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Was looking at your temps today and I can’t imagine adding another 5-7 degrees to our highs. I can see how watering when it’s crazy hot can give you issues. Not sure if I posted a picture of my first Hercules that I put in the ground in May. I was little worried about getting it established before the 100’s came around but it seems to have been successful. After a few monsoon showers and temps dropping below 100 for several days, I started to see new growth.

Thank you for your insight Tracy. From reading the previous posts it’s obvious you have a lot of experience with the Aloidendron guys. I do see what you are saying about letting the Hercules do what it naturally does. I might be trying to control what I probably shouldn’t be. I did purchase a Dichotomum about 20” tall from a smaller nursery here in town which had a big one on display in their yard. Tucson gets so hot in the summer that I think it doesn’t allow the leaves to grow and plump up like I’ve seen pictured growing in California. The freezing conditions don’t help either with some of the bigger plants that are hard to cover. I think Ramosissimum is a little less cold hardy than Hercules but I am tempted to give it a shot. Maybe start with a small specimen so the pocket doesn’t hurt as much. As for the dichotomum would you recommend sticking it in the ground at this size or leaving it potted so I can move it around when too much rain comes around or deep freeze in the winter?

That’s terrible . The nephew was obviously suffering mental health problems. Condolences.

Yeah I don’t think there is any purely perfect place to grow palms. In the tropics you could grow anything but with cyclones you are always trying to rebuild. Too far south it can get cold but then the high heat that effects cool loving stuff is avoided. The trick is to work your microclimates where ever you are to bend the climate zone to what you are growing. You can only go so far though. Then it comes down to just being content with what you can grow well. Then visit a place that can grow everything you can’t when you go on holidays. Your area is a pretty good mix and you can grow many good things.

Here’s enough breakfast blueberry’s to last a lifetime and more. 100 acres should keep you going with a bit of all bran breakfast cereal!

Hope the damage isn’t too bad Tyrone. P schattaueri is a special palm so I hope it pulls through ok. For what it’s worth, my now deceased P hillebrandii and my P maideniana pulled through -1.4C with solid ice settling on fronds with only minor spotting so I’m hoping the P schattaueri can handle lower than what you got. Years ago I lost a small P hillebrandii that wasn’t established in a freeze at my old garden. I didn’t record temp and there’s no weather station close to there, but I suspect it got down to about -3C that morning. Chrysalidocarpus baronii, ambositrae and Hedyscepe were killed outright. Ravenea glauca only just pulled through. I think that’s probably the limit for most Hawaiian Pritchardias. You’re 100% right about canopy. I only get radiative freezes and it’s the best protection. Never had ice settle on anything under significant canopy. Going to start filling my understory with some more marginals soon like Kerriodoxa and I suspect they’ll be fine (although maybe very slow).

It is a very unique microclimate with sandstone rocks for thermal mass, a little ocean influence from the east, one of those little wet areas that seems to get showers of rainfall. If you tell a local truck courier you live at halfway oh yeah i know that place the highway in that area is frequently wet from passing showers. When the rest of the area is dry. The eastern side of the highway complete paradise, cross the highway to the western side and it’s a completely different microclimate that is the opposite to my area. Ten minutes west as the crow flies and its temperatures down to -2 and frozen with thin ice puddles of water, the very rare black frost does hit the area with two in 25 years that burns the sugar cane fields near Maclean 30 minutes north. The only disadvantage is when the drought is on the gum trees are water pigs drinking and storing all that garden moisture. And the living in the bushfire threat is extremely dangerous at certain times. Would I want to move to North Queensland and grow palms, no way they can have there cyclones and constant heat. It’s only a matter of a few degrees in difference for subtropical conditions that make a huge difference, if you were just that few degrees warmer in winter a complete game changer in what you can grow. A beautiful part of the world to go check out the surf at Angourie. Glad iam born and bred here, iam biased for me it’s the best part of the world 🌎

Here is a blue and silver tinted Brahea dulcis in front of a nice, almost white cenizo in bloom. I couldn't remove the cage without knocking off a bunch of flowers.

It’s a nice area you live in their Richard. Semi open Eucalyptus woodland will protect you from extreme cold. Yesterday morning I was one of those places down in a valley. The ice box. -1.2C recorded near me. White lawn crunchy bird bath ice. Canopy saving my delicate palms. Spring 5 weeks away. Bring it on. 🌴🌴🌴🌴🌴🌴🌴🌴🌴🌴🌴🌴🌴😁 It’s great to see so many Lepidozamia getting into your shots. It’s a really nice look. They’re a beautiful cycad.

Macrozamia johnsonii I grew from seed is now coning. 1996-2026. These are large plants with 10ft+ leaves.

The good old peacock ginger I do believe. Top little understory ground cover.

