ahosey01 420 Report post Posted January 2 What is your favorite palm genus and why? The more I plant and learn, the more I’m partial to Sabal. I like that they run the gamut from small (minor) to large (causiarum), that they range from bomb-proof (sp. Birmingham) to tender (mauritiiformis), that some can take full, melt-your-face AZ desert temps (120+) and that others can survive dips into the single digits, and some (uresana) can do both. I like that they’re slow growers - makes the large ones more satisfying. And last, I like the costapalmate leaves. It’s like having the best of both worlds in leaflet arrangement. Whats yours? 2 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Darold Petty 2,524 Report post Posted January 2 Hedyscepe.........Recurved and keeled fronds, crownshaft, self-cleaning fronds, but not so heavy as to cause damage, most beautiful blue-green trunk, huge, bright red seeds. Downside ? can be erratic grower, (might or might not grow for you), slow growing, occasionally subject to root pathogens, requires regular moisture 9 3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ben in Norcal 2,069 Report post Posted January 3 As much as I respect your opinion and Darold's, you are both incorrect. In terms of things I can grow here - how can Chambeyronia not be everyone's absolute favorite? Maybe Cyrtostachys if we include things I have zero chance of growing? Certainly, I have never understood the Cocos obsession...I mean they are nice and all, but not like an "epic" palm in my mind. 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
EastCanadaTropicals 85 Report post Posted January 3 Jubaea by far. 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
amh 298 Report post Posted January 3 12 hours ago, ahosey01 said: What is your favorite palm genus and why? The more I plant and learn, the more I’m partial to Sabal. I like that they run the gamut from small (minor) to large (causiarum), that they range from bomb-proof (sp. Birmingham) to tender (mauritiiformis), that some can take full, melt-your-face AZ desert temps (120+) and that others can survive dips into the single digits, and some (uresana) can do both. I like that they’re slow growers - makes the large ones more satisfying. And last, I like the costapalmate leaves. It’s like having the best of both worlds in leaflet arrangement. Whats yours? I don't have a favorite yet, but Sabal is a strong contender for the reasons given. Mature Sabals are very impressive, especially in person.. 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
awkonradi 272 Report post Posted January 3 Trachycarpus, because I am hateful. 5 3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chester B 1,362 Report post Posted January 3 I'm pretty into Copernicia these days, It's a real shame I have no chance in hell of growing them. 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bazza 133 Report post Posted January 3 Love the Australian Archontophoenix as a underutilized genus in this area but one I have learned to appreciate for their practicality and beauty. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Really full garden 1,478 Report post Posted January 3 Hydriastele - incredibly diverse group of palms. 3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnAndSancho 348 Report post Posted January 3 Licualas. I love the big fat green leaves. 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Darold Petty 2,524 Report post Posted January 3 1 hour ago, Ben in Norcal said: In terms of things I can grow here - how can Chambeyronia not be everyone's absolute favorite? I greatly admire this palm, but I believe my yard is too cool for acceptable growth. Ben, how many fronds do you get per year on each palm ?? 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ben in Norcal 2,069 Report post Posted January 3 10 minutes ago, Darold Petty said: I greatly admire this palm, but I believe my yard is too cool for acceptable growth. Ben, how many fronds do you get per year on each palm ?? Not being funny, but have you tried it Darold? At best 1-2 fronds a year even here where we have all the heat you could want. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DoomsDave 8,652 Report post Posted January 3 What? JUST ONE??? 6 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DoomsDave 8,652 Report post Posted January 3 Wait Dypsis such variety 4 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Marius 534 Report post Posted January 3 Brahea 2 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Meangreen94z 768 Report post Posted January 3 Hyphaene currently, seems to be under appreciated .... also enjoy Brahea, Borassus, Livistona , Acrocomia , some Sabal...... as far as the more tropical....Dypsis 2 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Xenon 1,308 Report post Posted January 3 3 hours ago, Really full garden said: Hydriastele - incredibly diverse group of palms. Have to agree with this. Some of my favorite palms period are the rainforest emergents like H. costata and H. longispatha. But there's also the more petite and delicate understory stuff like H. beguinii, the stately H. ramsayi that comes from drier habitat, and even the semi-aquatic H. rheophytica. 4 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GottmitAlex 2,936 Report post Posted January 3 Cocos nucifera.... I know. It's not the rarest. In fact, it's the most common in the world. However, I still love 'em. 3 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
