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Palms for Flores Island, Azores, Portugal


Daniel Szyper

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What species of palms could become naturalized on Flores Island in the Western Azores? It has a frost free Zone 11 oceanic climate, somewhere in between a Marine West Coast climate and a humid subtropical climate, with winter temperatures in the 50s F, summer temperatures in the 60s and low 70s F, high humidity, and lots of year round rain. Palms requiring tropical heat would not do well. And I think, neither would desert palms. Rhopalostylus from New Zealand would be an obvious choice, I would think.  As would Phoenix canariensis. How about Jubaea chilensis, or Tracycharpus, Butia, Syagrus, or Sabal species? Or how about Livistona chinensis, boninensis, or australis? The climate on Flores is probably too damp for Washingtonias or Braheas. Thank you for your input. I am just curious.

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14 hours ago, Daniel Szyper said:

What species of palms could become naturalized on Flores Island in the Western Azores? It has a frost free Zone 11 oceanic climate, somewhere in between a Marine West Coast climate and a humid subtropical climate, with winter temperatures in the 50s F, summer temperatures in the 60s and low 70s F, high humidity, and lots of year round rain. Palms requiring tropical heat would not do well. And I think, neither would desert palms. Rhopalostylus from New Zealand would be an obvious choice, I would think.  As would Phoenix canariensis. How about Jubaea chilensis, or Tracycharpus, Butia, Syagrus, or Sabal species? Or how about Livistona chinensis, boninensis, or australis? The climate on Flores is probably too damp for Washingtonias or Braheas. Thank you for your input. I am just curious.

It seems that some of the New Caledonia (NC) palms would be worthy candidates as well.  Burretiokentia hapala, Kentiopsis oliviformis and Cyphophoenix elegans would be some of the most accommodating species within each of the three genus to try.  Here in Southern California, Cyphophoenix elegans performs better in the coastal zone (more similar probably to what you describe) while Cyphophoenix nucele I hear outperforms elegans in the inland coastal valleys with more daytime heat.  Chambeyronia macrocarpa would be another NC palm to try.

Since you mentioned Lord Howe Island palms, I wouldn't stop at H forsteriana, but would suggest H belmoreana and Hedyscepe canterburyana.  I know I saw plenty of H belmoreana growing in Lisbon and Sintra on mainland Portugal when visiting a couple of years ago.

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33.0782 North -117.305 West  at 72 feet elevation

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Thank you Tracy. I am not familiar with the palms of New Caledonia, though I know where the island is, and I know it is an ancient piece of the supercontinent Gondwana right near the Tropic of Capricorn, east of Queensland and due North of Lord Howe island and Norfolk Island.  I have read that New Caledonia has many native species of palms, but I have not studied them. Thank you again for pointing me in this interesting direction of study.

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18 hours ago, kinzyjr said:

These threads have comments from @Shoowow and @SoulofthePlace who have lived there for a bit.

They still live there. On São Miguel island and on Pico island, respectively. Both are great sources of information regarding experiences with palm trees in the Azores. Contact them.

I lived a few years on Terceira island and I subscribe to @Tracy's advice

 

 

Edited by lzorrito
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Greetings, Luís

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Hello Daniel, welcome to the forum and to the Azores!  You are in an excellent place to grow lots and lots of palm varieties. If you have a chance to stop by S. Miguel you can see many varieties here, since Flores has very few palms still.  The major issue here is in general wind storms and lack of access to seedlings for new varieties. In general, established and common palms here include CIDP, Archies, Howeas, Livistonas, Washies and a few other common types, since those are the ones that people have reproduced locally. Like others have posted, you can see some of the stuff I've been putting on the ground in my garden in the links at the top of the page. In general, I would say you can grow a lot more than you think. After all, conditions are pretty ripe for most palms; pretty much anything short of cocos nucifera and similar. And btw, your winter temps are more 50s at night and mid 60s daytime. In summer plenty of days in the low to mid 80s, so not as cool as some people may think. Your average in St. Cruz is about 64 year round.

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São Miguel, Azores, 37N, Zone 11B, Elevation 110m, Yearly average 18c (64F), Record low 4c (40F), Record high 30 (86F)

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  • 4 weeks later...

All three Hyophorbes, Archontophoenixes, Bismarckia, Butias, Washingtonia robusta and filibusta, although I am also growing filifera without much problems, Copernicias, Kentias howeas, Phoenixes, even the Moroccan desert date palms such as Medjool, Ptychosperma elegans, Areca catechu, Sabals, Trachycarpus, Veitchias, esp. montgomeriana/arecina, maybe even Adonidia (I don't need ya) merrilli, Latania, maybe Satakentia maybe, Beccariophoenix alfredii but NOT fenestralis, Roystonea regia most likely.

Average day temperatures: +17°C in the winter and +24°C in the summer. Typical Summer: 68F to 77F (20C to 25C). Typical Winter: 55F to 64F (12C to 18C). Record Low (past 5 years): 45F or +7.7C (once a winter, some winters). Record High (past 5 years): 83F or +28C (some days only). Elevation 140 m (459 ft.) to 160 m (525 ft.), latitude 38.54º. Sunset Zone: unknown

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I live in a similar climate, but a little bit coldest in winter. You should be able to grow any palm which dont need warm temperatures to grow. Good candidates are:

Nikau, all Ceroxylon, dypsis baronii, dypsis decipiens, dypsis ambisitrae, all phoenix, all washintonias, all archontophoenix, all howeas, hedyscepe, lepdidorrachis, all chamaedorea, chambeyronia, euterpe edulis, raphis excelsa...

All palms from temperate areas and high elevation palms should grow fine for you

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Don’t forget Parajubaea. They should love the Azores. 

Millbrook, "Kinjarling" Noongar word meaning "Place of Rain", Rainbow Coast, Western Australia 35S. Warm temperate. Csb Koeppen Climate classification. Cool nights all year round.

 

 

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