Palmageddon Aftermath Photo Thread

[Collectorpalms]

29 minutes ago, NBTX11 said:

Go downtown SA and southside of SA.  I forgot how tall some of the Robusta are there.  Some of them look LA-lite.  And some of those are recovering.

One of my Mexican fan palms is sending out a flower!

[NBTX11]

I feel like I probably gave up on one of my Robusta too soon.  I was worried it would fall over on my car, it was right next to my driveway, so I cut it down.  My taller one isn't doing anything yet that I can see.  However it's so tall, I can't really see what is going on in the crown.  So I will wait a while on that one.   

[HtownPalms]

Pictures of a recovering Queen Palm at my old house. Also Pictures of more recovering Pygmy Date Palms. All in Angleton. Very surprised to see the PDP' trying to flower when in such bad shape with no fronds! 

[Collectorpalms]

41 minutes ago, HtownPalms said:

Pictures of a recovering Queen Palm at my old house. Also Pictures of more recovering Pygmy Date Palms. All in Angleton. Very surprised to see the PDP' trying to flower when in such bad shape with no fronds! 

Houston did NOT get too cold for too long. Pygmys would never recover if it was an 1980s event. This was just a bad couple days but not real records.

I am zone 8b I had 25 queens. If the are very healthy they can take 14-15F. I Expected the big ones with large girth rebounds. Small thin unhealthy ones probably not. 

Edited May 7, 2021 by Collectorpalms

[Collectorpalms]

Flowering means they are not dead yet. But they have major meristem damage. Iffy if they pull through!

I have a Mexican fan palm just now doing the same thing.

Edited May 7, 2021 by Collectorpalms

[HtownPalms]

24 minutes ago, Collectorpalms said:

Flowering means they are not dead yet. But they have major meristem damage. Iffy if they pull through!

I have a Mexican fan palm just now doing the same thing.

The Queen at my old house was in great shape and well established. I had 3 other Queens that were in worse shape pree freeze (trunk rot). I had them cut down. 

I wonder if it would help to cut the flowers off of the no frond flowering Pygmies? Probably wouldn't change anything either way. I would assume the handful of Pygmie's that are growing new fronds are going to make it. 

Edited May 7, 2021 by HtownPalms

[NBTX11]

I am seeing Mexican Fan palms pushing green all over, many of them literally within the past 3-4 days. I didn’t realize they could take until early to mid May to start pushing. 

[MesquiteRetreat]

On 5/2/2021 at 10:22 PM, boaterboat said:

It was quite a project but I’m finally wrapping it up!
 

Yep, I had to take plenty of photos because it was quite an undertaking!

They do not deliver, but they did arrange for a shipping company to deliver them.  I arranged for my crew to unload, and then had a crane company come out the next day to help plant them all with my crew.

It was a doozy, but I can’t imagine what it would have cost if I were to hire a company to do this turnkey!  
 

 

 

Thanks, again, for the added info. Been looking at Adams Gardens palm list...checking out species and prices. We aren't ready to buy yet, since we are still hoping some of our Foxtails will show some signs of life. Two sets of triple Foxtails are toast, but we still have our fingers crossed on the others.

[Xenon]

Update: Livistona decora along I-45 S (Gulf Freeway) in Houston

The majority look dead but ~30% are pushing green out of a sample of about 50-70 palms (?) Hard to count at 70mph but some of them are alive!! 

Edited May 8, 2021 by Xenon

[Xenon]

Queens in League City/Clear Lake are not looking so hot but the ones that havent collapsed seem to be trying to flower so something seems to be happening...even a rare cheeky whisper of green in some. The trunk bleeding is not a good sign though.  

[Xenon]

Queen just south of Kemah in the warmest microclimate in the mainland Houston Area: directly on the south shore of Galveston Bay. This area performed better than even the east end of Galveston in past freezes. 

Livistona decora here looks way better than any of the ones growing along the interstate. But nothing on the Phoenix rupicola...

Edited May 8, 2021 by Xenon

[Xenon]

FLOWERING oleander is a rarity after this freeze and a testament to strength of the microclimate directly on the south shore of the bay 

[Xenon]

Queens on Tiki Island, another warm spot. About 1 in 3 are pushing green as of today. There are probably 100+ of them on this tiny island. 

[Xenon]

You can imagine what an island named "Tiki Island" looks like after this freeze considering 99% of the landscape is palms...

But never fear, new plantings of pygymy dates, foxtails, Dypsis lutescens and even Adonidia abound

[Xenon]

Nearly all of the queens at Moody Gardens look like they will make it. I'll spare you pics of the royals...they are dead dead. Either the crownshaft collapsed to the ground or they've been axed. The zone 10 stuff which makes up >50% of the landscape is ANNIHILATED. 

