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Newport Coconut DEAD


Panamajack

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Sad to say this, but the Newport Beach coconut has finally died.

post-7474-0-35228800-1431931796_thumb.jp

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Palos Verdes Estates - coastal Los Angeles - 33°45'N 118°24'W

On a cliff, 2 blocks from the Pacific Ocean. Zone 10b - Sunset zone 24

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Guess we all know that it was a forgone conclusion that it had to happen one day !

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

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And the decision about climate in SoCa also final; NOT subtropical but warm temperate to the margins of subtropical.

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And the decision about climate in SoCa also final; NOT subtropical but warm temperate to the margins of subtropical.

People will find a hundred excuses other than the truth on why it died. Or why all of them die eventually here.

Len

Vista, CA (Zone 10a)

Shadowridge Area

"Show me your garden and I shall tell you what you are."

-- Alfred Austin

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Cocos nucifera is just not well suited for the California climate. Even when this palm was living it never looked good. Just like when you plant coconuts in parts of Central Florida, it may look alright for a few years before a freeze does it in, but it never will look like they do further south in Florida. And the coconuts in South Florida will never look as good as the ones in the Caribbean.

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Lived in Cape Coral, Miami, Orlando and St. Petersburg Florida.

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What? No one put a replacement in yet?

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Modesto, CA USDA 9b

July/August average 95f/63f

Dec/Jan average 55f/39f

Average lowest winter temp 27f

Record low temp 18f

Record high temp 113f

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And the decision about climate in SoCa also final; NOT subtropical but warm temperate to the margins of subtropical.

People will find a hundred excuses other than the truth on why it died. Or why all of them die eventually here.

Probably more than a hundred Len.
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this May has been a reminder of just how we simply have too much chill for tropical palms to thrive in SoCal...

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

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Cocos nucifera is just not well suited for the California climate. Even when this palm was living it never looked good. Just like when you plant coconuts in parts of Central Florida, it may look alright for a few years before a freeze does it in, but it never will look like they do further south in Florida. And the coconuts in South Florida will never look as good as the ones in the Caribbean.

I am pretty sure everyone already understood this to be true. The question was never if there would be Coconuts in mass, or even a few happy healthy green ones, as found in places like South Florida. The question has always been that if planted in the right (well, perfect) microclimate and given the proper (well, exceptional) care, could a Coconut be kept alive for more than a handful of years in Southern California in the ground. Forget fruiting, everyone I am pretty sure understands this would be nothing short of a miracle, as well.

But this palm proved one thing already, that in a less than perfect microclimate and with far less than perfect care, a Coconut can be grown in Southern California for well over a decade in the ground. If people only grew palms that looked as good as they do in their optimal conditions, well, it would be a sad world with a lot less diversity in gardens. I am excited to see if someone will make a true attempt at it again.

In my post I sometimes express "my" opinion. Warning, it may differ from "your" opinion. If so, please do not feel insulted, just state your own if you wish. 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 any other damages

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Sad to say this, but the Newport Beach coconut has finally died.

That is sad to see.. If only they gave it some better care. Also, it is a bit cool there, would be nice for someone on top of a hill in the perfect microclimate to try.

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Cocos nucifera is just not well suited for the California climate. Even when this palm was living it never looked good. Just like when you plant coconuts in parts of Central Florida, it may look alright for a few years before a freeze does it in, but it never will look like they do further south in Florida. And the coconuts in South Florida will never look as good as the ones in the Caribbean.

I am pretty sure everyone already understood this to be true. The question was never if there would be Coconuts in mass, or even a few happy healthy green ones, as found in places like South Florida. The question has always been that if planted in the right (well, perfect) microclimate and given the proper (well, exceptional) care, could a Coconut be kept alive for more than a handful of years in Southern California in the ground. Forget fruiting, everyone I am pretty sure understands this would be nothing short of a miracle, as well.

But this palm proved one thing already, that in a less than perfect microclimate and with far less than perfect care, a Coconut can be grown in Southern California for well over a decade in the ground. If people only grew palms that looked as good as they do in their optimal conditions, well, it would be a sad world with a lot less diversity in gardens. I am excited to see if someone will make a true attempt at it again.

Hello Keith,

I am not saying no one should try it again, heck I grow things I should not be here in SW Florida. When I was in central Florida I grew coconuts and that was in the 80's and that was not an easy task. Just saying they are not suited for that climate so we cannot expect many to make it, and if they do they will not look that great. But yes keep trying, you never know. I am wondering if planting a much larger size coconut would do better?

