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New frond on A. vestiaria a few days ago. It needs more sun i think to get better color.

It can be done, but you will want to start with a large container or be prepared to transplant to a larger container before the roots become bound. Here are a couple that I started from seed.

Flood that area. It needs it bad. The cannas would probably appreciate it too haha

Hello, are there any maya palms left? Gaussia maya? Thanks.

Any chances?

Have you tried Niu Leka (Fiji Dwarf)? It's slow to get going, but in a tropical climate it does get going once it's in full sun. And Red Spicata stays pretty small but also has small fruit comparatively. Are you planning on monetizing the coconuts produced? If you're thinking about selling them for coconut water, make sure you understand the taste profiles, there are vast differences. When I lived in the Florida Keys, the guys on our house-renovation crew were mostly Hondurans, and they felt the Malay Gold were the "primo" coconuts for water. My own taste was very different and I found the "spicy" quality off-putting. Likewise I just purchased a coconut from a health-food store, a supposed "premium" Thai variety, Nam Hom, and I absolutely hated the taste of it. The water has a very "floral" taste which to me negates the positive qualities of coconut water. But obviously I see things very differently! I personally prefer Green Malayan water, also the Panama and Jamaican talls are good with a bit of sweetness, and there is also a very prolific Green-Malay type that tastes like it's carbonated when you open the nut and drink it, it's bizarre but very refreshing! My experiences are largely based on the trees I grew in the Florida Keys, and soil/nutrient levels may influence taste as well. I don't know how Fiji Dwarf tastes, but the point is, know your audience because not only individuals but whole cultures may have taste biases that influence how profitable you can be in the coconut-water business in a given area.

Thank you for your observation. I can find a pure Jubaea fairly easy within 50 miles, but finding exotic hybrids are notoriously hard to find. I am currently looking for a 5 or 15 gallon Jubaea x butia odorata and a Jubaea x Syagrus.

I have not watered either palm other than the initial couple of months. We have what is called Gumbo Clay down here, it expands and contracts greatly depending on how much rain we get. The Bismarckia started falling over last fall due to the soil shrinking. Twice I have added more soil to the base of the trunk and had to support it with the stakes. The wind here is very strong and those large fronds act as a sail. I had similar issues with Washingtonia but not with Sabals. The Sabals drill down into the ground. The pictures of the mature Sabal uresana I shared do not convey the size of these palms at all. I had seen photos of these for years, but when I saw them in person for the first time I was blown away at how massive they are. Bigger than any Bismarckia I saw recently in Florida I would say.

Roots of established palms extend far from the trunk, at least 10-15'. However fertilization will only happen when it rains or the drippers wet the soil. Drippers are not designed for high drainage soil because they do no make large wet zones. WHen its rains a lot that doesnt matter so much in Florida, but if it doesnt rain like in our drought, the wet zone will be too small to fully fertilize the palm. 3' away is where I start fertilizing my palms, closer is a waste of fertilizer when most of the root nutrient uptake area is away from the trunk. There are many more roots 5' away than at the trunk. T9otal uptake would have to due with the soil volume the roots occupy. Look at it like a circle, the bigger the radius the bigger the area and then with depth the bigger volume of fertilized soil. Some of my larger palms have roots 25 feet away from the trunk. I actually fertilize my 25'+ copernicia fallaensis mostly at 10' -15' away from the trunk. Drippers are king in low drainage clay soils like I had in arizona, sprinklers are about useless. But drippers do lose out a lot with high drainage soils to broadcast pop up sprinklers or micro sprinklers(replace the drippers with micro sprinklers). Even the sellers of drip irrigation will often tell you not to use drippers in high drainage if you look at their irrigation courses.

