Large palm collection in Phoenix Arizona

[Mr.SamuraiSword]

I was walking near south mountain in Phoenic as I often like going for long walks especially with everything being closed and such, and noticed a house with a large royal palm. I asked the owner if i could look around and he obliged and showed me around. 

I'll start with the numerous Royals on the property.  Here's the biggest one 

Another big one, very robust and had more smaller ones planted on the left.  

 

 

There were around 25 Royals planted in various spots around the property. Most were around thus size or somewhat smaller

He also had many other uncommon palms.

Beccariophoenix alfredi

Several Jubeas

Prichardia remota

Chamberonia macrocarpia

parajubaea torallyi

Foxtail Palm

Chamadorea sp

Pseudophoenix?

Sabal Caucasarium 

Fishtail palm,

nannorrhops ritchiana

Phoenix Rupicola. 

More Jubeas

Everglades Palm

[aztropic]

Cool find! Hope you dropped the "palmtalk" bug on him.

 

aztropic

Mesa,Arizona

[Fusca]

I believe pic #16 is Allagoptera and not Pseudophoenix.  Probably A. arenaria

[aztropic]

14 minutes ago, Fusca said:

I believe pic #16 is Allagoptera and not Pseudophoenix.  Probably A. arenaria

Correct... But he NEEDS a Pseudophoenix! They grow great here in the desert.

 

aztropic

Mesa,Arizona

[Fusca]

6 minutes ago, aztropic said:

Correct... But he NEEDS a Pseudophoenix! They grow great here in the desert.

 

aztropic

Mesa,Arizona

Nice!

[Meangreen94z]

At what point are the various Pseudophoenix hardy to out in the desert?

Edited April 28, 2020 by Meangreen94z

[Mr.SamuraiSword]

4 hours ago, aztropic said:

Cool find! Hope you dropped the "palmtalk" bug on him.

 

aztropic

Mesa,Arizona

I certainly did, showed him a couple threads and such. Hopefully he joins!

30 minutes ago, aztropic said:

Correct... But he NEEDS a Pseudophoenix! They grow great here in the desert.

 

aztropic

Mesa,Arizona

He actually had one but not planted in the ground yet, it was about 2 years old from a seedling.  I actually mentioned yours and how well they do.  Would you say they are probably the best suited crownshaft palm for this area?

Edited April 28, 2020 by Mr.SamuraiSword

[aztropic]

For the Phoenix area at least,Pseudophoenix sargentii - easy enough they should be in the big box stores! Vinifera and lediniana;can be grown if you start with a larger plant.Ekmanii,too slow,although it will grow...

 

aztropic

Mesa,Arizona

[aztropic]

44 minutes ago, Mr.SamuraiSword said:

Would you say they are probably the best suited crownshaft palm for this area?

Best crownshafted palm for this area is the royal palm,hands down.He's got 25,I've got at least a dozen,permanently planted.Next best are going to be your vietchias,ptychospermas,and carpentaria for their speedy growth.Pseudophoenix falls in after those, because of its slow growth.They are a long term investment because larger specimens are hard to find,especially out west.Foxtails are often imported here most years, but are usually dead within a year.Hyophorbes need your best micro climate.I have a bottle palm thats been planted 20 years, but the spindle just gave up this year,after 15 years in the ground.Anything else is going to be exotic and will require special care to survive the Phoenix climate.

 

aztropic

Mesa,Arizona

Edited April 28, 2020 by aztropic

[James B]

11 hours ago, aztropic said:

Best crownshafted palm for this area is the royal palm,hands down.He's got 25,I've got at least a dozen,permanently planted.Next best are going to be your vietchias,ptychospermas,and carpentaria for their speedy growth.Pseudophoenix falls in after those, because of its slow growth.They are a long term investment because larger specimens are hard to find,especially out west.Foxtails are often imported here most years, but are usually dead within a year.Hyophorbes need your best micro climate.I have a bottle palm thats been planted 20 years, but the spindle just gave up this year,after 15 years in the ground.Anything else is going to be exotic and will require special care to survive the Phoenix climate.

 

aztropic

Mesa,Arizona

I can understand Roystonea as long as they get tons of water since they love full sun. Crazy about the other crownshafted palms doing better than Archontophoenix. Good to know since if I do not retire in California I’d retire in Arizona.

[aztropic]

Archontophoenix is definitely a tough grow here.If you can keep it from getting any direct summer afternoon sun,they will grow, but any frond that sticks out will be burned off.They are best kept here in a pot,under a covered patio.

 

aztropic

Mesa,Arizona

[James B]

8 hours ago, aztropic said:

Archontophoenix is definitely a tough grow here.If you can keep it from getting any direct summer afternoon sun,they will grow, but any frond that sticks out will be burned off.They are best kept here in a pot,under a covered patio.

