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The garden is 15 years old and my climate is cool humid oceanic and frost free with little extremes of temperature. All the Lord Howe Island palms and cloud forest palms grow like escapees in the ground.

Hi everybody. A long time since I posted here, but I always remember you all ( thanks Jeff) and the nice and sometimes deep level " talks" on this fora. Yes, I'm still in palms. 😀. Posting sometimes on Facebook. Inspired by the Huntingtons Garden, that I saw years ago, I'm working hard to finish my garden with succulents, cactus, bromeliads , cycads and others. Still looking for some palms like Brahea decumbens, the real Ravenea glauca, Ravenea cycadifolia, etc. Some pics of the garden this week ( it''s dry lately)

Some photos from our travels around Mauritius.

It's mid May and we have yet to hit 100F in Fresno, which is not typical. Everything is off to a slow start, but things are ready for summer and some real heat. 😎 I was outside watering this morning and snapped a few pictures. Earlier this year I sawed down one of my two entryway phoenix. The stump is still there lol this opened up space for sun and airflow. Three green ground cover in the foreground is actually a leafy cactus (pereskia) which is a thorny bastard, but it keeps the neighborhood cats from doing their business in my mulch. Chamaerops cerifera Phoenix rupicola and some plumeria in the background that are JUST beginning to leaf out - this winter was tough on my plumeria. I got lot's of black tips, which I guess now means heavy branching but probably few flowers until late in the season. Sabal birmingham, next to a clump of chamaedorea plumosa Some non-palm content: a California native Dudleya. I don't know if this is edulis or pulverulenta. It's working on a nice bloom spike right now. This spineless echinopsis came from Solana Succulents. Here's a Chrysalidocarpus (formerly Dypsis) baronii sp. black petiole from Dave Austin's seed. Looking unfazed after this long winter. C. ambositrae also looking great after winter and putting on size. I do believe it's splitting... is this typical for this species? This came from Darold in San Francisco a few years ago Sabal yapa is suddenly gaining size! Check out the length of those petioles. Sabal uresana Parajubaea sunkha - this came from Dave in La Habra As did this one. The little guy at the bottom is Brahea edulis from Sago Rey Palms in Fresno. The big leaf ficus is Ficus auriculata from Jeff in Modesto. Lastly, the first plumeria bloom of the season - this is a cutting I rooted indoors over winter. This variety is called Heirloom and has a soft peach color.

Pinangas like my growing conditions and after a few years in the ground I am getting flowers. Pinanga sp. Thai mottled showed some beauty rivaling my orchids today and so nice low to the ground. Please add your favorite palm flower portraits.

Like the title says I’m posting these as dypsis jurassic park and dypsis decipiens despite the name change . Jurassic park came from jd andersen as jurassic park had it in a 55 gallon trash can for the last 2 years . Dypsis decipiens came from Perry glen . Planted these today man it feels good to get these in the ground

I've wanted a nice sized Chamaerops 'Volcano' for some time now and finally found some at Jungle Jack's. They had a whole lot of them and I got to pick and choose one I liked. I ended up picking this one. Gotta say I scored a nice one. 👌