Smaller size but yea, they've got some atm ..per their current inventory listing. For anyone interested / looking for it, they also have " Goliath " in stock as well. Was either '19 or 2020 when i planted it ..both summers being the first two of several recent " Agave and Cactus Killers " locally.. That yard has no shade / gets blasted ..all day.. and i'm pretty sure that was the biggest factor ..I lost a few Agave i'd planted out there / others in pots the same summer as well. Bad timing ..planting that spring, instead of the previous fall as i should have, ...and making the mistake of watering once or twice, at the wrong time that summer are two other things did it in.

To be seen to be believed, some populations in different areas are just covering the understory while others are just small groups or single individuals scattered in one area. But wherever they are it’s deep shade mostly!

When is the best time to plant a palm 20 years ago, time for that sancona to go in the ground!

Having grown Aloidendron Hercules from a small one gallon, it is apparent to me that the specimens you are considering in your post are from cuttings. I would go with the single stem, unbranched rather than the forked one you were initially considering. If you are worried about any marginal conditions where you live then don't introduce complications of a forked one that may abandon or abort one of the growth points. If you want an Aloidendron that branches low, then grow Aloidendron ramosissimum. Let the Hercules grow as they want to, which is vertical to about 6 feet before the initial branch. All these Aloidendron are fast in my book. All my Aloidendron were acquired as 1 gallon or smaller (Aloidendron pillansii being the exception which is slow). Watering schedule appears a bit different in your climate than here, so I will defer to Nathan's advice above on when to water and when not to. For Hercules here, it is more about not over watering to keep it from growing too fast. Aloidendron Hercules and a dichotomum starting to branch below.

Thanks Rich, will put them in individual pots today. My propagator is set up basically at room temperature 20-24c, so not too hot, Ceroxylon parvifrons are germinating happily in there at the moment, so hopefully it's a comfortable temp for these guys.

Cool, thanks so much for the photo. I'm going there next week. Did you spot the Jubaea x Syagrus I gave to the Isole di Brissago too? They planted it quite prominently on the centre lawn.

I don’t believe Aridlands carries any Hercules. I still have to make a trip out there and check out what he has. I think they usually want you to make an appointment before crashing in. It is on my list to do though. You said your Hercules rotted- what would you say was the main factor? I’ve got one in the ground already and very paranoid about how much or not to do with the thing LOL.

Oh it's already used to the sun. I got this palm as a little seedling in late october 2024. It's a rocket in both sun and shade.

Strikingly beautiful palms, so clean and straight as an arrow. Tom, those trunks are stout and thick. Mine are taller and thinner, but still show the deep purple color, especially on. The lower portion of the crown shaft. Thanks for the ‘bump’ Andrea. Tim

I’ve been looking for Encephalartos seeds for a long time, and so far the only seller I really trust is RPS . Does anyone know any reputable private sellers or have any recommendations in Europe?

I would drop it in the ground. Start acclimating it to the sun little by little.

i Its neighbor to the left is quite something itself!! 😎👍🏻 -dale

The palm in question is Syagrus sancona. It's getting too big for its pot, I don't have bigger pots/containers. <Zone 10> Climate similar to south texas, maybe a bit warmer. Palms I have in the ground (+1 year in ground) Cocos nucifera Syagrus romanzoffiana Chamaedorea seifrizii Chamaedorea microspadix Chamaedorea pochutlensis Chamaedorea plumosa Thrinax radiata Attalea butyracea Acrocomia aculeata Sabal yapa Wodyetia bifurcata Tropicals I have seen around my neighborhood (Not owned by me) Roystonea regia Cocos nucifera Thrinax radiata Delonix regia Enterolobium cyclocarpum Ficus microcarpa Ficus benjamina Ficus elastica Ficus obtusifolia Chrysalidocarpus lutescens Adonidia merrillii Terminalia catappa Heliconia spp. Alpinia spp. Wodyetia bifurcata Pseudobombax ellipticum Heptapleurum actinophyllum Ceiba speciosa Tabebuia rosea Araucaria spp. Hibiscus tiliaceus Pithecellobium dulce Cassia fistula

Can definitely cut them / will add new growth afterwards. Gamble is ..how much you can cut, repeatedly, to try and keep the overall form shorter, w/out harming the plant. One i'd bought years ago was cut quite short ..might have had a foot of base on it before the grower it came from had trimmed it... Added 4 or 5 branches after cutting but, each branch grew straight and unbranched again afterwards. When i picked it up, each new branch was ~approx another foot tall so, ..they would've continued that trend until reaching ...whatever.. height at which they'd decide to branch again on their own.. Unfortunately, it started rotting the summer after putting it in the ground up here and i had to rescue the plant by lopping off / re-rooting what i could. Before headed up here ..into the furnace, lol, you might make a trip over to Aridlands Greenhouses and talk with Bob or Toni about pruning -related thoughts / see if they have any in stock atm.