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3:27PM: ...So much for the 82F forecast, lol... Some other numbers around town atm.. NO complaints.

It’s a jungle garden paradise, just like Australia paradise.

High above Hanoi: the Prince of Palms (journal), the Queen of PalmTalk and some dude.

A few recent visitors... Agapostemon sp.. Hard to believe these are out this early in the year.. Or, in reality, haven't really disappeared all winter. Hyles sp. ..another " warm season " flutter -butt i shouldn't see around until -at least- mid May.. First time i've seen more than one zipping between flowers in the yard at one time.. Hopefully a good sign for the year ahead since Hawk / Sphinx Moths are thought to be major pollinators of Plumeria.. Due to being gravely detached from the world around them / their " fears " .....bought and paid for by the big Ag companies, some people hate these moths because the larvae of one ...or a couple.. species, ..often referred to as " Hornworms " can munch on Tomatoes and some other plants in the Tomato / Pepper Fam. I myself would rather have these kids buzzing around the yard fighting with real Hummingbirds for favored position among flowers rather than whine and moan about any future moth -sized hummers trimming my Tomatoes.. They, ...the T 'Maters, will grow back. Where applicable, planting Sacred Datura ( Datura wrightii ), a random, wild Tomato or two in an out of the way spot, ..and / or leaving a patch of Boerhavia ( Spiderlings ) < where this genus is native > somewhere in a yard will often deflect attention from ones " sacred " ( 🤣 ) tomatoes as well.. Don't be a jagoff, unclench from those overly dramatic fears purposely drilled through one's skull about the " dreaded " Hornworm, leave the Sphinx alone. Isn't the only " unusual " Flutter Butt that i've seen around lately either.. Monarchs ..and Queens.. are still around.. As are the Snouts. Shy and quick to dart off when approached but, stumbled upon of these https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/122374-Eurema-mexicana#similar-tab hanging out below one of the Baja Petunia out back last week. Visits from the usual suspects, " Yellow / Yellow Orange " colored Butterflies you typically don't see out this time of year. haven't decreased since October either. Horrible shots but, a couple pictures of another winged, rare visitor to the area captured while sniffing out a new -to me- birding / wildlife survey spot in Tucson a couple weeks ago... Bucephala albeola. ...Slow your roll guy, Hard to get good shots when you're moving around so quickly..

This is what the 4" of snow looks like lol. i'm so glad we didn't get any snow. The storm move more east.

It didn't get down to freezing in Cape Coral but we had several nights in the mid-30s (34-35F) and I am gradually seeing cold damage as time goes by. Coldest nights since the record freeze of 2010. Looks like a repeat performance early this coming week. That and months of extreme drought make for a brown and crispy garden. Can't get a break.

There was an option to pay for a heritage train ride today so many of the Board members chose to add that on. I am sure more photos to follow. We are looking forward to heading to the national parks soon although being pampered in fancy hotels helped turn down the jet lag. Most of all I look forward to seeing friends from past adventures and meeting those I hope to count as friends by the end of our travel!

It is 4:33 am Monday Feb 23 and the official start of the Biennial. Some of us who needed to attend yesterday’s Board meeting will make the 2 minute walk to check in for the included stay at the historic Sofitel hotel. There is a hall of history some of which I include here. Bomb shelters below the hotel and Jane Fonda and Joan Baez spent time here plus many famous politicians and actors.

One of the worst ever. Incredibly cold and the winds exacerbated the damage. I just drove home to Orlando from Fort Lauderdale and there is damage from Palm Beach county northward. Even large trees took a hit. that said, I checked palms and trees in my yard upon returning. There is new growth in coconut, royal ,foxtail and lutescens as well as Petrea vines. Mango tree still needs to drop its leaves but it is alive. s

These threads track it pretty well: https://www.palmtalk.org/forum/topic/92659-2026-florida-palmageddon-observations-and-damage-photo-thread/ https://www.palmtalk.org/forum/topic/92723-2026_02-documenting-freeze-damage-in-south-brevard/ https://www.palmtalk.org/forum/topic/92792-february-2026-cold-snap-in-cape-coral-florida/ https://www.palmtalk.org/forum/topic/91751-2025-2026-florida-winter/

On one hand it's more than a bit nasty of the nursey to do that to you. On the other hand, regardless of it's current state, it's a beauiful tree that will definitely pull through.

