Brahea clara, surprise 2018 winter survivor

[Joe NC]

I have two small Brahea clara, one in a pot one in the ground here in NC.  Since I had a back up, I was going to let the in ground one fend for itself during the winter and see how it held up.  I chickened out and threw a 5 gallon bucket over it right before the snow, but no other protection except for that one week of bucket cover this winter.  I don't know what kind of thermal protection the bucket gave it, but after a week of temps that probably came close to killing (if not) my mature Butia and caused some Sabal palmetto in the yard spear pull, it wasn't even totally defoliated (one leaf left standing).  It's not pretty and it lost part of one emerging spear, but it is growing and pushing out a second undamaged new spear now.  Tough little palm.

  

[frienduvafrond]

Great to see! Encouraging, as there are thousands of butia that are toasted. Never have I seen the butias look so bad, the long spear leaf they have to push out I think was their demise. The fan leaved palms have faired better for this reason perhaps, but I am far from an expert. The guy selling palms on Carolina Beach Rd, guarantees his palms for a year , and lost his you know what this year. Did you grow these from seed? How fast do they grow here? Thanks for the pic!

[Joe NC]

On 4/24/2018, 6:42:47, frienduvafrond said:

 Did you grow these from seed? How fast do they grow here?

I got them from E-bay early last year.  They were strap leaf size, and started to grow small palmate leaves during the summer.  The one in the ground holds less leaves than the potted one, and generally looked less happy even before winter.  I'm guessing it didn't appreciate my clay soil and all the rain?  I wouldn't say it grows fast, but not a completely painfully slow grower either.

[Jimhardy]

Mine looks good too they seem to be very hardy(although it was covered)

and growth rate is pretty fast too, it also did not seem to be bothered by

the moisture in the enclosure.

[Joe NC]

Update.  (Well a one year late update)

Both the potted and in ground B. clara died during the summer sometime during the 100 inches of rain we got last year.

[Swolte]

Sorry to hear that Joe. The excessive rains aren't kind on this genus. I have mounded my Clara up in over a foot of a well-draining mix and it's still alive. Had an Armata that died in the same spot though I didn't mound and it was in clay. 

[mdsonofthesouth]

16 hours ago, Joe NC said:

Update.  (Well a one year late update)

Both the potted and in ground B. clara died during the summer sometime during the 100 inches of rain we got last year.

 

Sorry to hear that! I lost a trachycarpus to those same rains so I feel your pain.