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Fellow palm folks, about 7-8 months ago I broke my hip and had to have it repaired. Anyone who has been through this knows it is life changing. I will be 70 this year but I’m in very good shape and the doc says my bones are “super strong” for my age. I have been back on my bikes for a few months (avid cyclist) but haven’t ventured down the hill to visit my palms that are down there. I was afraid of losing balance and falling , it is steep. We have had above average rainfall so the weeds have really gotten bad. My wife and I have taken advantage of a cloudy day to clear out around our palms. My , how they have grown! I thought I would share some pictures of them. Harry

Here's a spring 2024 update, in the same photo order as the 11/3/2019 post. These are about 5.5 years from ~5' tall big 3 gallon plantings. The front yard one is still the smallest, but is around 15 feet tall: The East side of the house has the biggest, and at about 20' tall is very close to trunking. The backyard SE pair is towering over everything nearby, here is one of them crowding a 5' tall Chamaerops Humilis: And the SW center of the bed is my favorite placement out of the big ones:

It’s the season for these Clivia blooms and the palms are “waking up” from winter’s slumber.

I kind of have a trunk now after trimming

With temperatures approaching 30c, combined with the postal service from hell, I was afraid to open my box of young palms that had been floating around in the nether regions of the state for 4 days instead of the express delivery they were meant to do. Fearfully I cut away 200 metres of tape, lifted the lid and expected to see little dehydrated crispy things but thanks to very careful packing, they were fine just wanted a little drink, as did I after the experience. So here are my pretty babies, Satakentia, Lanonia dasyanthus, Licuala kunsterii, Chamaedorea adscendens and Calyptrocalyx yummytummy or some name like that. I bought these little beauties from Australia's newest online palm nursery and can recommend them personally. Contact happypalms on this site for your own personal satisfying palm purchasing experience. Peachy PS If anyone is wondering why I vanished from FB today, I have been banned for 24 hours for inciting hate speech !! OOOH naughty Moi. I was offered a plant which I refused with the horrific 4 words "I will kill them" talk about touchy sheesh. Didn't their mothers teach them about sticks and stones ?

And because I'm just a wee bit loony, here are two triples! In the backyard I planted a "close triple" using a bit less than 1' spacing between them. Theoretically the huge 4+ foot trunk diameter will start pushing them apart in a couple of years. If I'm *extremely* lucky it'll even look like a curved set of cocos! This is in the exact center of the backyard bed, so I hope it'll turn out interesting: In the front yard NW corner I planted another triple with around 3-4' spacing between them. They are about 2-4' tall overall. I'm guessing it'll look like a chaotic mess for a while...maybe forever! In the foreground is a Butia x Jubaea...and the side of my wheelbarrow for size reference:

I figured I’d better begin with a photo before launching into a long prelude of text. Areca novohibernica, one of a group of 5 planted 2-3 years ago. Fast growers! After reading the replies from many of us beginning more than a decade ago I decided to start a new topic, but also provide a link to the earlier one that I did not initiate. Some lovely photos so don’t miss it. In that old topic I knew even less than I do now (it was 2012 and I still lived in Virginia) and I came up with a group of palms that under appropriate conditions might form stilt roots. I realize that botanists and/or PT readers can direct us as to which are better called adventitious roots versus real stilts, but I am fine with some inclusivity here as we aren’t writing a prospective journal article. Of my pseudoscience list 12 years ago I am delighted that I have representatives of each genus I listed except for two. One I have never seen to purchase (Campecarpus) and the other, Dictyocaryum, most regrettably my nemesis the ox beetle has killed. Yes they are both on my wish list. Also not all of the remaining 6 genera I currently have alive from the 2012 list have stilted yet and a few are still in pots. However today I am celebrating as I started over at my forever farm in 2017 with no plants of any of these stilted palms and many required obtaining seed. OK, my photos aren’t too impressive, but please can add yours! I can hope for some future posts with updates of mine showing real stilts like in the link above someday. The following genera list on my farm includes a sample of species names that I happen to have. Feel free to expand. Areca (ipot, novohibernica, triandra, vestiaria) Drymophloeous (sp. Irían Jaya) Iriatea (deltoidea) Physokentia (dennisii) Pinanga (aristata) Socratea (exorrhiza) Verschaffeltia (splendida) I will try to photograph and post all the palms even ones that are small as I get near them and happen to have a phone with a charged battery handy. It could take awhile so help me out by showing yours!

