Northern CA Royal Palm Update

[Jim in Los Altos]

For those of you who have been following the existence of this royal palm here in my northern latitude, here's a picture taken today, December 10, 2011. This summer's cool temperatures allowed only two new leaves and a third is trying to make it out but will have to wait until spring arrives. Now in its sixth year in the ground from a tiny two leaf seedling, it's making some progress as you can see some exposed trunk. Hopefully next summer will have more normal highs so this baby can add a few more fronds.

[Sutter Bob]

Beautiful specimen Jim.

No luck here in the valley with R. regia (two attempts in 1 gal containers under cover) - winters seem too rough for them.

Maybe some day I'll try a borinquena. Maybe getting one straight into the ground under cover would be better.

[DoomsDave]

I am worshipping!

Bowing down, while you fert with polar bear dung.

All right, okay. Mocking, but! With esteem. Good heavens!

Still that's far north for a ROYAL in caps, shall I say.

Keep us apprized

[realarch]

Good on ya Jim, looks great. Love the Pritchardia and the ground cover. Nice garden.

[richnorm]

Thanks for the update Jim, I've been following this plant with interest and have tried a couple of these (and Licula peltata ...) based on your postings. Borinquena has made it through two winters here. Not in great shape it has to be said but I think the shock of being yanked out of a hothouse floor had a lot to do with the slow acclimatisation. Spears are now pushing at a reasonable rate.

[hanapalms]

Looks good and healthy, great photo.

[mcwolf]

Hi Jim,

Good Job! I'm so jealous since I'm a no longer anonymous RR (Roystonia Regia) sufferer. Our climates are not so different and my specimen is quite exactly 5,5 years in the ground, wasn't a 2 leave seedling either and still doesn't show any rings. Ok, I must admit that I was found guilty of underestimating it's thirst and hunger. But this was addressed for the last 2 years at least.

Anyway, I might look into getting some seeds for that B-thing. If it does as well as yours it won't have problems to catch-up with it.

Greetings from sunny Cape Town,

Wolfi

[Adam from Oz]

If Jim can do it, so can I!

Have two seedlings (thanks Tyrone ) and have similar Winter temps as Jim but warmer Summers.

Might place them a hammock's distance apart...............

ahhhhhh..

Cheers,

Adam

[Jim in Los Altos]

If Jim can do it, so can I!

Have two seedlings (thanks Tyrone ) and have similar Winter temps as Jim but warmer Summers.

Might place them a hammock's distance apart...............

ahhhhhh..

Cheers,

Adam

Adam, Definitely try them out. Besides being very tolerant of long cool spells, I think this species is one of the prettiest. Mine has handled occasional frost better than several adjacent A. cunninghamiana.

[Jim in Los Altos]

Beautiful specimen Jim.

No luck here in the valley with R. regia (two attempts in 1 gal containers under cover) - winters seem too rough for them.

Maybe some day I'll try a borinquena. Maybe getting one straight into the ground under cover would be better.

Bob, That's OK. I've had no luck with R. regia either. They can't take our long cool winters.

[Jim in Los Altos]

I am worshipping!

Bowing down, while you fert with polar bear dung.

All right, okay. Mocking, but! With esteem. Good heavens!

Still that's far north for a ROYAL in caps, shall I say.

Keep us apprized

Dave, You're too kind!

[Jim in Los Altos]

I am worshipping!

Bowing down, while you fert with polar bear dung.

All right, okay. Mocking, but! With esteem. Good heavens!

Still that's far north for a ROYAL in caps, shall I say.

Keep us apprized

Dave, You're too kind!

[Jim in Los Altos]

Hi Jim,

Good Job! I'm so jealous since I'm a no longer anonymous RR (Roystonia Regia) sufferer. Our climates are not so different and my specimen is quite exactly 5,5 years in the ground, wasn't a 2 leave seedling either and still doesn't show any rings. Ok, I must admit that I was found guilty of underestimating it's thirst and hunger. But this was addressed for the last 2 years at least.

Anyway, I might look into getting some seeds for that B-thing. If it does as well as yours it won't have problems to catch-up with it.

Greetings from sunny Cape Town,

Wolfi

Wolfi, Give it a try, I can't get R. regia to grow either.

[Jim in Los Altos]

Thanks for the update Jim, I've been following this plant with interest and have tried a couple of these (and Licula peltata ...) based on your postings. Borinquena has made it through two winters here. Not in great shape it has to be said but I think the shock of being yanked out of a hothouse floor had a lot to do with the slow acclimatisation. Spears are now pushing at a reasonable rate.

Fantastic! I have a feeling yours will be growing strong soon. Just give 'em lots of water and fertilizer.

[Jim in Los Altos]

Good on ya Jim, looks great. Love the Pritchardia and the ground cover. Nice garden.

Thanks, Tim. I've got Prichardia scattered throughout my landscape now and so far so good. I never expected them to survive let alone grow so well.

[Jim in Los Altos]

Thanks for the update Jim, I've been following this plant with interest and have tried a couple of these (and Licula peltata ...) based on your postings. Borinquena has made it through two winters here. Not in great shape it has to be said but I think the shock of being yanked out of a hothouse floor had a lot to do with the slow acclimatisation. Spears are now pushing at a reasonable rate.