Lived in Cape Coral, Miami, Orlando and St. Petersburg Florida.

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That thing was on the Green Mile since it was planted.

Gary

Rock Ridge Ranch

South Escondido

5 miles ENE Rancho Bernardo

33.06N 117W, Elevation 971 Feet

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It's not how well it grew nor how pretty it was, but it represented a challenge and tenacity that many palm growers exhibit.

Modesto, CA USDA 9b

July/August average 95f/63f

Dec/Jan average 55f/39f

Average lowest winter temp 27f

Record low temp 18f

Record high temp 113f

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That thing was on the Green Mile since it was planted.

Gary

Amen Brother. Now we can put this to bed and be done with it!

 

 

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I wonder if someone poured diesel down the crown?

wasn't this a mild winter for there?

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I wonder if someone poured diesel down the crown?

wasn't this a mild winter for there?

Sitting in what looks to be something like a 20 sq foot patch of dirt with several shrubs, a large Washingtonia, and a freshly capped and sealed irrigation head. I'd say in SoCal's climate that is about the same as pouring diesel down the crown.

As you can see in this photo from PT in 2009 and another in 2007, it once looked pretty healthy. If you follow the pictures, it started a decline in 2010 which steadily continued until its demise.

post-1207-0-03536300-1431986937_thumb.jp

But, as you can see in this picture, it was planted, it was cared for, and it grew for over 20 years, before starting to decline.

post-1207-0-77963400-1431987359_thumb.jp

We'll likely never know what finally sent it over the edge. But it sure is fun to guess. And my guess is neglect as its once loving caretaker moved on.

In my post I sometimes express "my" opinion. Warning, it may differ from "your" opinion. If so, please do not feel insulted, just state your own if you wish. 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 any other damages

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I'm guessing not enough water?

Most hotels have cut watering way down.

Bummer... It was only a matter of time

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

Sunset zone 24

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It could be drought, but apparently there are thriving coconuts far from any man water source in Lanzarote (canary islands) where it rains way less than in Newport. Who knows, it has been going downhill for some years now.

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Cocos nucifera is just not well suited for the California climate. Even when this palm was living it never looked good. Just like when you plant coconuts in parts of Central Florida, it may look alright for a few years before a freeze does it in, but it never will look like they do further south in Florida. And the coconuts in South Florida will never look as good as the ones in the Caribbean.

But this palm proved one thing already, that in a less than perfect microclimate and with far less than perfect care, a Coconut can be grown in Southern California for well over a decade in the ground. If people only grew palms that looked as good as they do in their optimal conditions, well, it would be a sad world with a lot less diversity in gardens. I am excited to see if someone will make a true attempt at it again.

Keith, this palm lived in one of the best microclimates possible in California for such a palm and had great care for most its life. Hence the sign you posted. People noticed three years ago fungus looked to be setting in on the crown. The thing started to neck down. It was downhill from there. But it was a fighter to the end

Len

Vista, CA (Zone 10a)

Shadowridge Area

"Show me your garden and I shall tell you what you are."

-- Alfred Austin

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Cocos nucifera is just not well suited for the California climate. Even when this palm was living it never looked good. Just like when you plant coconuts in parts of Central Florida, it may look alright for a few years before a freeze does it in, but it never will look like they do further south in Florida. And the coconuts in South Florida will never look as good as the ones in the Caribbean.

But this palm proved one thing already, that in a less than perfect microclimate and with far less than perfect care, a Coconut can be grown in Southern California for well over a decade in the ground. If people only grew palms that looked as good as they do in their optimal conditions, well, it would be a sad world with a lot less diversity in gardens. I am excited to see if someone will make a true attempt at it again.

Keith, this palm lived in one of the best microclimates possible in California for such a palm and had great care for most its life. Hence the sign you posted. People noticed three years ago fungus looked to be setting in on the crown. The thing started to neck down. It was downhill from there. But it was a fighter to the end

Can it be some form of Lethal Yellowing?

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Lack of water I say. I think it died of thirst. With proper care and watering It might have gone another 10 years. It was always stunted by the cool weather but I don't think it was cold that did it in.

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I wonder if, after the body is removed and the rains return, someone is going to guerilla-garden in a replacement?

