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This Hedyscepe is according to my records is 11 years old today from germination in my shade house. Is approximately 1.7 m tall.

This is probably my favorite palm in Leu gardens. Thanks Eric for planting this beautiful plant!

Aloha - This year, we got off the island of Hawai‘i and travelled to the closest thing Europe has to offer, the Azores, an island group in the middle of the Atlanta that is part of Portugal. I know it is not totally the same, as it is much further north in the Atlantic. The closest in climate (in my gestimates) that Hawaii has to offer is Volcano on the Big Island or the higher cloud forest elevations of Kaloko Drive in Kona (Big Island). Maybe somewhat close to the climate is also Waimea (Big Island). We are staying right next to the Terra Nostra Park (Parque Terra Nostra) in Furnas on the island of Saõ Miguel. That place is truly amazing! It is a 150 year old botanical garden, with several thermal (hot) pools you can take a bath in. Anyway, I will start posting a few (mostly palm-) images below that we encountered. It might be the only place in Europe (Please correct me if I am wrong!) where you can see a fairly dense palm forest as well an abundance of large tree ferns. Furthermore, the garden's collection of huge Araucaria spp. (plus 2 Wollemia nobilis!) as well as their cycad collection are quite neat. I just wish their palm collection was a tad more diverse, their website states that the collection contains 19 palm tree species. In that climate you ought to be able to grow way more different palm species 🙂. Maybe they need to hire a palm-nut from this forum!! Fun fact: The garden was started by US Vice Consul to the Azores Thomas Hickling. From Wikipedia: "In 1795, he was appointed by Thomas Jefferson, then Secretary of State, as vice consul of the United States (a position continued by his son), beginning the oldest continuously functioning American diplomatic representation in the world (in Ponta Delgada on the island of Sao Miguel). Sadly, in the current political climate, it was decided that 12 diplomatic posts of the US to be permanently closed, incl. Ponta Delgada.

I have what I believe is an odd robellini palm tree that somehow grew three limbs from the main trunk (see image). I've never seen that before. How does it happen? Anyway, my main concern is the limb on the left is hanging way over my pool creating too much shade and I'm afraid the weight may tumble the whole tree at some point. Is it possible to have the leftmost limb (arm) removed without killing the whole tree? How should it be done? In stages (maybe remove all the green fronds first, then sever the limb)? How long to wait between each removal stage? How close should the cut be to the main trunk?

I definitely have confirmation iam a palm addict, when I sold a carpoxylon to a retail outlet that had a nursery I never thought i would buy one of my own palms back. The one lone carpoxylon I couldn’t resist knowing how good they are I just wasnt going to let it go to any old garden, it can come back home with me. I was in there with the wife buying her some flowers and thought omgbit hasn’t sold yet. Right I thought I will buy the dam thing for my garden again. Yes I know rocks in my head and I have a therapist booked in next week for an ocd palm buying session, go figure!

I'm going to guess Thrinax Radiata on this one.

Definitely time for professional intervention Peachy

Shouldn't be a problem if you're careful removing them from the pot and they're packed well. @Sabal King ships them but maybe in their containers. He can also advise. USPS (or similar) handling of the box is the concern. Here's what FedEx did to a palm shipment a few years ago. Yikes! Looks like some 250 lb guy used it as a step! Thankfully palms survived.

Not an issue, been doing it for over 30yrs.

What a beautiful palm if it was mine I would leave it! In a collectors world that palm is wanted. Be a shame to remove it, but it can be done not a problem, maybe get some tar paint the stuff the arborists use to seal the wound. And it will look like a professional job done well.

Yes, you can remove the entire limb, leaves and all, without hurting the rest of the palm. Make the cut right where the offending limb meets with the main trunk. It’s unusual to see multiple branching like that on Phoenix roebelenii but not unheard of.

I’ve got one going well which was a nice gift from another collector. But even that one you can just tell it’s one of those species that is touchy. They just look so fragile as small seedlings. It’s funny, C naboutinense is the opposite even down here in chilly Melbourne despite coming from a more tropical origin. They seem so robust in comparison.

This specimen has been in the ground for about 6 years and is finally starting to flower. I love the crownshaft of this species.

As we start the countdown to the summer solstice here in Maine, every year I trim the windmill of its flowers before they make a mess and help promote frond growth. Mulch the gardens and even though it never ends I give the lawn a good trim to welcome the summer months (hopefully no drought). figured I’d share the progress and here’s a few pictures of this years landscapes windmill before trim, and after,

It continues to push upward and the little hand like appendages are emerging.

Great looking palm, Ray! I think mine’s about the size of yours, maybe a bit smaller, but leaf bases are persistent right down to the ground. I want to see some trunk!

