mature Washingtonia filifera in London

[Axel Amsterdam]

here is a nice article on a large washy (very filiferish imo) that has been growing in a frontgarden for 20 years. An intersting example of a true desert palm feeling at home in London.

http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/10996087.Giant_palm_tree_is_turning_heads/

[Axel Amsterdam]

This is a picture from the article:

[Hammer]

Thank you for sharing. The UK version of the Newport Beach coconut perhaps.

[Mauna Kea Cloudforest]

That's a real beauty, and quite a miracle to survive cold wet London weather. It does look like a filifera but it will need at least a little robusta in it to make it this far. I bet it's a cross.

[Axel Amsterdam]

There is another filifera in London as large as this one. So perhaps they dislike humidity and heat but not humidity in cool conditions. It's quite remarkable. There are at least a dozen large robusta's as well in London. They like the lack of severe cold and do well without real heat.

[Explorer]

They also have some in Ireland. Much chillier summers in Ireland then London. London has the warmest summers of the UK.

Alexander

[Explorer]

Washingtonia also grows well at a sunny warm spot in The Netherlands. But the cold winters now and then here are lethal to them.

Alexander

[SailorBold]

Awesome.

[Jubaea]

Interesting. That one looks far better than the W. filifera here in Coastal California. Maybe some of the pathogens that harm the palms in North America are not present in Europe. Diamond scale fungus is very problematic here for them here in coastal areas.

[Axel Amsterdam]

That's interesting indeed.

I think that according to the standard textbooks filifera would be totally unsuitable for a climate like London. So perhaps there is more to it indeed.

Another filifera in London:

[willials]

This is interesting indeed. I just saw a somewhat mature (about half the size of the palms in the pics above) Washingtonia Filibusta (Filifera x Robusta) located near Seattle. Albeit this one was right next to the Puget Sound (inland Sea), so that definitely moderates the cold, but very promising for those of us in the Seattle area who haven't had much success with Mexican/Cali Fan Palms.

[Tassie_Troy1971]

Great article

[Ben in Norcal]

This is interesting indeed. I just saw a somewhat mature (about half the size of the palms in the pics above) Washingtonia Filibusta (Filifera x Robusta) located near Seattle. Albeit this one was right next to the Puget Sound (inland Sea), so that definitely moderates the cold, but very promising for those of us in the Seattle area who haven't had much success with Mexican/Cali Fan Palms.

Having lived in London, and traveling to Seattle several times a month - I would think Seattle is significantly colder in the winter? Is that true? It sure seems like it to me and if so that might be the limiting factor. I lived in London 9 years and never experienced the kind of snows Seattle seems to get annually, where it sticks around for 2-3 days. I think Central London has more of an urban heat island effect as well...just did a quick search and it does look like London's winter time lows average around 5 degrees warmer. Anyway still worth a try of course!

[willials]

Thanks for responding, Ben. I think you may be correct here. I have lived in Seattle most of my life and spent a year in Oxford (1 hour from London). Although Oxfordshire is often frozen and frigid in Winter, I think you may be onto something there with the urban heat island effect in Central London. Definitely areas of South England are generally warmer in winter than the Pacific NW winters, as there are mature Canary Island Date Palms growing in South England and Ireland and we are not able to grow those here. I was under the impression London gets a snowfall or two a year as well, however. I would say the PNW gets 1-2 snowfalls a year about half of the winters and the other half we won't get snow at all. Of course it depends where you live. I am close to Seattle (record low 0 F, 10 year low ~ 12 F). Areas near Eugene, Salem, and Bend, Oregon last Winter hit lows in the -5 F to -15 F range, which is way below record lows ever recorded in downtown Seattle, for example. I am hopeful that the Wa. Filbusta variety will prove hardy in some areas near the Puget Sound (Seattle/Tacoma) here long-term, but am not holding my breath. I have 6-year old butia (jelly palm) that handled 16F here this last winter and one of my Med. Fan palms made it (of 4 total). All of my T. Fortunei's are doing great here, of course. There are some nice (albeit small) Jubaea growing in the area as well. I think those would definitely prove hardy here, but no one I'm aware of has a mature (30+ year) specimen growing here.

[Ben in Norcal]

In my 9 years living in London, we had one snow that stuck. (1995-2004ish.) But I hear they have had a couple in recent years, so maybe I was there for a warm cycle.

I'm surprised a Jubaea is hardier than a Washingtonia - I guess the latter are just so pervasive down here.

Look forward to hearing how your experiment with the Filibusta goes!

Also, what about some of the rarer Trachys?

[willials]

Here, the Jubaea are hardier than Washingtonia from everything I have read and seen personally, although there really aren't very mature Jubaea just growing all over the place. There is a grower close by that has a 15+year Jubaea growing under cover here but that probably still isn't that mature for Chilean Wine Palm. England probably has some that are 50-100 years old, certainly you do in California. I think the Jubaea handle the wet winters better than Washingtonia. Wet cold is tough for Washingtonia and we are all about rain/clouds here in the PNW.

The rarer Trachys (some) are good options for up here. Waggies grow really well, Fortunei of course. There are a couple varieties of Trachys that don't handle our wet cold, but most do.

Some of us have been debating whether certain cold hardy Sabals would make it up here, but the consensus has mostly been that there isn't enough heat to sustain them here. I don't know if I completely agree (I have seen a few somewhat mature Bermudana and S. minor, though they don't get big like in the South), but the majority of Sabals don't make it here.

Thanks for the post.

[Flow]

We have quite a number of mature Jubaeas in the southern part of the country. They are much hardier than Washingtonias there. In the very cold february 2012 many washingtonias but also phoenix canariensis were badly damaged or killed off – Jubaeas not a scratch.

Flo

[Axel Amsterdam]

Hi Flow,

I'm not surprised the washies where badly damaged or dead. I haven't seen any mature filifera's though. Do you know if filifera's exist in Ticino?

[Flow]

Hello Axel

Yes, there are quite a few, but only in the even warmer parts like Locarno or Brissago.

Btw: this is my favourite jubaea, it has very long, arching leaves. Perhaps a hybrid?

A centenarian jub and brahea in the background, near the Locarno station.

And finally, a washy.

I don't have many good photos so you should check out this link. There are also a lot of other palms like braheas, butias, trithrinax and even some butyagrus.

https://www.facebook.com/PalmeDelTicino/photos/pb.263574803763644.-2207520000.1410109562./499204293534026/?type=3&theater

I don't know wheter they are filifera but it says so in some of the facebook pictures. There is one on the Isole di Brissago.

Flo

Edited September 7, 2014 by Flow

[willials]

Wow, all of those in Switzerland?! That's incredible. That 2nd Jubaea in the photos is 30-50 years old easily, probably older. The first one does look like it has some Butia mixed in there with the longer fronds, but not sure.

You can tell it's cold out when there is snow in the mountains directly above the palms. I guess it makes sense that Southern Switzerland could sustain these palms, considering it borders with Italy to the South. But I didn't realize there were that many varieties that grow to maturity there. Very cool post, Flo.

[jeevesjank]

Cool, can't say I'm too surprised though. Those things grow like weeds.