All Activity

Agree with the above. If you can find one, Cyathea australis might be a better fit for your climate. Definitely a whole lot hardier than cooperi...native to the cooler parts of Australia, would see occasional snow in some parts of its range here in Tasmania, but would also probably cope better with muggy heat than something like Dicksonia. Some of the NZ species might be worth looking for too.

A toasty, 104 -107F currently < 1:44PM > out there under wall to wall sun. We'll see what we max out at in an hour or so. While tomorrow's currently suggested high backed off a deg to 108F, have a suspicion we'll notch 110, if not 111F if the " actual high seen exceeding the forecast high " trend keeps up.. If that is achieved at Sky Harbor, it will tie ..or break.. a long standing record for the date. Thankfully, still looks like temps will back down to the hot ..but more reasonable.. 98 -101 range mid -week, before wavering in that range as we reach / head past mid - month. ..Other than that.. Standard mid -May forecast look across state 48.. While Hurricane Season will get underway, ...officially... next Friday, models still aren't seeing anything developing just yet.. A tropical wave may enter the Pacific off Costa Rica around the 20th but ..depending on the model run.. development beyond that may struggle. Plenty warm down there, just need to get the atmosphere cranking. Additionally, after Friday, clock will be counting down the remaining 30 days until the " NOAA start " to Monsoon Season 2026.. As most are aware, while the NOAA set up a set start date, season doesn't actually start until we see 3 days ..in a row.. of Dew Point readings reach or exceed 55deg. ..The " Native Arizonian " means of ushering in the season.. How soon that occurs? ..we'll see. ..Has been a lot of chatter over the past few days about how we could trade " dry " heat for wet / humid heat as we kick off the season, ..and progress thru it.. Hopefully that arrives sooner than later this year. May thoughts from the Copernicus seasonal / long range model suites are out and .. for the most part, all individual models used to compile the C3S multi -model ensemble continue their lean into the potential for a reasonably wet summer ahead, esp as we reach Sept.. A few toss around the potential for some dryness in say August, but the potential for a hard lean in that direction still looks pretty low at this point.. Still, ..something to watch.. We'll see what June's update looks like. CPC's seasonal thoughts will be released late this month ..on the 21st, ...so, we'll see what they look like then. CFS Monthly thoughts? ..still hanging tough with the same " solidly wet " look they've has since ..January.. ..A pretty good sign, but one we need to see continue, right up until the season begins. For now, lets complete the trek thru the rest of May ..and Spring, 2026.. and see where we end up when we reach the finish line.

Most Ficus become animals that cannot be tamed. This specimen is a decent size but has not taken over. Any ideas what it may be? Thank you.

Lol. Always good to keep the punters entertained! Question: is this blue 'decipiens' a highland species like the true decipiens or just another tropical gem to be admired but not acquired? @richnorm is there any info regarding cold tolerance from NZ?

It would be good to have a list of topics started by me somewhere in my profile info...currently it's not easy to find them unless I've been recently active in them. Unless I'm missing something obvious, which is always pretty likely!

Help Guide Our Update Over the coming weeks, we will be introducing a major update to PalmTalk. While PalmTalk has always been an incredible source of palm knowledge, inspiration, and friendship, the technology and design behind online communities has changed dramatically over the years. This update will help PalmTalk remain the best place online to discuss palms for many years to come, and we can’t do it without you. Why are we updating PalmTalk? We want to make PalmTalk easier, more enjoyable, and more engaging for everyone, whether you are a long-time member or discovering the forum for the first time. The new version will bring many improvements, including: A modern mobile-friendly experience PalmTalk will work much better on phones and tablets, making it easier to browse, post, upload photos, and participate from anywhere. Improved navigation and organization We are redesigning the layout to help members find discussions, growing advice, travel posts, and species information more quickly. Better topic discovery New tools will help surface discussions and content that match your interests, including trending topics, recommended discussions, curated collections, and featured content. New live and real-time features We are exploring live topics and live discussion features that will let us offer our IPS webinar series live and convert each program when it ends into a Palm Talk topic to continue the conversation. Improved image handling Photos are at the heart of PalmTalk. The updated platform offers modern image handling with better display, resizing, galleries, and mobile viewing. Cleaner and more engaging design The updated theme and layout will create a more welcoming and visually appealing experience while preserving the PalmTalk community spirit everyone values. Your content is safe Most importantly: Your posts, photos, discussions, and account history will be preserved. PalmTalk’s enormous archive of knowledge is one of the International Palm Society’s greatest resources, and protecting that history is a top priority during this transition. We want your feedback PalmTalk has always been built by its members. As we work on this next chapter, we would love your input. What do you enjoy most about PalmTalk today? What features do you use most often? What keeps you coming back? What helps you learn or connect with other members? What would you improve? Are there things that feel outdated or difficult to use? What would make PalmTalk easier to navigate? What new features would you like to see? Please share your thoughts, suggestions, and ideas. Your feedback will help shape the future of PalmTalk. Thank you for being part of this remarkable community.