 

aztropic

Mesa,Arizona

Wow. That’s too bad. I know the sun there is intense but that makes our sun here seem mild.

[Mr.SamuraiSword]

On 4/29/2020 at 5:29 AM, James B said:

Wow. That’s too bad. I know the sun there is intense but that makes our sun here seem mild.

He had some in a pot in his greenhouse  but they weren't doing well,

  I forgot to mention he is growing Royals in his greenhouse too, had around 30 in various stages of youth. He said he intended on selling many of them eventually.  

[Garcia3]

Did he provide any more info on those Jubaea in his yard?  Are they in full phoenix sun?  Were they grown from seed?  They look to be doing pretty well, I'm shocked to see them take the sun so well.  Also I didn't realized Pritchardia and Caryota could be plant outside here, I thought our heat/lack of humidity would roast them.  Awesome find!

[aztropic]

I think if you start the Jubaea from seed here in Phoenix,they have a much better rate of survival than importing one from CA.I tried 3 different times with 15 gallon plants I'd brought back from CA and all died within a year.

I then started a batch of seed about 5 years ago, and have had great success with those.

 

aztropic

Mesa,Arizona

[Mr.SamuraiSword]

1 hour ago, Garcia3 said:

Did he provide any more info on those Jubaea in his yard?  Are they in full phoenix sun?  Were they grown from seed?  They look to be doing pretty well, I'm shocked to see them take the sun so well.  Also I didn't realized Pritchardia and Caryota could be plant outside here, I thought our heat/lack of humidity would roast them.  Awesome find!

Yes, he started the Jubea from seed, as with the Caryota and Pritchardia.  The Jubea are all in full sun except the last one, in 70% ish sun.  All his royals were also started from seed, and he had around 40 2-3 foot tall royals he had started from seed in a green house

[GeorgeNS]

How is the parajubaea torallyi doing?  Still hanging in there?

[Bennie]

A question to those with large royal palms here in AZ. 
 

I have a few young royals growing in my backyard, and am getting ready to add some new palms to the front of my house. I would like to line my driveway on the left side. I’ve read a lot about the royal palm dropping a borderline dangerously large frond that can weigh 30-50 lbs. My question is- Is it a bad idea to add these to an area that I park my car? Is my car safe if parked 8-10 feet from the base of a large royal? 

[aztropic]

6 hours ago, Bennie said:

A question to those with large royal palms here in AZ. 
I would like to line my driveway on the left side. I’ve read a lot about the royal palm dropping a borderline dangerously large frond that can weigh 30-50 lbs. 

Not in Arizona... The fronds are almost always totally dry when they fall in Arizona. Out of curiosity,I have weighed several examples, and they average only 5-6 pounds each.

Point is moot though,as any royals planted out in the open in Phoenix, lining a driveway, receiving full afternoon summer sun, will not be alive for long. The fronds will take the sun ok, but the western side of the trunk will sunburn, and the palm will eventually succumb. Large examples CAN be grown here though, if started with protection from summer afternoon sun. East side of a house, other trees providing afternoon shade to the trunk, or even planting on the east side of a block wall or between houses will give a young royal the protection it requires to get established until the trunk thickens up.

 

aztropic

Mesa, Arizona 

[Cade]

On 2/24/2024 at 8:33 PM, aztropic said:

Not in Arizona... The fronds are almost always totally dry when they fall in Arizona. Out of curiosity,I have weighed several examples, and they average only 5-6 pounds each.

Point is moot though,as any royals planted out in the open in Phoenix, lining a driveway, receiving full afternoon summer sun, will not be alive for long. The fronds will take the sun ok, but the western side of the trunk will sunburn, and the palm will eventually succumb. Large examples CAN be grown here though, if started with protection from summer afternoon sun. East side of a house, other trees providing afternoon shade to the trunk, or even planting on the east side of a block wall or between houses will give a young royal the protection it requires to get established until the trunk thickens up.

 

aztropic

Mesa, Arizona 

So pretty 

[96720]

ISorry @GeorgeNS I didn’t see this post until yesterday 2 years late but it is still alive grows slooooow but that’s fine!!!

[Bennie]

On 2/24/2024 at 7:33 PM, aztropic said:

Not in Arizona... The fronds are almost always totally dry when they fall in Arizona. Out of curiosity,I have weighed several examples, and they average only 5-6 pounds each.

Point is moot though,as any royals planted out in the open in Phoenix, lining a driveway, receiving full afternoon summer sun, will not be alive for long. The fronds will take the sun ok, but the western side of the trunk will sunburn, and the palm will eventually succumb. Large examples CAN be grown here though, if started with protection from summer afternoon sun. East side of a house, other trees providing afternoon shade to the trunk, or even planting on the east side of a block wall or between houses will give a young royal the protection it requires to get established until the trunk thickens up.

