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Hello - I need some help, please. I've attached 2 photos from 2 angles of my Brahea calcarea which was sold to me as a "Brahea nitida" (which I had to look up & found in my "Cultivated Palms" encyclopedia) by a local small nursery that doesn't feature many palms. It seemed to be a bargain price for what the nursery guy said is a relatively rare palm. He also told me throw some Epson salts around the soil when I plant it - it will be just fine. I did that, but wonder if I should continue that - I haven't. I live in USDA zone 9b in Tucson AZ. As you'll see in the photos I have the typical sandy/rocky desert soil, and it drains well. When I purchased it about 1.5 years back, it was carefully planted, but via the nursery already had the lowest fronds clipped off. It had 3 green ones and a very small starter spear. In my yard it began getting some areas of brown on fronds facing the rising sun toward the north/northeast - and I was wondering if it was getting sunburn. I didn't notice any yellow, but there may have been. These fronds slowly became entirely brown/dead - and I trimmed them off this past winter. It's sprouting out new spears well, but now into spring the oldest of the newest fronds is turning brown, seems to have yellowed some first. Now the second oldest is beginning to do the same. I'm thinking it has a potassium deficiency. Or maybe the soil pH is too high? I did give a dose of controlled release palm fertilizer about one month ago. And twice previously since it was planted. I'm not sure what to do, as I'm concerned as the progression seems faster than last summer. I love this little one and want to help it! Should I fertilize more often, or something else? When I first planted it, I watered once a week, now about once every two weeks as it's native to a dryer area. I've read it grows fine in calcareous soil, and that it doesn't tend to have any physiological problems to worry about. What do you think, and what suggestions do you have? Appreciate your input.

I planted K. sarmentosa in March and was surprised to see it flower this week as it's one of the few winter flowering Kniphofia. Our hottest weather of the year (~33 C/90 f) also scorched all the leaves which isn't a good sign going into summer. The smaller plant at the front is K. thomsonii which was also affected. There are some ancient threads on various failed attempts to grow Kniphofia in Florida. Have any of the newer cultivars or different species improved upon this? These are planted in a raised bed with a fair amount of sand in the mix and are on drip irrigation.

Hey Bubba. Yes. Found myself in non palm land for years after Cali and now in Florida. Miss the old gang. Glad they're so many more enthusiasts here.

That is spectacular color. It looks like it has a glossy finish like both ssp of alpestris, just a different color. I like the mix of colors too with orange , the purple and pink. Unless I missed it, my Puya venusta still hasn't flowered. I assume my tenants would have noticed and commented on it but maybe not. I planted it in Carlsbad before I moved to my home in Leucadia, so it is at least 12 years in the ground and probably closer to 15 or 16 years.

Epicure3, I agree with your learned opinion! It seems like it has been a long time since you have posted. Best.

Great PRA post!

Here’s my smallest one just slowly truckin along. Planted as a 1G about 4 yrs ago. Definitely getting more size in the trunk area. Hopefully it’s past the slow infant stage these things experience. -dale

I also got a archontophenoix tuckeri, and my star fruit, mango tree and bardebos cherry are all coming back after the 22 degrees. After the coconut was planted I saw 40 degrees a week after it was planted. Coconut has grown about 2 feet in the main spear 3 feet in a smaller one and a completely new spear is emerging. It hasn’t really gotten taller is just widened out

The reason you don't see anything 40 years old is because there wasn't anything here 40 years ago. I was blown away by the lack of damage from this year's cold weather. I believe their new zone is 10a.

Here is an update photo for some reason the bottom 3 frawnds have crisped up but the main spear has grown so much and I have a new spear forming

******* ONLY 20 C. geonomoformis, and 40 Caly pachstachys left ************

I did not intend that as a use but it did help when I was away. I instead used irrigation timers and sprinklers.

My Puya venusta blooms are now opening! I suppose it was worth the multi-year wait to get them to this stage!

As mentioned, Dypsis lutescens would be the standard " answer ..for obvious reasons. You will have to thin / trim them overtime to get them to the right height and form though. Another bulletproof option? Arenga engleri.. also a clumper, sorta slow < by impatient people's standards > ..but worth it.. Suckers produced will eventually will form trunks, and.... ..if it gets cold enough there to injure them, ..you're gonna have many more things in your landscape that would be killed ..or severely set back. < AKA: hardy to the lower 20sF, if not a little lower than that. > When old enough, flowers produced smell wonderful. Unlike Areca palms, fruit / seed production is easier to handle too, imo. Taller / trunk -forming Chamaedorea sps. can work too though i myself would add them only after you have some overhead canopy.

