Nor Cal walk by: Foxtail in Burlingame

[awkonradi]

Surviving for now, but ring spacing is decreasing.  This is in full sun, on the north side of Peninsula Ave.  The adjoining Queens and P. roebelenii are thriving, so I think this gets enough water.

[Josue Diaz]

Very cool. Are they showing up at big box stores in the Bay? the big brand box stores in Fresno are carrying these (along with kings and bismarckia) regularly now, so it's a matter of luck where one might end up in a favorable microclimate and survive for some time. 

[PalmatierMeg]

Foxtails suffer from frequent nutritional issues. Don't under fertilize and provide extra micronutrients.

If you are in the SF Bay Area lack of regular heat may also cause slower growth and shorter internodes. Foxtails also don't deal well with cool/chilly weather. A very needy palm

[awkonradi]

1 hour ago, Josue Diaz said:

Very cool. Are they showing up at big box stores in the Bay? the big brand box stores in Fresno are carrying these (along with kings and bismarckia) regularly now, so it's a matter of luck where one might end up in a favorable microclimate and survive for some time. 

I haven't seen foxtails or Bismarckia at my nearest Home Depot in Foster City, where I always see kings.

[awkonradi]

2 hours ago, PalmatierMeg said:

Foxtails suffer from frequent nutritional issues. Don't under fertilize and provide extra micronutrients.

If you are in the SF Bay Area lack of regular heat may also cause slower growth and shorter internodes. Foxtails also don't deal well with cool/chilly weather. A very needy palm

I'll keep an eye on this palm.  Given the health of the other palms on the property, I think irrigation and nutrition probably are fine.  This palm appears to have a dedicated irrigation head.  As you point out, I think this palm is limited by lack of heat.  This climate is intermediate between Jim Denz's in Los Altos, and Darold Petty's in San Francisco.

Edited November 29, 2021 by awkonradi

[tim_brissy_13]

It looks like the only surviving foxtails around here too. I agree that I doubt water or nutrition are the problem. Foxtails just really dislike prolonged cool conditions. They’ll never really reach their potential in cooler temperate climates like ours. 

[Silas_Sancona]

2 hours ago, awkonradi said:

I'll keep an eye on this palm.  Given the health of the other palms on the property, I think irrigation and nutrition probably are fine.  This palm appears to have a dedicated irrigation head.  As you point out, I think this palm is limited by lack of heat.  This climate is intermediate between Jim Denz's in Los Altos, and Darold Petty's in San Francisco.

Years ago, there was a house in my old neighborhood ( New Almaden / Santa Teressa area ..If you know South San Jose at all ) i'd pass when getting lunch that had a planted couple Foxtails among numerous Kings in their yard. If i remember right, the frost /f reeze in Dec. 2014 got them though ( left for Florida the day before that cold spell was supposed to ocur ).  Some of the Kings were there last time i looked at the house on street maps. Not watered nearly enough though, looked pretty ratty / dry.

Think that in the right spot, ..and maintained correctly ( obviously important too ), Foxtails could survive there ..and in other parts of the Bay Area.  I myself would plant Foxy ladies over Foxtails though if still there.

As strange as it sounds, watched that house, and others in the same neighborhood get built. Storage business two houses down from the same house used to be a dirt lot where Burrowing Owls lived. Mom had friends that lived on a nearby street for a time, and i had an ex that lived two doors down from them in High school.

[Darold Petty]

AverageJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

High102°F100°F94°F85°F76°F69°F67°F71°F77°F85°F91°F98°F

Temp.86°F86°F80°F72°F63°F56°F54°F56°F61°F69°F75°F82°F

Low71°F71°F67°F60°F52°F46°F44°F45°F49°F54°F60°F66°F

Here are the temperatures for Cape Melville, at 14 degrees south latitude. 

Really, it is amazing that this palm will grow in California at all.  

[tim_brissy_13]

Darold, those figures don’t seem right, Cape Melville is truly tropical. Here’s the data for the area, sorry about Celsius. Max temps are always around 30C/86F. Min temps rarely drop below 65F. I agree with your point though, it’s amazing there are any survivors up to around 38-40 degrees from the equator. 

[Darold Petty]

Tim,  I think that I failed to do due diligence during my cursory internet search.  Your data shows my point even more so,  the Wodyetia natural climate is vastly different from California.

  Thanks for posting.  

[Jim in Los Altos]

On 11/29/2021 at 11:10 AM, PalmatierMeg said:

Foxtails suffer from frequent nutritional issues. Don't under fertilize and provide extra micronutrients.

If you are in the SF Bay Area lack of regular heat may also cause slower growth and shorter internodes. Foxtails also don't deal well with cool/chilly weather. A very needy palm

My Wodyetia has been growing steadily here in the Bay Area since it was a very tiny seedling a few years ago. Long cool periods don’t seem to hamper it at all nor does being crammed together with a Foxy Lady and Puerto Rican Royal and receiving nearly no direct sun at all. 
 

[Darold Petty]

Don't despair, normal gardeners,... Jim has a supernatural ability to grow most anything he wishes !!     

[Jim in Los Altos]

11 hours ago, Darold Petty said:

Don't despair, normal gardeners,... Jim has a supernatural ability to grow most anything he wishes !!     

It’s easy Darold. I just elicit the help of these two. 

[ExperimentalGrower]

On 11/29/2021 at 11:04 AM, Josue Diaz said:

Very cool. Are they showing up at big box stores in the Bay? the big brand box stores in Fresno are carrying these (along with kings and bismarckia) regularly now, so it's a matter of luck where one might end up in a favorable microclimate and survive for some time. 

Haven’t seen them sold at any big box stores here. But I spotted a small one in an Oakland front yard a year ago so people are trying them.

[ExperimentalGrower]

On 12/1/2021 at 7:26 AM, Darold Petty said:

Don't despair, normal gardeners,... Jim has a supernatural ability to grow most anything he wishes !!     

I don’t think you’re wrong Darold!