Is this palm planted too close to the fence?

[Fusca]

Many people plant palms without realizing how large they ultimately get!  I've seen this a lot with Phoenix canariensis here in Texas.  They're often sold (or used to be) in 10-gal pot which look really good at that size and folks plant as if they're not going to get bigger.  Post photos of poorly placed palms that you have come across.

[JLM]

Wow that’s not even a question of if it’s planted too close, it’s a question of how much cutting am I gonna have to do to get that fence out from around that palm lol
 

Whoever uses a chainsaw on that thing in hopefully the really really distant future, is gonna have an unpleasant surprise.

[Merlyn]

I took this picture back in November 2022...I need to stop by that house and see if it's still there.  Clearly they have no idea how big a Bismarck grows...

[PalmatierMeg]

Yikes! Palm neglect.

[Fusca]

5 minutes ago, Merlyn said:

I took this picture back in November 2022...I need to stop by that house and see if it's still there.  Clearly they have no idea how big a Bismarck grows...

Yes, I've seen CIDP planted in just such a space except with a roof!  They delayed quite a few years before the poor palm forced the homeowner to take it out.  I bet this homeowner wanted to provide shade for the window.  😄

[ahosey01]

25 minutes ago, Merlyn said:

I took this picture back in November 2022...I need to stop by that house and see if it's still there.  Clearly they have no idea how big a Bismarck grows...

In fairness, I could see how this could be an awesome planting in 20 years if this is a patient homeowner who wants a bismarckia prominently exposed above his roofline and a visually imposing trunk occupying the space between those walls, and is willing to trim back the house side until that happens.

My guess, however, is that is not what is going on here at all. lol

[Fusca]

On 5/28/2024 at 3:52 PM, Fusca said:

Many people plant palms without realizing how large they ultimately get!  I've seen this a lot with Phoenix canariensis here in Texas.  They're often sold (or used to be) in 10-gal pot which look really good at that size and folks plant as if they're not going to get bigger.  Post photos of poorly placed palms that you have come across.

Sadly these poorly sited CIDP have kicked the bucket.  They were growing in an abandoned property so no care has been given for some time.  I noticed that the crown of the palm on the right collapsed pretty quickly and the second one followed up a few weeks later.  Was this caused by lethal bronzing?  I don't know.  They have looked less than healthy for the two years I've been here but the quick decline really took me by surprise.

[kinzyjr]

2 minutes ago, Fusca said:

Sadly these poorly sited CIDP have kicked the bucket.  They were growing in an abandoned property so no care has been given for some time.  I noticed that the crown of the palm on the right collapsed pretty quickly and the second one followed up a few weeks later.  Was this caused by lethal bronzing?  I don't know.  They have looked less than healthy for the two years I've been here but the quick decline really took me by surprise.

It definitely looks like Lethal Bronzing got them.

[Fusca]

6 minutes ago, kinzyjr said:

It definitely looks like Lethal Bronzing got them.

That's what I was afraid of.  There's a grower just a couple of miles from here with a whole field of these.

[sonoranfans]

On 5/28/2024 at 5:50 PM, ahosey01 said:

In fairness, I could see how this could be an awesome planting in 20 years if this is a patient homeowner who wants a bismarckia prominently exposed above his roofline and a visually imposing trunk occupying the space between those walls, and is willing to trim back the house side until that happens.

My guess, however, is that is not what is going on here at all. lol

I have my doubts on its survival, its overt rimmed. up against the house so soil (if clay) won't dry cycle uniformly.  I don't see a happy future for the palm.  First priority for bismarckia is good drainage.  Most homebuilders don't use that kind of dirt near the foundation and drainage will be low towards the slab which is on 3 sides of the palm..  Growing palms is a learning experience for just about everyone.  My largest errors in planting were always how close as if the moderate size palms I bought and planted wouldn't get large.  If you buy a small palm and it fits nice, it wont fit as it grows in.  

[Merlyn]

@sonoranfans and @ahosey01 I randomly rode past this one again last week.  It's still there and still overpruned.  I bet they chop off the two outer fronds before the hurricane... 

[Tracy]

1 hour ago, Merlyn said:

@sonoranfans and @ahosey01 I randomly rode past this one again last week.  It's still there and still overpruned.  I bet they chop off the two outer fronds before the hurricane... 

Knowing this is in Florida,  my first thought was that if it survives to become a tall palm, the risk of it coming down during a hurricane.   Not a pretty thought.

Hope all remain safe with the approach of Milton. 

[Harry’s Palms]

On 5/28/2024 at 2:23 PM, Merlyn said:

I took this picture back in November 2022...I need to stop by that house and see if it's still there.  Clearly they have no idea how big a Bismarck grows...

There are so many better choices for that spot. When I see plantings such as this I find myself wanting to tell the homeowner to visit a palm collectors garden and look at mature specimens. In your area , I’m sure there are a few around. Harry

[Merlyn]

@Tracy and @Harry’s Palms it sure looks like the "trunk-ish" part is expanding since the 2022 photo.  At that rate it might take 10 years to get any actual trunk height.  In a hurricane the fronds are a huge risk to the window that's about 5 or 6 feet away.  I think they'll have to get rid of it in a year or two, just because those fronds are going to grow a ~10 foot petiole and ~6-8 foot diameter fan. 

I've been past the house randomly over the past couple of years, but have never seen anyone outside to talk to.  The subdivision is one of those HOA-heavy types with only certain permitted paint colors, etc.  Oddly enough all the neighbors have LOTS of palms in the yards, with Livistona Rigida (or Decora), Phoenix, Washies, almost every type.  But that's the only Bismarck in the area.

The upcoming hurricane Milton will have the highest inland winds in this area for ~20 years, it'll be a serious test for a lot of oaks and palms.  There's a big batch of Bismarcks (say that 5x fast!) not too far from me that have ~10 feet of trunk.  We'll see what happens...

[Meangreen94z]

This Bismarckia south of Houston was planted against a Lowe’s, which helped it survive the freeze of 2021, but unfortunately was cut down soon after due to its size and proximity against the wall..

[Fusca]

4 hours ago, Meangreen94z said:

This Bismarckia south of Houston was planted against a Lowe’s, which helped it survive the freeze of 2021, but unfortunately was cut down soon after due to its size and proximity against the wall..

Yes, I remember that one.  Shame it was removed but I guess it was necessary.