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For The love Of Washingtonia...Not!

Jim in Los Altos

By Jim in Los Altos
in DISCUSSING PALM TREES WORLDWIDE

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Jim in Los Altos Grand Master

Jim in Los Altos

Posted
Posted

I have a fifty year old Washingtonia robusa (100+ feet tall) in my front yard that's quite a beacon visible from all parts of my neighborhood. It's maintenance free except for it's three year shed event. You wouldn't want to be standing under this tree when 40 fronds come crashing down simultaneously! With a mighty thud during a windless evening, this is what greeted me outside my front door. Miraculously, all 42 fronds landed on the walkway and only a small bromeliad hanging over the edge of that walkway was severed. The first picture was taken after I had already picked up several of the fronds, which are in the second picture. Friday I get to saw them all up and dispose of. Fun stuff.

post-181-0-70150200-1418975399_thumb.jpg post-181-0-04681400-1418975433_thumb.jpg

  • Upvote 1

Jim in Los Altos, CA  SF Bay Area 37.34N- 122.13W- 190' above sea level

zone 10a/9b

sunset zone 16

300+ palms, 90+ species in the ground

Las Palmas Design

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peachy Grand Master

peachy

Posted
Posted

I know how it feels Jim. My Roystonea regia has been madly dropping fronds and those big suckers come down with a real crash. The rotten things are just so heavy too that I haven't a hope of moving them (and believe me I have tried), so every couple of weeks I have to pay someone to come in and drag the things away as they always seem to land on the driveway.

Peachy

I came. I saw. I purchased

 

 

27.35 south.

Warm subtropical, with occasional frosts.

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Pete in Paradise Hills Proficient

Pete in Paradise Hills

Posted
Posted

I have a fifty year old Washingtonia robusa (100+ feet tall) in my front yard that's quite a beacon visible from all parts of my neighborhood. It's maintenance free except for it's three year shed event. You wouldn't want to be standing under this tree when 40 fronds come crashing down simultaneously! With a mighty thud during a windless evening, this is what greeted me outside my front door. Miraculously, all 42 fronds landed on the walkway and only a small bromeliad hanging over the edge of that walkway was severed. The first picture was taken after I had already picked up several of the fronds, which are in the second picture. Friday I get to saw them all up and dispose of. Fun stuff.

attachicon.gifDSC01173.JPG attachicon.gifDSC01176.JPG

glad I removed mine before they got big

Paradise Hills, 4 miles inland, south facing slope in the back, north facing yard in the front

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Josh-O Grand Master

Josh-O

Posted
Posted

looks like its time for me to break out the chain saw?? I have a couple I need to buzz down to carve tikis.

Jim, do you have a full frontal of your washie?

Carlsbad, California Zone 10 B on the hill (402 ft. elevation)

Sunset zone 24

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Jim in Los Altos Grand Master

Jim in Los Altos

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looks like its time for me to break out the chain saw?? I have a couple I need to buzz down to carve tikis.

Jim, do you have a full frontal of your washie?

Sure, Josh. These are all I could muster up.

post-181-0-49565100-1419012933_thumb.jpg post-181-0-24414200-1419012896_thumb.jpg

Trunk to left and walkway where fronds landed Me by its trunk

post-181-0-37665200-1419012475_thumb.jpg

That's it before shedding

  • Upvote 1

Jim in Los Altos, CA  SF Bay Area 37.34N- 122.13W- 190' above sea level

zone 10a/9b

sunset zone 16

300+ palms, 90+ species in the ground

Las Palmas Design

Facebook Page

Las Palmas Design & Associates

Elegant Homes and Gardens

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Jim in Los Altos Grand Master

Jim in Los Altos

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  • Author
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I know how it feels Jim. My Roystonea regia has been madly dropping fronds and those big suckers come down with a real crash. The rotten things are just so heavy too that I haven't a hope of moving them (and believe me I have tried), so every couple of weeks I have to pay someone to come in and drag the things away as they always seem to land on the driveway.

Peachy

Peachy, I hear you. I know about those Roystonea fronds but those dang trees are so beautiful that it makes up for some of the agony.

Jim in Los Altos, CA  SF Bay Area 37.34N- 122.13W- 190' above sea level

zone 10a/9b

sunset zone 16

300+ palms, 90+ species in the ground

Las Palmas Design

Facebook Page

Las Palmas Design & Associates

Elegant Homes and Gardens

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DoomsDave Grand Master

DoomsDave

Posted
Posted

Wow, such a Washie! Such a garden!

Hard to believe it's in No-Cal!

Let's keep our forum fun and friendly.

