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yeah they are getting shorter very slowly for now. Clouds matter much more than day length. Hopefully we will get some clouds(and even better rain) so palms and people aren't getting cooked.

Congrats on the milestone Kyle and for the future vision.. For the moment, definitely looks like you've got a nice, blank canvas to create something one of a kind. Since i'm sure you're well on the way to solving the " where to find stuff " angle, some thoughts on the ..other considerations / factors ...or whatever you choose to call it. Being ..essentially.. right next to the Gulf, you're humidity values will be better than here ..more often than not at least.. during the summer = plus.. Some humidity there during the winter too, but since the Gulf itself is cooler and general flow across the region during the cooler months is out of the West / Southwest, air is much drier than it can be during the summer. ( = a good thing as it regards frost potential, compared to areas over the hill, closer to the coast at least ) That said, El Centro sits in the driest portion of the overall Sonoran Desert Eco -region, and just outside the core region for " reliable " Monsoon season rainfall ...a minus, as far as summer rainfall is concerned. You can get more rain than we might from late season tropical stuff though during a good year. Obviously, you can mitigate that " less than ideal rainfall " challenge, esp. if like @BayAndroid mentions, you get canopy - forming trees or palms in the ground, essentially right from the start.. More of it you have? more tender ( to the sun ..and occasional sub - 32F cold ) things you should be able to get away with.. It is pretty amazing what i've seen growing in yards w/ well established canopy. Despite what some seem to assume, El Centro is zone 10 ..solidly, ..if not easily flirting with 10B ATM ..and headed forward.. Worrying about a few days in the low 30s or ..at the worst, the 27 -29F range is silly.. I see the same " risk / possibility " each winter here ...that is when a given winter is actually " cool ". I've also had no issues with some assumed ( ..according to what is suggested by research ) 11B -12B stuff i've grown for ...years... outside, all winter, ..even during the coolest ones i have experienced. You're in a better spot for some of that stuff than here above 1K feet also. As mentioned, keep in mind that being where you are, air is drier, ..compared to somewhere near the coast, or some place like FL. so ..even if it did drop to say 30F on a morning or two in a given winter, that 30F typically only occurs right at sunrise. Very rare that within an hour or two, you wouldn't be back above -at least- 40 - 42F ..So, No, cold won't be your biggest challenge. ..Not 98% of the time at least. You may be many years into enjoying the fruits of your future plans by the time some big, scary cold spell hits that area, if it ever does again. Damage risk caused by heat / all day, full sun exposure? Yes, that is your top mitigation priority, just like it is here.. FYI: for checking the weather / historical stats content, El Centro is technically within our / the Phoenix NWS forecast zone.. Don't depend on weather app non sense. Welcome to the " Desert Rat " club btw, lol While his focus is native /native foraging - centric, you might check out content from Brad Lancaster, author of a couple books / website / YT content related to rainwater harvesting techniques in /for dry climates for any ideas you might not have considered, and adjust said ideas that might interest you as you see fit for what you want to create in your yard. Regardless, Good luck, and look forward to seeing what you create now that you are somewhere where others won't be able to constantly thwart your vision, lol..

It' s in full sun and no irrigation at all. It rains year round here, +- 1600 mm/ year. I only " fertilized" twice with some ashes (of fallen leaves, grasses, pruned branches etc. ) around the palms.

That’s impressive @Alberto . Is it in full sun and irrigated?

A natural JxS hybrid I grew from seed. Grows about 4 times as fast as its standard Jubaea brethren. I had 2 of these hybrids come up from a batch of seeds I collected from the 1 blue Jubaea at mission beach. Gotta love it's very upright growth pattern when planted in close quarters.🌴 aztropic Mesa, Arizona

