Phoenix rupicola

[Eric in Orlando]

Here are some growing at various locations at Walt Disney World...

This one is in the Magic Kingdom at Pirates of the Caribbean. It has been there since the 1970's

 

 

 

By the pool at the Animal Kingdom Lodge

 

 

 

At Animal Kingdom

 

 

[Eric in Orlando]

At the Moroccan pavilion at Epcot. That constriction on the lower trunk is from the 1989 freeze

 

 

 

Another at Moroccan pavilion with Phoenix dactylifera. Seed off of it would maybe produce some cool hybrids.

 

[Walt]

I bought two small (maybe 2-3 gallon size tops) from John Bishock. I planted them both in an open area at the extreme end of my front yard, which is about four feet or more lower than up near my house. Both were mostly fried from the severe radiational freeze of January 5, 2001, where both John and I recorded 22 degree lows with heavy frost. One of the two palms was killed, but the other survived. For all I know, both of these palms saw even lower than 22 degrees, as I had my thermometer placed about 15 feet out from the south side of my house, where it's slightly warmer.

In any event, the following summer I dug up the surviving P. rupicola and planted it at the S.E. corner of my storage shed, hoping it would at least get some protection from N.W. winds (but windy cold has never been a problem for me, only radiational freezes).

Over the years my P. rupicola has been cold/frost burned many times. The below pic shows it cold/frosts damaged near the end of that 11-day string of cold we got back in December of 2010.

 

[Walt]

While searching my photo archives, I found this pic of two Phoenix rupicola palms up in Sebring. I took this photo 13 years ago. I can't exactly remember where in Sebring they are growing, as I would like to check them out on Google street scene.

 

[Al in Kona]

Thanks Walt for those pics showing Phoenix rupicola at Walt Disney World and looking quite nice.  Good to see they are growing them there despite their being a bit tender to freezes.  When they get burned by the cold (frost) as your pic shows, do they take very long to recover and look good and green again? 

[Walt]

2 minutes ago, Al in Kona said:

Thanks Walt for those pics showing Phoenix rupicola at Walt Disney World and looking quite nice.  Good to see they are growing them there despite their being a bit tender to freezes.  When they get burned by the cold (frost) as your pic shows, do they take very long to recover and look good and green again? 

Al, I didn't post the Disney palms. As far as recovery, P. rupicola recover fairly fast, at least my palm does.  Kind of like Phoenix roebelleni, they produce lots of fronds once the summer heat kicks in.

[Pip]

All these great pics of Phoenix rupicola has made very excited about my little seedling as I had no idea about this spieces proportions. I can better plan for its final position, thanks.

[SHEP]

Here is my P. Rupicola, It has been flowering for the last three years.  I moved my 5' tall B Alfredii so he can get all the sun he needs.  

 The structure around it is galvanized posts that can elevate up so I can putt AgriBond over it to protect him.  I think he is gonna be ok next year without it. I have had for about five years from a 15g.  Cecile

[sonoranfans]

I planted a rupicola triple 3 gallon size in 2011 after seeing a nice triple in phoenix arizona where I used to live.  I reasoned that a triple would trap down more heat, survival in numbers.  I have found this palm difficult to keep that vibrant green color without time release florikan 8-2-12 palm special, but I have been feeding them exclusively with the palm special since 2013.   Its starting to get difficult getting pics as everything grows larger in the yard giving rise to increased shadows. Here is my triple, about 10' overall now, flanked by a bizzie and a beccariophomeix alfredii.

[DoomsDave]

On 12/7/2016, 3:43:42, Jdiaz31089 said:

They're not the most cold-tolerant phoenix species. Mine gets a bronze color from temperatures in the low 30s and some foliar damage with frost . I'd say it's similar to roebelenii in terms of cold hardiness. 

 

I concur and add that they love their heat, really like the desert, if you water them.

[Jeff_Cabinda]

5 minutes ago, DoomsDave said:

I concur and add that they love their heat, really like the desert, if you water them.

Hi Dave. What about direct sun? Thanks. Jf

[DoomsDave]

Just now, Jeff_Cabinda said:

Hi Dave. What about direct sun? Thanks. Jf

Oh yes, tons of sun, at least in La Habra.

I'll bet they'll take it in the desert, too, especially when mature.

[sonoranfans]

they grow great in phoenix, but the ones I saw were not exposed to direct western arizona sun(late day).  When the hottest time of the day arrives(5pm) they were in part shade.  Arizona sun is the toughest I have seen as it often comes with 10-15% RH and 110F+.  These palms do like their water,  they are not one of the better dry tolerance phoenix sp in terms of appearance when under watered.  Mine are located along the designed drainage path so they tend to get more of the rain/irrigation runoff than many palms in my yard.  Even well fed and watered with full florida sun they are medium-slow.  These went from 2' overall 3 gallon to 10' overall in 6 years with a 10-11 month growing season.  The problem is have seen with hybrids(w dactylifera, CIDP, sylvestris, roebelinii) of these is that the thorns become inflexible and will stab you good when trimming.  A pure rupicola will have flexible thorns on the petioles, not nearly the stabber of the other phoenix.  

[Jdiaz31089]

31 minutes ago, Jeff_Cabinda said:

Hi Dave. What about direct sun? Thanks. Jf

 

31 minutes ago, DoomsDave said:

Oh yes, tons of sun, at least in La Habra.

I'll bet they'll take it in the desert, too, especially when mature.

Yes, full sun exposure for me as well - even in a dry, hot climate like ours. We regularly get above 105 degrees F in the summertime and these don't miss a beat. No leaf burn either.