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Mine are still small strap leaf seedlings. Hope that they will put on some size this summer.

Thought I'd add to this topic as I've also greatly enjoyed growing Vulcano from seed. All of my seed have come from RPS and so far I've received 3 different batches over the years. My oldest are about 5 years old and all of the bigger ones on the benches are just over two years old so they can grow quite fast. I love watching how they all develop and watching for the blunt leaves and silvery undersides. The photo with the three plants in it shows my nicest vulcano so far along with a regular chamaerops and another plant that came from vulcano seed and is not a vulcano but still looks interesting! I also have the next generation of vulcanos on the way. Regards Neil

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Were your palms under water during the floods? And if so, how long? And how deep? I'd like to know how long most palms can survive with their lower trunks in the water. I'm now planting scores of palms, eventually to be hundreds, and we might be susceptible to occasional, but shallow flooding. JE

A few years ago, drought was the talk of the day, and my garden was suffering. Then came the bush fires and I thought I was living on Mars, quite surreal and many towns simply burnt to the ground. It was impossible to keep up the water in the garden so concentrated on seedlings, water is quite expensive. Then came the floods and all of a sudden, I had one meter of water under the house, it was all fresh water with lots of silt in it (parts of the garden received a good 4 inch of top dressing) The rainforest slowed down the river flow. I also had a couple of trailers loads under the house which I put in the garden. Most people were complaining of all that silt, not me! The house is built for floods, we are three meters above the ground, unfortunately a lot of houses were flooded and not insured, it was tough for these people. I started my garden over 35 years ago and I would have to say for me, it's the best it's ever been. It's just as I imagined all those years ago. This first picture is from under the house, I will add more as time allows.

It got to 22.7C here today with a 10.1C low. Not bad for September. The weather is on the turn, but being Albany it will like to revert to winter at any time it feels like it should. Next week is low to mid teens and rain.

Wunderbar!!!

Folks visiting the Big Island of Hawaii for the IPS biennial will have the opportunity to tour the garden originally planted by Donn Carlsmith. During the pandemic the garden was up for sale and not getting a lot of regular care. The new owners, Michelle (far left) and Ryan Rutan, arrived a few months ago and have restored the property to its original glory. Only now with monstrous huge palms that have been growing in deep soil with perfect tropical conditions for 35+ years. Occasionally chainsaw toting volunteers from the Hawaii Island Palm Society stop by to help remove some of the jungle that had tried to take over the property. In the photo, the work crew is standing in front of one of dozens of Johannesteijsmannia altifrons in the garden. A Pelagodoxa henryana is just out of frame on the left with the biggest Licuala pelata sumawongii you have ever seen in the far distance (upper left corner). The thick forest canopy is 80 ft overhead. Definitely prime dinosaur habitat.

Wow. That crown shaft seems to be glowing green. Beauty indeed.

Dude! That thing is growing fast!

Sounds like you've been in the wars Alex, hope you getting better now mate.

Anybody else working with these? Sharing a photo of my nicest one. Doing great here in Oregon.

Agree . Same for me here in inland empire . It gets spotty during winter but looks great during spring and summer and grows super quick in the heat .but coldest mine has seen is maybe around 38

I would definitely take more. I don’t mind buying them either just shoot me a heads up when ready

Looks cool

I assumed they’d be a no-go here as well, (San Diego) but they do ok, right down to near freezing.

Canopy palms are important for a complete picture, but I've come to believe that understory palms are more critical in creating effect. I keep finding myself saying, "a wall of fronds", and "fronds, in your face", when I describe the way I want my jungle to look. Here is a picture I took in Universal Orlando's Jurassic Park. The way that the fronds seal in every path, you really feel like a velociraptor could be hiding anywhere in there. I read an article on the landscape and the designer said he wanted the foliage "to have teeth", and that's how you feel when you've got a face full of fronds. You could achieve virtually this same effect with Needles, Sabal minor, and cold hardy Chamaedoreas (those are pushing it for zone 7 but are so small they're among the easiest of palms to protect). In fact I think Needles look quite similar in effect to large hedges of Rhapis.

Hi Alex; yikes, glad you’re alive. Better your wrists than your head, I guess. I suspect it hurt like heck… Regarding your palm, it’s mealy bug, I’m pretty sure..

In Rio Rancho. The lawn is watered near daily in summer. The palms get their water from the lawn. Thanks for the comments. That pic is from last November, so probably lucky to water once a month (lawn).

How will various tropical palms fare from being inundated with storm surge? Tampa Bay will probably see its share of young palms under water

The trick with these is to stop them growing too fast! I would never water or feed one unless in a very arid climate.

A tip of the cap to you for maintaining that extensive of a care regimen!

Three and a half weeks since the last day of winter.