Yeah the cold has really stunted your bizzy, it has that look with a real thin trunk and the wrinkled leaves. Thin trunks on bismarckia are also sign of too much water, maybe soil is too rich or doesnt drain so well. I see this around my own neighborhood. My side of the street has high drainage sandy soil with some clay, the other side has mostly clay. Mature bizzies in the mostly clay side have trunks are are a little over half the thickness of those on the sandy side. My smooth trunked bismarckia has a trunk that is the same thickness as the Uresana trunk with leaf bases still on. The sabal causiarum smooth trunk is about 8" thicker than either, its not close. The causiarum came from the same source as the uresana, planted at the same time. Bismarckia trunk, long side of the paver is 11 inches as in the above uresana trunk pic Causiarum trunk with same paver size Hard to tell yet as my uresana hasnt shed its leaf bases but it seems to taper off more slowly with height than the Bismarckia. Both the bismarckia and causiarum have noticeably thicker petioles(half again or more). I love your uresanas, they look very happy down there in houston.

Silly question perhaps but how do you properly fertilize a mature Cuban petticoat palm? I'm not getting underneath the old, brown leaves that stay attached. I'm also not going to remove them so there's access to the "dripline" area. Is it sufficient to fertilize beyond the circumference of the palm? I guess it'll have to be 😂

You are not wrong 😁

Is your water bill swollen or are you of the few blessed to own a private water well in a warm temperate climate?

I planted it 2 years and 2 months ago. This year it has taken off and is really thickening the trunk. It was damaged the first winter but grew out of it. I do have another BxJ F2 or F3 cross that is very different looking from this palm and leans way more Butia.

Thank you!

Bismarckia was a 5 or 7 gallon and planted May 2024. That September 2024 I planted the Sabal uresana - I'm thinking this is a 15 gallon pot. I've included a photo of the Bismarckia at that time to show its growth. Today there is 1-2' foot overall height differential between the two with the Bismarckia displaying a trunk and being the taller of the two. The Sabal uresana has no real sign of a trunk yet, but is growing at a decent pace.

Some folks have reported missing our email invites. If you're one of those folks, please feel free to post or PM here. They are sent to everyone on our mailing list as most people renew in person. The recap of the Summer Meeting, the Spring Sale at SJBGNP, and Spring Fever in Winter Garden has been posted to the Publications section of the CFPACS website. Our Membership section now includes links for electronic payment/renewal options. Look for more information about the fall meeting forthcoming as we finalize the details. The links below will take you to the various areas of the site mentioned above. Summer Meeting Recap Publications (all) Membership CFPACS Home Page As mentioned by @D. Morrowii above, it was great to see everyone and we're looking forward to seeing everyone again in the fall.

Hi folks, I'm planting out part of my property with a Dwarf Coconut grove. So far, I have found five distinct dwarf cultivars to try. Interested to see what else is out in the world...I'm sure there are quite a few other dwarf varieties...looking to obtain some if anybody has fruiting specimens... :-) Golden Malay for example...

Now that I have a garden again... Double Barred Finch in our Bird Bath

Looking good!

I once had a Howea seed germinate with a variegated frond ( light colored streaks running long ways to the leaf vs across ) . I was very excited until the next little frond turned out dark green🫤. Harry

Fantastic! (Except for the rats) . I just can’t throw away seeds , unless they are too prolific . I will scatter them about the yard instead. Lately I have been getting into a bit of sowing in containers or baggie method . I now have a few containers around the house with tags but no plants . ( thank you @happypalms 😄) . My neighbor saw me on the ladder plucking seeds from a tall C. Radicalis and asked if they were edible. I told him that I was harvesting them to grow more palms. I don’t know about the edible part. Before seeing your posts about seeds and all the palms you have grown from seeds , I really didn’t pay much attention , or put a lot of time into sowing seeds. Now I am getting into it. Most of my yard is the hill so I can’t install or build a greenhouse . I am looking at different “lean to” options that might work . My work bench that is home to a small bench vise and a drill press is getting cluttered with containers of germinating seeds. For home projects I have to move the containers to get any work done. 🤔Harry