Edited May 8, 2021 by Xenon

[SLTX21]

4 hours ago, NBTX11 said:

I am seeing Mexican Fan palms pushing green all over, many of them literally within the past 3-4 days. I didn’t realize they could take until early to mid May to start pushing. 

In Houston and southern suburbs like Sugar Land and Pearland, many pure robusta and sagos have been waking up in the past week. 

[SLTX21]

Palm trees by First Colony Mall in Sugar Land. These looked "dead dead" a month ago. Glad they gave them time and didn't cut them down. 

[Collectorpalms]

5 minutes ago, SLTX21 said:

In Houston and southern suburbs like Sugar Land and Pearland, many pure robusta and sagos have been waking up in the past week. 

By the way Pure Robustas are evidently rare to non existent. 

[Collectorpalms]

43 minutes ago, Xenon said:

Nearly all of the queens at Moody Gardens look like they will make it. I'll spare you pics of the royals...they are dead dead. Either the crownshaft collapsed to the ground or they've been axed. The zone 10 stuff which makes up >50% of the landscape is ANNIHILATED. 

I want to see the royals anyhow 

the Bismarckia below the Pyramid?

Edited May 8, 2021 by Collectorpalms

[Xenon]

1 hour ago, Collectorpalms said:

I want to see the royals anyhow 

the Bismarckia below the Pyramid?

Nothing to see...they're been cut just below the crownshaft. 

The Bismarckia were pruned with only a stiff central spear remaining 

[Xenon]

Here is the Bismarckia at the Lowes in Webster

 

 

[SLTX21]

5 minutes ago, Xenon said:

Nothing to see...they're been cut just below the crownshaft. 

The Bismarckia were pruned with only a stiff central spear remaining 

I hope they replant. This was a once in a generation "mulitple stars align" freeze event, both in intensity and duration for many.

This was a painful and destructive event, but its duration and intensity is the exception, not the norm.

I read that parts of Texas had issues with long standing native plants, such as live oaks and loblolly pines. Those are native all the way to Southern Virginia, which is considerably further north. This was a rare freak event. 

It stinks, but central Texas is not becoming less hardy than Virginia!!

[NBTX11]

1 hour ago, SLTX21 said:

In Houston and southern suburbs like Sugar Land and Pearland, many pure robusta and sagos have been waking up in the past week. 

Same for San Antonio and all the way out to New Braunfels.  A lot of Robusta are recovering in San Antonio now..  Possibly 70 percent downtown.  Every day now I see more recovering.

[Collectorpalms]

2 hours ago, Xenon said:

Here is the Bismarckia at the Lowes in Webster

 

 

Can’t tell is it alive? I would hope so?? Should have had that lumber there during the freeze.

[Collectorpalms]

4 hours ago, Xenon said:

You can imagine what an island named "Tiki Island" looks like after this freeze considering 99% of the landscape is palms...

But never fear, new plantings of pygymy dates, foxtails, Dypsis lutescens and even Adonidia abound

Who sells Dypsis lutescens in Houston areas?

[Xenon]

2 minutes ago, Collectorpalms said:

Who sells Dypsis lutescens in Houston areas?

HGC has a ton 

[Collectorpalms]

3 hours ago, SLTX21 said:

I hope they replant. This was a once in a generation "mulitple stars align" freeze event, both in intensity and duration for many.

This was a painful and destructive event, but its duration and intensity is the exception, not the norm.

I read that parts of Texas had issues with long standing native plants, such as live oaks and loblolly pines. Those are native all the way to Southern Virginia, which is considerably further north. This was a rare freak event. 

It stinks, but central Texas is not becoming less hardy than Virginia!!

Most of the very large oaks I have seen dead are the ones in pastures and along the highways that were fully exposed to the cold wind. Most of those in towns seems to be ok. Not all but most.

this applies to just outside of College Station to Waco and to Austin. I have not seen up to Dallas yet or toward Tyler. 

Edited May 8, 2021 by Collectorpalms

[Collectorpalms]

31 minutes ago, Xenon said:

HGC has a ton 

When were you there last?

What else they have? are they fully stocked with good stuff, or just the normal stuff. 
 

Any Lady palms anywhere? Arenga?

Edited May 8, 2021 by Collectorpalms

[Xenon]

1 minute ago, Collectorpalms said:

When were you there lady,

What else they have? are the fully stocked with good stuff? 

nothing too cold hardy 

HGC has pygmies, med fans, washingtonia, queens, foxtails, dypsis lutescens

Lowes in SE Houston has foxtails, bismarckia, bottle, majesty, queens, and washingtonia 

 

[NBTX11]

11 hours ago, SLTX21 said:

I read that parts of Texas had issues with long standing native plants, such as live oaks and loblolly pines. 

I wonder how the Bastrop Loblolly pines did. It would be a shame to lose some of them after what they endured in the 2011 fires. 