I’m reporting back a 100% germination rate on the dozen “Pinanga mooreana” seeds purchased back in January. They are expressing an interesting burgundy color now as seedlings. I’m looking forward to watching the color and leaflet shape develop as they mature. Thanks again for the making these seeds available.

I was in Eastbourne, East Sussex briefly yesterday and had an hour or so spare to go and visit a few of the exotics growing there. My first time ever visiting Eastbourne,l. Anyway, excuse the image dump… This Washingtonia in Eastbourne is probably a hybrid, but it looks very Filifera dominant (entirely green petiole bases with small irregular thorns, wide spaced crown/not compact, pretty wide trunk relevant to size etc. If it is a Filifera, it hasn’t done too badly considering we have just had the wettest 6 month period on record since October with a lot of winter storms battering it. So quite a bit of wet-cold for a Filifera to deal with. Probably 25+ inches of rainfall since October.

@Gville Palms here is my twistiest Butia, some of the fronds curve around almost to horizontal!

I was fortunate enough to visit one of the most beautiful gardens in our area a true love for gardening has seen this gardeners knowledge and vision come true more than a dream a lifetime of living breathing plants the garden itself is 40 years old in a warm subtropical paradise with plants still being planted a true wonder land with so many mature varieties of palms some palms look completely different when mature in comparison to juvenile ones a true wonder land of nature and what a collection of plants 🌱

Lafazamanga!

This palm is now spoken for.

My friend Phil is giving me some of his rhapis palms there just simply to big for him to handle in his garden anymore they are some rhapis excelsea gave to him some 20 years ago now they have come back home to live there days out in the shade under the gum trees so thanks Phil for growing them to such large specimens in containers you’re one palm gardening in my eyes and for all the grow tips on plants

yep when well watered and fed these get thick trunks. My largest is 14 years int he ground from a 3 gallon.

@Johnny Palmseed You are correct , one of the pictures has a Florida in the background and AeAe in the other across the pool , have a few of them

Saw this nice Chrysalidocarpus onilahensis admiring its reflection in the water LOL

Who doesn’t love stilt-roots!?! An impressive example, Socratea, as seen in the legacy Carlsmith garden (Hilo) during the International Palm Society biennial, 2022.

Here’s a “before and after photo” of this planter area that was the first planter area worked on. This is about 2.5 years of growth! Pretty amazing 2022: 2024:

Here are 2 of mine. My largest is too hard to get a good picture of. This one is solitary: this one is clumping: and here’s a photo with both of them: here are a couple that I bought at Chrysalidocarpus Sp. Mayotte that show that “white triangle look”. This first pic shows it’s growing so fast that’s it’s busting off fronds while still green: here’s another: and here’s my favorite of all the tristichous hybrids, Chrysalidocarpus Robustus Hybrid (most like crossed with Lanceolatus):

Archontophoenix cunninghamiana

Will this need to be protected below 25F? This looks to be a zone pusher for me, but I felt like taking a chance since I have always wanted one:

Hey Stacy, here’s my larger Leucomalla. Definitely past the slow stage!

Today we got a few in the ground. First up is the Acoelorrhaphe Wrightii to replace the one I killed by transplanting too late last year. This just arrived today from Multiflora. Next is my Uresana that I've been growing in a pot for about 2 years now. Got this one from @palmsrgreat on the classifieds here. Next is a Chamaedorea Costaricana that also just came in from Multiflora. Everything I read says full sun but that doesn't always apply to TX so I went with half day sun and light canopy. Lastly, not a palm but I've wanted one forever, is the Philodendron Evansii. Hopefully this is as tough as it's rumored to be.