James760 439 Report post Posted January 3 Sabal. 1 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Plantasexoticas 314 Report post Posted January 3 8 hours ago, Darold Petty said: I greatly admire this palm, but I believe my yard is too cool for acceptable growth. Ben, how many fronds do you get per year on each palm ?? I have Chambeyronia macrocarpa growing in pots which are kept outside 95% of the year and they grow fairly well in the cool weather here (uk) so I’d be surprised if they didn’t do well in your area grown from seed they have actually been fairly speedy (at least in uk standards) James 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Plantasexoticas 314 Report post Posted January 3 For me, favourites are the Ceroxylon, very slow to get going but it’s nice to have some more unusual palms growing outdoors in pots that are very uncommon in this area. Slowly expanding my collection of any palm that can grow in the cooler weather here and maybe tolerate a bit of frost. Helps to create interest even if they have to stay in pots their whole lives here. 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Darold Petty 2,524 Report post Posted January 3 11 hours ago, Ben in Norcal said: Not being funny, but have you tried it Darold? At best 1-2 fronds a year even here where we have all the heat you could want. Now my memory has been jogged, I recall that Keith Jaeger in San Rafael gets only 1-2 fronds per year. He has plenty of summer daytime warmth. I do have 3 five-gallon plants that I am trialing on the patio. Plantasexoticas. thanks for your input. I will be more patient with my plants. Here is some 'eye candy' of my Ceroxylon quindiuense. It has about 6-8 meters of trunk now. (37 years in the ground from a 75 cm plant.) 12 3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RedRabbit 1,604 Report post Posted January 3 Tough to choose just one! Off the top of my head I’ll go with Ravenea. There are a ton of different Ravenea and I like a lot of them. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
John hovancsek 948 Report post Posted January 3 Pinanga licuala and hydrostele are my top 3. It is hard for me to choose one 2 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Gerg 940 Report post Posted January 3 12 hours ago, DoomsDave said: Wait Dypsis such variety I second Dypsis. (Honorable mentions for me are burretiokentia, kentiopsis, cyphophoenix & chambeyronia) 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Teegurr 92 Report post Posted January 3 Phoenix. Extremely spectacular palms and quite cold hardy as well. Canariensis, dactylifera, reclinata, sylvestris, just beautiful palms. 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Palmarum 2,334 Report post Posted January 3 Licuala and its 167 species... Including its close cousins Lanonia (13 sp.) and Johannesteijsmannia (4 sp.). Licuala is such a diverse and detailed genus, its spans a huge native range. More species are being found and I can imagine there are many more out there to be discovered. They vary in detail so much, but yet when you see any member you can instantly know it's a Licuala or maybe a Lanonia. Many of the species can be identified by way of vegetative means without need for an inflorescence, but of course, some do require that weird fruit color or strange flower arrangement to narrow down the identity. That perfectly rounded crown of pinwheel-shaped, deeply divided, palmate leaves is just so addictive. Even a smaller, containerized individual is just utter eye candy to the Palm junky; with just a few of those leaves drawing their gaze. A 3-gallon size specimen will often begin to show more of the final leaf form of the species and instantly says 'Get me', like a moth to a light. There are more reasons, but really you just have to look at them to know why. There are other genera that are favorites of mine, but Licuala has always been floating around in the top ten for a very long time. Ryan 4 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