"Ph'nglui mglw'napalma Funkthulhu R'Lincolnea wgah'palm fhtagn"
"In his house at Lincoln, dread Funkthulhu plants palm trees."

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That thing was on the Green Mile since it was planted.

Gary

Like all of us . . . .

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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The Newport Coconut may be dead, but discussion about it will go on to eternity. :violin::winkie::mrlooney::innocent::interesting::shaka-2:

  • Upvote 1

Kim Cyr

Between the beach and the bays, Point Loma, San Diego, California USA
and on a 300 year-old lava flow, Pahoa, Hawaii, 1/4 mile from the 2018 flow
All characters  in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

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I never saw that Newport coconut tree and I won't miss it at all. Southern California has such a great climate for growing outstanding, interesting arid-climate plants that we simply can't grow in Florida. There are also many palms that do well in Southern California which do not fare well in a humid climate like Florida's.

Every time I am down in Fort Lauderdale and Miami, I see thousands of giant coconut palms swaying in the wind everywhere. It is almost monotonous all the way from Palm Beach down to the tip of the Florida Keys. But that simply isn't part of California's identity or its climate. I would rather live in a place like coastal Southern California, from LA to San Diego, where you can enjoy 19 or 20 degrees celcius 12 months of the year, with constant strong sun and no clouds, than live in a place where you can't go outside in summer because it is too hot and humid anywhere except at the beach (Florida). Southern California has so many great and unusual plants that I truly do not miss coconut trees there. The Newport coconut may have been an interesting experiment, but I certainly won't miss it.

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The Newport Coconut may be dead, but discussion about it will go on to eternity. :violin::winkie::mrlooney::innocent::interesting::shaka-2:

Amen, sista! :greenthumb:

In my post I sometimes express "my" opinion. Warning, it may differ from "your" opinion. If so, please do not feel insulted, just state your own if you wish. 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 any other damages

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I never saw that Newport coconut tree and I won't miss it at all. Southern California has such a great climate for growing outstanding, interesting arid-climate plants that we simply can't grow in Florida. There are also many palms that do well in Southern California which do not fare well in a humid climate like Florida's.

Every time I am down in Fort Lauderdale and Miami, I see thousands of giant coconut palms swaying in the wind everywhere. It is almost monotonous all the way from Palm Beach down to the tip of the Florida Keys. But that simply isn't part of California's identity or its climate. I would rather live in a place like coastal Southern California, from LA to San Diego, where you can enjoy 19 or 20 degrees celcius 12 months of the year, with constant strong sun and no clouds, than live in a place where you can't go outside in summer because it is too hot and humid anywhere except at the beach (Florida). Southern California has so many great and unusual plants that I truly do not miss coconut trees there. The Newport coconut may have been an interesting experiment, but I certainly won't miss it.

I'll miss it. I love rooting for the underdog. That palm gave us a glimpse at the impossible.

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Just plant an Alfredii next to its stump and move on.

Do any of you Cali folks know who is the current heir apparent as the oldest So Cal coconut ? :bemused:

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Coral Gables, FL 8 miles North of Fairchild USDA Zone 10B

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I'll miss it, and it certainly gives me hope that I can successfully grow some to maturity with nuts on them here in my 10A Corpus Christi climate. If it was given proper care all this time, and especially sufficient watering during the drought, I honestly think it would still be alive and probably looking decent for a California coconut palm. If it could survive as long as it did in an area that has highs in May only in the 60's on some days, when I in Corpus Christi consistently have highs in the mid to upper 80's this time of year, then I should certainly be able to pull it off. I was told again this past Saturday that there used to be a large mature coconut palm at North Padre Island, just a few miles east of me that had pretty large coconuts on it that made it for a number of years until the 2011 freeze killed it. The mature one that survived the 2011 freeze here on Ocean Dr. is looking pretty good, and one of my Green Malayans I thought I had lost due to this past VERY chilly damp winter, is growing again from what looked like a totally dead trunk (It has grown about four inches in just the last week.).

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it had a good run.....

That would be funny Moose if someone did plant an Alfredii next to the stump..

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

Sunset zone 24

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Well, that just proves that if you withhold soil moisture from a coconut it dies. Duhhh.

It likely hadn't been watered for two or three years which proves how strong it actually was.

Millbrook, "Kinjarling" Noongar word meaning "Place of Rain", Rainbow Coast, Western Australia 35S. Warm temperate. Csb Koeppen Climate classification. Cool nights all year round.