Yes, the Licuala peltata in my front yard are still there growing slowly but steadily. Hope yours are doing well.

[Mike in Nelson]

Hi Jim,

Good Job! I'm so jealous since I'm a no longer anonymous RR (Roystonia Regia) sufferer. Our climates are not so different and my specimen is quite exactly 5,5 years in the ground, wasn't a 2 leave seedling either and still doesn't show any rings. Ok, I must admit that I was found guilty of underestimating it's thirst and hunger. But this was addressed for the last 2 years at least.

Anyway, I might look into getting some seeds for that B-thing. If it does as well as yours it won't have problems to catch-up with it.

Greetings from sunny Cape Town,

Wolfi

Wolfi, Give it a try, I can't get R. regia to grow either.

Well that's interesting because I was lead to believe that regia was the most cold hardy but perhaps borinquena is the one to go for. I've been contemplating trying a Royal for some time.

[Jim in Los Altos]

Hi Jim,

Good Job! I'm so jealous since I'm a no longer anonymous RR (Roystonia Regia) sufferer. Our climates are not so different and my specimen is quite exactly 5,5 years in the ground, wasn't a 2 leave seedling either and still doesn't show any rings. Ok, I must admit that I was found guilty of underestimating it's thirst and hunger. But this was addressed for the last 2 years at least.

Anyway, I might look into getting some seeds for that B-thing. If it does as well as yours it won't have problems to catch-up with it.

Greetings from sunny Cape Town,

Wolfi

Wolfi, Give it a try, I can't get R. regia to grow either.

Well that's interesting because I was lead to believe that regia was the most cold hardy but perhaps borinquena is the one to go for. I've been contemplating trying a Royal for some time.

Mike, R.borinquena is much more tolerant of extended cool temperatures than R. regia. Their "cold" tolerance is probably similar though. I never lost an R. regia to a cold spell. They would always succumb slowly to my long cool winters.

[DoomsDave]

Hmm.

As Jim's comments show, there's a difference between cold and cool tolerance.

I know that Reggies can take nasty freezes in the mid-20s as trunking plants, as mine did in January 2007 (four days in a row). They got a frost haircut, but bounced right back.

I also note that Borquies can take the cool better, as Jim has so wonderfully illustrated. (3 degrees of latitude south of NEW YORK CITY!)

So, can borqies take a freeze?

It leaves open the question of how far north a Borquie could grow. Ureka? Gold Bay? (expletive) San Juan Island? VANCOUVER?

[Jadd Correia]

Bump

[Phoenikakias]

On 12/12/2011 at 8:30 AM, Jim in Los Altos said:

 

Bob, That's OK. I've had no luck with R. regia either. They can't take our long cool winters.

Wow

[DoomsDave]

@Jim in Los Altos how about an update after 12 years . . . .

[Jim in Los Altos]

6 hours ago, DoomsDave said:

@Jim in Los Altos how about an update after 12 years . . . .

Dave, as much as I hated to, I cut down the R. borinquena despite it being healthy because it was right in between this Foxy Lady and Foxtail Palm and there just wasn’t room. When I planted the Royal, I really had little confidence in its viability but it surprised me. 

[DoomsDave]

14 minutes ago, Jim in Los Altos said:

Dave, as much as I hated to, I cut down the R. borinquena despite it being healthy because it was right in between this Foxy Lady and Foxtail Palm and there just wasn’t room. When I planted the Royal, I really had little confidence in its viability but it surprised me. 

Borenquenias can get huge fast, sometimes faster than regias.

[Jim in Los Altos]

3 hours ago, DoomsDave said:

Borenquenias can get huge fast, sometimes faster than regias.

Yes, the trunk base on mine was getting very fat and already touching the Foxy Lady’s trunk. I wish I had planted the Royal in its own space. 

[Phoenikakias]

On 12/12/2011 at 8:30 AM, Jim in Los Altos said:

 

Bob, That's OK. I've had no luck with R. regia either. They can't take our long cool winters.

Prob your soil could not warm up enough for various reasons (climate, mulching, shade)

[BayAndroid]

9 hours ago, Jim in Los Altos said:

Yes, the trunk base on mine was getting very fat and already touching the Foxy Lady’s trunk. I wish I had planted the Royal in its own space. 

Would you try another, or focus on something else? I know space is tight. 

[DoomsDave]

10 hours ago, Jim in Los Altos said:

Yes, the trunk base on mine was getting very fat and already touching the Foxy Lady’s trunk. I wish I had planted the Royal in its own space. 

 

58 minutes ago, BayAndroid said:

Would you try another, or focus on something else? I know space is tight. 

They're not as fat as a regia, but that's like saying a hippo isn't as huge as an elephant.

Both BIG.

[Jim in Los Altos]

3 hours ago, BayAndroid said:

Would you try another, or focus on something else? I know space is tight. 

I had mine in the warmest microclimate in my yard and it still only produced a new leaf every nine or ten months. Just too slow even with plenty of water and nutrients. The Foxy Lady, however, in the same planting area, is a rocket. 

[DoomsDave]

7 hours ago, Jim in Los Altos said:

I had mine in the warmest microclimate in my yard and it still only produced a new leaf every nine or ten months. Just too slow even with plenty of water and nutrients. The Foxy Lady, however, in the same planting area, is a rocket. 

Whoa