We hope this message greets you well as we all welcome the vibrant Summer season of 2023. Here at Floribunda Palms & Exotics, your support has enabled us to continuously cultivate our unique selection of palms and exotic species, tailored to your diverse needs. It is with great excitement that we announce our updated Summer price list, featuring some exceptional new additions from distant corners of the world. Introducing three exotic gems from the verdant forests of Vietnam, each meticulously grown here on the Big Island. Lanonia calciphila, available as a $30 seedling, offers an extraordinary addition to any garden. The colorful Pinanga declinata and rare Lanonia magalonii seedlings, priced at $15 and $25 respectively, present an exotic flair and great talking point to your tropical haven: Lanonia calciphila (in habitat, Vietnam) ^^^^ Pinanga declinata at the nursery garden, crown detail ^^^^ Our gallon-sized Satakentia liukiuensis is available for $15, boasting its deep purple crownshaft that will add a unique touch to your landscape. Meanwhile, the new Licuala sp. Kalimantan #2 seedlings, priced at $45 (rare and carefully shipped in a 4in pot) flaunt their spectacular fan leaves, a sight to behold in any garden. Inquire for more details. Satakentia here in the garden c. 2018 If you're looking for rare, slender and beautiful understory foliage to enrich your space, the seedlings of Licuala mattanensis v. paucisecta are an excellent option at just $10: Licuala mattanensis v. pausisecta Adding to our gallon-size offerings, we have the magnificent Cyphophoenix nucele for $15, ready to provide a commanding presence in your landscape. Many success stories with this palm in California so definitely worth the try if you're in a temperate coastal area. Last, but certainly not least, we're excited to introduce the spectacular cycad Zamia pseudoparasitica, sprouted from seeds from our own garden. Its extraordinary features and growth pattern are sure to make a captivating statement and they are available now!! Those are the Zamia pseudoparasitica parent plants here at the nursery ^^^ - ! We grow from our own plants and carefully propagate them to preserve this beautiful species. Your continued support over the years means the world to us. It allows us to share our passion for these awe-inspiring species with you and continue our mission of creating tropical paradises in every backyard and preserving biodiversity worldwide. For additional details or to place your orders, please do not hesitate to contact us. We are always available to answer your inquiries: info@floribundapalms.com or toll free 1-866-966-8003 Price List Aloha, cheers to a thriving Summer 2023 and to the creative landscapes that await us! - Jeff, Su, and the Floribunda crew p.s. we have 4in size of the mega massive-leaf'd Anthurium cupulispathum as well! See the Exotics section of the price list.

Hi Im a new member although I have been lurking in Palmtalk for several years. I love the tree. Perhaps this palm is already known but recently, I was driving to Carson, Ca to see someone and on the way to their house I happened to glance off the street to see an unusual palm that took my attention. Judging by the base and the tall leaves, I could not believe that it might be a coconut palm growing outdoors, not against a wall and still living despite several years of recent drought and especially after this winter's constant cold and rain. I have seen cocos before in better climates and have somewhat an ability to identify. So based on my initial drive by ( I could not stop and there is no parking possible at this location) I returned yesterday after a month to get a closer look. I took a few photos and a short video to help assist more seasoned palm freaks at confirming my suspicion. I could be wrong, but no harm, no foul. However, if it is a cocos, it might qualify as the second most northerly outdoor cocos in California. I will attach the photos from several angles and close up to aid in ID. Not sure if this site can post videos. I would be curious of your thoughts. It can also be found on google maps at the address I used when I saw it : 2425 Wilmington Ave. Compton, CA These photos were as of yesterday. Upon walking up to it for the first time, I saw what appeared to be a sprinkler by the trunk which would have helped it with its moisture needs during the non rainy season. However, given its micro climate and non protection, it is an interesting find, presuming its a cocos. OC Phil

Uncommon beautiful phenomenon - my l. orbiculares in early stage of producing seed. The palm is happy in Miami. Drew

I' m surprised how fast the leaf sheaths of both the crownshafts of this Dypsis ( Crhysalidocarpus) decipiens are cracking. The crownshafts are probably thickening very fast also.

I thought I’d start this thread to document the growth of my palms/trees. Some are flourishing and I think it’s worth recording their progress over time. My Archontophoenix are in this photo. The one on the left was purchased from Frank Tintera that at he grew from seed. The parent palm was one of his fastest growing and he believed it was an A myolensis. It’s was planted as a 3g 3 years ago and has flourished. The archontophoenix on the right was just planted as a 7g a couple months ago. It’s some sort of alexandrae x cunninghamiana hybrid I purchased from @eaperture67, and he purchased the parent palms from @Mike Evans. The Hong Kong orchid is killing it. Planted as a 3g about 3yrs ago and it’s just thriving here. Below is my lytocaryum hoenie, planted about 2yrs ago as a 3g. It’s hanging in there, but not a good performer this far. It probably needs more water than it’s getting. Beccariophoenix alfredii is killing it, as expected. 3yrs in ground from a 7g. Also from Frank. My two majesties are flourishing too. They were planted 1 year ago as 3g palms. Tipuana tipu doing amazing. It came in the mail as a 5’ 1g. After 3yrs in ground it’s about 20ft tall; simply amazing. It’s been zero fuss, I highly recommend them. Lady Palm, just planted. Thrinax radiata, 3yrs in ground from a 2g. It took awhile to get established, but it’s doing great now.

