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In Hawaii sometimes it’s about digging a hole and sometimes it’s about getting the palm to the hole. At last year’s annual HIPS dinner a large (50 gal size) Chamaerops was put up for auction. The root ball of the palm was so big that only one person was bidding on it. I thought what a joke on whoever that is, because he’s going to have to dig one monster hole in Hawaii’s brutal lava. Just then I heard my wife offer a counterbid. When Lee won the bid all I could think of was how we would get it lifted into our truck; how we would get it off our truck; and then how in the heck I would find a big enough hole to get it in the ground. I got the palm on the truck with the help of the seller. I got the palm off the truck by shoving it down a ramp off the back of the truck. I was able to dig a very large hole at the bottom of an 18’ cliff on the sunny west side of our property. Then the problem was how to get the Chamaerops down the cliff and into the hole. Here’s the process in pictures: Looking up the cliff. Rolling the palm to the edge of the cliff. Prepping the ramp. The palm secured by rope and ready to go, Lee bracing her foot and preparing to belay the palm. Starting the descent. At this point we couldn‘t see each other so I would call out “Lower six inches” and Lee would let the rope out another six inches. Guiding the palm with my left hand and taking a picture with my right. Ran out of plywood so lowered the final six feet on a pair of O’o bars. Down at last. In the ground!

Twisty blue fans in the sky... the trunk is very tough-looking. Do you know the tale of the Swordfish and the Mermaid? Jastin steps up to say hello, then MattinSD appears, gets a chat in with El Hoagie and La Hoagie This crew is caught off guard by the papparazzi: OB Burt, Kathy, Palmgrover, and akamu Garden #2 to be posted at a later time, please check back again!

Strange life forms on display, and growing spectacularly well, obvioiusly of great age. Yes, I mean the plants. MattyB arrives fully bearded for battle. Another view of that gorgeous Brahea......... Bo and Graham sharing Hawaii palm-growing information paulgila and dueling cameras..... Interesting growth pattern on this... boojum? Is this a boojum? BS Man explains everything to Bo...... Stevetoad and friends are agog

Last ones...Back to work

thats amazing,but now i kinda think it looks better at the top...

I have a question to all about bismarkia and other fan palms having similar traits like male and female forms. I.e can we cross a bismarkia with a Borassus ? it could sound funny but what is the answer to my question. Dear walt, you can cut few ripe seeds to check if its a viable seed. and at times few palm & cycad seeds do float for a day or so.then they sink.this may take few hours or a day. love, kris.

OK BS man i read your article last night and i agree that you are the man to ask about Dypsis ! Also i can feel the LoVE for the big Prestoniana coming though the pages !

Nice photos! I really love that one with not fully pinnate leaves. Regards Andrew

I don't see any orange in the petioles....I also know what to look for though I may not have seen as many as you have in person. I don't see anything definitive here. I cant make out whether there are black edges on the petioles from that pic. But if the edges were black, that would do it...

Copernicia baileyana.