Texas Palms

[Keys6505]

3 hours ago, Fusca said:

Good thing about reclinata is that you're likely to get a recovering sucker even if you get a generational freeze.  

I know someone was selling Reclinata x Sylvesris seeds on here recently.  I'd be interested in seeing what they look like and how they hold up.  A Reclinata look with Sylvesris cold resistance would be awesome.

[Fusca]

1 hour ago, Xenon said:

No damage last year from 17F. The guatemalensis next to it had 30-50% leaf burn 

Interesting.  My guatemalensis only had about 30% damage after 9°.  It did get some help from live oak canopy however.  Similar damage to my coastal form of uresana.  I'm assuming that yours was out in the open.

[Robert Cade Ross]

The apocalypse is near… lol 

[Fusca]

1 hour ago, Keys6505 said:

I know someone was selling Reclinata x Sylvesris seeds on here recently.  I'd be interested in seeing what they look like and how they hold up.  A Reclinata look with Sylvesris cold resistance would be awesome.

I'm looking forward to seeing how this reclinata hybrid turns out (parentage unknown).  It's about the same size as my former theophrasti when it started suckering.  Interesting that its thorns are flexible and fronds are soft.  Might have some rupicola in it.

[PA-TX2024]

6 hours ago, Ben G. said:

I have been thinking about this question of best pinnate palm for San Antonio since moving here, and I may agree that Phoenix are the best choice. I have seen some nice looking butias, but I have seen a good number that just don't look as good as they do on the Gulf Coast, further east.

I have some mule seeds I am sprouting now, and I hope I can get one or two nice, and fairly hardy, ones out of the bunch. I like thinner trunks on pinnate palms. I also prefer green palms in general more than silver/blue ones. So, I like CIDP best for color and full crowns, dactylifera have nicer trunks but sparse silver crowns, and Sylvester's have the thinnest trunks with full silver crowns.

I will probably buy some sylvestris seedlings soon so I can compare them to butias, mules, CIDP, and dactylifera over the years. I like all of these palms enough to feature them in my yard, but I am interested to see how they fare over the next few years.

My eyes tell me that CIDP will do fine. Butias can, but don't always, do fine. And I don't know if there have ever been enough mules, dactyliferas, or sylvestris around for good observation. I am sure they are all very capable of croaking in a bad cold snap. I guess I want to figure out if it takes a once every 10 year snap to kill them...or is it more like the once every 50 to 100 years event?

I am not likely to plant anything that I worry about in only average to slightly below average winters. If my zone is supposed to be average 9a though, I am not going to limit myself to only plants that can take 8a temps every year. I will try to take the middle ground of planting things that can take 8b temps at least every few years.

Dactyliferas have thrived in SA for years. It can survive down to 15F I believe. It's a shame it got down to 9F in 2021. Every winter since then they would survive with some burns.

[thyerr01]

@Keys6505 Yeah, your one looks great. How large was it when it was planted? Mine are all from seed and unfortunately are too far from the house to get xmas lights, so they have defoliated each year, and havent put on as much size as I would like despite some being in the ground since 2021. Its interesting that your one is in full sun, mine really seem to need some shade.

I think Arenga should be far more widely planted in Houston, ideally to the point that we can get locally produced seed. I'm not sure how large they need to be to flower.

[ahosey01]

4 hours ago, Keys6505 said:

I know someone was selling Reclinata x Sylvesris seeds on here recently.  I'd be interested in seeing what they look like and how they hold up.  A Reclinata look with Sylvesris cold resistance would be awesome.

Thanks to @Fusca I have a similar cross in my yard (rec x theo) and if I had a time machine back to 1983 I still wouldn't protect it lol

 

And also post the link cause I would buy that...