This is the cleanest one I have seen. Almost as good as Aztropic’s:

Good morning!

There was a question in a previous post about wether the mottling on this particular specie of Lanonia would be retained as the plant matured. I can give a definite ‘yes’ to that question, at least with the particular variant I have. They show this trait even as a small seedling. Tim

I've managed to get my hands on some cool palms this year and rather than kill them in the green house I have gone for the kill them in the garden option 😂 I hope thats not the case though and we have some survivors but it will be an interesting test for sure and they are all looking happy for the time being. This Cyphophoenix Nucele i I planted last summer and its grown twice as fast as the ones I had in pots so they are now in the ground too. Pretty confident this Livistonea Saribus will be happy here with late afternoon sun. Planted this Carpoxylon with some shade cloth to help it get established. This seems to work very Weill for me and new palms as the summer sun is very strong. I have planted a few types of Burretiokentia this year, this is Vieillardi, I have a couple of Hapala and Koghiensis too but all small unfortunately. its just not possible to get anything here interesting at a good size. Satakentia will be interesting, I have seen it grow in California so I´m hoping I can get this going. I have planted 2 small ones in well protected areas so well see. Also planted 2 Clinostigma Savoryanum with high hopes 🤞🏻 basselinia eriostachys drip in a protected area. pinanga philippinensis, i have not had much luck with Pinanga but such beautiful palms its always worth a shot. Acanthophoenix rubra, A beautiful palm in my opinion and I have a friend in Spain also who has one doing really well so I hope mine will too. Testing some small palms out that I don't trust myself much to keep in the greenhouse, cyphokentia cerifera trio here in the hope at least one survives 😂 similar idea here with Chambeyronia magnifica 🤞🏻 Actinokentia Divaricata trio planted in a prime location to be enjoyed from the front and side garden if it gets big enough. One of my favourite palms, Benticnkia condapanna. I have planted 2 of these and I really hope they do well. I had lots of seedlings grown from seed but I lost them all last year in the greenhouse with a problem with the automatic watering system 😔 I have been busy in the garden doing some paving around the pool area and creating a nice pergola for plants to grow up Sio have included a few random pictures below:

This winter was the worst one I experienced and as a result I lost a number of smaller palms and had a number of spear pulls. This week alone I found three more palms exhibiting damage now that we have really warmed up to summer like temperatures. Two of the early casualties were a Sabal uresana and a Sabal causiarum both in the ground for three years. I left the stumps in place “just in case” with the plan on waiting until the end of June to officially call it. Well to my surprise the Uresana started growing last week and just today I noticed the causiarum had moved. First pic is uresana showing some blue/green and the second is the causiarum that has grown and covered a black line I had drawn to mark the progress. So it will be interesting to see how far they can grow this summer and ultimately if they can move past this.

I was taking photos earlier today and noticed my largest Chambeyronia houailou is opening a new red leaf. A few days ago we trimmed away a tangle of Livistona jenkinsiana storm-damaged fronds that had wrapped themselves around the Chambeyronia's fronds, courtesy of Ian's winds. The Chambeyronia is down to 3 good leaves so I'm glad to see a new one open. Chambeyronia houailou, Cape Coral, FL 2023

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My too big "grown up" cultivated "butiazinho-do-campo" 😀

Just dropping some palm pics and some other plants from Curacao this weekend.

