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Reviving this: where in the world is Patrick Schaffer with the hybrid palms? Hope he’s still with us. I remember hearing that he was up there in age and that was around 10 years ago. Thanks guys and gals!

I guess it’s like living in Asia and seeing all these exotic tropicals from their region all around and thinking they are common, while a rare Madagascar palm such as marojejya darinii would be prized. Also if I find a nice exotic looking palm that grows well in my climate I plant as many as I can for those reasons mentioned in favour of the foxtails. If you find a palm that suits your climate well fair enough grow them, and lots of them for that tropical look so desired.

You have answered your own question. For those of us who live in marginal climates (zone 9b-10a) it is one of the few palms that can give an exotic vibe to our garden. I also find them very beautiful. I guess for you they may be a bit too common; our eyes always find beauty in rarity. I remember as a kid I used to find Washingtonias marvelous and so exotic cos I'd only see them on holidays in Crete where my grandparents live. Now, I don't give them a second glance, they are like weeds where I live.

Il est magnifique ! Je n'ai pas encore d'Encephalartos, le climat n'est pas top chez moi pour eux. Je cherche des graines Encephalartos friderici-guilielmi, mais je n'en trouve pas. C'est peut-être le seul qui tiendrais vraiment chez moi.

Connaissez-vous "Cycadale" à Montpellier, France ?

@Merlyn I thought it looked like a Horidus as well! We’re not that far off though. I got an expert ID on it, turns out it is an Encephalartos Trispinosus, a species very similar to Horidus. Now I just need to get it healthy again to see if I got the blue or green variant. The base of the leaflets looks like it could have a slight blue colour.

Yesterday, 8 days after my station's low temp record was smashed, it's high temp record in a winter month was beaten by 0.7C, reaching 21.6C. Topsy turvy. Two of the Rhopies are showing some slight effects now, some minor leaf burn on older fronds, and some yellowing on one half of a new frond. Ferns under heavy canopy are showing damage that never have before. Mature Karaka tree has the most damage have seen on it, even 6m up in the canopy. -4C is brutal, hope it's 10 years or more before see that again. One positive however is the larger Bangalow get the more bulletproof they seem to get to radiation freezes. The largest specimens around brushed this off without a bother.

I agree with Merlyn that some of its characteristics will be more apparent with a new flush, such as the color. In addition to looking at the leaves, examining their collars can be helpful. It is somewhat reminiscent of an Encephalartos longifolius × horridus i am growing.

yes

@Johnny Palmseed I trashed all my Phoenix except for one Reclinta and 5 Roebellini with 6-8ft of trunk each. I also had a Canariensis, three Sylvesters, and three super clustering unknown types. I am waffling on my Roebellini because of the vicious needle-like thorns. The Reclinata is not too tough, just because the thorns are big and obvious...so a bit easer to avoid. Two of the five Roebellini got crown infections that have yet to grow out of...I may just give up and chop them down to avoid the future hand stabbings.

I’d say it would almost be harder to grow them unsuccessfully than successfully. Very adaptable and hardy in just about every way. Have seen them thrive in genuinely cold places, hot and dry places and true equatorial tropical climates too. It’s a contender for the hardiest palm from a fully rounded perspective.

@IHB1979 Do you happen to know how high the wind speeds were in your area?

I lost my C.macrocarpa with 6’ of trunk, I had 27f the first night and 30 the second night. Crown rot and collapse within a month.

You're welcome to come to any/all of the events coming up in the region. The Rob Branch Labor Day Plant Sale, 2026 CFPACS Fall Meeting, and the Palm Walk and Talk are coming up in September, October, and November, respectively. There are also a bunch of us that keep in touch on WhatsApp if that is up your alley. PM for info about the WhatsApp group. Anyone else interested in the events or the group is free to attend/inquire as well.

Looking forward to it. We're now less than 2 months away.

I just took a picture of the leafs on mine and they are not serrated but smooth!!

Perhaps multiple trunks.

@Psycad welcome to Palmtalk! I'm not great at ID'ing the South African Encephalartos. So I have a hard time telling Arenarious from Horridus and Trispinosus. That's mostly because they hate my climate's dily torrential thunderstorms and tend to get root or crown rots. It could also be a hybrid like the naturally occuring Trispinosus x Altensteinii. If you can get a healthy next flush it should be easier to ID. Regardless of what it is, that's a great find!

Please see below for more information. There is a discrepancy in regard to the time the sale ends between the flier and the communication that was sent. My approach would be to assume the doors close at 2PM and be pleasantly surprised if they close at 3PM instead.

Looks like Chamaedorea , perhaps Elegens. Harry

Around 1000 Joeys!

Plant em if you got them, the sooner you get your palms in the easier it is to grow them. I have no romanzifollia so that’s one less garden chore I have, but iam fearing the day my foxtails start seedling. Those things fill up a wheelbarrow full of seeds. It’s amazing what a little garden maintenance makes, my garden is so big I just start in any spot and start to clean it up, you just maintain the garden in one day it’s a continuous process. Going around and around constantly. Good luck with that cabbadae a nice palm tree. They are not a super slow growing palm so a few years you will have a bit of feature palm. Richard

Sabal minor, in all of its variants, are very adaptable. If you are planting them in the ground and providing them with plenty of water, they should be fine.

Many thanks

So I'm thinking of re-doing some of my backyard and wanted the dwarf fan palm look in my planters. I was looking into Sabal Minor as a possible candidate, but I'm not sure if they are even available out here or if they will grow in the dry So Cal region. It says i'm between zone 10a/10b (zip code 91702). I saw that Huntington and few other places have them, but other than that I never see them out here. Thoughts?