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Thanks for the explanation, Tom !

I like the forum format a lot more, it's too bad they're mostly dying in favor of places like facebook and instagram. It makes looking up old threads and posts a lot easier too.

Ive never bought one not showing a red leaf but my daughter bought me a bare root C. Macrocarpa watermelon that didn't show color for a couple years and then it was part reddish part green but quickly thereafter it went all rose color. My other (3) flamethrower palms all bought as 5 gallon size showing some red on a new leaf. I once saw a small nursery with around 30 chambeyronia macrocarpas grown from seed, 3/4 of them were showing some red or what I call transition color leaves(reddish). At the time I had not shade so I didnt buy one but if I did I would have bought the one with the most red showing. I do think there is genetic variation in the red ones. Some are just more stunning than others. I have two hookeri's and one is a spectacular red and the other is a nice red but not the same by a good margin. The red color does also depend on sun exposure and viewing position(sun at the back of observer or palm between observer and the sun. In low light epidermal layer reflection dominates the color as light passing further into the leaf is all absorbed. In high light the optical density is not enough to stop light from returning from the inner leaf or transiting the leaf in transmission. A somewhat analgous situation is in night photos the way they show enhanced white on lighter color palms. The light you see is dominated by surface reflection since the dimness(vs sun) means almost no light transits chlorophyll containing parts of the leaf and survives for the observer to view. I'd look for a red chamby if I were you. Mine always look better in the cool winters, happier and more colorful.

PalmPedia makes reference to this being a zone 8b palm, but indicates the threshold of hardiness at mid 20°F's (-5°C). That's realistically zone 9a.

Yesterday's high peaked at 91ºF after 92º on Thursday. Today is supposed to be upper 80's (currently 78ºF at 11:00 am) before the next cold front here in Rio Hondo, TX. Dropping to 68ºF high tomorrow and rebounding to the 80's again by Wednesday. Palm planting began a couple of weeks ago most recently a 7-gal Wodyetia bifurcata and a 3-gal Chrysalidocarpus lutescens. Others I grew from seed are currently in the on deck circle being acclimated to sun before planting.

After a slightly cooler than forecast start to the day, quickly rising through the 50s at 9:10AM, on our way to somewhere in the lower 70s later. Aside from some S.E. 'rly breeziness and perhaps a few high clouds passing through at times tomorrow, only thing to watch is just how quickly temps reach the upper 80s as we close in on the end of the month. Some morning readings, ..as of 6:58AM, just before sunrise. As mentioned, a touch cooler in some spots compared to the 39 - 40F suggested by a majority of forecasts but, not bad at all. Lightest touch of frost, at the house / in the neighborhood at least, was confined to west facing, shaded rooftops and the cold spot out back. Moment the first rays of sun hit those spots, it was gone. Probably be awhile before we see readings like this again. Locally / around the valley: Tucson area:

February daily temps in Larnaca Airport so far:

How cold hardy does anyone speculate this palm can take, anyone had it see below 20oF? Any damage or spear pull?

One fruit (black and soft) of my metallica contained a seed, which is well shaped but green!🧐I can send it to you... The above is the seed not the fruit...

After cold January here in Cyprus with couple nights few degrees above 0 only, February is substantially warmer then average. Found this nice garden in Faros. Foxtail, Kings and Royal without much yellowing whatsoever.

They will recover without a problem, I have many here in Charleston.

I first saw these on (I believe) Plant Delights Nursery site and I love the look of them but can't justify the money, especially shipping costs. Anyhoo, specifically, the varieties of dancing crane and white feathers look great. I would love to find one of these some day more locally. Anyone have any experience with them? They are also extremely hardy for such a cool looking variegated plant.

I started wrapping a towel or blanket around the trunk prior to placing the bulbs, then another blanket outside that followed by something waterproof, trashbag, tarp, dogfood bag, whatever.

Any of those palmettos pulling through? About half of mine are still alive; I moved them into pots and put them under a grow light inside, separate from the other stuff. Still need to find a good solution for the scale.

This gang of Syagrus romanzoffiana enjoying some late winter warmth and sunshine

Another batch of palms going in the ground, the usual suspects! Along with a couple of other plants. Another sabinara more kerriodoxas dypsis brevicaulis microsorum whiteheadii Anthurium effusilobum Zamia augustifolia

The things you do to collect a few maxima seeds, climbing ladders for ips members!

Papaya are weeds in my compost heap as well, so easy to grow, maybe papaya are not an indoor plant regardless of what you do. You certainly got a lot of stuff on the grow good on you, and iam sure a bit of tutorial from happypalms has helped you a bit. But at the end of the day the best student becomes the teacher and you have done well, I have watched your grow improvement over the last few years well done. But you gotta kill a few plants now and then it’s the best way to learn. Spider mites, damping off, and other insects are all part of indoor growing, you learn as grow and grow as you learn!

The official IPS travel begins Feb 23 but those on the Board needed to add on hotel costs to be present for the 8 am start. Then we will move the day after to the hard to believe it even fancier hotel included in the travel cost. Both hotels are surrounded by very fancy stores like Prada and Vuitton, but I was very happy with my USD 50 cents magnet depicting train street which was part of a city tour set up by Tracy. And I had ice cream for lunch as one must buy something to sit next to the train and it is vacation so ice cream for lunch is totally allowed in my opinion. I like the interesting tea cup in our room too.

Yes, but that's not what I'm looking for😔

Thank you for the advice

I might buy a couple when it warms up but what I'm stoked for is getting a Raja Puri pup or 2 from @Chester B. I should get more pups when I throw things in the yard but I don't have Basjoo. I've got Dwarf Cavendish, Red Dacca, Blue Java, a Mekong Giant and an Orinoco. I can tell you Wellspring Gardens is cheap, and give you lots of freebies and their customer service is AMAZING. They're out of all the cool stuff right now but it's February, too. Their Banana Fuel is also like anabolic steroids. I absolutely vouch for the stuff. I have plants that I bought as pups 3 months ago that are taller than me now. Downside is the spider mites love them indoors.

Thank you for the advice

@Scott W sent me some that were a couple years old and even cracked a couple open to make sure they still had viable embryos before sending. Apparently they're not the fastest sprouting things on earth but crack one open and if it's got an embryo still you're good.