My palm trees in Ibiza

[llevantinista]

Hi forumers! I live in Ibiza, Spain, and these are the palm trees that have survived this winter in my garden. The pictures were taken today.  Now they are in its ugliest phase of the year. They will look better after the warm period, that starts now. I hope it helps if someone wants to try these palms in a similar climate:

- Howea Fosteriana


- Dypsis lutescens (this one suffered during the winter but it will certainly recover in the warmer months)

 

- Kentiopsis Oliviformis

 

- Ptychosperma Elegans

- Archontophoenix Alexandrae


- Roystonea Regia


- Hyophorbe Verschaffeltii


- Wodyetia Bifurcata


-Ravenala Madagascariensis

They are all very young plants and I hope they become more resistent with time.

However, I had 2 CARPOXYLON MACROSPERMUM and both have died. They don't resist Ibiza winter temperatures.

I also have Strelitzia Nicolai, Strelitzia Augusta, an Aloe Bainesii, one Canary Drago, an Euohorbia Ingens that are performing very well.



I am looking forward to grow Veitchia Arecina and Clinostigma Savoryanum but I haven't found them online. I would also like to try Areca Catechu but I don't think it will suit my climate.

I also planted 3 months ago some seeds of Euterpe Edulis but they haven't sprouted yet.



I hope you liked my post. Any recommendations on what palms or tropical-looking plants I could also try are more than welcome!

 

Regards,

Javier.

[Phoenikakias]

Did they overwinter totally unprotected outdoors or did you move (some of) them during whole winter or occasionally (in anticipation of a severe cold spell) in to a room?

[redbeard917]

It seems that you prefer green tropical crownshaft palms, but I think silver Mexican Braheas would complement those cool rock outcroppings well.

[Phoenikakias]

Those are juvenile, potted specimens, so they are expected to become cold hardier with age and in the gound. A final account of damage and losses can be made (at least in my area) during Mid to late May. You shoud plant also a Bismarckia, it will grow well in your garden in full sun. Here is mine

[RichardHemsley]

Greetings from Mallorca!

Looks like a lot of your palms have taken a winter battering,  similar to some of mine. Lots more you can grow in our climate 

[Navarro]

Hay tantas que solo te puedo decir que pruebes todas las palmeras 10a que encuentres, la ubicación  es muy importante , si están a pleno sol ,sol filtrado ,si tienes árboles...

 

 

[llevantinista]

14 hours ago, Phoenikakias said:

Did they overwinter totally unprotected outdoors or did you move (some of) them during whole winter or occasionally (in anticipation of a severe cold spell) in to a room?

They remained outdoors for the whole winter. I never moved them into the house. 
 

My latest additions were the Dypsis Lutescens and the Wodyetia Bifurcata, which I bought in October. They are the worst looking, I think they had a bit of a transplant shock and I hope they'll recover in the warmer months.

[llevantinista]

14 hours ago, redbeard917 said:

It seems that you prefer green tropical crownshaft palms, but I think silver Mexican Braheas would complement those cool rock outcroppings well.

What a good idea! I will carry it out for sure. Fan palms are not my favourite but those silver leaves are definitely very attractive and elegant.

[llevantinista]

14 hours ago, Phoenikakias said:

Those are juvenile, potted specimens, so they are expected to become cold hardier with age and in the gound. A final account of damage and losses can be made (at least in my area) during Mid to late May. You shoud plant also a Bismarckia, it will grow well in your garden in full sun. Here is mine

Nice to hear about recommendations from other people who live in the mediterranean basin 😁 it is fun to grow these palms here. I will plant them in the ground in a year or 2, once they are bigger and more adapted to the climate. Definitely november is when my palms look best ! I have never seen any Hyophorbe Verschaffeltii, Kentiopsis Oliviformis nor Ravenala Madagascariensis on the island... but mine are doing well... maybe I haven't seen them because I bought them online and they don't sell them in any garden centre here? The rest of the palms I have seen them.

[llevantinista]

12 hours ago, RichardHemsley said:

Greetings from Mallorca!

Looks like a lot of your palms have taken a winter battering,  similar to some of mine. Lots more you can grow in our climate 

Hi island neighbour! I'd like to try also Veitchia Arecina, Euterpe Edulis and Clinostigma Savoryanum, but I can't find them. I might grow them from seeds. What palm trees do you have in your garden in Mallorca?