[Palmaceae]

13 hours ago, Xenon said:

Queens in League City/Clear Lake are not looking so hot but the ones that havent collapsed seem to be trying to flower so something seems to be happening...even a rare cheeky whisper of green in some. The trunk bleeding is not a good sign though.  

In my opinion any plant damaged that is blooming is not a good sign. It is the last chance for the plant to reproduce before it dies. 

[Collectorpalms]

1 hour ago, Palmaceae said:

In my opinion any plant damaged that is blooming is not a good sign. It is the last chance for the plant to reproduce before it dies. 

Agaves yes, palms maybe not. 
 

All the palms So far I have seen flower, eventually have put out leaves. I can tell you that the dead ones have absolutely no way of sending out a flower because they are beyond dead. 
 

If flowering was a sign of death in my palms, then I’d have many Many MANY flowering. Instead it’s only the live ones.

I am only seeing a flower stock on 1 Washingtonia of mine. And I have two dozen. But there are two not far from me that are doing the same thing but since they were trimmed you can see the leaves coming out. I am crossing my fingered I see green soon. 

Edited May 8, 2021 by Collectorpalms

[Fusca]

1 hour ago, Collectorpalms said:

If flowering was a sign of death in my palms, then I’d have many Many MANY flowering. Instead it’s only the live ones.

Ryan, I don't think that is what Randy was saying.  I think it's a bad sign for the future of the palm because of the trunk damage.  It might push one or two leaves over the summer and then get taken out in January when it hits 25°.  The trunk bleeding is more the sign of death than the flowering.

[NBTX11]

@Jtee All of your palms are alive. Sabal, med fan, and butia.

Edited May 8, 2021 by NBTX11

[Jtee]

2 minutes ago, NBTX11 said:

@Jtee All of your palms are alive. Sabal, med fan, and butia.

Awesome!! So glad those all survived!!  Thanks for getting the pic. 

[PricklyPearSATC]

4 hours ago, NBTX11 said:

I wonder how the Bastrop Loblolly pines did. It would be a shame to lose some of them after what they endured in the 2011 fires. 

This pine (I don't know what kinda it is!) next to Rainbow Gardens bit the dust.  Pines are so rare in San Antonio that I do not know the varieties of mature pines.

I doesn't look like a loblolly, yet loblollies have a different habit when grown as a specimen versus in a group




There are two pines in the general area.  (The pine that bit the dust if in the background behind the loquats here)
I know the pine at the dentist's office is NOT a loblolly.  I don't know what it is.  It has always been very healthy.

Pines are very hard to grow in San Antonio. 

I don't know how the pine at the dentist office is doing.  The dentist office's loquats are in bad shape and command eye attention.

Edited May 8, 2021 by PricklyPearSATC

[NBTX11]

I don't think that Loblolly pines from the Bastrop variety are that hard to grow around here, since Bastop is 30 miles east of Austin and is essentially a suburb or exurb of Austin.  They are specifically tailored to the Central Texas climate.

Edited May 8, 2021 by NBTX11

[Collectorpalms]

6 hours ago, Fusca said:

Ryan, I don't think that is what Randy was saying.  I think it's a bad sign for the future of the palm because of the trunk damage.  It might push one or two leaves over the summer and then get taken out in January when it hits 25°.  The trunk bleeding is more the sign of death than the flowering.

Maybe I didn’t follow his point.

I am seeing trunk damaged ( soft trunk ) on Washingtonia and it’s not a big deal.

however on a Queen, or queen hybrid normally it take 2-3 seasons before you know it. If it’s real severe and the leaves come out yellow and frizzly then yes a hard frost (27F with frost) can kill it the following year. Had it happen to me.

but it has nothing to do with why a palm is flowering. April into May is just when palms flower locally, 

Edited May 8, 2021 by Collectorpalms

[Collectorpalms]

3 hours ago, NBTX11 said:

I don't think that Loblolly pines from the Bastrop variety are that hard to grow around here, since Bastop is 30 miles east of Austin and is essentially a suburb or exurb of Austin.  They are specifically tailored to the Central Texas climate.

Of the older ones, fire survivors I saw about 20% that were fried over a month ago. They may have leafed out since then.

All the newly planted ones looked fine. Made me wonder if they are the same pine! or maybe height had something to do with it. Bigger plants took the wind bad.

[PricklyPearSATC]

22 minutes ago, Collectorpalms said:

Of the older ones, fire survivors I saw about 20% that were fried over a month ago. They may have leafed out since then.

All the newly planted ones looked fine. Made me wonder if they are the same pine! or maybe height had something to do with it. Bigger plants took the wind bad.

A friend of mine happens to be at a Wildflower Run over there today.  Unfortunately, I do not know how it looked before the freeze.  It's sparse, but some of it looks like it could be old sparse from the fire.   There are some taller pines with green canopies.