It has been many years since our current terms of service were updated. Yes, I am referring to that fine print most of us decline to read. The good news is there is exactly one additional sentence and it is just intended to streamline the registration procedures and membership management for our free level IPS membership. Here it is: Registration on PalmTalk.org without an existing membership in our society will constitute joining our society at a free membership level with associated benefits. In appreciation for your attention I will share a palm photo from my farm. Pigafetta , AKA the Black Wanga Palm

Ok I'm 99% sure that these are the same palms in this video Long live the cold hardy silver queen??? 😆 Here they are in Jan 2022 via streetview Looks like the big one may just end up surviving the triple barrage of polar vortex !!!

This is the view outside my window . I thought it looked fairly dramatic with those yellow inflorescences . This palm would be a lot fuller if that 1 cold snap winter before last hadn't zapped it good . Should start trunking again now that it has a relatively full crown . Will

I was in a friends garden yesterday and seen this

Very red new leaf on Actinokentia divaricata at Leu Gardens.

Life finds a way😝 even after 18.5F. Discount rack Chamaedorea cataractum with just normal leaf mulch, a majesty with a 2 gallon jug of water and a bedsheet, and Lytocaryum hoehnei with a cardboard box.

March will be 7 years. Pic taken in early Jan, Orlando, FL

Dypsis baronii “black petiole” enjoying the sun exposure.

Saw this Butia Odorata at Lowe's for 32 dollars. Couldn't resist . I don't know where I'm going to plant it but I'll figure it out. Perfect palm for our climate here in San Antonio.

man i just love this agave and is a show stopper. having it only about 10 years from a small 1 gallon to what it is now approx. 5ft in diameter, its been a great addition with contrasting colors in the garden. plus it really lives up to the extremes of the high desert. in any case, i will be sad once its gone and now debating if i should watch it flower for its full term or dig it out and plant something new ... well, it was beautiful while it lasted. from research and friend's experience, 10 years is about the average life span of these. cheers tin

And here’s Chrysalidocarpus Hovomantsina Hybrid (with a juvenile true form behind it to the left)

It is flowering season again for my dwarf form of Acacia cognata. The puffy mounds are a nice contrast to the may angular leaflets on my adjacent Cycads. I also am happy about the miniature size, as it fits the bill of a shrub more than a tree. Part of my success has been to keep any fertilizer away from its root zone when I apply my palm specific fertilizer to nearby palms and cycads.

This girl needed a haircut before the many pups below her flushed again. Rather than have a tangle of emerging new leaves, I opted to trim off most of the leaves on the pups, despite the fact that they were still green and healthy. This hybrid Cycad, Cycas thouarsii x cupida, is a vigorous grower in my climate so I have no fear of setting it back by over-trimming the pups once in a while.

A couple more towards the top of the hill. Harry

Found a unicorn in Sugar Land today

Nice looking palms, Peachy. Hope they do well for you. Seeing as how a sense of humor was subjected to a worldwide ban on Jan. 1, 2000 (as, apparently, was common sense) please repeat the following mantra I am trying to follow: Down with Hate, Up with Love. Down with thought and wit, Up with feelings and paranoia. Down with courage and honesty, Up with Fear, crayons and bunny rabbits. Because........ All you need is Love (Ya Ta Da Da Da), All you need is Love (Ya Ta Da Da Da) All you need is Love: LOVE! All you need is Love, Love, Love, Love, Love, Love, Love, Love, Love, Love ............ Credit and Kudos to the late, great John Lennon (look him up)

A easy palm to germinate the magnifica taking around 3 months bottom heating 30 degrees Celsius coco coir perlite mix and growing them is just the same as any other water loving palm once a few leaves have been grown you can pretty well much water them daily in summer about the thing you have to worry about is breaking the roots when planting or repotting so my advice is grow them on benches so the roots don’t grow into the ground in containers or even better sit them in a tray of water these seeds where purchased from RPS so far its looking like a 75% strike rate not to bad considering there journey around the globe to get to Australia and a delay in customs Australia