This winter, we were lucky and we didn't have any cold spell in the Balearics. The annual lowest of my thermometer was 5°C in early January, but I think this is rare as usually we can drop to even 1ºC or 2°C for a few hours at some point of the winter.

[Phoenikakias]

2 hours ago, llevantinista said:

Hi island neighbour! I'd like to try also Veitchia Arecina, Euterpe Edulis and Clinostigma Savoryanum, but I can't find them. I might grow them from seeds. What palm trees do you have in your garden in Mallorca?

This winter, we were lucky and we didn't have any cold spell in the Balearics. The annual lowest of my thermometer was 5°C in early January, but I think this is rare as usually we can drop to even 1ºC or 2°C for a few hours at some point of the winter.

I think that Veitchia arecina and Areca catechu is impossible to survive on long term in the Baleares. Clinostigma remains unknown to me, although I would give a try, if I had a chance to get seeds. Euterpe edulis, especially thw strain for high altitude provenance, would be probably OK in your place during winter, but it is summer the dangerous season for this sp. In my place all tested specimens succumbed during the dry season, red spider mites mass infestation and probably  slow down of root activit were the main causes.

[Harry’s Palms]

I think the Hyophorbe will eventually succumb to winters in your area. Some palms will survive for a while but get weaker with each passing seasonal cold , others will get stronger as the years progress. I am in 9b/10a micro climate area on a south facing hillside and my Royal Palm got stronger , my Vietchia took 6-7 years to give up , each year looking worse. In the 27 years I’ve been at this house I have tried many palms , including Ptychosperma McCarthuri . I now stick to the palms that I know will make it. I think most of those that you have should work but time will tell. Harry

[Navarro]

Todo es posible si está en la ubicación correcta 

Esta botella ha sobrevivido a dos inviernos en murcia 

[llevantinista]

On 3/30/2024 at 1:52 AM, Navarro said:

Hay tantas que solo te puedo decir que pruebes todas las palmeras 10a que encuentres, la ubicación  es muy importante , si están a pleno sol ,sol filtrado ,si tienes árboles...

 

 

Hello Navarro, what palm trees do you have in Murcia?

If a Howea Forsteriana receives 3 hours of sun in the morning, will its leaves burn?

[RichardHemsley]

1 hour ago, llevantinista said:

Hello Navarro, what palm trees do you have in Murcia?

If a Howea Forsteriana receives 3 hours of sun in the morning, will its leaves burn?

My H. forsteriana gets full sun until around midday with no burning issues

[RichardHemsley]

20 hours ago, Navarro said:

Todo es posible si está en la ubicación correcta 

Esta botella ha sobrevivido a dos inviernos en murcia 

My H. lagenicaulis is in a pot and comes inside during the winter. Only a couple of years old but not worked up the courage to leave it outside all winter yet!

[Navarro]

5 hours ago, llevantinista said:

Hola Navarro, ¿qué palmeras tienes en Murcia?

Si una Howea Forsteriana recibe 3 horas de sol por la mañana, ¿se quemarán sus hojas?

Se quema seguro pero con la edad va adquiriendo más resistencia ,pasarán años para que se vea saludable pero se puede conseguir, hay una en un jardín de mi pueblo a pleno sol todo el día y ahora después de 3 años está empezando a verse bien ,pero la plantaron con buen tamaño 

[Navarro]

5 hours ago, llevantinista said:

Hola Navarro, ¿qué palmeras tienes en Murcia?

Si una Howea Forsteriana recibe 3 horas de sol por la mañana, ¿se quemarán sus hojas?

Muchas ,me picó el mosquito coleccionista y tendré unas 80 ,pero en maceta , solo dos están plantadas en el suelo , una hyophorbe langenicaulis y Ptychosperma elegans , tengo dos  palmas botella más en maceta también en exterior y han sobrevivido a tres inviernos , el secreto es no regarlas en invierno como los pseudophoenix 

[Navarro]

3 hours ago, RichardHemsley said:

Mi H. lagenicaulis está en una maceta y entra durante el invierno. ¡Solo tiene un par de años pero aún no ha tenido el valor de dejarlo afuera durante todo el invierno!

 Te entiendo 

[Phoenikakias]

9 hours ago, RichardHemsley said:

My H. lagenicaulis is in a pot and comes inside during the winter. Only a couple of years old but not worked up the courage to leave it outside all winter yet!

In Sevilla it serves as potted palm on the streets all year round, just like palmito here!

