Marvelous tropical & subtropical plants and palms in Cullera, Spain at 39ºN!

[Alicante]

 

I've prepared this post some time ago, although I didn't have much time to enter to the forum. I'm speaking about the gardens of Cullera, Valencia, Spain !

This video is very interesting, although they speak in Valencian language, it's worthy to see it for the images and palms. It's a pity that they don't focus on the most important ones, they just focus on the palms which the TV reporter asks on. He misses the Roystoneas or the Howeas...  

but at least the old man at the end speaks about tropical fruits, although he doesn't mention all (or in 2011, when this video was maded, they didn't had them all?)

They have more than 140 palms, but they have some very nice looking Roystoneas, Bismarckias, Archontophoenixes, Caryotas or Howeas.

Amongst other tropical trees and plants, they have avocados, papayas, mangos, pineapples, custard apples, zapotes, oranges, tangerines, bananas... In Spain most of those fruits are grown in the south, east and SE in large extension (papayas and zapotes grow in small spots, although papaya is becoming more extended in the warmest places, and zapotes are also in small numbers. But pineapple just grows in a few outside, and all are in private gardens, ) but it's impressive that they can fruit and do it that good at 39ºN outside year round without protection! That's even slightly further north than Washington DC.

Edited July 24, 2017 by Alicante

[Alicante]

 

This is also an interesting palm from their garden. It's nothing impressive being a Trachycrapus... but how it grew that big in such a warm climate? It's even exposed 365 days in a year to full sun, and the summer UV index is mostly 10, it looks amazing. The pic was taken in the winter, the palm enjoys it more.

Edited July 24, 2017 by Alicante

[Yunder Wækraus]

Wow! So unfair :-(

[Josh-O]

great pictures

[Alicante]

28 minutes ago, Yunder Wækraus said:

Wow! So unfair :-(

 

24 minutes ago, Josh-O said:

great pictures

Thanks!

[Jan Jo]

Very nice! The palms look happy there...Wish there were more places in Spain like that, I only know the ones in Malaga... 

[Alicante]

59 minutes ago, Jan Jo said:

Very nice! The palms look happy there...Wish there were more places in Spain like that, I only know the ones in Malaga... 

Yes there are more! In Cádiz, many in Málaga, many in Granada (Almuñecar, Motril, etc. I posted some time ago lots of pics of a garden in Motril), some in Almería, I heard about one in Murcia in the zone of Cartagena-Águilas, many in Alicante, many in Valencia, and a few in Castellón, Tarragona and Barcelona. Also in the Balearic Islands. Although unfortunately the majority of those haven't got soo much exotic/tropical plants as the ones from Málaga, for example.

The one from the city of Valencia has (Botanical Garden of Valencia) as well as the one of Elche (which is in the middle of the palmeral, the biggest collection of palms in Europe and the 2nd worldwide!) and there was also one in Benidorm with plenty of exotic plants, as well as one in Adra, Almería if I don't remember bad plus Almuñecar, Motril... and then we end in Málaga. Málaga has even some old astonishing Roystoneas which look completely like Caribbean ones!

Edited July 24, 2017 by Alicante

[Alicante]

Correction! They say to have more than 160 types of palms. Not 140!

It would be great if they would post the entire list somewhere on the web. I didn't find nothing. 

I found another Roystonea on their images. This is a pic from 2 months ago. It looks big and healthy!

Edited July 24, 2017 by Alicante

[Alicante]

Bismarckia paradise ! They grew a lot from 2012 to 2016! This street view pic is from 2016, in this botanical garden of Cullera. 

 

Those Raveneas are from a city pretty nearby to Cullera (less than 30km), I took a screenshot of their aspect in late 2008 and then in March of 2014:

Edited July 24, 2017 by Alicante

[RedRabbit]

I'd like to know more about the climate of Spain. It sounds like you can grow tropicals from Valencia south? What about Barcelona, is that too far north?

[Alicante]

1 hour ago, RedRabbit said:

I'd like to know more about the climate of Spain. It sounds like you can grow tropicals from Valencia south? What about Barcelona, is that too far north?