Sabal palmetto is the commonest Sabal. It needs to go in the ground.

*********I have 5 chambeyronia watermelon at $1 each ************* This is a picture of the A. vestiaria

I had the same problem on both sides of my backyard. Planted 15g Dypsis lutescens on one side and chamaedorea plumosa on the other side. They both grow fast for me inland but the Dypsis is a much denser screen.

Storms in the Gulf.

It is not available anywhere in my country and very rare in Europe in general. It grows so fast and the seed sprouts so easily that I would start from a seed again for sure. If it didn't die back due to the cold, it would be 2m tall by now (that's 6.5 ft), in just 3 years.

I used it to plant vetiver on a slope outside my property to stabilise it. I planted 200 plants and they are on a slope so watering during summer will be tricky. I thought hydrogel may help. We shall see. Problem is, I stupidly bought a kilo of it and ended up using no more than 50 grams so now I have a large stock that I don't know what to do 😬

Did you ever use them when away on a holiday for instance?

Totally agree with this, planted three all from the same seed batch two languished for years, but the third is very robust and has been seeding for several years. Full coastal sun for them all.

Queen palm is super fast growing, although not very exciting. Same goes for Trachycarpus fortunei. boring but quick, but actually does look nice planted in groups. You might do okay with Dypsis baronii, which is quickish. (Bamboo is the gift that keeps on giving. Once you plant it, you're stuck with it for life!)

It was a fantastic PRA, the palms were nice also

Breezy 83F at 9:19AM, headed for the mid -90s later as another batch of high clouds rolling in off the E. Pac. builds into the area thru the day.. Lil toasty, yet a lil cloudy tomorrow before the next passing system shaves off about 10 -12 deg for the start of next week. ..77 -82F, w/ maybe some clouds around on Cinco De Mayo? yeah, we'll all take that ..Enjoy it cuz the return of our " typical " May sizzle? appears to return by next weekend.. Tucson / S. AZ stats aren't out yet but, ..how April stacked up for PHX, Yuma, and El Centro.. Interesting that we continued the above norm streak for the spring season < ..year itself really... > , despite escaping April w/ no 100F readings this year. Some interesting stats from CA last month as well... ..And yes, Last, bigger severe storm set up out there did produce a rare " CA. 'Nader "..First in a couple years. Another set up for storms arrives across N.Cal today / tomorrow.. Overall April Thunderstorm activity across a lot of CA was also elevated compared to what is typical. Influence from the on-going Marine heatwave probably had it's fingers all over this pattern this year. W/ El Nino signal SSTs just about ready to explode -at the surface- just off Ecuador, and the Subtrop / 4 corners ridge to start building in shortly, anticipate seeing a big jump SSTs off CA by mid June, if not sooner. Looking further out? Taken - with - salt CFS thoughts on how May could look.. Not too concerned about any suggested precip anoms here since this is the driest period of the year and it would only take approx. +0.10" to qualify as " wet " locally.. In fact, the storm that passed thru the far southern 3rd of the state yesterday could account for the " above norm " lean in May's forecast ....or could something else tip the scales in that direction, later?? Regardless, some impressive #s for the end of April down in the borderlands from this system.. Bigger thing to eyeball this month is the above / below precip. trend in Mexico ...which, for now, is looking to only get wetter as we move deeper into the month. Tropics may play a significant part in that as well. As mentioned before, more confirmation that the E. Pac. may be about to awaken, maybe as soon as this time next week.. If not then, then right around when the season officially kicks off.. Increasing chatter that this could be a big year out here as well. We'll see if we end up with a named system before the average occurrence date, which is in early June. Since it is May, Fire Weather concerns can't be ignored ..both locally and regionally.. While there have been a few fires already, season seems to be getting off to a slower start than i'd had expected considering the factors influencing things this year. Perhaps that changes once the heat starts building back in after next weekend?? Regardless, will be interesting to see how things play out here this month / into the start of June.. Note the mention regarding thoughts on this year's Monsoon could look. I'd replace " Robust " ..with " Frisky ..and Flood -y " May, June, July, Aug. maps.. Full PDF discussion: https://www.nifc.gov/nicc-files/predictive/outlooks/monthly_seasonal_outlook.pdf Lastly, ..for now.. ** Added dashes of salt please.. ....CFS thoughts' peak at how June could kick off.. Temps: Precip: Increasingly wet signal tilt in Mexico, Wet signal presence across New Mexico < ..Where the Monsoon usually starts to set up, first > = Liking what i'm seeing ..Fingers crossed