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Large trunking coconut found in Mesa, AZ


DesertCoconut

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I'm a member of a local Arizona Facebook group for palm enthusiasts. A member there found this coconut growing in Mesa, Arizona. I got permission to post the photos so I thought I would share here.

My 22 year-old Arizona grown coconut is in a pot in my living room. I guess this person found the right outdoor spot! This inspires me to try again.

I did notice a similarity to the famous Corona, CA coconut. Both are surrounded by concrete. I think that might be the key to survival.

 

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Wow! and right next to that big ficus.  Ficus like that always seem to show signs of significant dieback in PHX, that might even be a dead branch on top in that first pic?  For sure biggest outside planted coconut I've seen in AZ, pretty impressive, and in Mesa of all places.  I would have expected Yuma to be the best climate for a chance at a large coconut, or maybe a very protected spot in central Phoenix.

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Corpus Christi, TX, near salt water, zone 9b/10a! Except when it isn't and everything gets nuked.

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it does look like it's grown by water, that is probably a factor.

also, is there any chance it may be a public building? definitely seems like one with all the doors, very much like some motels I've seen

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8 minutes ago, spike said:

it does look like it's grown by water, that is probably a factor.

also, is there any chance it may be a public building? definitely seems like one with all the doors, very much like some motels I've seen

I left out some details from the original poster. It's a house with a courtyard. There is an unheated koi pond running through the area. You can see the stone bridge in front of it where the pond goes under. The owner said she brought back the sprouted coconut from Hawaii many years ago. It faces south with that huge ficus to the north. It has never fruited and gets no special care except plenty of water. It survived the freeze of 2013 and the record summer heat of 2020. I am indeed impressed.

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Wow wee, that is fantastic news and thank you for finding it and posting all of this, Darrin! Each one of these finds in the southwest is a real clue into the puzzle of getting this species to do the Horace Greeley thing and put down roots in the golden west. I agree with you in that the "surrounded by concrete" situation is a recurring theme here, whether in La Quinta, Palm Desert (RIP), Corona, or Mesa. One thing I also discovered in my own casual trials so far in Rancho Mirage was taking a cue from the La Quinta coconut, in that the owner started it in shade and let it grow up into the sun. I killed my first two test seedlings by putting them in full sun. Then I purchased a Lowe's 3-gallon and set it in a shady winter suntrap (under a dense Thevetia peruviana tree), where it sits two years later in its pot, looking just as good as it did when I bought it. I don't know what type it is, but I suspect it is a Green Malay. However, I note something you point out that has something in common with the La Quinta coconut...that it was brought back from Hawai'i as a sprouted seedling...does that indicate perhaps that the dominant form found in Hawai'i (and known popularly as a "Hawaiian Tall") may have a particular hardiness to extended cool conditions as well as to jabs of cold and occasional light freezes? 

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Michael Norell

Rancho Mirage, California | 33°44' N 116°25' W | 287 ft | z10a | avg Jan 43/70F | Jul 78/108F avg | Weather Station KCARANCH310

previously Big Pine Key, Florida | 24°40' N 81°21' W | 4.5 ft. | z12a | Calcareous substrate | avg annual min. approx 52F | avg Jan 65/75F | Jul 83/90 | extreme min approx 41F

previously Natchez, Mississippi | 31°33' N 91°24' W | 220 ft.| z9a | Downtown/river-adjacent | Loess substrate | avg annual min. 23F | Jan 43/61F | Jul 73/93F | extreme min 2.5F (1899); previously Los Angeles, California (multiple locations)

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Wow this is amazing, looks like the palm is protected from the western sun as well. I know that’s been helping it out. 

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11 hours ago, Xerarch said:

Wow! and right next to that big ficus.  Ficus like that always seem to show signs of significant dieback in PHX, that might even be a dead branch on top in that first pic?  For sure biggest outside planted coconut I've seen in AZ, pretty impressive, and in Mesa of all places.  I would have expected Yuma to be the best climate for a chance at a large coconut, or maybe a very protected spot in central Phoenix.

Always thought Havasu might really be the spot, myself.  But echo your sentiments totally.

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The location reminds me so much of the La Quinta coconut, even the story is very similar (grown from a sprout brought back from Hawaii). I think there may be something to the surrounding structures and variety that makes it work in this type of location. 

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Keith 

Palmetto, Florida (10a) and Tampa, Florida (9b/10a)

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the heat island in the phoenix area will see the highest lows as the desert overnight drops are huge without that passive solar concrete.  Yuma I expect sees notably lower temps.  Phoenix inside the US 101 has been zone 10 for a couple decades.  I think that ficus protects the palm and the concrete buildings protect the ficus.   Concrete buildings have alot of impact in desert climates which have short cold durations.

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Formerly in Gilbert AZ, zone 9a/9b. Now in Palmetto, Florida Zone 9b/10a??

