All Activity

It's an experiment. I honestly would like to relocate it. It's too close to the mailbox lolm

I just checked and there are several purple crownshaft Archontophoenix visible on the lower section of Dalrymple Rd on google maps (the only section with streetview) mixed in with a multitude of what looks like A alexandrae. Beautiful palms, would love to visit that area someday. @Tyrone Consider adding the ones you found as observations to inaturalist, there is very little data on Archontophoenix from that area and it would be a good start for someone in the future to come along and study this population. https://maps.app.goo.gl/D3Y34p55U8h1dZdV6 https://maps.app.goo.gl/x2kRFuYU9bqrmrcg9

All the coconuts in CA right now are in private homes but I would love to show you mine if you’d like to see haha. My biggest just has a couple inches of trunk /is 3 years old only. If you’re looking for a lot of public coconuts, definitely Los Cabos in Mexico, it’s a short flight down and a vacation spot.

Hopefully the Dactylifera takes off . 2021 killed like 75% of those in Houston outside of Galveston and the bayside microclimates.

Sorry, the close up pics aren't great. The ramenta extends up the petiole on the newer leaves but is almost absent on the rachis. There is no ramenta at all on the petioles of the older, smaller leaves, as per the seedlings you saw.

Here we go, A cunninghamiana var dalrymplensis! These were abandoned in small tubes for many years in a deep dark corner of the greenhouse, as I'd given up on planting anything at South Arm that needed water. When we bought our new place a few years ago, with it's abundance of water I banged them into these big pots without any expectations, but they've rebounded nicely and are ready to go in the ground. Not sure how different they look from any other Bangalow at this stage but time will tell.

Yep, I've got a rostrata in zone 6b. It's planted on a hill with lightly amended soil and clay. It's unprotected and doing well. I did dig a small channel and filled with gravel to help drain away any moisture over the winter. My best spot is already taken by a yucca schotti so I was a little apprehensive on its placement but it sailed through it's first winter w/o a hitch. Where you are in zone 8 I probably would plant it now but I'd make sure it was in a well draining spot with full sun. Assuming it's not a little plant,if it is what's it hurt to keep it inside for the winter . Mine was planted from a 5gal in the spring.

I watched a few of the news broadcasts from England. It was pretty shocking to see how bad it is, worse than I thought. It will be interesting to see if this trend continues or if it pops up every 5-10 years.

@MarcusH that filifera in the front has really put on some size this year, same thing for that Trachy.

Gorgeous palms you have, Richard! Geonoma bondariana and G. schottiana do well in my Mediterranean type climate but G. undata needs a much cooler climate than my coastal valley location can provide. Mine would only grow in the winter and then languish in the summer even though it’s rarely hot here. After five years in the ground in full shade, it finally gave up. It was just showing a ruby red crownshaft on its little trunk too. 😥

Jason, How did you make out with the hurricane yesterday. I hope your area was spared.

Great stuff Tyrone, I'll meet you up there in a few years for the full Dalrymple Expedition, although it sounds like we might need some guys with machetes to walk in front! We drove a bit past Peases Lookout but turned back before the forest that you found, regrettably. A cunninghamiana var dalrymplensis sounds good to me...the Eungella Bangalow, quite a mouthful. I'll take some pics of mine this morning and post them shortly.

Whoa, dang. They're tougher than they often appear, but not infinitely tough. Good that it survived. Hope they do better further south.

Oh yeah, I have flamers to sell, macrocarpa and hookeri both, baby plants in community pots, coming to the sale forum soon.

Ideally the palm would do best planted in the ground. They spread their roots very far out from the palm’s base. If that’s not possible, a bigger pot will be beneficial. The palm looks healthy right now and the spaces between the leaf scar rings on the trunk indicate that it’s getting watered well. As for your cquestion about the spears, hits not that another spear forms “off of” the older one. Both spears originate from the palm’s growing point and are attached to each other. The smaller one has a smaller spear attached to it also and so on but it’s just not visible yet. The double spear phenomenon is characteristic of Archontophonix as well as other palm species after the juvenile stage. Younger palms typically open a new frond before a new spear appears.

