Is this a coconut or am I dreaming?

[Danilopez89]

[Danilopez89]

[Danilopez89]

Pinch me!

[Yunder Wækraus]

Does anyone know?

[Stevetoad]

That's a coco alright. Where is it?

[The Palm Nut]

Well there ya go another coconut just south and over the mountains from LA

[Danilopez89]

This is in La Quinta Ca. Just a few miles from my house.

This thing looks perfect! I've been seeing it for years but I would always drive by it pretty fast and could never get a good look at it. Plus it wasn't this high over the wall last time I saw it.

The sun was just going down and I knew there would be no better time to photograph this thing. So I turned my truck around and put it in park with my hazard lights on and snapped a few. After a good look at it I got all excited and stuff! I never imagined that it would be coconut palm tree. The first time I saw the different leaves as I sped by I actually thought it would be an Attalea or something.

[Xenon]

Wow!! looks quite good !

[Jim in Los Altos]

Hmm, so we're back to coconuts DO grow in California! That one is certainly a lot bigger than the Newport one ever hoped to be.

[displaced_floridian]

Maybe it's a Beccariophoenix

[Zeeth]

Why does it look like there's a dead stump next to it?

[Alicehunter2000]

In North Florida we would knock on the door and ask ...... lol ..... some advantages to living in the South sometimes.

[empireo22]

looks like a beccariophoenix.

maybe you can knock on the door. either way they are a palm collector or bought the home of a palm collector and would probably be happy to tell you the story.

[SouthSeaNate]

Yes go back & knock their door, the worst that can happen is they tell you to **** off

[Ben in Norcal]

Doesn't look like Beccariophoenix to me, and I would also be surprised if there were one that large in California? That looks like a Cocos to me!!

[Bill H2DB]

Get the address , and send them a letter with an SASE enclosed , might work also ??

( Old fashioned , I know .)

[Matt in OC]

Is La Quinta considered 9b?

[Cluster]

Looking at La Quinta it has some very high temperatures all over the year, in fact its average mean temperatures competes with south Florida! However they are very prone to severe cold fronts, the record low seems to be 13 f, no way a coconut would not die instantly without artificial protection and there are 5 months where the record low is equal or below 25 f.. Without protection against extreme cold I see it unlikely that they will be there for many years. It could also be a Beccariophoenix but it is hard to tell without more detailed pictures:). In that regard Newport seemed more adequate as it does not get those extreme low temperatures that would definitely strike a coconut from all the reports on palmtalk.

Edited May 31, 2015 by Cluster

[SouthSeaNate]

Those climate stats for La Quinta are actually from Indio, so not sure if that makes a difference...

[rprimbs]

It does not look like a Beccariophoenix to me. Looks like a coconut. Maybe the sheltered position next to the house helps?

[Zeeth]

It's a coconut for sure, but looks like a recent transplant.

[Jim in Los Altos]

It's a coconut for sure, but looks like a recent transplant.

Just curious. What makes it look like a recent transplant? All I can see is its top portion.

[Jim in Los Altos]

looks like a beccariophoenix.

maybe you can knock on the door. either way they are a palm collector or bought the home of a palm collector and would probably be happy to tell you the story.

Besides the coconut and unidentified palm behind it, all I see is a scraggly young queen palm on the property. Not exactly what makes for a palm "collector". La Quinta is near Palm Springs and nearly every home there has palms.

[Cluster]

Those climate stats for La Quinta are actually from Indio, so not sure if that makes a difference...

I do not know the zone myself as well, but all the stations around, including Palm springs (this one for example has had daily highs below 40 f in extreme situations!) have many months with record low below 25 f and all of them have a record low in the coldest month equal or below 19f). It just seems hard without using heat pads or some sort of protection during the severe cold that will eventually happen. However not knowing how often it gets below 28f is hard to tell how many years one should expect no problems:)

Edited May 31, 2015 by Cluster

[empireo22]

looks like a beccariophoenix.

maybe you can knock on the door. either way they are a palm collector or bought the home of a palm collector and would probably be happy to tell you the story.

Besides the coconut and unidentified palm behind it, all I see is a scraggly young queen palm on the property. Not exactly what makes for a palm "collector". La Quinta is near Palm Springs and nearly every home there has palms.

you probably right about them not being a collector. the unidentified palm behind the coco looks like an overpruned queen.

either way coco or beccariophoenix is not an easy find there right?

the petioles don't have me convinced its a cocos though. here they are much thicker looking. but I searched for the Newport coco pics when it was healthy and they looked similar.

[Brad Mondel]

It's a coconut for sure, but looks like a recent transplant.

He said in a prior post that it's been there for years but misidentified it because he couldn't see it well.

