Post pics of the first palm you planted!

[Ben G.]

I became interested in palms (and plants in general) as a young 20 year old living in Region IV of the Philippines. After my 2 years there I returned to Oklahoma and collected a few tropical house plants that reminded me of the Philippines.

It was a few years later, when I was neck deep in a long college program, that I discovered that there were some cold tolerant palms out there. I bought a handful and received more little seedlings from other enthusiasts in the area.

Knowing I wouldn't own a home of my own until after college, I planted my first palm in the ground at my parent's house in East Central Oklahoma. It was a triple Sabal minor that I found at a big box store. One of the three growing points died pretty quickly, but the other two live on:

It sits on the north side of their home in a zone 7 area. It gets no fertilizer, irrigation, or intentional mulching.

About 12 years later though, they are still going strong.

If you are able, post pics of the first palms you planted. Feel free to share a little bit about what led you to becoming a palm enthusiast.

[Ben G.]

Here is another of my early days of hunting palms. I took this photo behind Alligator Alley in Oklahoma City in 2010. They had a nice Trachycarpus surrounded by bamboo that had me pretty amazed. I didn't realize just how many Trachycapus killing winters the next 14 years would bring to Oklahoma, of course. I was just excited to see if I could grow something that cool.

[D. Morrowii]

Ah! Good idea for a post! This Phoenix sylvestris was the first one for me. 
 

Jan 2021

Today Nov. 2024

 

[Ben G.]

14 minutes ago, D. Morrowii said:

Ah! Good idea for a post! This Phoenix sylvestris was the first one for me. 
 

Jan 2021

Today Nov. 2024

 

That's good growth in just a bit under 4 years!

I have been tempted to buy a sylvestris myself. I like CIDPs, dactyliferas, and sylvestris, but it seems that sylvestris grows the fastest. Even though they wouldn't be as solid as CIDP here in SATX, the smaller size and faster growth makes me think that sylvestris may still be worth a try.

[Darold Petty]

Ceroxylon quindiuense, small 5-gallon, March, 1983

 

[Ben G.]

3 minutes ago, Darold Petty said:

Ceroxylon quindiuense, small 5-gallon, March, 1983

 

 

Impressive! Great looking palm. 

I hope I get the chance to show my kids my little sabal minor when it is 40 years old, like your Ceroxylon.

[Las Palmas Norte]

I planted a T. fortunei in 1982. It would be 42 years old now and a long ways away from me now.

[Ben G.]

49 minutes ago, Las Palmas Norte said:

I planted a T. fortunei in 1982. It would be 42 years old now and a long ways away from me now.

I hope that old trachycarpus is still out there wherever you planted it. It would be very tall by now.

It's always fun to plant out beautiful palms, but it sure stinks when you can't take them all with you when you move.

I have left quite a few palms (mostly needles and sabals) at a couple of different houses in Oklahoma. Since I still have family in those areas, it is pretty fun to drive by and see them when I go for visits.

 

[Fusca]

First palm I planted was a Trachycarpus fortunei in Tyler, TX back in 2000.  Unfortunately, as was the case with nearly every home sale, that palm was ripped out within a month of selling in 2002.  No pics however.

[SeanK]

On 11/24/2024 at 4:47 PM, D. Morrowii said:

Ah! Good idea for a post! This Phoenix sylvestris was the first one for me. 
 

Jan 2021

Today Nov. 2024

 

Four summers; Wow!

[Swolte]

My first was a T Fortunei hand-picked picked from a from long line up at the Houston Garden Center. Unfortunately, it couldn't recover last year from the excessive drought, arctic blast, and high spring rains we had.  Was a great palm for several years. I have replaced it with one from the local Lowes. Keeping the receipt (Lowes is very good when it comes to returns) but it seems to be taking off. Fingers crossed for a normal winter.

~ S

[DTS]

This Sabal Minor I used to have that I planted too deep and died 😂

[ahosey01]

On 11/24/2024 at 4:31 PM, Darold Petty said:

Ceroxylon quindiuense, small 5-gallon, March, 1983

 

Of course this is the guy from San Francisco's answer when everyone else is planting Phoenix and Sabals lol 🤣

[Darold Petty]

Yes, I did hesitate before posting.

  My palm mentor, the late Garrrin Fullington, grew up in northern Illinois.  At college, he would trudge through the the winter snow to the library, where he read about the palms of South America.  He had the dream to live in coastal California and grow this genus.   Garrin did achieve his dream.  He collected seeds from habitat in the late 1970s, and gifted me this palm.   We would always room together during IPS biennials.  I miss him a lot.  

[ahosey01]

Just now, Darold Petty said:

Yes, I did hesitate before posting.