Wow, so I gather that’s a common occurrence, then. It’s true that just before the leaf opens, part of the spear separates to form another one; the only thing that surprised me was the size that second spear is reaching. Given your experience and the number of specimens you have, I’d love to hear your opinion on my Alexandrae in that pot—does it look healthy to you? What problems might arise down the line if I don’t repot it?

After ...barely... avoiding a direct hit, yet causing plenty of problems across the big Island as it passed, Lala heads out into the middle of nowhere in the Pacific as the next two areas of possible development off Mexico appear on the board.. ....Two of what could be several more to come in the next few weeks.. As Ben mentions, Hawaii will need to keep an eye on how any upcoming system(s) develop / track since the threat for additional strikes /close calls is headed up. Today's 12Z run of the GFS ( Central Pacific regional section ) brings two possible systems toward the big island again between Aug. 23rd and Sept. 2nd, with a third lurking not too far to the northeast as it approaches around the 2nd of next month. *** Obviously, that is just one model run's thoughts.. Does not mean this scenario is what will occur.. ...Is simply something to watch closely, for now.

Yes, I think the roots aren't in the best shape because the plant is restricted by the pot—it's outgrowing it. Plus, I was away for 15 days and it was only being watered by two drippers; the roots probably didn't get thoroughly soaked during that time, which certainly wouldn't have helped. Even so, it’s reassuring to know that this is common with these palms. Thanks for your input.

@Alicehunter2000 Yours looked pretty nice in the photo. Wish it was still around. @Eric in Orlando All things considered, it's doing pretty well. Hoping we all catch a break and have a more USDA-2023-Zone-Appropriate winter. I think @DoomsDave has a surplus of Chambeyronia he may be willing to share with those of us who are flamethrower-less.

I’m not a botanist, just a humble horticulturist, but if this version of purple Bangalow was named, I reckon Archontophoenix cunninghamiana var dalrymplensis would be a good one for the purple picabeen. Naming things is purely academic though. The real fun is in the growing.

Jonathan, it was your comments from 14 years ago on Palmtalk that made me go to Peases Lookout for Bangalows because the two times before that I visited Eungella I went the other way near the sky window and Broken River and I found mainly alexandrae. I didn’t know there was anything up Dalrymple road. All the palms at Peases Lookout appear to be this purple Bangalow. I was really stumped when I saw the ones at Peases Lookout and ventured further up Dalrymple Rd to find stunning rainforest and a place loaded with purple Bangalows. The next day we drove the entire length and started walking an overgrown track to Mt Dalrymple but only went 300-400m because the track was so overgrown and the sign said you need a topographic map, a gps, and good first aid because you’re on your own up there. We weren’t prepared, but I’d love to one day do that entire walk. After Peases Lookout as you go higher the alexandrae are very hard to find if not no longer there. What was interesting is that the Calamus stop as well up the Dalrymple road. So if you are growing the ones from Peases Lookout you have the purple version. Once my eyes had been opened to the purple Bangalow I went down to Broken river and found a few of these purple ones there and found some seedlings which matched the ones at Peases Lookout and further up but that forest was dominated by alexandrae ( a beautiful version too). I found seedlings that matched the purple seedlings at Broken River ( green underneath and no ramenta). I even found a juvenile Bangalow that was the traditional full green with small ramenta. So maybe there are 3 types of Archontophoenix growing up there. It pays to look at the details. So Jonathan, it was thanks to you that I found these. Your ones are the purple form. Any pictures? What do the leaf undersides look like.

Planting now = ..at least.. 3 months for it to start putting down roots before it slows to a crawl / takes a nap -growth - wise- thru the coldest portion of winter where you're at.. Only thing that might make me wait until spring, if i lived in a climate like yours? ..if i were starting with a plant smaller than a 1 gal. Would look through this 👇 thread, and other Y. rostrata related threads started by / incl. thoughts from @teddytn https://www.palmtalk.org/forum/topic/72464-best-way-to-plant-yucca-rostrata-in-tennessee/ Think @N8ALLRIGHT is growing one in K.C. as well. Soil wise? Only thing they don't like is heavy / mucky clay that stays soggy. Chunkier / Better it drains = perfect.

I have over fifty mature or maturing Archontophonix of various variety and they ALL have two spears at a time before one opens.