to petiole length.  There are some mexicanas in full shade at Santa Ana wildlife refuge that probably have 20ft+ petioles, and the leaf rests on an oak branch etc

[MarcusH]

1 hour ago, ahosey01 said:

Shade does weird things to petiole length.  There are some mexicanas in full shade at Santa Ana wildlife refuge that probably have 20ft+ petioles, and the leaf rests on an oak branch etc

Yes, S.Mexicana can grow very large crowns when they grow in shade.  I see those large Mexicana growing under trees over here in San Antonio.  20ft plus isn't uncommon at all.  

[Robert Cade Ross]

@MarcusH I’d toss Any and all sabals to the trash if we could grow Jubaea “More easily “ and if they didn’t take 1000000 years to grow lol 😍😍😍

[MarcusH]

31 minutes ago, Robert Cade Ross said:

@MarcusH I’d toss Any and all sabals to the trash if we could grow Jubaea “More easily “ and if they didn’t take 1000000 years to grow lol 😍😍😍

Totally agree those are beautiful palm trees. 

[fr8train]

8 hours ago, Robert Cade Ross said:

@MarcusH I’d toss Any and all sabals to the trash if we could grow Jubaea “More easily “ and if they didn’t take 1000000 years to grow lol 😍😍😍

If CIDP are almost bullet proof, I'd imagine these would do good too. From what I remember, the riverwalk hybrid was recovering, they just didn't give it time. Which is funny considering how many actually completely dead palm stalks are left around the city. 

I've tried to start them from seed several times now, and animals always end up eating them. I was at Huntington Gardens last winter collecting seeds, and the Jubaea seeds were all already eaten by something. You gotta get them quick. 

Again, it's a real shame @TexasColdHardyPalms didn't make it through that horrible freeze. He was on his way to growing so much good stuff that could make it down here, like pure filifera, which as far as I know no one else was doing. 

[fr8train]

21 hours ago, MarcusH said:

Amazing,  the amount of CIDPs we have in the San Antonio area I see them all over when I do my routes.  I like the variety of palms we grow in hilly SA and they stand out in our semi desert area. Despite our mature palms I see many smaller palms still hidden behind fences and beyond . SA is going to get extremely palmy with all the Filiferas and Sabals being planted all over the place. 

Yes, and they seem to grow quickly. I'm really hoping this winter is mild so I can finally see them in their full glory. 

[Robert Cade Ross]

I’ve got a friend in Devers Tx who has about 2 dozen baby Jubaea growing so far they have been attacked by squirrels who rip them out of 3 gallon pots and eat the seed embryo attachment leaving the palm dead a few days later …. Ughhhh 

[ChrisA]

Took a walk along the Riverwalk from King William down to Confluence Park today. Many established and establishing palms, as well as many young volunteers getting some size on them.  If the SA River Authority can resist the urge from chopping them it could look great in another 5-10 years. Palms seen: W. robusta, Sabal mexicana, and Phoenix sylvestris. 
 

[conceptualizeme]

23 hours ago, Robert Cade Ross said:

@MarcusH I’d toss Any and all sabals to the trash if we could grow Jubaea “More easily “ and if they didn’t take 1000000 years to grow lol 😍😍😍

That's a real chonker. Even here you don't see them too often; landscapers are too busy spamming Medjools and Canaries.

And I can completely understand why.

[Robert Cade Ross]

58 minutes ago, ChrisA said:

Took a walk along the Riverwalk from King William down to Confluence Park today. Many established and establishing palms, as well as many young volunteers getting some size on them.  If the SA River Authority can resist the urge from chopping them it could look great in another 5-10 years. Palms seen: W. robusta, Sabal mexicana, and Phoenix sylvestris. 
 

The Sylvester’s look really good. When I visited last month I don’t remember seeing any lol 

[ChrisA]

They were planted maybe two years ago, definitely post palmaggedon. They’ve been denuded each winter since their planting but have come back. They’re at the intersection of Roosevelt and St. Mary’s if you happen to get back in the area again.  I’d like to see what they’d look like with a mild winter as they spend all season regrowing their crowns! 

[RedRabbit]

Not palms, but I spotted some decent sized papayas in Katy today. I understand they’re not very cold tolerant so I’m not sure how they’ve managed to attain this size with the previous freezes.

[PA-TX2024]

More surviving SA robusta. It seems like Robustas are making a comeback again with new plantings and installations based on what I've seen in this thread. It would be pretty cool if the Austin area including San Marcos, Kyle, Buda had more of them again. 

[Robert Cade Ross]

2 hours ago, RedRabbit said:

Not palms, but I spotted some decent sized papayas in Katy today. I understand they’re not very cold tolerant so I’m not sure how they’ve managed to attain this size with the previous freezes.

They grow like weeds here and will survive 27° before they die back to the base 

[Robert Cade Ross]

One of mine in Alvin planted as a seedling in June 

[MarcusH]

9 hours ago, ChrisA said:

Took a walk along the Riverwalk from King William down to Confluence Park today. Many established and establishing palms, as well as many young volunteers getting some size on them.  If the SA River Authority can resist the urge from chopping them it could look great in another 5-10 years. Palms seen: W. robusta, Sabal mexicana, and Phoenix sylvestris. 
 

