Southern California Zone Pushing Thread

[Alex High 217]

Hey folks,

I've gotten really interesting in SoCal zone pushing recently, and since so many more palms have become available in recent years we have seen an explosion of zone pushers trying lots of tropical species previously thought to be unable to survive in Southern California in fact thrive, as well as other harder to grow palms for SoCal. I'll start things off by posting two videos from my YouTube channel, Palm Planet, of two gorgeous coconuts I have a had the pleasure of seeing, one in Del Mar, and one in Santa Ana. And before someone says it, yes, coconuts DO grow in Southern California. I hope to get out and visit more SoCal coconuts soon. I look forward to seeing all your posts! Thanks!

 

Alex

 

 

[Alex High 217]

Here are some additional shots of the coconuts:

Del Mar:

 

Santa Ana:

[James B 811]

Blows my mind to see a Cocos surviving in costal CA because that seems like the worst place for one considering they don’t see the sun nearly enough and it never gets above 80. Makes me want to remove a dragon tree by my driveway and go for it since that seems to be the best spot between concrete on three sides with my house at its back also giving off warmth. 

[Alex High 217]

31 minutes ago, James B said:

Blows my mind to see a Cocos surviving in costal CA because that seems like the worst place for one considering they don’t see the sun nearly enough and it never gets above 80. Makes me want to remove a dragon tree by my driveway and go for it since that seems to be the best spot between concrete on three sides with my house at its back also giving off warmth. 

I know, it's truly a sight to behold, it just shows you what's possible in SoCal. Go for it!!! Plant a palm, you can't grow wrong!

[Brad52 206]

19 hours ago, James B said:

Blows my mind to see a Cocos surviving in costal CA because that seems like the worst place for one considering they don’t see the sun nearly enough and it never gets above 80. Makes me want to remove a dragon tree by my driveway and go for it since that seems to be the best spot between concrete on three sides with my house at its back also giving off warmth. 

I have coco's that I'd gladly trade for a dragon tree 

[James B 811]

2 hours ago, Brad52 said:

I have coco's that I'd gladly trade for a dragon tree 

Haha!

[mnorell 469]

Look at those gorgeous Del Mar Howeas! You have to blink hard to realize they're not coconuts. The Cocos, on the other hand...reminiscent of the long-tortured victim of the Newport Beach experiment. It is a side-by-side lesson in what to plant, and what not to plant, in the fogbelt of SoCal. Rather akin to an experiment of planting, say, a Delonix in Santa Monica next to the line of Erythrina caffra on San Vicente Blvd.

[The Gerg 1,168]

On 1/13/2022 at 6:10 PM, James B said:

Blows my mind to see a Cocos surviving in costal CA because that seems like the worst place for one considering they don’t see the sun nearly enough and it never gets above 80. Makes me want to remove a dragon tree by my driveway and go for it since that seems to be the best spot between concrete on three sides with my house at its back also giving off warmth. 

James, let me talk you off the ledge.  

Speaking of zone pushing, how’s the Carpoxylon macrospermum?

[James B 811]

19 hours ago, The Gerg said:

James, let me talk you off the ledge.  

Speaking of zone pushing, how’s the Carpoxylon macrospermum?

Lol! It’s doing good. Slow growing but healthy. No frost damage has seen 33-34 a few times. But it’s under heavy canopy so it’s deep in my jungle a couple feet away from a Bentinckia Condapanna which is also looking good halfway through its first January in ground.

[Billy 300]

I've heard about the Del Mar coco Where exactly is it? I'd love to go have a look

[Billy 300]

Nevermind! Just watched the video now I know where it's at

[Alex High 217]

Bump. Are you telling me no one in all of Southern California is zone pushing with anything? If you live in SoCal and are zone pushing any palm species, please post it here. Coconuts, joey palms, rattans, Licuala, Hyophorbe... as long as it's a marginal or rare palm in Southern California, I would love to see it, I always love reading about and seeing pictures of the gorgeous palms people manage to grow in SoCal's "temperate" climate.

[GottmitAlex 3,760]

[Alex High 217]

12 hours ago, GottmitAlex said:

H. lagenicaulis? Very nice, I love it, there are some really nice specimens in SoCal, one of my favorite palms. Thanks for sharing!