The more I look at the website though the more convinced I am but they don't have the options I want 😭

I am in North County San Diego, inland, and we have not really had a winter at all. My mulberry, and half of my plumeria, never lost their leaves. I am shocked by the pictures I am seeing from Disney World -- all of the dead cycads, and palms. How bad was the freeze in Florida for you?

With temps headed for the 90s this week / winter 25 -26 in the bag, ..figure it is time for an update.. When the Phacelia are all but done for the season, Glandularia gooddingii steps in fill the " blue / violet flowering thing " space on stage. On a side note, ..as much as i love 'em, decided that this will be the last year i grow out extensive plots of both Phacelia sps i've had going.. As attractive, and valuable foraging for early native rising bees as both are, many species of the Genus hide a not so pleasant " gift " when one brushes up against them ..or, in my case, goes to remove them from planting beds as they fade out for the season / trim and harvest for seed.. Essentially, ..if you're sensitive to compounds produced by Poison Oak / Ivy, you may be sensitive to similar, sticky / oily compounds these plants produce that can cause similar rashes on the skin. After a few weeks of itchy hands / arms ..and other places where the oily residue these plants produced touched while clearing them out, i decided that ..while i won't eliminate them completely, i will shift these out of the main bed out front, adding in more Lupinus for the " blue / purple " end of the color spectrum out there. Of the two species, seems P. crenulata, Notch -leaved Phacelia, may possess more of these itch -inducing compounds than P. campanularia.. Speaking of Lupinus, one of just a couple L. douglasii that managed to survive a very dry winter.. TX. bluebonnets that also held up thru the winter should be doing their thing shortly. Locally native L. sparsiflorus are just about done for the year.. Penstemon parryi w/ Ruellia californica / peninsularis in the background.. It hasn't stopped flowering since ....October.. What freshly opened seed on Bursera fageroides ( ...and the majority of other Bursera sps ) looks like when the fleshy, outer shell opens and exposes the neon, Red Orange Aril - covered seed ( An evolutionary strategy of attracting birds ) While it has been shedding seed here and there for several weeks, w / the heat kicking in, expect all the remaining seed to be ready to harvest / plant out soon. I'd say the kick off to " Cactus Season 2026 " is about to get underway but, ..whatever sp of Stenocactus it is i have started flowering about 2 weeks ago.. Beaver Tails and " old enough to bloom " Hedgehogs ( Echinocereus ) are up next. You know it has been a warm winter when -any- Adenium starts flowering ..in February.. This kid is sitting in more shade atm so it flowering, already, is a bit more of a surprise and a testament to just how warm this winter has been.. Locally native form of CA. Buckwheat with neon Orange Cape Daisies in the background. Darker colored form of Calliandra eriophylla, second flowering since the start of the year.. Aristolochia watsonii, off to the races, already.. That pretty, blue violet Mandevilla seemingly much happier w/ conditions thru the winter rather during the summer. Clitoria mariana awakening quite early this year.. I'd mentioned elsewhere how the Plumeria would likely start moving earlier than is typical this year. Well, as you can see, .." pushing off dried out leaf attempts " is the first sign of awakening from their winter naps.. The rewards of using Sulfur powder to save injured specimens.. New growth will pop from dormant buds in the leaf scars in view.. On a bench, inside.. Artemisia californica trial coming along nicely.. Same with the Cochlospermum palmatifida trial.. Potted up the next batch of seed last night.. Plan is having some to plant out around the yards, and some that i can keep in a large pot ..for seed. On a side note, ..What the roots of a true " Devilish Blonde " look like.. last October, carefully removed all the 2yr old potted specimens and installed them out front. During one of those " complete idiot " moments, i completely forgot to mark where i dropped them in the ground so, fingers crossed, they'll pop once the heat really kicks in. Emphasize carefully.. roots are easily damaged, which can lead to them completely rotting. So touchy you are, Blondie. 😁 When large enough to plant out, some of the Cochlospermum will join them in the same beds. Pappophorum vaginatum after com pot separation.. First few weeks after separating / transplanting = always a touchy time with young native grasses.. Due to how popular they seem to be with those i have shared them with, and because the mother plant may be nearing the end of her productive life span, starting more Ital. Long Peppers.. Likely not the only pepper grown this year either.