The volunteers pop out all over SA. I'm telling you we're going to see big changes in the coming years. I remember seeing those Silvestrii.  Located in the Southtown area right? Those were planted after 2021.

[ChrisA]

Hey Marcus, I agree!  Big changes coming to the skyline of San Antonio. Maybe not on par with Corpus but there are many palms again reaching above the tops of neighboring trees as well as some very tall Robusta leaning Washies that survived the freezes of the last several winters.  And yes, those date palms are in the Southtown area, just up the road from Roosevelt park. I think they’d benefit from some TLC as I’m unsure if they get water and doubt they receive Carl Pools or Palmgain.  The area they were planted at seems to have been under construction since they were planted.  They once had several large P. roebelinii in large pots, but of course they’ve long since perished. 

[_nevi]

On 11/29/2024 at 4:55 AM, fr8train said:

Again, it's a real shame @TexasColdHardyPalms didn't make it through that horrible freeze. He was on his way to growing so much good stuff that could make it down here, like pure filifera, which as far as I know no one else was doing. 

Did his garden get wiped out? Or are you saying that he ... passed?

[MarcusH]

4 hours ago, ChrisA said:

Hey Marcus, I agree!  Big changes coming to the skyline of San Antonio. Maybe not on par with Corpus but there are many palms again reaching above the tops of neighboring trees as well as some very tall Robusta leaning Washies that survived the freezes of the last several winters.  And yes, those date palms are in the Southtown area, just up the road from Roosevelt park. I think they’d benefit from some TLC as I’m unsure if they get water and doubt they receive Carl Pools or Palmgain.  The area they were planted at seems to have been under construction since they were planted.  They once had several large P. roebelinii in large pots, but of course they’ve long since perished. 

The good thing about most palms that were replanted after the big freeze or you see now reaching the fence line are perfect for our climate.  Not zone pushed expect a few exceptions here and there. Filiferas are definitely dominating the San Antonio metro area.  Apparently those Silvestriis didn't see no damage last year which is amazing or did they just recovered that fast ? 

[Meangreen94z]

November 2024 update for garden in Pearland.Ravenea rivularis , Livistona decoraMedemia argunBismarckia nobilis #1Bismarckia #2 nearly catching up Chamadorea radicalisLivistona australis Chamadorea radicalisHyphaene petersianaKentiopsis oliviformisQueen- Syagrus romanzoffiana in centerKing palm in lowerRavenea rivularisLivistona decora Parajubaea v. torallyi x ButiaButia and Copernicia albaMule palm- Syagrus x ButiaCopernicia alba #2King palmBeccariophoenix alfredii Livistona nitida 

[ahosey01]

16 minutes ago, Meangreen94z said:

November 2024 update for garden in Pearland.Ravenea rivularis , Livistona decoraMedemia argunBismarckia nobilis #1Bismarckia #2 nearly catching up Chamadorea radicalisLivistona australis Chamadorea radicalisHyphaene petersianaKentiopsis oliviformisQueen- Syagrus romanzoffiana in centerKing palm in lowerRavenea rivularisLivistona decora Parajubaea v. torallyi x ButiaButia and Copernicia albaMule palm- Syagrus x ButiaCopernicia alba #2King palmBeccariophoenix alfredii Livistona nitida 

Outrageously bold.  I'm growing a lot of this stuff in my Brownsville garden.

Keep on keepin on.

[Fusca]

@Meangreen94z, looking great!

1 hour ago, _nevi said:

Did his garden get wiped out? Or are you saying that he ... passed?

Joseph's nursery was pretty much wiped out from Palmageddon.  I haven't talked to him since the summer of 2021 but I understand that he's now involved in another business and no longer growing palms and cycads for sale.  I don't think he's posted here since early 2021.  It's such a shame - I miss him.

[SeanK]

15 hours ago, RedRabbit said:

Not palms, but I spotted some decent sized papayas in Katy today. I understand they’re not very cold tolerant so I’m not sure how they’ve managed to attain this size with the previous freezes.

My neighbor has one in the front. I'll have to take another look b/c we went down to about 28° last night. Maybe she has it in a pot. I bought her some small dollies from Harbor Freight to move stuff around.

[Robert Cade Ross]

2 hours ago, MarcusH said:

The good thing about most palms that were replanted after the big freeze or you see now reaching the fence line are perfect for our climate.  Not zone pushed expect a few exceptions here and there. Filiferas are definitely dominating the San Antonio metro area.  Apparently those Silvestriis didn't see no damage last year which is amazing or did they just recovered that fast ? 

They fry around 22° but will recover very fast. 

Edited November 30 by Robert Cade Ross
Typo

[Meangreen94z]

1 hour ago, Fusca said:

@Meangreen94z, looking great!

Joseph's nursery was pretty much wiped out from Palmageddon.  I haven't talked to him since the summer of 2021 but I understand that he's now involved in another business and no longer growing palms and cycads for sale.  I don't think he's posted here since early 2021.  It's such a shame - I miss him.