Any data in this post is provided 'as is' and in no event shall I be liable for any damages, including, without limitation, damages resulting from accuracy or lack thereof, insult, or lost profits or revenue, claims by third parties or for other similar costs, or any special, incidental, or consequential damages arising out of my opinion or the use of this data. The accuracy or reliability of the data is not guaranteed or warranted in any way and I disclaim liability of any kind whatsoever, including, without limitation, liability for quality, performance, merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose arising out of the use, or inability to use my data. Other terms may apply.

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Alicehunter2000 Grand Master

Alicehunter2000

Posted
Posted

What else can give you that height dimension that quickly. I like them...sure wish mine self cleaned...smooth trunk is awesome.

David Simms zone 9a on Highway 30a

200 steps from the Gulf in NW Florida

30 ft. elevation and sandy soil

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Jim in Los Altos Grand Master

Jim in Los Altos

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What else can give you that height dimension that quickly. I like them...sure wish mine self cleaned...smooth trunk is awesome.

David, I agree. It's why I have five mature ones on my property. They're not all self cleaning like the biggest one yet but getting close.

Just as I finished sawing up all the fronds this afternoon, ten more came crashing down. There are probably three or four more brown fronds ready to eject and then that's it for two to three years.

Jim in Los Altos, CA  SF Bay Area 37.34N- 122.13W- 190' above sea level

zone 10a/9b

sunset zone 16

300+ palms, 90+ species in the ground

Las Palmas Design

Facebook Page

Las Palmas Design & Associates

Elegant Homes and Gardens

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grant b. Rising Star

grant b.

Posted
Posted

I cant believe you didn't experience anymore damage than you did. I would have expected a bunch of your small stuff and your holiday lights to crushed. you have good palm karma

Grant
Long Beach, CA

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Pip Grand Master

Pip

Posted
Posted

I'm always amazed by the length of time Washingtonia sp. hold onto their leaves. Where I live the skirts are mostly left alone some seem to keep it for a very long time while others develop a clean trunk very quickly.

There is a very tall W. robusta in the main street of Mclaren Vale it has the skirt trimmed but is now to tall. I noticed a pair of Sulphur Crested Cockatoos living in the palms skirt.

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Jim in Los Altos Grand Master

Jim in Los Altos

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I cant believe you didn't experience anymore damage than you did. I would have expected a bunch of your small stuff and your holiday lights to crushed. you have good palm karma

Grant, yeah, really lucky. The bulk of the debris fell directly on the stone walkway and piled high enough that the rest of the debris just landed on top, preventing it from smashing tender stuff below. A coup,e of the fronds that fell today, however, broke two fronds off a nearby Chamaedorea woodsoniana. It will be fine.

Jim in Los Altos, CA  SF Bay Area 37.34N- 122.13W- 190' above sea level

zone 10a/9b

sunset zone 16

300+ palms, 90+ species in the ground

Las Palmas Design

Facebook Page

Las Palmas Design & Associates

Elegant Homes and Gardens

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Jim in Los Altos Grand Master

Jim in Los Altos

Posted
  • Author
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I'm always amazed by the length of time Washingtonia sp. hold onto their leaves. Where I live the skirts are mostly left alone some seem to keep it for a very long time while others develop a clean trunk very quickly.

There is a very tall W. robusta in the main street of Mclaren Vale it has the skirt trimmed but is now to tall. I noticed a pair of Sulphur Crested Cockatoos living in the palms skirt.

Philip, I could only wish! All I get in my Washies are squirrels. I take that back. In the spring, western orioles come and build intricate nests on the undersides of the Washy fronds.

Jim in Los Altos, CA  SF Bay Area 37.34N- 122.13W- 190' above sea level

zone 10a/9b

sunset zone 16

300+ palms, 90+ species in the ground

Las Palmas Design

Facebook Page

Las Palmas Design & Associates

Elegant Homes and Gardens

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Pip Grand Master

Pip

Posted
Posted

Philip, I could only wish! All I get in my Washies are squirrels. I take that back. In the spring, western orioles come and build intricate nests on the undersides of the Washy fronds.

Aww those are very pretty birds with a much nicer song than the huge screech of a Cockatoo!

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SHEP Rising Star

SHEP

Posted
Posted

Jim, there are three very, old Washy's outside Northgate, Mt. Diablo State Park that shed all their fronds like yours in the last week.

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Tassie_Troy1971 Grand Master

Tassie_Troy1971

Posted
Posted

Nice big washie Jim - I will have the same problem with mine one day

Old Beach ,Hobart
Tasmania ,Australia. 42 " south
Cool Maritime climate

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