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There is no way those were all planted in the last century by white man and all achieved that size and spread, especially if they have been removing them. Horticultural science doesnt back up the claim they were all planted at once, or somehow invasive, in a native environment (this area would be no different than their home in CA). I would think they are native just by that, location (relatively) close to undisputed groves, and similar habit to other desert palms like medmia that have large gaps between populations. Native animals using them as their primary support (shelter or food) also lends evidence. I dont doubt the government has their own agenda there too (no young palms in views ive seen indicates they are killing (spraying?) them), hopefully people can work to prevent further degredation of them in the name of conservation. They may not be the most striking crownshaft palm everyone trips over to drool by, but i love them for their tough determination to survive such a harsh climate, much like their human cohabitators before the invasion of europeans. Thanks for sharing this everyone, especially @LonghardRoad!

Very special , indeed . It looks like the palm was ready too. It should pick up a bit once the roots find “new earth”. Harry

Only problem is ….they are never alone! Harry

Might be the first time someone’s relived to see a cockroach!

Haha, no unfortunately, but at least it has soil...unlike South Arm, which has bottomless dune sand! The new place has sandy loam over clay, with a natural hardpan in between, which we've deep ripped for drainage. Holds water very well, and most palms I've put in are doing well, including some Bangalows from NSW. Looking forward to planting these guys out and a forest of maxima's down the track! This thread has reignited my interest in these palms...would be awesome if they show the purple one day, fingers crossed 🤞

By popular demand: Asta 11 months old, world class clown, spoilt little princess!

I want to sell about 30 of these Arenga westerhoutii seedlings. Impressive palm when it matures and I'm just selling my excess. $4 each or 10 for $35. Shipping extra and should fit in a Medium Priority Mail Box.

That is really cool. I didn’t think to try that myself. The purple shows up really well. Good idea about inaturalist.

Hey Jonathan. They are beautiful healthy specimens. I think an Archontophoenix purpurea at that stage would be green still, so I reckon they will colour up in time, maybe when they are just about to start trunking which is when purpurea does it in my experience. I bet you can’t wait to get em into the ground at your new place. Does your new place have that brown gravelly volcanic stuff they have in QLD. I’m envious of that soil. You really see it when they clear the sugar cane and leave that dark brown soil behind. Some locals stopped near the top of the Dalrymple road and we chatted for a bit. At the higher elevation where they are the annual rainfall is about 3500mm per year but Eungella is about half that and Broken River less again. All Archontophoenix love there water but these guys really must do as well. I reckon fortnightly seasol and fish emulsion with a tray of water underneath would supercharge these guys. My Archontophoenix purpurea I leave in a tray of water even through winter in Albany and they seem to love it. Thanks for posting the pics of your ones. They’re way special.

Extra dry conditions will be followed by another round of west wind....no es bueno

They are interesting palms I will say that, it’s not the cool weather that gets them rather the heat that fry’s them. You sound like you have given them a run for their money in trying them out. We all can create that microclimate but the day we go on holidays or sell up and move the odds are stacked against such beautiful palms we have managed to grow. But it’s most definitely not from lack of trying. I doubt my atrovirens will go in the ground, to rare and I know my climate can go into severe drought at times. Oh the woes of palm growing!

Don’t worry gyuseppe theres a lot of palms i cant grow either! Those Phoenix and there big spines that get you when you even when look at them.

@Phil Petersen I hope it stays that way for you. I've just returned after 6 days away, and ouch. I did what many have done, called it too soon. The Archontophoenix look exactly like when I left, seems they showed their cards (damage) right away. But the Rhopalostylis it seems are just a species that everything happens slower for. The fronds, even though they were still green for a week after the freezes have have dried right up. One I'm not sure if it will make it. Two others I'm pretty sure will, but facing a long wait, perhaps a whole growing season to completely recover. Only got one that is perfect/untouched due to very heavy canopy. The one seen in the photo I posted July 27th is not too bad, but showing a little more damage than before went away. Oh well, got to expect that from a 10 year freeze that was a whole 2C colder than anything seen since most of the palms were planted. Can only watch what pushes new growth once progress into Spring. Anything that does not make it, I won't plant the same species in the same spot.

Just a suburban Ravenea rivularis.

A nice little 18 year old dypsis louvelli goes in the garden at the end of winter. I have been waiting a long time to plant this special one, one rare palm!

