Palms for Southern California

[Geoff]

It's time to update this old rag… this time I am going to do it on line, thanks mostly to our moderator. Need lots of input from those of you growing things in California, whose gardens I have not been to yet (or in over 10 years)… there are lots of things to add to this list, and lots of pictures I need to get (either myself, or from you all, if you feel so inclined). Dean is going to try to make this thing super easy to use from a cell phone, complete with thousands of photos that can be enlarged and oo'd and ah'd at, while you are at a nursery or palm sale deciding what palms to get. So anyone who knows of a palm that is not currently in this outdated booklet, or anyone who thinks they have a nice palm that NEEDS to be photographed and put in this new version, please let me know. Dean and I will be happy to have your photos, but if you do not want to submit your photos, I would love to visit your plants and take some myself, if that is OK with you. So I will need to be doing so PRAs this next year, and hope this thing is up and running by next summer. Been frequently bugged to try to get another edition out of this thing for many years now… and hope this ends up meeting everyone's expectations. But I need your help. Thanks.

Geoff Stein

example of a palm that needs to be added to this book… but REALLY need photos of it in California!

[Firepalm]

Great plan Geoff! Will look forward to the results and just wanted to say thanks for all the time you spend on these types of projects.

[Hammer]

Thank you Geoff!!! Very exciting. I don't have much in the ground but if I can be helpful please let me know.

[Jim in Los Altos]

Geoff, I love the other issues and look forward to the update. The biggest thing I wish would change is the name. It makes it seem that the palms in the book are exclusive to SoCal. Since we have so many areas up here in NorCal with 9b and 10a climates it would be nice to know we're not forgotten up here. My garden has over 100 species and is always growing and your book is mostly responsible for the palm diversity in it.

[Geoff]

The reason it is palms for So Cal, is I live in So Cal and am a member of the So Cal palm society and this rag started out 20 years ago as someone else's project that I just took over… but I am certainly willing to make it palms for California… only I seriously doubt I will get many chances to get up there and take photos of your palms (would love to, though). If you can get together and supply me with sufficient photos of palms growing up there, it would certainly be easy to include the whole state (sure there are palms that grow in the middle of the state, too, but don't know where).

[Jim in Los Altos]

That's okay, Geoff. We NorCal palm lovers would still love your book even if were called Palms For LA. You have a lot more hobbyists down there than up here anyway and we'll still enjoy the book regardless of its title.

[KennyRE317]

Jim, you should create "Palms for NorCal" book. having lived in both places, norcal has a more defined 4 seasons than we do down here

[Pando]

example of a palm that needs to be added to this book… but REALLY need photos of it in California!

So who does have the biggest condapanna in California?

[LJG]

example of a palm that needs to be added to this book but REALLY need photos of it in California!

So who does have the biggest condapanna in California?

Nick in Encinitas. He was lucky enough to get one (same time as the people with the ones seeding in Hawaii now) well before seed came out of India in mass (thanks in part to Randy Moore). Nick bought his from JD Andersens and trialed it and proved it can grow here. Although he does have one of the best microclimates around so hard to say how cold tolerant it ends up being. Last time I saw his it was already a multi-ring trunking palm. Here it was back in 2009:

http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?/topic/13076-before-and-after/?p=311027

[Pando]

Thanks Len! It looks really nice. Seems like this post has the most recent photo of it:

http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?/topic/33358-update-of-the-yard/?p=532274

It would be great to see how it looks now, 2 years later. I'm wondering how many of them are around here in SoCal...

[Geoff]

Wow, that is a nice looking palm! Definitely needs to be in the new book! Looks like he might have other nice palms to get photos of as well!

[Jim in Los Altos]

Jim, you should create "Palms for NorCal" book. having lived in both places, norcal has a more defined 4 seasons than we do down here

Kenny, I wish I had the time! Anyway, my climate here is very comparable to that of Santa Barbara's except I have more summer daytime and nighttime warmth and a bit less in the winter along with more rain. I'm growing much of what's in the current book as well as many that aren't in the book. The book has been an incredible tool and inspiration.