My Chrysalidocarpus ambositrae in the backyard is finally getting a little more open space around it again with other things growing up. It catches my eye a little more frequently now and after trimming some adjacent plants after winter. It is still challenging to get photos though. A few other items sharing the scene. What can you pick out sharing the scene?

Here is a view of which I will never tire, Mt. Gower

I had a doctor's appt. in Ft Myers Monday. When I got out of the car I was greeted by the sight preserved in the photo below. A tall, curved Washingtonia reached for the crystal blue sky. By the amount it has grown since it was pushed over I deduced it was blown over 60 degrees by tremendous winds of Hurricane Irma nearly 6 years ago and has attained vertical growth ever since. This is one fast growing palm in ideal conditions. I commend the ground maintenance of this location for not hacking it down after the 2017 storm. Washingtonia robusta, Fort Myers, FL 2023

A little spring update and some additions. Red spicata Aiphanes minima from seeds provided by@NatureGirl June 2021 Obi in 7 gal pot looking cozy tucked in with the bananas and viburnum. Hyophorbe indica now over 6’ to the frond tips. Chysalidocarpus leptochelios with a tall new spear.

Okay, I'm feeling a bit nostalgic for what used to be. I came across some undated photos uploaded from my husband's Apple phone that show what our 0.61 acre gardens looked like less than 8 months ago, i.e., pre-Ian. We are close to finishing up mulching our property and spreading a second dose of fertilizer before the onset of annual fertilizer blackout on June 1 (coincidentally the start of Hurricane Season in SWFL). I plan to take current photos of our progress restoring what Ian destroyed as well as what I learned from the drubbing we took. It is/will be a totally different landscape. Anyway, enjoy these glimpses of what used to be.

This Chrysalidocarpus (Dypsis) Prestoniana Hybrid catches my eye everyday, but even more today since a leaf base fell off to reveal some orange on the crownshaft.

What caught my eye was the beautifull collor of the crownshaft of this Dypsis decipiens after the dead sheat was removed from two trunks

My region of the "Campos Gerais" in the state Paraná in southern Brazil is caracterized by a kind of prairie vegetation , the " campos-limpos" or " campos" . The rivers are surrounded by riparian araucaria forest. The "campos limpos" is a kind of vegetation rich in a variety of grasses, all kind of flowering plants like ground orchids etc and two palms. In my municipality this are the more common Allagoptera campestris and the not so common Butia microspadix ( butiazinho-do-campo) Because most of the "campo" was removed making place for agriculture and pasture, this palms is very rare now. Years ago I saved several Butia microspadix plants that were growing on the remaining campo vegetation on a berm of a dirt road that was being widened. Sadly I didn't transplant all the remaining plants, because years later they were all destroyed. This cultivated palms produced seeds and two times I sowed them in a little peace of "campo" that I preserve at my place and that lacks this species. Normally the wild B. microspadix remains very small and blend with the grasses. In cultivation, free of competition and with some NPK each year, they grow to a size that is difficult to believe they are the same palms... Yesterday I found some little "butiazinhos" growing in my preserved campo. I cleaned some grasses around to give them a better chance.

Heading out into the garden, Iam not going to name any of the palm trees but will answer any questions that you might have.

I just finished filing a formal complaint with the electric company that hired the tree trimmers that killed my more than 50 year old palms a few hours ago while I was running errands. If only that would bring them back. I have plenty of before photos including many posted here, but too sad to add them tonight. And I did not even photograph the other row of destruction on the opposite side of my entry gate. I do have lots of other beautiful equally large R. borinquena palms, but the row lining the street can never be replaced in my lifetime and they were NOT endangering the power lines anyway. They survived two hurricanes since I have lived here and more before that but not the chainsaws today.