 

Tom Blank

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32 minutes ago, sonoranfans said:

the heat island in the phoenix area will see the highest lows as the desert overnight drops are huge without that passive solar concrete.  Yuma I expect sees notably lower temps.  Phoenix inside the US 101 has been zone 10 for a couple decades.  I think that ficus protects the palm and the concrete buildings protect the ficus.   Concrete buildings have alot of impact in desert climates which have short cold durations.

There are weather stations on Weather Underground I’ve been watching for years in Parker and Havasu that are solid 10b.  I think this is similar to the phenomenon in Phoenix, because the area along that portion of the Colorado River is mostly all exposed rock.  Little vegetation, no real soil and the cold sink follows the Colorado.  I remember noticing this in Mexicali as well - just how hot it would stay at night - probably because of all the concrete.

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Wow, amazing find.

I think you’re right about concrete helping coconuts survive in areas they otherwise wouldn’t be. I recall reading the Newport coconut was surrounded by concrete. Even a number of them in Florida in places like Orlando and Lakewood Ranch have done well when surrounded by concrete.

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Westchase | 9b 10a  ◆  Nokomis | 10a  ◆  St. Petersburg | 10a 10b 

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On 12/28/2021 at 8:17 PM, mnorell said:

does that indicate perhaps that the dominant form found in Hawai'i (and known popularly as a "Hawaiian Tall") may have a particular hardiness to extended cool conditions as well as to jabs of cold and occasional light freezes? 

That could be interesting to try, however i would think it would be more because hawaii is a popular travel destination... Sort of like the ice cream and drowning correlation. Still a valid guess though

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This is fantastic! Come on Arizona growers. Mesa, Arizona is 33° latitude 24 minutes. While this does not beat the La Quinta coconut, this should rally those in this region of Arizona to shoot for the stars. Congratulations on a great find!

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What you look for is what is looking

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On 12/28/2021 at 6:12 PM, DesertCoconut said:

I'm a member of a local Arizona Facebook group for palm enthusiasts. A member there found this coconut growing in Mesa, Arizona. I got permission to post the photos so I thought I would share here.

My 22 year-old Arizona grown coconut is in a pot in my living room. I guess this person found the right outdoor spot! This inspires me to try again.

I did notice a similarity to the famous Corona, CA coconut. Both are surrounded by concrete. I think that might be the key to survival.

 

270175918_4847440258650965_5464927456183555279_n.jpg

270178510_4847440221984302_8376973048170809652_n.jpg

Wow.  Thats stunning, never would have expected anyone to find that in Phx... Any idea what year she planted it?

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Well, i decided to baby my coco one last winter.  She is certainly getting too big to keep indoors.  I wish i had a place to park her in the earth.  I am certainly inspired that one day she can be plunged into the earth and survive to adulthood as this Mesa specimen.  

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50 minutes ago, ando.wsu said:

Well, i decided to baby my coco one last winter.  She is certainly getting too big to keep indoors.  I wish i had a place to park her in the earth.  I am certainly inspired that one day she can be plunged into the earth and survive to adulthood as this Mesa specimen.  

 

Looks nice. How old? I've had one in a pot for 22 years. It has been declining over the past year. I'm thinking about moving it outside this spring, but I'm afraid that will be the end of it.  So I got to fresh ones to try.

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Its about 4 ish years old from a nut i took from Maui when i moved back to AZ.  Its been outside most of the years except winter.  
 

I agree, put it outside come spring in full shade to acclimate and let it have good times in the sun.  22 years is old!

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4 hours ago, DesertCoconut said:

Looks nice. How old? I've had one in a pot for 22 years. It has been declining over the past year. I'm thinking about moving it outside this spring, but I'm afraid that will be the end of it.  So I got to fresh ones to try.

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Oh no, do you have any idea why it's starting to decline? Does Biosphere 2 do plant donations? would be cool if they or another greenhouse facility that could take your coconut and transplant it indoors?

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  • 1 month later...

I had to share with you all my phx coco palm.  Back outside earlier this week to enjoy warm ish temps.  Its on its own to battle the left of our winter outside. 

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  • 11 months later...

Wow. I’m in Mesa and I want to see this cool palm! What a unicorn! I have 7 Royal Palms, two tri-bears, an Abreojos, a pseudophoenix sargentii, and a barhee date palm all planted out.  I have an acre on flood. I’d like to be part of the AZ Palm group but I am anti-Zuck so won’t happen that way. I have a Gab AZ garden group though. Old pic of one of my tri bears, royals…

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  • 2 months later...

How is the palm doing??

On 4/4/2022 at 1:53 PM, ando.wsu said:

Well, shes beginning to kick it into growth mode now that we have seen some warm weather.  

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  • 7 months later...

Star Nursery in St George Utah brings in cocos, 1 gal. Have bought quite a few over the years. Have 3 that survived the past 3 yrs in 5 gal. One is trunking a bit. Use shade cloth during the summer, set in the clear vinyl patio with germination mats underneath with warming lights during winter, low temps 40s. Still sending out spears.

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