They are looking pretty good for the end of winter. I usually by my seeds by the hundred or more. By the time you got to all that trouble of importing and the time it takes to grow them, plus you lose a few along the way and you sell a couple here and there. So in 10 years time you’ll be glad you got large lots of seeds. Imagine getting 20 joeys and by the time they are worth good money, you sell them and think I wish I had a hundred of them at that price. It’s about the time to involved to get the good money in the end, instead of saying I wish I did a hundred of them, by that time it’s too late ! Richard

Yep, ..for now at least, gotta head further south to see good examples of " West Coast " Coconuts ..Easy to find /observe, Publicly accessible specimens at least.. As mentioned, there are some nice, " up and coming " specimens in private gardens around Southern CA. Cabo / San Jose Del Cabo and the eastern Cape in BCS, Todos Santos, ....and in / around the La Paz area a little further north of Cabo = Lots ..and lots... countless Coconut specimens to observe. ...Give it time though... More winters like this past years?' = Coconuts will likely find their way into public landscapes -somewhere- around So. Cal. Times are changing.

Trachycarpus fortunei growing in a Japanese garden in the Netherlands.

Body shape = long / narrow, and oval shaped, + long antennae, + Leg that looks like it has bristles / hairs on it ( Easy to see Via the shadow cast, at roughly the 6:30 position in the shot ) + translucent Elytra / *Tegmina < * specific to Cockroaches > ..The scientific term for the harder, outer / anterior wings of various insect groups, inc Beetles and Cockroaches = Subfamily Blattinae or Ectobiidae member Cockroach sp. A quickie in Roach Anatomy / Morphology: Kind of creepy ( ...for those folks who are creeped out by them at least ) ....but, Not SAPW.

Hot 110 /110+'s around town today but ..strangely enough, cooled down ...nicely enough... ( 98 at 8:59PM ) as the sun set.. Lower Dew Points ( 52deg. atm ) might play a role in that, ..or were starting to feel the first hint of autumn in the air ..via earlier sunsets.. Regardless, while the heat isn't going anywhere ..for now at least ..for the rest of the week ahead, we'll see if that = another string of 110s, or just a few. Clock is ticking on just how much longer they can hang around. As far as rain chances? ..Despite the 4c High being nearby / overhead atm, storms weren't too far away today, and will hang around ..to some deg. east of town thru at least Thursday. Beyond Thursday, ..We'll just have to eyeball the day to day forecasts, and see where the 4c high moves next. ...Decides to hang out a little further to our northeast ..or east by the weekend? that could bump rain chances again as better moisture returns to a wider area of the state under southeasterly or easterly flow. Time of year, + hints of the N. Pac starting to awaken a little, + the potential for a suggested uptick in tropical activity again = 4c high's days of dominating our weather, esp the stronger side of it, are also ticking down. " Transition Season ", is on the horizon, and this year could be interesting.. Side note: Daniel Swain will be live again tomorrow at noon ( P.T. ) to share his thoughts on things, inc. Lala's effects on Hawaii.

I was trimming a couple of old fronds off my Chrysalidocarpus decaryi this evening and just as one came down to the pavers a weevil appeared. It seemed to come out of the removed leaf base which came with a dead inflorescence. I didn't see it emerge but it was under the leafbase immediately as it came down. I haven't heard of them going after any Chrysalidocarpus. I had just removed the dead boot from my adjacent Chrysalidocarpus decipiens. It is a bit worrisome. Smashed the weevil immediately since I don't want it to escape.

Your washies and butias look they are growing well. Sorry you have been hit by ox beetles. I am getting scared of those things by proxy now. I haven't ever seen any evidence of them in my yard, but I know it will probably be too late to save a palm if I ever do see any.

I have a horrible agave weevil infestation in my garden this year. I've lost 11 agaves/mangaves and counting... but this has me a bit more concerned. My big phoenix had a damaged central leaves at the beginning of summer, which fell over and which are still dangling half attached but dry. Then this week, my phoenix rupicola suddenly had a collapsed spear! I checked the injury and it is not from deep in the heart, but something certainly chewed on the stems which caused the spear to fall over. For those in Southern CA, have you noticed weather agave weevils will also ocassionally attack palms? I hope this is not the palm weevil making its way north from Los Angeles. It seems unlikely for it to appear in Fresno without first decimating the phoenix in Los Angeles and Bakersfield, both of which have plenty of host palms. First, my bigger phoenix And phoenix rupicola

These are my 2 favorite Cycads today.

Have’nt seen a grasshopper on my plants in a couple years but early season flushes from around April through June I have to be vigilant inspecting new flushes for caterpillars. This year was’nt bad as I only found about 5 of them. They are very small but can do alot of damage!