Yes, very unfortunate. He was trying to grow just about everything remotely cold hardy. He had just about every species of Livistona, Brahea, Sabal, Macrozamia, Encephalartos, Hyphaene, Acrocomia, Medemia, Butia etc. All at wholesale pricing.

My current garden in Lago Vista would look drastically different if he was still around.

[UK_Palms]

On 11/28/2024 at 1:50 PM, MarcusH said:

Amazing,  the amount of CIDPs we have in the San Antonio area I see them all over when I do my routes.  I like the variety of palms we grow in hilly SA and they stand out in our semi desert area. Despite our mature palms I see many smaller palms still hidden behind fences and beyond . SA is going to get extremely palmy with all the Filiferas and Sabals being planted all over the place. 

I notice all the CIDP's you post around SA have tiny stunted crowns, and as a result, the trunks look huge and fat because the crowns are so much smaller than they should be. At first I was wondering why the trunks were all so fat on the CIDP's you posted, but it is actually only in relation to the dwarfed crowns/foliage. Is that from the 2021 freeze damage still? Or are they struggling for other reasons?

I am well aware that CIDP are tough as nails and won't really die where you are (providing lethal bronzing doesn't get them) but at the same time they clearly don't look right. I have honestly never seen such small fronds growing out of such fat CIDP trunks. It's kind of bizarre looking. The trunks are no doubt normal size, but it gives off a different perception due to those tiny, sickly crowns. 🤔

[ahosey01]

19 minutes ago, UK_Palms said:

I notice all the CIDP's you post around SA have tiny stunted crowns, and as a result, the trunks look huge and fat because the crowns are so much smaller than they should be. At first I was wondering why the trunks were all so fat on the CIDP's you posted, but it is actually only in relation to the dwarfed crowns/foliage. Is that from the 2021 freeze damage still? Or are they struggling for other reasons?

I am well aware that CIDP are tough as nails and won't really die where you are (providing lethal bronzing doesn't get them) but at the same time they clearly don't look right. I have honestly never seen such small fronds growing out of such fat CIDP trunks. It's kind of bizarre looking. The trunks are no doubt normal size, but it gives off a different perception due to those tiny, sickly crowns. 🤔

This is a common thing in Texas and I always think it has something to do with heavy clay soil.

Could be wrong, though.

[RedRabbit]

15 hours ago, Robert Cade Ross said:

They grow like weeds here and will survive 27° before they die back to the base 

 

2 hours ago, SeanK said:

My neighbor has one in the front. I'll have to take another look b/c we went down to about 28° last night. Maybe she has it in a pot. I bought her some small dollies from Harbor Freight to move stuff around.

I wasn’t under the impression they could take much cold. There are plenty in Tampa this size, but not a whole lot bigger since the 2010 freeze outright killed most when it hit 25f. I figured the recent freezes in TX would have surely killed them here too. 

[fr8train]

4 hours ago, _nevi said:

Did his garden get wiped out? Or are you saying that he ... passed?

His garden was wiped out. 

[fr8train]

55 minutes ago, UK_Palms said:

I notice all the CIDP's you post around SA have tiny stunted crowns, and as a result, the trunks look huge and fat because the crowns are so much smaller than they should be. At first I was wondering why the trunks were all so fat on the CIDP's you posted, but it is actually only in relation to the dwarfed crowns/foliage. Is that from the 2021 freeze damage still? Or are they struggling for other reasons?

I am well aware that CIDP are tough as nails and won't really die where you are (providing lethal bronzing doesn't get them) but at the same time they clearly don't look right. I have honestly never seen such small fronds growing out of such fat CIDP trunks. It's kind of bizarre looking. The trunks are no doubt normal size, but it gives off a different perception due to those tiny, sickly crowns. 🤔

It's because they've completely fried in the cold every winter since 2021. They all defoliated last winter too, so all of those leaves are just from this year.

If you look around on street view you'll see they look normal and full like everywhere else, unfortunately there hasn't been a winter without a bad freeze since 2021. 

[fr8train]

Here's a photo of the same CIDP from February 20th of this year vs last week @UK_Palms

[MarcusH]

1 hour ago, UK_Palms said:

I notice all the CIDP's you post around SA have tiny stunted crowns, and as a result, the trunks look huge and fat because the crowns are so much smaller than they should be. At first I was wondering why the trunks were all so fat on the CIDP's you posted, but it is actually only in relation to the dwarfed crowns/foliage. Is that from the 2021 freeze damage still? Or are they struggling for other reasons?

I am well aware that CIDP are tough as nails and won't really die where you are (providing lethal bronzing doesn't get them) but at the same time they clearly don't look right. I have honestly never seen such small fronds growing out of such fat CIDP trunks. It's kind of bizarre looking. The trunks are no doubt normal size, but it gives off a different perception due to those tiny, sickly crowns. 🤔

As @fr8train already mentioned it's because they keep defoliating since the last almost 4 years . Nothing we can do about the recent freezes it is what it is.  We can only hope for milder winters so they can fully recover 🙏.