A visit to a local nursery in Burringbar certainly had some wonderful and interesting stock in there collection such wonderful plants all in great healthy condition grown with love and passion for rare plants there should be more nurseries around with such beautiful rare plants the grower certainly knows there plants well it’s always a pleasure to view such beautiful plants so if you’re in the market for some rare and interesting plants or are after something special for your garden look no further than plumtree pocket and if the nursery doesn’t have what you’re looking for iam sure the owner will try to source that special plant you’re looking for there will be something for your garden,patio or even that special entertainment area in some nice containers

Good question your basically looking at at least 5 years before you start to recover some of your cost but with prices in Australia you’re up against a lot of things as it’s more expensive now for basically everything you need to start up soil pots seeds or seedlings that doesn’t include infrastructure and running costs electricity labour some growers make more out of just germinating seeds or seedlings than a nursery but you need to find buyers of your seedlings no big running cost or growing exspense as Darryl said the drought affected plant sales with the public and gardening shows pushing for dry tolerant plants that are absolutely generic boring plants let’s see those budget makeover gardens in 5 years time there is a collectors market you will need to do all your own sales marketing using any media format available right down to word of mouth and basically selling your palms yourself you will need to be a salesman it depends what palm varieties you are growing as well and to what target market your after then there is the competition for sales among other growers you don’t do it for a business you do for the love of palms only and you need to stick at it iam currently setting up my second palm nursery after 20 years from my last nursery (life got in the way) also with import restrictions on seeds years ago it was just bring a suitcase full of seeds now you have to find a seller of seeds who has the correct paperwork palms are not what you know but who you know with local seed production of common varieties your limited on what is available there are not to many Johannesteijsmannia palms setting seeds in Australia and if there was they are soon traded or sold among other established growers or friends like I said not what you know but who you know my advice forget about a retail business just go hobby growing and build it from there if you stick with it in 10 years time you will have a business to be proud of do it because you love palms not money and it will all fall into place good luck 🌱

There was a general backlash about growing palms in this region a few years ago. Now that we have regular rainfall again, they are more in vogue again. The general public do still buy nicer species, surprisingly. Not too many commercial palm nurseries here now. Most rare stuff is grown and sold by backyard nurseries or not open to the public style nurseries. A retail palm only nursery would be difficult to keep alive. If you want to have a more diverse range of plants, then possibly. There are still a few nurseries left in this area but slowly they have all closed down. The trouble is the big box stores provide all of the common cheap plants, and small nurseries can't compete on price and still keep profitable. There used to be lots around...now just a handful. Also most retail nurseries here bring their stock down from Far North Queensland as growth is much faster. And the quicker you can grow and sell a plant the more profit you make on it....that is business after all.

Arecas were first up for photos on my own stilt root list. Not exciting but here goes. Areca ipot was from gift seed so I made some triples and planted this group on a steep dry slope 2 years ago to try to minimize erosion after I pulled lots of invasive plants. No reasonable way to water these and unusually hot and dry but they are hanging on. Areca novohibernica Areca triandra below showing stilts in a pot. Areca vestiaria is next. I will try for better photos of some of these in another part of my farm hopefully not chewed on by ox beetles. See how far my gloved finger goes into the stem. Not good but will probably survive. A top choice for beetles to attack among my palms. I KNOW there are beautiful stilted A. vestiarias in HI and elsewhere so please show them here.

Had a spare box full of adscedans I finally got around to potting them up they are from my own seeds I hand pollinated an easy palm to grow and germinate bottom heating 30 degrees Celsius certainly helps but a warm place in summer is quite suitable with fresh seeds adscedans are one of my favourite chamaedorea to grow

Not to encourage more impulse buying, but I did add quite a few items to the bullpen at the CFPACS Meeting in Lutz. They'll be getting their call up to the big leagues shortly: 2 x Chrysalidocarpus pembana + Kerriodoxa elegans Sabal mexicana + Hybrid Red Spicata coconut + Sabal causiarum + Livistona saribus Coccothrinax ? + Pritchardia thurstonii + Sabal ?

A few of mine in bloom right now

Clouds, and a break in the clouds overhead.