Name your 5 favorite "low care" palms.

[Zeeth]

These are the types of palms that you give your neighbors and loved ones (in-laws, siblings, etc) that might have good intentions for growing the palms well, but at the end of the day the palms are usually left to fend for themselves. Which 5 palms would you pick for your location, and why? 

Here's my list:

1) Beccariophoenix alfredii. It's cold hardy, drought hardy and likes our sandy soil. I've planted a few of these throughout my area (2 at rental houses that my parents lived in, 1 at my brother's house and 1 at my fiancee's parents' house), and they all do well despite no supplemental water or fertilizer (of course they grow faster with those things). 

2) Sabal lisa. This is native here, but super cool looking. A real no-brainer.

3) Bismarckia nobilis. These are cold and drought hardy, plus you can't beat the silver color. They're verging on common in the area, but I've got no problem with that! 

4) Sabal mauritiiformis. The whole genus does so well in the area, and this is the most tropical looking of the group (in my opinion). 

5) xButiagrus. Another no brainer. Every palm collector knows about these, and for good reason. They're cold hardy, and drought hardy, plus their growth rate is pretty satisfying. The only issue with these is the price. 

 

I would possibly replace #5 with one of the nice Copernicia, like baileyana or fallensis, but I don't have enough experience with them to comfortably include them on the list (though I suspect their need for fertilizer would preclude them from being considered "low care"). Other honorable mentions would be Coccothrinax argentata and Leucothrinax morrisii, which are both well suited to Central Florida.

[Sabal Steve]

I planted a tiny Butia odorata a few years ago for a neighbor.  It's in clay, and never gets watered.  It thrives.

[Josh-O]

for me its brahea clara and jubea chilensis

these are tough little buggers..

[OverGrown]

Interesting topic as I've been considering gifting some palms to my neighbors who have used the drought as an excuse to let their front landscape go to waste.  My top choice is dypsis decaryi for it's drought tolerance and cost to benefit ratio.   Now I just need to convince them to dig out their parkway areas so I can avenue plant them. 

[Fishmoose]

All Cocos

C. Renda

Most Licuala

Chamaedorea.. to be continued. 

Oh... Pigafetta

 

[Cocoa Beach Jason]

In my yard the following are my favorite low maintenance palms:

Kentiopsis Oliviformis

Tribear Hybrid

Dypsis Pembana

Chambeyronia Hookeri

Dictyosperma Album

All of the above are doing great and don't take on nutritional deficiencies with little care. 

 

 

[RedRabbit]

1. Beccariophoenix alfredii- This thing was just made for Florida, it's doing fantastic and I'm a huge fan.
2. Dypsis leptocheilos- So far it loves my area and it's a great looking palm. I know they're not the most cold tolerant palms, but I think it will be okay barring an 80s type freeze. I'm guessing it would have narrowly survived 2010 here with a lot of damage. 
3. Roystonea regia- It is easy to take them for granted, but they're really great palms. They can take the Florida sun and seem to be pretty darn cold tolerant... I live around the northern limit for them on FL's west coast, but I'm pretty confident they're fine here barring an 80s type freeze.  
4. Bismarkia nobilis- A hardy palm with great looks. There's a reason they're popular in S. Florida when they could grow anything else. They're doing great in Central Florida, unfortunately I can't say I own one though since they're a little too big for my lot. 
5. Dypsis pembana- This is really just a hope. I've got one pembie and I haven't even planted it yet, but I hear such good things about them I'm pretty optimistic.

Losers: Kentiopsis oliviformis and any Archontophoenix so far. Neither has been sun tolerant enough here. Additionally, two of my archies have lost their newest frond to separate thunderstorms. They're great palms, but I can see why there aren't more in Florida.  

 

[Dave-Vero]

I've got a Kentiopsis oliviformis getting started in a neighbor's yard, but it's remaining overly yellow.  My youngster is a nice deep green and has a big spear.  

Almost everything in the yard has been easy.  But, notably, Cryosophila warscewiczii had no leaf damage in a 26º freeze.  Same with a bunch of Chamaedorea, Syagrus weddeliana (ex Lytocaryum weddellianum), Acoelorrhaphe wrightii, Sabal minor.  The two old Sabal palmetto in the yard are valuable.  

Dypsis plumosa has performed nicely, but its growth habit, growing upward slowly with long leaves stretching out horizontally, won't make everyone happy.

[Tropicgardener]

Cocos nucifera

Bismarkia nobilis

Ptychosperma elegans (Native to this local area)

Ptychosperma macarthurii

Veitchia arecina

[IHB1979]

In no particular order:

Coccothrinax barbadensis

Dypsis Pembana

Beccariophoenix alfredii

Roystonea regia

Areca triandra

 

 

 

[DoomsDave]

Hmm

Most palms don't need much care, that's one of the great things about them.