  My palm mentor, the late Garrrin Fullington, grew up in northern Illinois.  At college, he would trudge through the the winter snow to the library, where he read about the palms of South America.  He had the dream to live in coastal California and grow this genus.   Garrin did achieve his dream.  He collected seeds from habitat in the late 1970s, and gifted me this palm.   We would always room together during IPS biennials.  I miss him a lot.  

Hell of a story.

The stuff you guys can grow where it doesn't get hot or cold but it's always slightly chilly is just wild to me.  I think I would wear a Canada Goose parka all the time. lol

[Ben G.]

1 hour ago, DTS said:

This Sabal Minor I used to have that I planted too deep and died 😂

May it rest in peace.

[Fusca]

On 11/24/2024 at 4:31 PM, Darold Petty said:

Ceroxylon quindiuense, small 5-gallon, March, 1983

 

Such a cool palm!  And qualifies as cold hardy but not very heat tolerant.  Wish I could grow one here.

[Las Palmas Norte]

On 11/24/2024 at 5:20 PM, Ben G. said:

I hope that old trachycarpus is still out there wherever you planted it. It would be very tall by now.

It's always fun to plant out beautiful palms, but it sure stinks when you can't take them all with you when you move.

I have left quite a few palms (mostly needles and sabals) at a couple of different houses in Oklahoma. Since I still have family in those areas, it is pretty fun to drive by and see them when I go for visits.

 

 

I went thru an old photo album and found the only, albeit rather poor photo, of that Windmill palm from 1982. I was just 23 years old at the time but caught the palm bug even before this pic was taken. (Oct.13 1982)

 

[Ben G.]

2 hours ago, Las Palmas Norte said:

 

I went thru an old photo album and found the only, albeit rather poor photo, of that Windmill palm from 1982. I was just 23 years old at the time but caught the palm bug even before this pic was taken. (Oct.13 1982)

 

Very nice. That's awesome that you were able to find that photo!

[PaPalmTrees]

Here's my needle Palm I planted in April 2022 the second and the third picture is from 2024 

[NC_Palms]

The very first palm I probably ever planted was a trachycarpus fortunei I brought from North Carolina when I lived in zone 6b Pennsylvania. Now after living in the South, I have completely lost track lol.

I grew this palm for a few years with protection. It was removed from the property after I left Pennsylvania thought. : ( 

[Las Palmas Norte]

1 hour ago, NC_Palms said:

The very first palm I probably ever planted was a trachycarpus fortunei I brought from North Carolina when I lived in zone 6b Pennsylvania. Now after living in the South, I have completely lost track lol.

I grew this palm for a few years with protection. It was removed from the property after I left Pennsylvania thought. : ( 

How long ago did take take place?

[Harry’s Palms]

My first palm was planted in 1990 . We bought a house with a pool and I wanted a tropical looking palm . I planted a Syagrus Romanzoffiana  . When I drive by the house , I can still see the palm(s) I planted at that house that were too huge to move when I left in 1997. Harry

an old , crappy photo from the archives. One of my first Queens and a pot of Howea F. 

[NC_Palms]

21 hours ago, Las Palmas Norte said:

How long ago did take take place?

Probably between 2015 - 2020

[realarch]

On 11/24/2024 at 5:31 PM, Darold Petty said:

Ceroxylon quindiuense, small 5-gallon, March, 1983

 

Good grief Darold, that is beautiful! 
Tim

[MarcusH]

My Wash.Robusta is the first palm I planted in March 2022. It went through some cold winters with regular defoliation.  The palm grows extremely fast compared to my others palms I have.  

[Fusca]

2 hours ago, MarcusH said:

My Wash.Robusta is the first palm I planted in March 2022. It went through some cold winters with regular defoliation.  The palm grows extremely fast compared to my others palms I have.

Nice growth for 2 1/2 years!  👍

[MarcusH]

2 hours ago, Fusca said:

Nice growth for 2 1/2 years!  👍

Thank you Jon.  I baby this palm with good amounts of water and fertilizer 3 x a year.  My Filiferas definitely grow slower even with the same treats I give them. 

[ChrisA]

Here is the first palm I ever planted in the ground. It was sold as a Mexican Fan Palm. I planted it in the back yard of my brother’s home in Albuquerque. We eventually planted a California fan palm, two large Mediterranean Fan Palms as well as a Jerusalem Thorn (what they call Retama here in Texas) and even a 3 ft tall Saguara). In order to keep them all alive we built a 20 ft by 12 ft green house over it each winter for about 4 years.  It was a homemade jobby that was murder to put up, not to mention dangerous! The plants did great during that period of time and never suffered any damage. Once we stopped putting the structure up a few plants died following the first winter. The remainder slowly perished with time.

Here is that Washingtonia robusta in 1997. It received protection of its own that first winter of 97/98.

 

Here is the Cali and the two Meds, probably taken in ‘99.

 

Edited December 19 by ChrisA
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