It has been 8 months since Hurricane Ian wrecked SWFL, including our Paradise 0.61 Acre. So, yesterday I took some followup photos of the palms mentioned above. While all still live and some have shown encouraging growth, others seem to struggle to overcome the horrendous beating they took. I hope now growing season is in full steam and rainy season lurks only a few weeks away these palms will shake off their doldrums and take off. I also hope the replacement palms I planted will do the same. I still have more candidates that I've grown up to plant if we could find the time and energy to do so. Tahina spectabilis - slow grower but moving. I hope a blanket of mulch around it helps. Sabal grethereae - from being crushed to this. Tough palm indeed Livistona mariae - also doing well Syagrus picrophylla - still with us but the jury is out Attalea phalerata - only remaining Attalea coming back. Note the shattered petiole from Ian in photos 2 & 3. I think it is the prettiest species Livistona decora - still trying to come back ALSO, Cocos nucifera Dwarf Red Spicata Twins & Solitary - all still have to be tied up so they don't blow over. I hope they will grow more secure roots this summer Bismarckia nobilis x2 - my only surviving Bizzies. Long term prognosis: guarded Hemithrinax ekmaniana - crushed but coming on Roystonea violacea - I am hopeful Roystonea regia - last fall they all looked like giant pencils (spears but no leaves). They are coming back fast. Notice the scars on the crown shaft where leaves broke away during Ian

A "few" years later....

When you have as many as I do, you get a lot of fallen leaves. Mostly it’s like, meh whatever, but once in a while one warrants more than a bit of notice. The leaf below is from my Chambeyronia hookeri watermelon. It’s not as big as a royal leaf, but impressive, at least to me. I’m sure some of our Palm Talk denizens have others that made an impression, and/or cool crownshafts and other features revealed. Do show us!

Rhopalostylus Sapida getting its first ring.

A few Pictures from Wollongong Botanic gardens, NSW Australia,in the early morning light regards Colin 'Colin

my blooming Trithrinax brasiliensis

On a Sunny May afternoon I have planted the only Ceroxylon quinduiense west of the Nullarbor I know to exist. Those who have visited here will remember the huge Rhapis humilis clump at the top of the paved ramp at the eastern edge of the block. I cut a significant part of that clump up and it should be far enough from the fence and paving. But all can be replaced anyway, asbestos fence and polypipe retic. Ceroxylon take Perth extreme temps well. I lost two bigger C. quinduiense to ants in the pots when my Father was battling the Lymphoma that claimed him at the end, dry roots are the killer, not temperatures. We will see one in the ground now ;)

Red Areca vestiaria popped a variegated frond. Normal new fronds can be seen behind it.

This hydrostele and arenga are doing really good for me

My Dypsis Baronii shed a leaf base today to expose some cool coloring. What really caught my eye was the emerging new growth splitting the existing trunk. Bought this as a 1G not even 2yrs ago with only 1 stalk. This will make 4 now. Good growth. Hard to get a decent picture. -dale

Ficus macrophylla v. columnaris and Howea forsteriana, a tight squeeze in the second image !