[Phoenikakias]

6 hours ago, Navarro said:

Muchas ,me picó el mosquito coleccionista y tendré unas 80 ,pero en maceta , solo dos están plantadas en el suelo , una hyophorbe langenicaulis y Ptychosperma elegans , tengo dos  palmas botella más en maceta también en exterior y han sobrevivido a tres inviernos , el secreto es no regarlas en invierno como los pseudophoenix 

It depends on the soil mix used. I grow a Pseudo in my cold frame in lava chunks, leca and pumice and I kept watering it once every week even during winter.

[Navarro]

 

7 hours ago, Phoenikakias said:

Depende de la mezcla de tierra utilizada. Cultivo un Pseudo en mi marco frío con trozos de lava, leca y piedra pómez y lo seguí regando una vez por semana incluso durante el invierno.

La mezcla que utilice fue turba vegetal y arlita y no riego en los tres meses de invierno ,la hojarasca también ayuda a conservar la humedad 

[iko.]

Benvingut @llevantinista,

All the plants you have shown should grow ok in Eivissa/Ibiza. In the Balearics Islands, strong winds can be worse for some palms than lower temperatures. Also, fronds of certain palms get easily sunblasted and the quality of the soil/water in Eivissa & Formentera is not optimal.

You have probably seen the big Roystonea regia in front of the private jet terminal at the airport. 

If this is of any help, or hope, I'm also growing Ravenala (sp. Ambanja the small one on the right) and Hyophorbe lagenicaulis (in a big pot) in Eivissa town. The Ravenala gets yellow in winter and usually recovers during the year. I found out that it's not really because of the temperatures but the quality of the soil*. The H. lagenicaulis was relatively small but the trunk has exploded in just three years so hopefully I can prove @Harry’s Palms wrong 😉. The fronds get clearly damaged/burnt around February, anecdotically when new ones start to emerge. A much tougher plant than I would have imagined. The photos are from last winter. 

As @Phoenikakias suggested, Bismarckia does great here. There are some in the island.

Just to note, there are Hyophorbe Verschaffeltii, Kentiopsis Oliviformis (pricey but a good size) and Ravenala Madagascariensis for sale in nurseries on the island. 

* I have grown Ravenala in a slightly colder climate and with less sun and they perform better. 

Edited April 2, 2024 by iko.

[TropicalGardenSpain]

Hola Javier,

Nice collection  👏

Its probably not the cold winters that you are struggling with but the hot summer sun damages the plants and then over winter they can't recover so end up trying, try introducing the palms slowly to the sun. I use shade clothes here in Alicante and have had a lot better luck recently. I have Carpoxylon doing well and some others too which would surprise you. Do you have an instagram page for your collection? 

[llevantinista]

On 4/1/2024 at 12:59 AM, Navarro said:

Muchas ,me picó el mosquito coleccionista y tendré unas 80 ,pero en maceta , solo dos están plantadas en el suelo , una hyophorbe langenicaulis y Ptychosperma elegans , tengo dos  palmas botella más en maceta también en exterior y han sobrevivido a tres inviernos , el secreto es no regarlas en invierno como los pseudophoenix 

The palm that has surprised me the most is Ptychosperma Elegans. It's doing even better than the Archontophoenix Alexandrae. I don't know why they are not more common in Spain. And they are also very fast!

[llevantinista]

On 4/2/2024 at 12:53 PM, iko. said:

Benvingut @llevantinista,

All the plants you have shown should grow ok in Eivissa/Ibiza. In the Balearics Islands, strong winds can be worse for some palms than lower temperatures. Also, fronds of certain palms get easily sunblasted and the quality of the soil/water in Eivissa & Formentera is not optimal.

You have probably seen the big Roystonea regia in front of the private jet terminal at the airport. 

If this is of any help, or hope, I'm also growing Ravenala (sp. Ambanja the small one on the right) and Hyophorbe lagenicaulis (in a big pot) in Eivissa town. The Ravenala gets yellow in winter and usually recovers during the year. I found out that it's not really because of the temperatures but the quality of the soil*. The H. lagenicaulis was relatively small but the trunk has exploded in just three years so hopefully I can prove @Harry’s Palms wrong 😉. The fronds get clearly damaged/burnt around February, anecdotically when new ones start to emerge. A much tougher plant than I would have imagined. The photos are from last winter. 

As @Phoenikakias suggested, Bismarckia does great here. There are some in the island.