Hi RedRabbit, Barcelona can grow large howeas, bismarckias... as well as passiflora, avocados or mangos, or at least that's what some people grow in their private gardens as I've seen in Spanish gardening forums. Howeas and Bismarckias are planted in some public spaces too. Specially Howeas. There are also some other palms and plants too. For example Raveneas. I've heard of a couple of users from that forum which I mentioned before trying Hyophorbes and Roystoneas too.

The northernmost Roystonea which I know is close to 41°N in a city a bit further south than Barcelona, I posted pics and information about it on my northernmost Roystonea thread in this forum. 

 

Barcelona is tricky. It has 2 climate stations, well 3, one from the mountain, one from the city and one from the airport. The city, as being influenced by the UHI and being protected by the mountains, is pretty warmer than the airport which has thermal inversion and 0 UHI. In the city, the lowest temp in the last 30 years was barely -0.1°C. But if you only go a bit on the outskirts or the airport it went under -3°C. 

 

Edited July 25, 2017 by Alicante

[Cluster]

Hello Adam (you changed your nick right?),

Nice pictures, you are right it is indeed impressive such species have the potential to grow there, I thought pineapples were more demanding, though? Maybe there are some more cold resistant varieties, anyway very interesting. 

[RedRabbit]

23 hours ago, Alicante said:

Hi RedRabbit, Barcelona can grow large howeas, bismarckias... as well as passiflora, avocados or mangos, or at least that's what some people grow in their private gardens as I've seen in Spanish gardening forums. Howeas and Bismarckias are planted in some public spaces too. Specially Howeas. There are also some other palms and plants too. For example Raveneas. I've heard of a couple of users from that forum which I mentioned before trying Hyophorbes and Roystoneas too.

The northernmost Roystonea which I know is close to 41°N in a city a bit further south than Barcelona, I posted pics and information about it on my northernmost Roystonea thread in this forum. 

 

Barcelona is tricky. It has 2 climate stations, well 3, one from the mountain, one from the city and one from the airport. The city, as being influenced by the UHI and being protected by the mountains, is pretty warmer than the airport which has thermal inversion and 0 UHI. In the city, the lowest temp in the last 30 years was barely -0.1°C. But if you only go a bit on the outskirts or the airport it went under -3°C. 

 

Thanks a lot, that's some great info. I love Barcelona but that's the only city I've been to in Spain so far. Valencia and Malaga both look real nice so I hope to be back to visit them soon too. :)

[Phoenikakias]

On 24/7/2017, 10:38:25, Alicante said:

Yes there are more! In Cádiz, many in Málaga, many in Granada (Almuñecar, Motril, etc. I posted some time ago lots of pics of a garden in Motril), some in Almería, I heard about one in Murcia in the zone of Cartagena-Águilas, many in Alicante, many in Valencia, and a few in Castellón, Tarragona and Barcelona. Also in the Balearic Islands. Although unfortunately the majority of those haven't got soo much exotic/tropical plants as the ones from Málaga, for example.

The one from the city of Valencia has (Botanical Garden of Valencia) as well as the one of Elche (which is in the middle of the palmeral, the biggest collection of palms in Europe and the 2nd worldwide!) and there was also one in Benidorm with plenty of exotic plants, as well as one in Adra, Almería if I don't remember bad plus Almuñecar, Motril... and then we end in Málaga. Málaga has even some old astonishing Roystoneas which look completely like Caribbean ones!

Does any Roystonea fruit regularly? 

[Monòver]

Yes, the oldest Roystoneas in Málaga and Granada are fruiting with no problem.

[Alicante]

On 26/7/2017 1:53:50, RedRabbit said:

Thanks a lot, that's some great info. I love Barcelona but that's the only city I've been to in Spain so far. Valencia and Malaga both look real nice so I hope to be back to visit them soon too.

Both city are marvelous to visit.  Valencia is better city if you're interested in culture, architecture, etc. But in gardening: Málaga wins by a long shot!

If you visit Málaga some time pm me, Málaga has lots and lots of tropical gardens. Even the most important park of the city (central park) has some excellent enormous Howeas, one of them can be probably the biggest of Europe (if you want I can add pics here, I added them before in this forum)

and they also got the biggest numbers and the tallest Roystoneas from Europe. Some ones look like Cuban/southern Florida ones ! (they're old Roystoneas) 

 

Btw, which kind of monkey is that on your avatar? It looks so cute, I never seen one of those even in pics! 