 

 

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That might be true but aren't there coconuts in Lanzarote which receive less water than this one? The story might be more complex than just lack of water, though perhaps in Lanzarote the coconuts I am referring to that are thought to get no help with water requirements do actually get it:)

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I was able to reach the gentleman whose name was on that sign. Here was his response, which I think is safe to share, and as you will see, he is indeed, a gentleman. He included this link: http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/california-s-only-coconut-palm Note that I did offer to do an interview with him, and write an article on this very unique palm's history for IPS or PSSC, if either are interested.

"Hi Keith, I tried to find the article I had about the coconut in the OC Register's Home and Garden section on November 20, 1999, but couldn't find it. I do have that original page, however. The attached, not the Register's article which shows me standing next to the palm , shows a few pics of the palm over a period of several years. I first saw the palm circa 1983 and it took awhile to fine out how it got there. One of the tenets of the building, Gloria's Nail Care, she and her boyfriend brought it back from Hawaii as a seedling. After a short period of time they decided to plant it in front of the building. I don't remember the year but the palm was on the cover of one of our PSSC Journals. I have all the old Palm Journals, but it would take awhile to find it.

For whatever reason, the palm had been going down hill for many years. We had an arborist do some work on it, but sadly it has die.
Take care and thanks for you interest,
Bill Dickenson"

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In my post I sometimes express "my" opinion. Warning, it may differ from "your" opinion. If so, please do not feel insulted, just state your own if you wish. 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 any other damages

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That might be true but aren't there coconuts in Lanzarote which receive less water than this one? The story might be more complex than just lack of water, though perhaps in Lanzarote the coconuts I am referring to that are thought to get no help with water requirements do actually get it:)

Thanks. For someone that actually lives here and has seen the palm, I wouldn't be so bold as to exclaim it wasn't watered and why it died.

  • Upvote 1

Len

Vista, CA (Zone 10a)

Shadowridge Area

"Show me your garden and I shall tell you what you are."

-- Alfred Austin

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I was able to reach the gentleman whose name was on that sign. Here was his response, which I think is safe to share, and as you will see, he is indeed, a gentleman. He included this link: http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/california-s-only-coconut-palm Note that I did offer to do an interview with him, and write an article on this very unique palm's history for IPS or PSSC, if either are interested.

"Hi Keith, I tried to find the article I had about the coconut in the OC Register's Home and Garden section on November 20, 1999, but couldn't find it. I do have that original page, however. The attached, not the Register's article which shows me standing next to the palm , shows a few pics of the palm over a period of several years. I first saw the palm circa 1983 and it took awhile to fine out how it got there. One of the tenets of the building, Gloria's Nail Care, she and her boyfriend brought it back from Hawaii as a seedling. After a short period of time they decided to plant it in front of the building. I don't remember the year but the palm was on the cover of one of our PSSC Journals. I have all the old Palm Journals, but it would take awhile to find it.

For whatever reason, the palm had been going down hill for many years. We had an arborist do some work on it, but sadly it has die.

Take care and thanks for you interest,

Bill Dickenson"

Thanks Keith for reaching out, this is great information. I find it fascinating that the couple who planted it there had no idea at the time how famous this palm would become and of the conversations it has started.

I found it interesting that the article linked above mentioned this:

While pretty much out of its element, this is not the northernmost Coconut palm in the world. That distinction lies with the much healthier specimens in the oceanic tropical climate of Bermuda (at the same latitude as Memphis, but zone 11b due to some of the heaviest Gulf Stream influence in the world),

I believe it's factually incorrect. The northernmost tip of Bermuda is at 32.391 degrees latitude (decimal), while Newport Beach coconut is (was) at 33.619 degrees latitude. Memphis is at 35 degrees btw. Nevertheless if there were any islands in the Atlantic a bit further north from Bermuda than 34 degrees, the palm would probably grow over there just fine due to the heavy Gulf Stream influence.

RIP Newport Coconut. It truly was the oldest Northernmost coconut in the world. I hope someone plants another one in its place.

Edited by Pando
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That is why I mentioned the Azores:), though that might be too much north. Madeira and Porto Santo(33 degrees) are also further north than Bermuda, the last place as far as I know where coconuts can grow in more natural conditions. Santa Maria island could be a candidate, but do not know of anyone trying them there, it would also probably need somewhat artificial micro-climate as seen in Newport, but maybe it is possible.

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