Just to note, there are Hyophorbe Verschaffeltii, Kentiopsis Oliviformis (pricey but a good size) and Ravenala Madagascariensis for sale in nurseries on the island. 

* I have grown Ravenala in a slightly colder climate and with less sun and they perform better. 

I think what I will do is when I plant my palms in the ground, I'll dig a slightly bigger hole and fill it with the soil they sell in shops. I hope that helps a bit so that they establish in the ground.

Your H. Lagenicaulis looks impressive! I discarded it because I thought it wouldn't survive the winter. As a potted palm it looks very good. 

I'll probably try it! But I think they are more cold sensitive than H. verschaffeltii aren't they? 

And do you think a Carpentaria Acuminata would make it in Ibiza? Or do you know about any in the mediterranean?

[llevantinista]

On 4/2/2024 at 1:45 PM, TropicalGardenSpain said:

Hola Javier,

Nice collection  👏

Its probably not the cold winters that you are struggling with but the hot summer sun damages the plants and then over winter they can't recover so end up trying, try introducing the palms slowly to the sun. I use shade clothes here in Alicante and have had a lot better luck recently. I have Carpoxylon doing well and some others too which would surprise you. Do you have an instagram page for your collection? 

Hello, no I don't have an instagram page for my palms but I will post the evolution of them here in Palmtalk in november so we can compare their growth 🙂.

 I don't understand why some palms burn with the spanish sun but they don't burn in the equatorial/tropical countries where the ultraviolet index is higher!? Could it be because they have more rainfall which produces less hours of sun?

Carpoxylon was my favourite palm but after 2 bad experiences, I'm done with this species. I really won't try it again after two attempts. How did you manage to keep yours alive? I had one in shade and another one in a place that received 3 hours of sun in the morning and none of them survived. In both cases, the petiole started to become dark and suddenly the leaves fell down. 

[RichardHemsley]

15 hours ago, llevantinista said:

The palm that has surprised me the most is Ptychosperma Elegans. It's doing even better than the Archontophoenix Alexandrae. I don't know why they are not more common in Spain. And they are also very fast!

That's good to know as I have some P. elegant seedlings , so hopefully they will do well here 

[Foxpalms]

On 4/10/2024 at 9:59 PM, llevantinista said:

Hello, no I don't have an instagram page for my palms but I will post the evolution of them here in Palmtalk in november so we can compare their growth 🙂.

 I don't understand why some palms burn with the spanish sun but they don't burn in the equatorial/tropical countries where the ultraviolet index is higher!? Could it be because they have more rainfall which produces less hours of sun?

Even here at 51N some palms get sunburnt. Lutescens I find takes a long time to adjust to full sun from when you buy them from Garden centres. 

[pietropuccio]

HI,
congratulations and best wishes for your palm garden. Allow me to give you some advice: don't draw conclusions after just one winter, especially when there hasn't actually been one, like the one just passed, and with very young palms, you can have false positive as well as negative indications. For example, P. elegans is certainly less resistant to low temperatures than all Archontophoenix (macarthurii is a little better), while Carpoxilon could cope in a very sheltered position, but with leaf damage in winter, if placed in open ground outdoors when it has a base of 5-6 cm in diameter.

[gerald6006]

Good morning,
It’s good to see trials in a Mediterranean climate on European soil. It's a change from California, even though I love traveling through the posts. How many minimum temperatures have you had this winter? I think that the most complicated winter for these tender palm trees is the combination of cold and wind. And the winter sun too. My Chamaedorea microspadix are prettier in summer under the cover of trees because the sun is high in the sky while in winter it burns because the sun is lower.

[gerald6006]

On 02/04/2024 at 12:53, iko. said:

Benvingut @llevantinista,

Toutes les plantes que vous avez montrées devraient pousser correctement à Eivissa/Ibiza. Aux Baléares, les vents forts peuvent être pires pour certains palmiers que les températures plus basses. De plus, les frondes de certains palmiers sont facilement exposées au soleil et la qualité du sol et de l'eau à Eivissa et Formentera n'est pas optimale.

Vous avez probablement vu la grande Roystonea regia devant le terminal des jets privés de l'aéroport. 