20 hours ago, Phoenikakias said:

Does any Roystonea fruit regularly? 

yep, in the south of Spain (where it's plenty of them) they fruit every year! from the pics which I posted prior in this forum from Málaga, Almuñecar, Fuengirola, etc many of them had floration on them on the pics. It also depends when exactly the pics were taken, of course!

In this pic from Cullera...

isn't this a floration? it looks different from the leaves of the tree of the left and it looks very similar to Royal floration. 

 

Edited July 27, 2017 by Alicante

[Phoenikakias]

Then I have to visit Malaga around Christmas time perhaps or near spring?

[Alicante]

On 27/7/2017 7:50:21, Phoenikakias said:

Then I have to visit Malaga around Christmas time perhaps or near spring?

Yes, definetly 

[RedRabbit]

On 7/26/2017, 10:06:01, Alicante said:

Both city are marvelous to visit.  Valencia is better city if you're interested in culture, architecture, etc. But in gardening: Málaga wins by a long shot!

If you visit Málaga some time pm me, Málaga has lots and lots of tropical gardens. Even the most important park of the city (central park) has some excellent enormous Howeas, one of them can be probably the biggest of Europe (if you want I can add pics here, I added them before in this forum)

and they also got the biggest numbers and the tallest Roystoneas from Europe. Some ones look like Cuban/southern Florida ones ! (they're old Roystoneas) 

 

Btw, which kind of monkey is that on your avatar? It looks so cute, I never seen one of those even in pics! 

Well, I look forward to visiting in the next couple years. I'll be sure to PM you once I make travel plans to Malaga.  

The Canary Islands look awesome too, but it seems like they're a little too far to visit on the same trip.

 

LOL not sure on the monkey. I've been meaning to change my avatar actually, maybe now's the time. 

[Alicante]

On 29/7/2017 15:24:29, RedRabbit said:

Well, I look forward to visiting in the next couple years. I'll be sure to PM you once I make travel plans to Malaga.  

The Canary Islands look awesome too, but it seems like they're a little too far to visit on the same trip.

 

LOL not sure on the monkey. I've been meaning to change my avatar actually, maybe now's the time. 

It was a nice monkey tho.

 

Yep the Canaries are unique, you can go from a palm desert with golden dunes to a semitropical cloud forest in a bit more than 2 hours by car!

[Alicante]

Thanks for all of the replies & reps!

I want to visit this place soon, I will take lots of pics. :D

[Alicante]

I still need to go to this place to make a full set of photos and a full list of species. Love this small bizzie jungle!

Bismarckias adapt very good to this area, it's used more and more in avenues and parks. I have spotted palms even without irrigation (dry-summer climate, although the summers over the past years were not rainless) and they look very nice! It's a 10a/10b zone, the coast of this town is 10b but this botanical garden is a bit inland.

As far as I've learned about this Cullera Botánico park, Roystoneas give floration and pineapples grow in the ground. (Pics posted above) which is a bit further north than @Monòver 's pineapples in Elche, Alicante. 

Quite impressive at 39°N! Another pic I found showing other beauties from this garden.

Edited January 7, 2019 by Alicante

[Alicante]

The big Caryotas have sadly died as when they reach the end of their fruiting process they die, the garden owner told me this as well as I found it on several palm/botanical sites over the Internet, I didn't know that a plant could die when it would fully fruit, what a thing! Also I have updates on the Roystonea, it's bigger now, and the Bismarckias are all giants. 

I will make another thread soon as I have visited this place in January after a very harsh cold spell we had in Spain (I wanted to see the impact in the palms, no major impact for my surprise, the most tropical fruit trees did get some damage but they're all recovered now) I also went there a couple of weeks ago and it all looked better, of course. 

From the video of the first post, check the Bismackia "line" at 2:10 haha now all of them are simply giants. They were slighty taller as an human. But nowadays... check this out!



This is how they were during late January 2021:



An update of the Roystonea. I will make a proper thread soon when I'll catch some free time!