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So the story starts with our local greenhouse getting in a few lovely Medinilla magnificas in bud. I have two that I mail ordered tied to trees in Puerto Rico, but since they haven't bloomed, I wanted to try growing one as a shrub. I didn't like the price tag though. Then my inbox showed a 40% off coupon for any houseplant and I grabbed the Medinilla shown in the photos the next day. I'm sure you're wondering what that has to do with a thrift store. Bear with me. The next day I wandered into the nearby Goodwill looking for nothing in particular and immediately was drawn to three panels of nice quality palm design draperies.They actually match a pillow I already own. That would work perfectly for 1 and one half windows and the price was right, but as I don't have any 1/2 windows I hesitated. I justified buying them because I could easily use the lovely fabric for lots of things. The next day I decided to check back in at the same store just to be sure I hadn't overlooked a fourth panel. Since I had been in the store the previous day I headed straight to the bedspread/drapery area not noticing anything else. First I saw the fourth panel, but right next to it I saw a lovely perfect Queen size comforter that was certainly not there the day before. Not a palm pattern,but on this comforter are several tropical flowers including an accurate depiction of none other than a Medinilla magnifica! If I had gone shopping for such an item I'd never have found one. So $12 happily went to the charity and the comforter is on our guest bed. I later found the exact comforter on the internet selling for $150-$400 which I wouldn't have paid.

Hi Dave! They're doing great. No need for more They have 2-3 leaves now. Everything is still so small. I'll put pictures when they grow a little in about 6 months But these from high altitudes from Australia would be great because of their hardiness.

I'd say hardiest crownshaft palm is probably Rhopalostylis sapida, but they can only take down to around -4C (25F), also I think they would probably fry in your hot summer temperatures... Archontophoenix cunninghamiana is a little less hardy, but if given serious protection could make it, they would also grow very fast for you providing you keep them almost waterlogged during summer...