Nevertheless, top 5 (today):

1. B. alfredii

2. Brahea hybrid, brandeegii, armata, super silver

3. Arenga engleri

4. Butiagrus mule

5. Rhapis spp

For starters

[Laaz]

Sabal palmetto

Sabal minor

Chamaedorea microspadix

Butia

Serenoa repens

 

[Matt in OC]

Chamadorea radicalis or glaucifolia

Kentiopsis oliviformis

Pinanga coronata

Howeas

Tribear

[Zeeth]

10 hours ago, Dave-Vero said:

I've got a Kentiopsis oliviformis getting started in a neighbor's yard, but it's remaining overly yellow.  My youngster is a nice deep green and has a big spear.  

Almost everything in the yard has been easy.  But, notably, Cryosophila warscewiczii had no leaf damage in a 26º freeze.  Same with a bunch of Chamaedorea, Syagrus weddeliana (ex Lytocaryum weddellianum), Acoelorrhaphe wrightii, Sabal minor.  The two old Sabal palmetto in the yard are valuable.  

Dypsis plumosa has performed nicely, but its growth habit, growing upward slowly with long leaves stretching out horizontally, won't make everyone happy.

I'd considered K. o, because they do quite well in palm gardens, but they seem to yellow if not fertilized enough. I'd also considered R. regia, but they don't seem happy enough on our rain alone (though there are 100+ year old specimens in town that seem to do alright without any care). 

[Zeeth]

3 hours ago, DoomsDave said:

Hmm

Most palms don't need much care, that's one of the great things about them.

 

I suppose care level is subjective. Most palms certainly seem a lot happier if they're watered over here, and I would imagine that this issue would be more pronounced in Southern California. Most people over here don't ever seem to water anything, so yards turn brown in the dry season and young palms struggle. 

[DoomsDave]

1 hour ago, Zeeth said:

I suppose care level is subjective. Most palms certainly seem a lot happier if they're watered over here, and I would imagine that this issue would be more pronounced in Southern California. Most people over here don't ever seem to water anything, so yards turn brown in the dry season and young palms struggle. 

True, and here's some more:

6. Chamadorea radicalis (kill this and God bless you!)

7. Chamadorea seifritzii (believe it, Jack!)

8. Chamadorea metallica (9 months in a law office corner no water, still lived)

9. Chamadorea cataractarum (try to kill me! ha ha ha ha)

10. Chamaerops humilis. (Kill me? I'll impale you first!)

11. Dypsis decaryi (Dry! Yes!) (Wet? Er, no . . . )

[Monòver]

For me a low care palm must be drought tolerant, pest free and adaptable to sun, shadow, different soils and not fertilicer.

Chamaerops humilis, the winner.

Chamaedorea elegans, a big small palm.

Brahea armata,slow, but strong.

Butia odorata, always looks nice

Sabal uresana and mexicana, they are like stones.

 

[Alicehunter2000]

C. radicalis

B. odorata

Mule

Bizmarkia (only worry when very cold....otherwise it is the bomb!)

C. microspadix

[Palmaceae]

Cocothrinax, all the species I have, they just do great!

 

[palmsOrl]

Serenoa repens, Roystonea regia, Phoenix roebellennii, Archontophoenix cunninghammiana, Cocos nucifera

-These are not necessarily low care in dry or marginal areas, but are in suitable climates.  I guess the same could be said for all palms though.

[User00]

most palms here don't need any care in our climate. 

so palms need less fertilizer is "low care"

Archontophoenix  ssp

Many dypsis

some areca

Borassus

Rhoploblaste      

Edited August 27, 2016 by User00

[Alicehunter2000]

This thread needs a picture....Bizzy this morning

[Zeeth]

Wow!! That's a great example, especially for north Florida. 

[cm05]

Outdoor:

1. Sabal minor

2. Rhapidophyllum hystrix

3. Trachycarpus fortunei (marginal)

Indoor/Outdoor:

4. Chamaedorea elegens

5. Phoenix roebelenii

You know your climate's winter sucks when you can't even list 5 outdoor palms. But I guess a couple of palms is better than nothing.

[RedRabbit]

23 hours ago, Zeeth said:

I'd also considered R. regia, but they don't seem happy enough on our rain alone (though there are 100+ year old specimens in town that seem to do alright without any care). 

Seriously? South Tampa is one of the driest places in the state and they seem to do fine there. 

[RedRabbit]

2 hours ago, Alicehunter2000 said:

This thread needs a picture....Bizzy this morning

I'm really happy to see you're able to grow bismarkia up there. 

[Dave-Vero]

In my corner of Florida, Coccothrinax spp., Dypsis decaryi, and Archontophoenix can suffer cold damage if there's a bad freeze.  I've had health problems with two Archontophoenix, not with A. tuckeri.