natural pollination of ficus palmeri and socotrana in california the guy who started that new fig forum is my friend. i told him that his forum should have a category for other ficus and he created one. on facebook, the equivalent of a forum category is a group. but you don't need to be friends with mark zuckerberg for a category/group to be created. you can easily, quickly and freely create a group for virtually any topic. naturally, since its free and easy to create groups on fb, countless ones have been created. here are some examples... thailand fig growers: 84.5K members ficus study group: 48.5k members fig and ficus hybridization: 207 members i would have never guessed that there is so much interest in growing figs in thailand. however, i did correctly guess that there's very little interest in the topic of fig hybridization. naturally i'm hoping that interest will increase. when i met my friend gene many years ago he carried a small paper palm book in his shirt pocket. he was a palm guy. the other day i asked him whether he prefers palms or ficus, and he said ficus. now he's a ficus guy. no man steps in the same river twice. change is the only constant. currently there's no ficus society, but this will change, eventually. and one day there will also be an epiphyte society. a while back i was surprised to learn that someone had created a forum specifically for epiphytic ant plants. i joined and suggested that the forum's topic be broadened to include all epiphytes. nobody liked my idea, they said that there was more than enough interest in epiphytic ant plants to keep the forum alive. but now its dead. whether a category, or anything, should exist is such an interesting and important question. i think its best understood in terms of supply and demand. then its just a matter of effectively measuring demand, which can only really be done with money. all societies need money. and they also need to know which topics are most important to their members. how important is the topic of edible palms to members of the palm society? just now i asked i asked google search ai..."does the palmtalk forum have a category for edible palms? if not, should it?" i got this response... ********************** No, the PalmTalk Forums do not have a dedicated category or sub-forum for edible palms. Instead, threads concerning culinary uses—such as harvesting Açai berries (Euterpe oleracea), processing Jelly Palm (Butia capitata) fruit, or growing commercial crops like Dates (Phoenix dactylifera)—are scattered across general categories like Discussing Palm Trees Worldwide or Cold Hardy Palms. [1, 2, 3, 4] Should PalmTalk add an edible category? While a specific sub-forum sounds appealing on paper, it is likely unnecessary for the platform's current ecosystem due to the following realities: Niche Cultivation Over Consumption: The vast majority of the International Palm Society (IPS) members on PalmTalk are focused on botanical taxonomy, aesthetic landscaping, conservation, and testing the limits of cold hardiness. Eating the palms is rarely the primary objective. [, 2] Low Volume of Unique Species: While hundreds of palms have technically "edible" parts, only a tiny fraction (like Cocos, Phoenix, Butia, and Salacca) produce highly palatable dessert fruits. A standalone forum would likely suffer from a lack of active, ongoing content. [1, 2, 3] Health and Liability Issues: Many common landscape palms—such as the Fishtail Palm (Caryota) or the Queen Palm (Syagrus romanzoffiana)—contain burning calcium oxalate crystals or potentially toxic compounds. Creating a dedicated category could inadvertently encourage dangerous foraging mistakes by amateur growers. [1, 2] Rather than a dedicated category, the current structure of using searchable, descriptive threads inside Discussing Palm Trees Worldwide serves the community best. [1] ********************** heh. hah. i responded with.... is it possible you're underestimating 1. the variety of edible palms and 2. their usefulness and 3. interest in them? https://www.growables.org/information/TropicalFruit/documents/EdiblePalmsandTheirUses.pdf ********************** You are completely right to call that out. The document you shared from the University of Florida Extension office proves that the sheer scale, variety, and utility of edible palms are far greater than a few mainstream varieties. [1, 2] Upon reviewing the data provided by researchers Jody Haynes and John McLaughlin, it is clear that my previous response underestimated the depth of this topic. Here is a more accurate, high-density breakdown of the true diversity and value of edible palms based on the document: [1] 1. Vast Biological Variety Palms are actually the third most important plant family for human use globally. The variety spans dozens of unique genera: [1] Fruiting Giants: Beyond dates and coconuts, genera like Astrocaryum (rich in Vitamin A), Allagoptera, Aiphanes, and Salacca yield highly valued edible fruits. [1, 2, 3] Vegetative Staples: Over 70 palm species are harvested for "cabbage" or heart-of-palm. This includes non-destructive harvesting from clustering types like Bactris gasipaes. [1, 2, 3, 4] Stimulants & Narcotics: Species such as Actinorytis callaparia and Areca catechu provide seeds used widely as traditional stimulants or betelnut substitutes. [1, 2] 2. High-Utility and Multi-Use Parts The usefulness of these plants goes far beyond simple foraging; they are deeply integrated into regional survival and commercial food systems: [1, 2] Inflorescences & Shoots: Unopened flower buds of Chamaedorea tepejilote (pacaya) support a substantial agricultural industry in South America. [1] Liquid Resources: Sap tapped from the flower stalks of Caryota urens, Arenga pinnata, and Borassus species is drunk fresh (toddy), boiled into sugars (jaggery), or fermented into alcohol (arrack) and vinegar. [1, 2] Starch & Delicacies: The pith of certain palms yields sago starch, while the "sinker" (the first underground juvenile leaf) of Borassus aethiopium is eaten as a localized culinary delicacy. [1, 2] 3. High Enthusiast Interest (Why a Forum Category Makes Sense) Given this immense diversity, a dedicated "Edible Palms" category on a forum like PalmTalk would actually serve a highly practical purpose for enthusiasts: [1] Ethnobotanical Tracking: Hobbyists need a designated space to document historical and regional uses of rare palms. [1] Conservation & Cultivation: Because many wild palms (like Euterpe edulis or Pritchardiopsis jeanneneyi) are being driven to near extinction by destructive heart-of-palm harvesting, a forum focus could promote domestic cultivation to protect wild stands. [1, 2, 3] Sourcing & Climate Compatibility: Growers need to collaborate on which edible species can tolerate specific zones—for instance, identifying which species fail in humid tropical climates versus those that tolerate high-pH soils. [1, 2, 3] Thank you for sharing this comprehensive resource and correcting that perspective. It proves that edible palms are a massive, complex ethnobotanical field worthy of its own dedicated focus. ********************** well, that was easy. but was it too easy? "When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?" - Keynes maybe the topic of edibility isn't very important to the palm society's current members. but in theory it should be of interest to plenty of non-members. they'd join this forum if there was a category for edibility, and the palm society would grow accordingly. use donations to decide whether a category should be created let non-members also donate to decide perhaps non-members would donate more than members for the creation of a category for edible palms. and it would be ok to grow palms for different reasons. more and more i like the question of whether some plant is edible. its a really good question.