[SouthSeaNate]

Those climate stats for La Quinta are actually from Indio, so not sure if that makes a difference...

I do not know the zone myself as well, but all the stations around, including Palm springs (this one for example has had daily highs below 40 f in extreme situations!) have many months with record low below 25 f and all of them have a record low in the coldest month equal or below 19f). It just seems hard without using heat pads or some sort of protection during the severe cold that will eventually happen. However not knowing how often it gets below 28f is hard to tell how many years one should expect no problems:)

But most weather stations are located at airports or air bases, which are always much colder than the general area they represent. I don't know the area at all though so have no idea what sort of temperatures or record lows they would get in suburban & urban areas there...

[Danilopez89]

Why does it look like there's a dead stump next to it?

Its a queen palm behind it. Its ugly! Looks like its dying or over trimmed. But the coco looks perfect. It's not a Beccariophoenix...

[Danilopez89]

It's a coconut for sure, but looks like a recent transplant.

Just curious. What makes it look like a recent transplant? All I can see is its top portion.

???

[Danilopez89]

Yes go back & knock their door, the worst that can happen is they tell you to **** off

I had a similar experience.

[Cluster]

Yes very often the official weather stations are cooler than residential places, still 19 f is way too cold. I browsed for the amateur weather stations on wunderground (as in, in the city and most likely not reliable) in Palm springs and even in 2015 they had like 3 or so days in a row with temperatures below freezing (reaching a year low of 30-27 f!) with daily highs of 55-60 f. In a more extreme year it will be more severe, not even reaching 50 F during the day. If a coconut can withstand this totally exposed I am surprised, but great for them otherwise (at least I would be happy to have one coconut!)

Edited May 31, 2015 by Cluster

[Yunder Wækraus]

Is it more a case of the roots staying warm? The desert cools at night much more than a place like FL does, so any coconut that has survived for years in the CA desert will have become accustomed to cooler temps. Perhaps in FL it is the sudden drop from overnight lows in the 60s and 70s to an out-of-the-blue freeze that kills coconuts at higher temps. Maybe the protection afforded by the structure within which the coconut is growing keeps the roots warmer, and the above-ground tree is less affected by a drop in temps because it's hardened off by frequent lows in the 40s and 50s throughout the winter.

[Danilopez89]

It does not look like a Beccariophoenix to me. Looks like a coconut. Maybe the sheltered position next to the house helps?

Bingo! Look at the picture, walls surround the palm. The house also provides protection from the west winds and cold. This home is in an extreme microclimate.

[_Keith]

Maybe they have unlocked the secret.

[Danilopez89]

Is it more a case of the roots staying warm? The desert cools at night much more than a place like FL does, so any coconut that has survived for years in the CA desert will have become accustomed to cooler temps. Perhaps in FL it is the sudden drop from overnight lows in the 60s and 70s to an out-of-the-blue freeze that kills coconuts at higher temps. Maybe the protection afforded by the structure within which the coconut is growing keeps the roots warmer, and the above-ground tree is less affected by a drop in temps because it's hardened off by frequent lows in the 40s and 50s throughout the winter.

Excellent theory!

As soon as the sun comes out it heats up the walls surrounding it. I bet there's a small pool in there too.

[Pando]

Looks like it's clearly taking advantage of the local microclimate - enclosed stone block walls and planted right next to a south-facing wall. It's getting plenty of heat and is protected from cold winds. The soil temps are probably way higher in the enclosed space than anywhere around. Being in the desert, very little cloud cover in winter means the block wall warms everything up nicely.

It's definitely not a recent transplant - Google Street view shows it there in 2012, and I think it's also visible in 2007/2008 images although those are too blurry to see with certainty.

[Cluster]

All these stories with houses with amazing protection that create perfect micro-climates make me wonder if I could manage one here in Lisbon (if I had a house with such conditions that is! ). Lisbon being the warmest capital of continental Europe during the winter (never registered a freezing temperature), I would give it a go in such location:)

Anyway looking at this house in particular and all the walls around it does inspire a great micro climate nonetheless.

Edited May 31, 2015 by Cluster

[Cluster]

If the owner does answer it will clear many things for sure, this coconut (or what it looks to be a coconut) looks rather young, maybe 8 years-10 years. I have the feeling this is the new Newport once the owner clears things.

Edited May 31, 2015 by Cluster

[Pando]

As soon as the sun comes out it heats up the walls surrounding it. I bet there's a small pool in there too.

Of course, the whole yard is a pool. Probably heated to 90 degrees all winter. lol

[Yunder Wækraus]

If it can be confirmed, someone needs to build a walled garden in inland San Diego ASAP!