Some are, some have died. It was a very odd freeze. Here are updates; PALMS Acoelorrhaphe wrightii (4’)- no damage Aiphanes horrida x minima (6’) -100% burn, already had about 25% burn from earlier cold, it always showed damage below about 35F every year but always quickly recovered, DEAD Archontophoenix cunninghamiana (20’) -major burn, new leaf opening, it is opening 4th new leaf, all are floppy, this palm was still recovering from hurricane damage and a boron deficiency Archontophoenix purpurea (7’)- 100% burn, new growth emerging, DEAD Areca triandra (3’) -100% burn, regrowing Arenga engleri (7’)- light burn on a few leaves Arenga hookeriana (5’)- all tall stems 100% burned/dead, shorter suckers green Beccariophoenix alfredii (15’, 10’)- both have severe burn but green in center Borassodendron machodonis (3’)- COVERED, no damage Brassiophoenix drymophoeoides (5’)- 100% burn, DEAD Carpentaria acuminata x Adonidia merrillii (25’)- 100% burn DEAD Caryota mitis ‘Variegata’ (3’)- severe burn, amin stem died, suckers emerging Chamaedorea elegans (2’)-100% burn DEAD Chamaedorea ernestii-augustii (3’)- 100% burn DEAD Chamaedorea metallica (2’)- 100% burn DEAD Chamaedorea microspadix (6’)- no damage initially, very delayed damage, very light burn probably from the winds Chambeyronia macrocarpa (3’)- all leaves burned except newest, regrowing Chelyocarpus chuco (4’)- COVERED no damage Chrysalidocarpus leptocheilos (3’)- 100% burn, DEAD Chrysalidocarpus lutescens ‘Nana’ (3’)- COVERED but partially blew off, 50% burn, several stems died back Chrysalidocarpus madagascariensis (Mahajanga form) (6’)- 100% burn, main stem dead suckers emerging Chrysalidocarous onilahensis (3’)- light burn Chrysalidocarpus pembanus (15’)- 100% burn on the 2 tall trunks, suckers have some green leaves, 2 tall trunks dead Chrysalidocarpus psammophilus (3’)- 100% burn, DEAD Chuniophoenix hainanensis (3’)- no damage Clinostigma savoryanum (4’)- 2 newest leaves have no damage, others burned Coccothrinax barbadensis (3’)- light burn Coccothrinax crinita (3’) – severe burn, regrowing Coccothrinax spissa (3’)- severe burn, trunk cut, regrowing Cocos nucifera ‘Green Malayan’ (10’, 3’ trunk)- almost 100% burn but a few green leaflets and petioles still green, already pushing new growth, it already had about 20% burn from frost a couple weeks prior, regrowing, it has pushed out 4 new leaves, all damaged or distorted but new spear is looking better Copernicia alba (6’)- no damage Cryosophila stauracantha (4’)- 100% burn DEAD Cyrtostachys elegans x renda (3’)- COVERED no damage Dictyosperma album (furfuraceum) (3’)- 100% burn, regrowing Euterpe edulis (10’, 5’)- both have 100% burn, both dead Gaussia attenuata (7’)- 100% burn, new spear opening, DEAD Gaussia maya (5’)- 100% burn, regrowing Heterospathe negrosensis (4’)- light burn Howea belmoreana (3’)- severe burn DEAD Howea forsteriana (7’)- severe burn DEAD Hyophorbe verschaffeltii (6’)- 100% burn, new leaf opening Lanonia dasyantha (2’, 3’)- no damage on either Leucothrinax morrissii (5’)- no damage initially, new growth emerged damaged but regrowing Licuala kunstleri (2’)- light damage Licuala peltata (3’)- light burn Licuala ramsayi (6’)- slight damage on 1 leaf, very delayed reaction, first new leaf opened and collapsed but others fine Livistona decora (10’)- no damage, very light and delayed burn Livistona muelleri (4’)- moderate burn Livistona saribus (15’)- no damage Normanbya normanbyi (8’)- 100% burn DEAD Phoenix acaulis (3’)- no damage Phoenix loureiroi (Kashmir) (8’)- no damage Pinanga coronata (4’)- 100% burn 2 main stems died, suckers regrowing Pinanga gracilis (3’)- 2 stems, 1 no damage, other 100% burn Pritchardia hillebrandii (3’)- moderate burn, still lots of green, center spear