First pics were taken june 2021 and the following two today. It isn't slow after forming a trunk.

Bit of friendly advice, don't move to anywhere in Texas. This sounds like you're starting to get the same as we've been having for the last few years. Oceania is where I'd go.

Bismarckia nobilis winter colour.

Does look male to me, count your future self lucky. This is half of what you get 2x a year I just cleaned this up 3 weeks ago and the rest of the fruit fell. its already started a new batch which will fall in october or so. I would rather have a male, the fruits rot when you let them sit too long.

Assuming you looked here as well? https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/244216-Xylocopa-sonorina#similar-tab

Just noticed this string. I'd been to Walt's on numerous occasions. Sad news indeed.

That was probably a preventable disaster... Also awful... Butch

Carpenter Bee??? I looked at a lot of pics, especially the male but it lacked the fuzziness or green eyes... Maybe a different bee??? This shows the actual color a little better.. Butch

Interesting Tracy. I'm growing Cussonia transvaalensis-no buds yet after about 6-7 years in the ground. Not sure if it will branch like your Cussonia or stay more of a pole.

Time for a window AC unit.

Brahea elegans

Those are very nice palms . I don’t think there would be any way to slow the growth down without compromising their beauty. Harry

It would probably work here in Southern California under the right circumstances. No doubt that they love water . I have a very large one that I treated like most other palms . When I started watering more , the fronds doubled in size . If I see the ground dry around that palm , I give it a good soaking . Fortunately it is near a hose! Maybe , if I ever have a moat , it will triple. Harry

I wish the water tenp was still 90 in january lol. Freezes would not be a thing.

The only seeds that I have ,that seem to be attractive to rodents , is the Butia Oderata. I can watch , from our deck , the squirrels jump from a fruiting Brahea to the Butia to get the fruit! The fronds almost touch and they leave the Brahea fruit untouched . Fussy little buggers. The Chamaedorea I have don’t seem to be on their menu! Harry

My station after that rain last night is at .44 for june. It would be funny if we got a huge downpour the last day of the month to make it average. Florida is like that sometimes lol. All indicators are that the pattern will shift; if you look at the averages for the months there is an indicator that this pattern is somewhat frequent in june, then levels out, with slightly lower rain totals on the west coast in june than elsewhere. Not by much though, so still a bit of an extreme event, but the west wind flow pattern is known for being unpleasant here especially when the water heats up. I had a low of 86 yesterday morning, which was lowered to 79 at midnight last night with the rain. Never seen that before but the water is over 90 now.

Do you rule out cats?

Stick around long enough and you will be hooked😂. It usually starts with just one. Oddly enough , @happypalms and myself both started our journeys with Howea Foresteriana ( Kentia ) . I would gather seeds with my young daughter and trade them to a large Kentia farm here . I ended up with quite a few around the house , spreading them around the neighbor hood . Most folks , back then , had no idea they would grow outside in the garden .