palmfriend 1,536 Report post Posted January 4 Hi there, I go with... ...my beautiful Veitchias (here V. joannis) because they are superfast and recover always quickly from typhoon damages. But I got to confess that I truly like to establish another species over here, too... ...Clinostigma samoense (copyrights by @Kim). In my eyes one if not THE most beautiful palm in the world... PS: I don't want to complain too much since we are already gifted with another very nice looking species... ...our Satakentia liukiuensis. best regards from Okinawa - Lars 8 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Frond-friend42 211 Report post Posted January 4 Copernicia. There a lot of monophyletic genera that are close. Dictyospermum, sabinaria, carpoxylon, lemurophoenix...tough to choose. 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ahosey01 420 Report post Posted January 4 So far, my highly unscientific polling method has four clear leaders based on this thread: Dypsis Hydriastele Licuala Sabal This would be an interesting question for a large palm-enthusiast sample size. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ahosey01 420 Report post Posted January 4 Also want to throw this out there... Surprised nobody has said Wallichia. If I could grow em - and I had a lick of experience with any of them - they may be my favorite. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tim_brissy_13 459 Report post Posted January 4 Almost seems like cheating to go with a super genus like Dypsis or Hydriastele which were previous separated, but it’s probably Dypsis for me. Such a range of forms, colours, sizes and a few even have good cold and cool hardiness. Other than Dypsis, Chamaedorea is another favourite. Probably the most number of species suitable for my climate of any genus. Syagrus probably gets a bad name from poorly grown S romanzoffiana, but now that Lytocaryum has been lumped in, there’s an impressive variety in there now too. 3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
richnorm 489 Report post Posted January 4 Dypsis +1 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nico94 131 Report post Posted January 4 Chamaedorea 3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Brad Mondel 750 Report post Posted January 4 Butia, all the way baby. A palm related to the coconut that is cold hardy with delicious fruit and mini coconut nuts. Beautiful arching fronds and thick trunks. I love the way they sway in the breeze. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Merlyn 1,170 Report post Posted January 5 My first thought was Beccariophoenix, because Alfredii lets me grow a coconut look-alike that survives a 25F freeze without dying. Or Licuala for Peltata v. Sumawongii for a freeze-hardy giant round fan that handles sun and shade. But I can't pick a genus based on a single species. So it would have to be Copernicia, which has more of my favorites than any other: Fallaensis, Baileyana, Macroglossa, Gigas, Prunifera, Alba, etc. 3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tjwalters 188 Report post Posted January 5 I'm rather fond of Areca... 4 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kim 3,440 Report post Posted January 5 Another impossible question of choice! It seems wise to pick a genus with LOTS of variety. Some of my beloved palms belong to genera of few or single species, much too limiting. Kerriodoxa, Tahina, Johannesteijsmannia, Marojejya, etc. But Licuala, well, now there are a LOT of Licuala species, and though I only grow a handful, they are all stunners! Pinanga a close second in terms of beauty, and exceeding in terms of numbers. Then there is Dypsis... a ridiculous number of species, undoubtedly will be split off in the future. But for sheer beauty, I will fall back on Licuala. These Licuala peltata v. sumawongii have been featured many times in my photos, for easily justifiable reasons. (Edit: I reserve the right to change my mind in any future thread!) 12 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ahosey01 420 Report post Posted January 5 1 hour ago, Kim said: Another impossible question of choice! It seems wise to pick a genus with LOTS of variety. Some of my beloved palms belong to genera of few or single species, much too limiting. Kerriodoxa, Tahina, Johannesteijsmannia, Marojejya, etc. But Licuala, well, now there are a LOT of Licuala species, and though I only grow a handful, they are all stunners! Pinanga a close second in terms of beauty, and exceeding in terms of numbers. Then there is Dypsis... a ridiculous number of species, undoubtedly will be split off in the future. But for sheer beauty, I will fall back on Licuala. These Licuala peltata v. sumawongii have been featured many times in my photos, for easily justifiable reasons. (Edit: I reserve the right to change my mind in any future thread!) These are the questions I enjoy posing! This Licuala looks like a more symmetrical version of the paper fans we used to make as kids. Tremendous specimen. 1 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