pulled, cut and treated, new growth pushing out Pseudophoenix sargentii (4’)- severe burn, regrowing Ptychococcus lepidotus (5’)- 100% burn DEAD Ptychococcus paradoxus (6’)- 100% burn DEAD Ptychosperma elegans (10’)- 100% burn DEAD Ptychosperma propinquum (macarthurii) (12’)- main stem 100% burn, suckers mostly brown but some green, main stems dead suckers emerging Ravenea glauca (3’)- light burn Ravenea hildebrandtii (5’)- 100% burn DEAD Ravenea rivularis (6’)- 100% burn, new growth emerging Reinhardtia latisecta (2’)- no damage Rhapis excelsa ‘Zuiko Nishiki’ (5’)- no damage, delayed damage, slight spotting on some leaves Rhapis humilis (8’)- no damage Sabal etonia x palmetto (2’)- no damage Sabal mauritiiformis (5’)- very minor burn Sabal miamiensis x maritima (6’)- no damage Sabal palmetto (10’)- no damage Sabal palmetto (Miami Rockridge form) (2’)- no damage Sabinaria magnifica (3’)- COVERED, cover partially blew off, light burn on a couple leaves, very delayed light damage Schippia concolor (3’)- moderate burn Serenoa repens, silver (3’)- no damage Syagrus romanzoffiana (20’)- light burn Syagrus sancona (7’)- severe burn, trunk cut new leaf opening Syagrus weddelliana (6’)- severe burn DEAD Veitchia arecina (3’)- moderate burn DEAD Wodhyethia bifurcata (4’)- 100% burn DEAD CYCADS Bowenia spectabilis- no damage Ceratozamia hildae- no damage Cycas debaoenis- no damage Cycas thouarsii- 100% burn Encephalartos ferox- no damage Stangeria eriopus- light burn Zamia furfuracea – no damage, in pot and taken in Zamia integrifolia (narrow leaflet form)- no damage Zamia integrifolia (Palatka Giant)- no damage Zamia integrifolia (wide leaflet form)- no damage Zamia nesmophila- moderate burn Zamia sp. “Spots”- severe burn PANDANS Freycinetia cumingiana (4’)- main stems dead, some green shorter stems/leaves Pandanus furcatus (15’)- 100% burn but green already pushing out removed all dead leaves, new growth pushing out, stem is now collapsing Pandanus letocartiorum (decumbens) (2’)- 100% burn dead Pandanus penangensis (monotheca) (5’)- 100% burn, new growth emerging in June Pandanus polycephalus (3’)- severe burn DEAD Pandanus pygmaeus ‘Variegatus’ (2’)- moderate burn Pandanus tectorius (spineless form) (3’)- 100% burn dead Pandanus tectorius, dwarf spineless variegated form)- 100% burn dead PALM-LIKE PLANTS Cyclanthus bipartitus (4’)- 100% burn, this is root hardy, foliage dies every year as it declines around 35F but rapidly regrows in spring, regrowing, vigorous new growth Dracaena arborea (4’)- killed to roots Ravenala madagascariensis (15’)- 100% burn, regrowing Ravenala menahirana (Honkondambo) (3’)- 100% burn, new leaf emerging, regrowing Sphaeropteris cooperi (Cyathea) (10’)- 100% burn, regrowing Strelitzia nicolai (10’)- 100% burn, main stem died back

I have more pembanas, they are not too much work. I dont like losing palms but its a part of growing them the last 25 years, so are edits. THe hurricane damaged so many palms(30?) it was very discouraging. Most of the biggest ones were stripped of almost all their leaves, the pembana was one of them. I have 4 potted 5-7 gallon pembanas that came from the fruit of the solitary one just falling into pots with soil. I've already planted 2 out this past month. My recomendation, never plan to have just one or two palms, get a dozen or more so there is encouragement after setbacks.

Great post! I planted a Bizzy on my hill , it only took a little over a year for the gophers to find it and eat the roots right up to the trunk! The Sabal is still there. What is said about speed of growth after trunking is my observation as well . Most of mine , with the exception of the Bizmarkia , were very small palms . Once they started trunking , it seems like the growth rate sped up. Harry