Si cela peut aider ou espérer, je cultive également Ravenala (sp. Ambanja le petit à droite) et Hyophorbe lagenicaulis (dans un grand pot) dans la ville d'Eivissa. Le Ravenala jaunit en hiver et récupère généralement au cours de l'année. J'ai découvert que ce n'était pas vraiment à cause des températures mais de la qualité du sol*. L'H. lagenicaulis était relativement petit mais le tronc a explosé en seulement trois ans, alors j'espère pouvoir le prouver.@Les paumes de Harry faux  😉 . Les frondes sont clairement endommagées/brûlées vers février, de manière anecdotique lorsque de nouvelles commencent à émerger. Une plante beaucoup plus résistante que je ne l'aurais imaginé. Les photos datent de l'hiver dernier. 

Comme@Phoenikakias suggéré, Bismarckia fait très bien ici. Il y en a sur l'île.

A noter qu'il existe Hyophorbe Verschaffeltii, Kentiopsis Oliviformis (cher mais de bonne taille) et Ravenala Madagascariensis en vente dans les pépinières de l'île. 

* J'ai cultivé Ravenala dans un climat légèrement plus froid et avec moins de soleil et ils donnent de meilleurs résultats. 

Are these photos taken in the Balearic Islands?

[iko.]

On 4/10/2024 at 10:33 PM, llevantinista said:

I think what I will do is when I plant my palms in the ground, I'll dig a slightly bigger hole and fill it with the soil they sell in shops. I hope that helps a bit so that they establish in the ground.

Your H. Lagenicaulis looks impressive! I discarded it because I thought it wouldn't survive the winter. As a potted palm it looks very good. 

I'll probably try it! But I think they are more cold sensitive than H. verschaffeltii aren't they? 

And do you think a Carpentaria Acuminata would make it in Ibiza? Or do you know about any in the mediterranean?

H. lagenicaulis is supposed to be more cold sensitive than H. verschaffeltii. I have both and only the fronds of H. lagenicaulis get damaged around February but it’s much faster growing than my small H. verschaffelti. 

I don’t know anyone growing Carpentaria acuminata in this area. I bought seeds a few weeks ago but nothing has sprouted yet. It’s a palm I’m also curious to find out how it does here in the Balearics or Valencia.

@Foxpalms, you’re right. I have a few potted C. Lutescens in London. Every year I move them outside and usually some petioles get burnt in April! Indoors are in a well light living room and get some winter sun so I would have thought they’re a bit hardier. 

@gerald6006, oui. The pictures are taken in the Balearics. The soil in the Ravenala is very poor and combined with less light and some cold got quite yellow. I heard of a Ravenala growing quite well in the south of France. 

[llevantinista]

On 4/12/2024 at 4:07 AM, Foxpalms said:

Even here at 51N some palms get sunburnt. Lutescens I find takes a long time to adjust to full sun from when you buy them from Garden centres. 

Even at 51N...! I had mine in the sun in december when the sun is the lightest of the year and it even burnt in december, so I have it in a pot in the shade, and for now is doing OK. Also, if I slightly overwater it, some leaves die and even some little specimens die. I will try next december to expose it to some filtered sun and I hope it slowly adjusts because I really like this palm and I would like to have it in a place where it gets 2-3 hours of afternoon sun.

[llevantinista]

On 4/12/2024 at 2:03 PM, pietropuccio said:

HI,
congratulations and best wishes for your palm garden. Allow me to give you some advice: don't draw conclusions after just one winter, especially when there hasn't actually been one, like the one just passed, and with very young palms, you can have false positive as well as negative indications. For example, P. elegans is certainly less resistant to low temperatures than all Archontophoenix (macarthurii is a little better), while Carpoxilon could cope in a very sheltered position, but with leaf damage in winter, if placed in open ground outdoors when it has a base of 5-6 cm in diameter.

Maybe if us the zone pushers keep planting these palms in the mediterranean/temperate areas, these species will eventually become cold hardier with time.

[TropicalGardenSpain]

On 4/10/2024 at 10:59 PM, llevantinista said:

Hello, no I don't have an instagram page for my palms but I will post the evolution of them here in Palmtalk in november so we can compare their growth 🙂.

 I don't understand why some palms burn with the spanish sun but they don't burn in the equatorial/tropical countries where the ultraviolet index is higher!? Could it be because they have more rainfall which produces less hours of sun?

Carpoxylon was my favourite palm but after 2 bad experiences, I'm done with this species. I really won't try it again after two attempts. How did you manage to keep yours alive? I had one in shade and another one in a place that received 3 hours of sun in the morning and none of them survived. In both cases, the petiole started to become dark and suddenly the leaves fell down. 

It’s the humidity levels 😞😕