Anyone else have cordyline fruticosa totally destroyed by the cold front? I didn't know they were so cold sensitive. Mine look like they're toast. They were 3-4 feet tall already. I didn't protect them because I didn't know they were that sensitive.

It is probably at least an hour and a half drive but KW Palms in Lake Elsinore is pretty good. Here is a link to his Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/p/KW-Palms-and-Cycads-100057488287886/

20$ is a lot! 😂 10$ would be more like it! I'd be ok with a musa basjoo pup though, That website has none in stock currently 🙁

There's far more to plant hardiness than a USDA hardiness zone. In this case it's most useful in terms of frost-tolerance. Ravenala is grown in many 10a areas, in California, Florida and I'm sure in warm spots in southern Arizona. They are real heat-lovers and when mature can stand in the sizzling Sonoran desert here around Palm Springs (but are best with some afternoon shade and wind protection). But in the coastal zone it's about average temperatures, soil temperature, heat units, etc. that the plant requires to grow acceptably. The plant must have enough heat to produce enough leaves each year to sustain its metabolic needs, and certainly to have a good appearance. Brookings may be 10a, and so are many areas in coastal Southern California, but that distance makes all the difference in terms of Ravenala surviving. I've seen a house with mass plantings of huge Ravenala blocks from the ocean in the rather cool Cardiff-by-the-Sea community in Encinitas, but move north and at a certain point that "cool" crosses the boundary into unacceptable chill. I suspect it may require careful siting even in Santa Barbara and very likely in coastal points north of Point Conception...just due to the much cooler days and chillier nights at all times of year as one moves northward and the Pacific gets colder and colder, and fall/winter sun gets lower and weaker, and the daylength shorter and shorter. You can grow Ravenala as a houseplant, probably with no more difficulty than Strelitzia at common household temperatures. But you'll need to pay attention to growing media (I would hose off the planting mix from the plant and replace with things like Leca, pumice, etc. and preferably in a hydroponically watered pot) and also pest control (mealybugs, spidermites, etc.). It's very easy to get the root-zone too wet (even if it feels dry on top), especially when using commercial "potting mixes" which are probably the worst thing in which you can try to grow an interior plant. The dense, rotting organic material will densify into a wet, stenchy, muddy mess in the perched water table in the bottom third or so of the pot, smothering the roots of the plant (which need copious oxygen to grow and thrive). And give it spells outside and hose the bugs off every few weeks.

There's nothing wrong with being attracted to a woman who's way out of your league who just bought a giant yacht to celebrate a divorce.

Nah I'm not gonna go there. I'm clean.

I'm not gonna quote everybody here, but I nuked Facebook during Covid. Not gonna get into the why, but at that point I already had to send in a photo of my driver's license because someone reported me as being fake. The email address I used on that account is long gone. I tried to make another account recently since that's apparently where 98% of this forum has gone, and despite having to do facial recognition scans and them already having my biometrics through my phone, I'm somehow banned for violating community standards of a community I haven't been part of in 6 years - but I could make an Instagram account, go figure - and the ads and "followers" it promotes to me make it really obvious just HOW MUCH they already know about me and it's disturbing as hell - I occasionally grab my mom's tablet and scroll through her Facebook and it's not much different. They know she's a boomer that will buy pretty much anything they throw in front of her, lol... But yeah, I hate it. I mean, say what you will about the owner of Twitter (and believe me, I say it), but at least the ads on there are stupid and have nothing to do with any of my private or personal info. I have no interest in buying a St Louis Cardinals jersey or a World's Greatest Grandpa coffee cup. But Meta knows where I live, they know my health status, they know my marital status, I just want an active plant and palm forum again. And I honestly hope more and more of our previously active users on here figure the shit out and see it for what it is.

That's what I was thinking, Ravenala is native to Madagascar, and most images I have seen of Ravenala show it in areas such as Hawaii, Myanmar, Northern Ontario, and Kinshasa. Brookings is "10a" by the 2023 USDA hardiness map, but I have yet to see Ravenala grow in 10a. If you could give any recommendations, what would be the best way to grow Ravenala/P. amazonicum indoors?

I wasn’t around the area for the last freeze. I don’t think necessarily colder, i believe it was possibly windier. It’s not hard to spot exotics and tropicals these days as they are all brown. I used to have to look for them a lot of people have gotten away with exotics for years due to microclimate but this freeze nobody was safe

💪🦜🦜🌴🌴

Colder this go-around?