Back last autumn Hurricane Ian pretty much decimated our gardens, including our Back yard Jungle. While we were able to find cold hardier more drought tolerant palms for our unirrigated Garden Lot we could do little to rectify destruction done to our quite tropical jungle going into winter, followed by a hot, rainless spring. Even with irrigation 2x per week (the City sneakily reduced water pressure to its irrigation lines) we knew many palms we tried to install would not make it through dry season. We decided we had to wait 8 months until rainy season. So, rainy season began with a bang yesterday. In anticipation over the past 3-day weekend we planted over a dozen palms from our Container Garden - ones that survived Ian's wrath which many did not. Many of these palms, mainly Ptychosperma spp, I grew from seeds I bought from a PTer in Australia before Covid and US Custom's crackdown on botanical imports. I don't have scientific names for these palms, just vague descriptions, i.e, "small, solitary Ptycho". I planted a number of them around a Hydriastele beguina 'Obi Isle' I planted under canopy in early 2022. Ian destroyed that canopy but the Hydriastele survived the storm as well as this past winter and spring. I figure it deserves a chance and hope all the Ptychospermas will grow up fast and shield it from the next winter, assuming it survives this summer. In addition, I planted another Ptychosperma and a Chamaedorea klotzschiana strategically around my only Howea belmoreana, which unbelievably, has survived under heavy canopy since the 00s. It survived the loss of my queen palm canopy to wilt in 2015 and was shielded by the growth of my Elaeis guineensis 'whole leaf'. Until a few weeks ago I feared my whole leaf oil would meet the fate of its pinnate siblings but as damage leaves die off it is putting out new green ones. My H.b. survived Ian (as did my Howea forsteriana) but both may really suffer from the swelter this summer without their canopy. I tucked several potted palms close to the H.b. to offer some protection from overhead sun. First up, several views of our Jungle from the east property line. Among the recent plantings you will see disintegrating stumps of a Chysalidocarpus pembanus and a Syagrus romanzoffiana x flexuosa that died before Ian. Photos 1 & 2 show the east side of the jungle along with our cat Lizzie who is justifiably proud of her 0.61 acre Paradise Photos below show how sparse the jungle canopy is post-Ian At the eastern edge of the Jungle we planted a number of Ptychosperma spp I grew from Australian seeds. They are intended to protect our Hydriastele beguinii 'Obi Isle' from sun year round and winter wind. Inside the east portion of our Jungle we planted the following: Pinanga coronata 'Kuhlii' overlooking the canal where it is shielded from wind and benefit from moderating effects of the water in winter. I have another the same size I want to plant soon. Grown from seeds from @NatureGirl Hydriastele unknown sp grown from seed Solitary Ptychosperma sp, front left, and Chamaedorea klotzschiana, front right, intended to shield Howea belmoreana (rear) from sun. Both seed grown Closeup of solitary Ptychosperma sp from Australia Ptychosperma (I think) sp Howea belmoreana survived Ian. Frond damage is from hurricane winds. I've had this palm since late 2005 and kept it alive for 18 years by protecting it deep in the jungle from FL swelter Bonus photo: this variegated Rhapis popped up near the jungle path and looks pristine Two photos of our Elaeis guineensis 'Whole Leaf' (from @tjwalters) showing new green leaves coming up among storm-damaged older leaves More east jungle plantings. We needed to get some fast growth once summer rainy season fired up. Not many things are faster than a happy coconut palm. The Maypan planted last fall has grown 2-3x taller since then. The Malayan has almost doubled. Cocos nucifera 'Maypan' Cocos nucifera Green Malayan Also found this unknown potted pinnate palm. Hurricane Ian separated much of my container garden from its ID tags and cat 4/5 winds fatally damaged many potted palms. Any idea what this guy might be? I hope it can survive our dreck soil. Leaf damage = wind damage

Local:

My Bismarckia nobilis has one new leaf and one new spear, the rest of the leaves are just bare petioles after this winter. My Jubaeopsis caffra seems unfazed by the winter and is putting out a new leaf. The trunk is growing "artistically" at an angle! Livistona fulva (grown from seed via RPS) did fine underneath a Trachycarpus 'nova'. Growth rate on my Chrysalidocarpus (formerly Dypsis) decipiens slowed down over the winter but looks like the plant survived relatively intact! I've learned not to mess with this species once it seems to have adjusted to its planting location. I just leave it alone!!!

It's hard to miss when its jumping out at you. Slowly unfurling inflorescence on a Chrysalidocarpus prestonianus. Eventually I'll have the flowers and bees that love the thousands of flowers.

Not a big deal but it is good to see C. macrospermum starting to make it’s way into regular house garden planting:

I really didn't know what would happen to this Butia and its inflorescences this growing season after 6F last winter , but it's nice to see healthy looking inflorescences growing out . I just noticed them 10 minutes ago . I've had 3 inflorescences grow out a couple years ago , but it's nice to see these 2 . Will I trimmed off the dead parts of the fronds a month ago or so . New growth is coming in nicely . I will be watering and fertilizing next week .

This L. Rupicola is pushing a inflow out