 

aztropic

Mesa, Arizona 

Thanks for the info Scott. Good to know my main concern should be about burning in short term. The areas I’m targeting are between my two story house and my neighbors two story house closest to my driveway.  Marked with “X” in the photo below, I believe they will be mostly shaded during peak 1-4pm summer sun based on the sun’s position and how tall my neighbors house is. Note that the photo does not show the actual shade at that time, just the suns position, Thoughts?

Edited February 27 by Bennie

[aztropic]

Bottom 3 X's are probably good locations for a royal. Next one up is a maybe. Top X,forgetaboutit! 😄 

 

aztropic

Mesa, Arizona 

[hbernstein]

I think that the palm to try in the Phoenix area should be Sabal palmetto. I saw one growing in Abu Dhabi (with supplemental watering) that looked completely happy with temperatures in the high hundred and teens.

From images of desert Royals that I've seen, their leaves always look a bit starved for humidity, kind of dry and lacking turgidity. I also question the concept of growing a palm that's happiest with its roots in wet mud in the desert. It's takes a lot of water to keep an adult royal alive. The royals that I've seen in near coastal California have looked more representative of the species.

[96720]

 I have never been to Florida but those royals in Scotts yard look pretty nice to me!! Here’s a picture of mine!! Sabals and a lot of other palms grow great in Phoenix but who wants a yard full of one kind of palm?

[aztropic]

5 hours ago, hbernstein said:

I think that the palm to try in the Phoenix area should be Sabal palmetto. I saw one growing in Abu Dhabi (with supplemental watering) that looked completely happy with temperatures in the high hundred and teens.

From images of desert Royals that I've seen, their leaves always look a bit starved for humidity, kind of dry and lacking turgidity. I also question the concept of growing a palm that's happiest with its roots in wet mud in the desert. It's takes a lot of water to keep an adult royal alive. The royals that I've seen in near coastal California have looked more representative of the species.

Sabal palmetto does grow here,but are not easy to come by. Many other common species,like royals or foxtails CAN be grown in the desert too,although they don't present as lush as when grown in a more humid environment. If there was a requirement that every palm grown in the hot desert had to look perfect,we would be limited to growing only Washingtonia,Phoenix,and Brahea species. How fun would that be? 🤷‍♂️ 

 

aztropic

Mesa,Arizona

[Silas_Sancona]

6 hours ago, hbernstein said:

I think that the palm to try in the Phoenix area should be Sabal palmetto. I saw one growing in Abu Dhabi (with supplemental watering) that looked completely happy with temperatures in the high hundred and teens.

From images of desert Royals that I've seen, their leaves always look a bit starved for humidity, kind of dry and lacking turgidity. I also question the concept of growing a palm that's happiest with its roots in wet mud in the desert. It's takes a lot of water to keep an adult royal alive. The royals that I've seen in near coastal California have looked more representative of the species.

Having spotted more of them lately, they're definitely around / being planted.. Most just aren't tall enough to really stand out among the ga-zillions of Washingtonia planted around here just yet. 

S. uresana, since it is essentially native / best adapted,  ...and the rarer Sabal sps from Mexico / the Caribbean  would be my personal pick(s) Sabal- wise here.


As far as royals here... PLENTY of mud around, -in the right parts of town ( Some parts of town use flood irrigation ..either on a bi -weekly / once a month basis / Lots of neighborhood artificial lakes too here )  As it concerns the neighborhood ponds, challenge -for the moment at least- is finding a neighborhood where the designer installed Royals vs. Queens around X pond.. 

Although it is a little more humid- in some areas- down there, compared to here, there are plenty of great looking Royal specimens to be found growing in drier areas of Sonora and Baja Sur,  ...so i -myself- aren't  completely sold on the idea that low humidity is the biggest issue w/ how they can look here  -though it plays a part of course, No denying that.

Most people here don't pursue total landscapes they have to constantly water so, -more often than not-,  the best looking Royals will be growing in the yard of a dedicated collector,  rather than your usual neighbor's yard. 

..As mentioned, hoping some daring developer decides to try royals ...instead of Queens...  around a neighborhood / commercial property pond.. (  perhaps some Majestys too.. )

Once that happens, then we can get a better idea of how much ...or little... our consistently low humidity effects them here.

[wrigjef]

My Texas Sabal planted in 2013 from a 15 gallon pot.  Pic taken Sept 30, 2018 and today.  It’s very slow growing.  My Bismarkia was the same size at planting and it’s 3 times the size of the Sabal.