Today I received a superlative 1 gallon, magnificently grown by the incomparable @Darold Petty Best Mother’s Day present ever😂

Been MIA from here for a while (you know life got busy), but I'm really excited for my Brahea Aramata to be blooming for the first time ever. I bought it almost 20 years ago as a tiny plant from Lowe's and I know how dramatic the flowering can get on these. Finally I see some flower stalks forming. Not as exciting to my friends and family so I thought I'd share with fellow palm enthusiasts 😆

I’m honestly not sure. Just my experiences with them. Maybe get a small one; if it croaks at least you won’t lose a lot of money.

🌴🌴🌴🦜🦜

Light rain and drizzle predicted here in the short term. Will be interesting to see how your theory pans out over the summer.

The Sabal palmetto Bridgeport palm survived but lost 2/3 of its fronds looks good for a unheated palm who survived one of the worst winter seasons in a long time with only a mummy wrap Resembling a palm in Florida which has a hurricane cut and was transplanted we will post a photo when it warms up and recovers from the winter damage No spear pull Bridgeport being on the coast ,warms up slowly this time of year hopefully , as itv warms we will get 6-10 new fronds this spring summer fall 2026 so we are feeding her now and hope for the best soon come DtZ naturally

Agree with the ID. These have come on strong in the last few years as a good choice for many areas. They are considered to be a SFL native and grow well in full sun. I have a triple that survived the brutal winter although they were almost completely defoliated. They are pushing out new growth including inflorescences which I am removing to allow all the energy for the leaves. My volunteers (1-3 years old) under them all look fine with only some minor cold damage which implies that the wind really was the problem. Well, obviously the cold was the problem too but the wind was crazy. This is a great palm but it does better if protected from the wind. The petioles can be quite long and have a tendency to tear in even modest wind.

Where are these tall windmill palms in Knoxville that you mention? I do get up that way periodically. I know of a nice one in Maryville but haven't checked on it in since 2023 or 2024. It's a shame that UT has removed most of Frank's palm plantings from a decade or so ago. They had some nice ones.

Heh, heh, the security camera footage made me laugh when I saw you acting out. You one ‘lolo bruddah.’ Tim

I didn’t know that about the travellers palm die suddenly. Do they die because of cold snaps? Flowering? I was going to buy a 25 gallon.

Yep, passed plenty of the big Mangoes growing on that side of town pretty often.. If they're still there, were some chunky Guamuchil in the same area too.

✅✅✅

This is correct, if referencing " traditional " Arborvitae, Genus Thuja.. " Chinese " Arborvitae, Genus Platycladus, < Single - species genus > are a 50s - 60s landscaping option relict you can still see planted in warmer areas like S. Cal ..and here in AZ though. Agree w/ Bougs... don't have a pool, but, after yanking the last of the " old skool " types from the backyard, glad to be rid of them. Will probably take until sometime this fall to never see a remnant flower bract hanging out somewhere in the yard ever again, lol. Bamboo is only something you'd plant if you have the space ..and yes, lol, def. not near a pool ..Only plant clumpers ..unless you have deep pockets to shell out lots of $$$$$ trying to correct damage done by running types, both on your property, and surrounding neighbors.. Podocarpus would be the least messy of the 3, imo, and aren't too hard to keep shaped ..though i'd ditch the out dated, OCD -afflicted " obsessively shape everything into un-natural, geometrical shapes " waste of time, and / or wasted $$$ for busywork and train them to be dense and " controlled ", but look more or less as nature intended. Can't recall how it did there compared to the standard green Podocarpus Maki types but, Blue -colored Podo. ( P. elongatus ) is quite nice, and would get away from the mind numbingly boring, " everything is green " funk many people seem to end up in. Keep in mind, while they look similar, Afrocarpus gracilior isn't a Podocarpus and will get big / isn't so keen on being penned in, long term at least, ..and drop lots of fruit.

Yeah they've got some fun stuff over there. That area is such a great microclimate. There are some MASSIVE mango trees over there in NW Bradenton too, especially along the river. Like big grandfather live oak size, but in mangos. Sorry it's "somewhat" off topic, but a cool picture I took a few days ago over there at Palma sola botanical park.. royal poincianas going off!

Last night the "laterals" were just inching out from the stalk. My granddaughter for scale in one photo. This morning, the lateral which will hold the flowers are more prominent on this Puya alpestris.

Thanks. To lower the pressure, I put a restrictor washer in the line, and a couple of inline ball faucets, both set to minimum. By drilling 1/32 in holes in the hose, I got the drip rate I wanted. Still, this is very inaccurate, and if the plants survive, I will set up a proper watering system with timed emitters. Fingers crossed!

Hey all, I purchased this at a botanical garden in Hilo back in 2017. It was just one of those plastic wrapped touristy things, like plumeria cuttings that they sell. I remember it looking like a chunk of wood, and I didn’t even know what end was up when I planted it, but it’s sprouted roots within a few weeks and actually started growing pretty nicely. A few months ago I had somebody working on my roof and he clearly dropped something on it, because when I came home, it was basically lying on its side, not completely snapped off at the base, but really wobbly. I straightened it up and put a pole in it and cross my fingers. Then I started noticing the fronds browning in a really strange way, just segments of them. And I couldn’t figure it out. Upon closer inspection, I realized that the fronds were actually dying down toward the base, but we’re maintaining as much green as they could as long as there was some energy being pulled up. Anyway, long story short it looks like the base is beginning to heal itself and for the first time in a few months, it’s actually throwing a new frond. Tough plants!