Small Bismarkia, S. riverside, S. causiarum

[Alicehunter2000]

Just some pics from this morning....supposed to get 37 tonight....I'm ok with that as long as no freeze.

[Alicehunter2000]

[Alicehunter2000]

[akaranus]

Looking forward to see those giants in action for few years causiarum is already taking off

[Josue Diaz]

These won't even blink at 37F. Great looking plants you've grown there! 

[RJ]

No wonder you're looking at smaller palms you have some giants there

causiarum is on my list, hoping to pick up a few 15g on my way back from the Stuart FL area after the new year. Thinking they are going to be my pool side palms. 

[akaranus]

 

This is my biggest causiarum 3yrs in ground from one strap leaf ...it saw 20f with no problems..riversides still in pots...lost about 10 bismarckias in past five years ...give up on them...

Edited December 11, 2018 by akaranus

[Fusca]

4 hours ago, Alicehunter2000 said:

David, how old is your S. riverside?  Mine was growing pretty fast until I put it in the ground where it has stalled.  I assume that your causiarum is a bit faster?  They look great!

Jon

[RJ]

1 hour ago, akaranus said:

 

This is my biggest causiarum 3yrs in ground from one strap leaf ...it saw 20f with no problems..riversides still in pots...lost about 10 bismarckias in past five years ...give up on them...

What's you climate like. These guys like HEAT and lots of it. 

[akaranus]

Hi Rj..its solid 9a mediterrannean zone..Split Croatia..near sea.. summers very hot days between 30-40 degrees celsius..winters rainy average 10 celsius..absolute minus 3 for few nights every winter..and minus 5 every 5-10 winters...

[Alicehunter2000]

The Riverside has grown faster for me than causiarum, maritima, and bermundana. It's probably 3-4 years old from a strap leaf seedling?

I am too cold for Queens here but warm enough for colder hardy Bizmarkia to survive ....weird huh!

[gilles06]

Hi David,

You mean you can't grow syagrus but you can grow bismarkia?

 

[kinzyjr]

7 hours ago, Alicehunter2000 said:

I am too cold for Queens here but warm enough for colder hardy Bizmarkia to survive ....weird huh!

When I first started growing palms in 2003, I was looking through a book and saw a bismarckia.  At the time, they were regarded as a zone 10a palm in the best case.  As time has passed, we now know that there are strains of this plant that sail through mid and low 20s.  I bought a bismarckia at a plant sale a few years back after watching one recover from Jan. 2010 in a wide open spot known for swirling wind in the winter.  The spot I had open for it was at the corner of one of my planting beds, which is unfortunately not very well shielded from wind and currently has no overhead canopy.  I wondered if it would get killed by cold on that side, but it has proven fast growing and able to overcome the fungal problems that accompany freezes with rain water in the crown.

All of your plants look wonderful!

[Alicehunter2000]

Thanks...yeah ...I have found the same thing. Queens here are just weak palms in general. Don't know if it's the almost pure sand nematodes or something else but queens almost never look that great...yellowing leaves unless heavily fertilized and watered. 

Bismarkia thrives here. We have the heat and soil drainage they love. They don't appear to need supplemental care. Some strains are wimps and die when it drops to the low 20's. Some strains can take 20 and have some leaf burn....but come roaring back with the heat. 

Unfortunately my big Bizzy in the front of my house or the one I pictured are as cold hardy as I would like. The Bismarkia I have at my office and gave to my neighbors are solid....especially my office one...that thing has been through a lot.....including Cat.4 hurricane!

[Alicehunter2000]

Here's my big one at the house this morning .... 37F. .... it looks like it has chill bumps. If it looks like it's going to drop much below freezing I got a 25' x 25' frost cloth this year. Last year the leaves all got burnt  from a brief stint at 20-22?

[Fusca]

Just now, Alicehunter2000 said:

The Riverside has grown faster for me than causiarum, maritima, and bermundana. It's probably 3-4 years old from a strap leaf seedling?

I am too cold for Queens here but warm enough for colder hardy Bizmarkia to survive ....weird huh!

Good to hear - their speed (for a Sabal) is what I was hoping for.  Mine was planted out as a 2 year old 5-strap-leaf seedling last year.  It was roughly the same size as a 6 year old Sabal guatemalensis that I planted at the same time, but the riverside has had 2 spear pull events (one in March, another in early October).  Meanwhile the guatemalensis has taken off and is roughly 3 feet tall now.  Your bizzy looks great - couldn't tell it had any leaf damage.  I guess the wet cold makes a big difference with the queens more so than the bizzys.

[gilles06]

5 hours ago, Alicehunter2000 said:

Here's my big one at the house this morning .... 37F. .... it looks like it has chill bumps. If it looks like it's going to drop much below freezing I got a 25' x 25' frost cloth this year. Last year the leaves all got burnt  from a brief stint at 20-22?

Waooh! That's a beauty. Bravo ;)

[Alicehunter2000]

It's actually more silver than the morning sun is showing. Silver palms are always best viewed on an overcast day.