Serenoa repens, once established, has grown easily, as has Allagoptera arenaria.  Mine is unfortunately hiding in a thicket, not out in the open where it belongs.  Chamaedorea metallica is doing fine in ridiculously deep shade.  

[Alicehunter2000]

Thanks....yes they are still very marginal in the cold north ....but seem to thrive otherwise. Hoping for another 10a winter up here. 

[Zeeth]

6 hours ago, RedRabbit said:

Seriously? South Tampa is one of the driest places in the state and they seem to do fine there. 

I've grown them since 2009 (from seed), and they really struggled until I got irrigation to them. 

 

This is what 6 years of growth looked like during that time frame:

 

This is less than a year later, after irrigation was installed:

[RedRabbit]

On 8/25/2016, 10:26:37, Zeeth said:

4) Sabal mauritiiformis. The whole genus does so well in the area, and this is the most tropical looking of the group (in my opinion). 

I was thinking about this one... Why Sabal mauritiiformis over say, Livistonia decipens? They're similar looking, but the Livistonia grows way faster.

1 hour ago, Zeeth said:

I've grown them since 2009 (from seed), and they really struggled until I got irrigation to them. 

 

This is what 6 years of growth looked like during that time frame:

 

This is less than a year later, after irrigation was installed:

Ahh, I see what you mean. 

[Zeeth]

2 minutes ago, RedRabbit said:

I was thinking about this one... Why Sabal mauritiiformis over say, Livistonia decipens? They're similar looking, but the Livistonia grows way faster.

I'm not a big fan of palms with knobbly trunks, which is why I don't grow L. decipiens or Copernicia alba. The trunk on Sabal mauritiiformis is one of my favorite parts about, because it reminds me more of something you'd see on a crownshafted palm like Kentiopsis oliviformis, rather than the cork-textured trunk that most Sabals have. I don't think that the two species look all that similar to be honest (though I do see a resemblance to L. decipiens in the newly discovered Sabal 'Bart'). 

[Patrick Palms]

Adonida

Bottle

Spindle

King Palm

Areca

[palmsOrl]

On 8/26/2016, 1:08:56, Zeeth said:

I suppose care level is subjective. Most palms certainly seem a lot happier if they're watered over here, and I would imagine that this issue would be more pronounced in Southern California. Most people over here don't ever seem to water anything, so yards turn brown in the dry season and young palms struggle. 

I concur Keith.  This summer has been especially bad in my location.  Still, almost every year here has at least a few periods of time dry enough to seriously stress or kill young/small palms in the ground if no water is provided.

My Roystoneas never needed to be watered at my parent's former place because they were next to a canal.  I can't imagine getting one established where I live now without lots of irrigation.

[Alicehunter2000]

Zeeth....I would think those palms are tapping into that lake water 20 ft. away. Hard to believe you having a hard time with it being dry when you got groundwater probably 4 foot down?

[Zeeth]

21 minutes ago, Alicehunter2000 said:

Zeeth....I would think those palms are tapping into that lake water 20 ft. away. Hard to believe you having a hard time with it being dry when you got groundwater probably 4 foot down?

They were previously planted in my old garden in Sarasota, and the first pics weren't long after I moved them. Part of the reason that I put the in that spot is the nearby lake.

Here's a pic of one of them taken a year before my "before" pics, showing where they were grown for most 6 years. I planted them in the lowest spots of the yard but they still struggled in the dry season. 

[kinzyjr]

These are definitely care free here:

1. Sabal Palmetto
2. Sabal Minor
3. Rhapidophyllum Hystrix
4. Serenoa Repens
5. Acoelorrhaphe wrightii

[Patrick Palms]

Adonida

Archontophoenix 

Bottle

Spindle

Royal

 

[aztropic]

In Phoenix metro Arizona,the top 5(6) for exotic success would be Bismarckia nobilis, Roystonea regia,Pseudophoenix sargentii,Becariophoenix alfredii,Ravanea xerophilla,Copernicia alba.Many Coccothrinax and Copernicia also do well here.

aztropic

Mesa,Arizona

[Pete in Paradise Hills]

Copernicia alba, bismarckia nobilis, beccariophoenix alfredii, coccothrinax Barbadensis, and roystonea borinquena.

[topwater]

On 8/25/2016, 11:36:46, RedRabbit said:

 

Losers: Kentiopsis oliviformis and any Archontophoenix so far. Neither has been sun tolerant enough here. Additionally, two of my archies have lost their newest frond to separate thunderstorms. They're great palms, but I can see why there aren't more in Florida.  

 

Ditto about the Archies, they hate the summer sun so by the time it gets cold they're ready to croak anyway. They're never happy here.  I have 2 KO's I'm currently sun acclimating, maybe they'll do better.  Hope springs eternal.  I'm glad to hear your leptos are doing well, I've a couple hanging out with the KO's right now. 

Edited December 31, 2016 by topwater