Happy Birthday! That’s pretty decent growth from seed, condidering the first few years are very slow for most palms. Jarry

At 70 years old , the palms I’m planting now will be for someone else to see mature . I can enjoy them until then , waiting for each new frond . I have plenty of mature palms to admire . My daughter will probably sell our house but who knows , today is all we have and it is a gift …..especially with a garden to enjoy. Harry

The silver colour of the old leaf bases is gorgeous. Peachy

I never leave home as a rule without one of the kids. My big old 59kilo Bloodhound, Watson, was also my assistance dog and went everywhere, even the hospital with me, until he passed away 2 years ago. He has been much missed by all. He was a local celebrity too. Peachy

For arguments sake - I’ll say that it does mean Jubaea. although the idea of 2 different species to have similar adaptive traits is pretty common. My argument would be that the butia bloodlines are fuzzy, and highly hybridized. They are native to the same continent as Jubaea (Argentina and Chile?) So probably a good chance of some “mutts” out there in the wild. it’s a fairly distinctive trait of all Jubeaea? With varying degrees I assume? Trait expression could show up on this butia with a low % blend by chance. the less-fun answer is convergent evolution of similar species in the same area. but not a lot online about it. Interested to hear others.

Don’t forget the Chaffee lips from the cold wind! When it snows at Armidale that cold air sinks down of the tablelands into the Clarence valleys and with a nice southern wind blowing. She’s a killer in the palm department. Did the monkeys ever get fixed or were they busy playing hand ball 🥎 . I dont know how they can grow palms in that cold little island they call Tasmania! Our daytime temperature today was 17 all day not cold in comparison to Manitoba, but cold. Richard

I am not parting with any of mine, they are my children. Erica breeds them for the shows but you can't keep all of them. Well there is one I might trade but she is such a crabby old bitch you would send her back again. Peachy

very interesting report, Cecile. thank you very much. i also find this kind of protection possible. there are many different options and i think that since we have a different microclimate everywhere, sometimes similar, it is good to improve individually to protect our sometimes delicate exotic favorites. we had often worked with fleece as an example, but have adapted this in the balcony and added sagex to the respective now several layers of fleece to keep the cold air out better. and it works very well. we have some exotics that are divided into different usda zones than our 8a/8b. yes, the effort is practically always worth it. kind regards from Lake Constance Switzerland

I don’t ever think I will see a Joey set seed any time soon. The only way I will see that happen is if the plant one on top of me. At least I have access to Coffs botanical gardens for future generations and hopefully they won’t get removed. Richard

I’ve had good success transplanting Sabals vs other palms. Especially bare root. i have dug them up with barely any intact roots, and had them grow. Also ordered a ton of bare root saplings that went in pots and right in-ground with no issues. Water a lot. Plant it ASAP while it’s hot. I have a Nitida otw from Sabal King I’m excited for.

It is time for you to buy a Pekingese to diversify your nurturing instinct. Peachy

Welcome to the Azores! Lots of things to see around S. Miguel for sure, including the gardens and parks around Ponta Delgada, the main city.

You can do some sort propping up. Or place an anchor behind it and get a fancy looking ratchet system or something that looks ohhh la la and brace it. Iam sure if it was the last palm standing in the planet the exsperts would be called in and job done asapin neat tidy manner. But you can’t cut it off please it’s a real botanical specimen and rare one at that. If @palmtreesforpleasure saw that he would be saving it for some botanical garden in the world. Love your work Mr Wilson.

I doubt it very much by the looks of the retail section my poor palms!

I dunno. Something to do with Alice in wonderland and a white rabbit perhaps! Oh but watch out for the mad hater.

Jamie, Thank you for taking the time to show everyone your hard work and vision. Your garden is beautiful. How warm do your summers get? Are you able to purchase palms in your area, or is Florabunda your best resource? I use Agribond Frost Cloth for my new palms that are not established yet., I did find it today from JMI Industries in Louisiana. Years ago, I bought a giant roll, I easily made covers for my smaller, tender or newly planted palms with a square of AgriBond cut and draped over a pvc frame. I took three pieces of pvc pipe with 2 holes drilled in one side of each leg, secured the top ends together with insulated wire (like a Plains Indian tipi), spread the legs and poked into ground, or used mallet to secure. If they are not deep enough the wind will catch them and blow them over and could damage the palm. If you have slope, you will have to accomodate with different sized legs. I then cut sections of Agribond with scissors, and draped over pvc frame, making sure all sides hit the ground (measure side to side over pvc legs and I usually added 6") and then draped over your pvc frame with palm in center and used binder clips to secure sides, and then used larger binder clips to secure the fabric to the three poles (legs). I have been able to save smaller, tender plants and even wrapped a 8' Ravanea Glauca, which is now protected by a Phoenix Rupicola overhead. I bought three very large 15g Parajubea torallyi microcarpa years ago. I protected them for two years and had to use a ladder to clip the top. They looked like Plains Indians were camping in my front yard. They say the cloth gives you another 4-6 degrees Farenheit. I also use large beach towels to throw over smaller, sturdier palms, and if palm is tender then I would use a few pvc pieces pounded into ground and, then placed a sturdy stake next to palm, carefully because it is causing root disturbance, and then throw beach towels over them. Oh yes, back then you had choices of Agribond, and mine did allow some light. The Agribond is utilized for agriculture for row covers for plants like strawberries, to protect from frost, and I bought one that transmitted light. I did not leave all winter, but with the tall palms I unwrapped bottom and left for a month. It is very light and I can easily pick up a large roll. I bought the longest width, but I may have had to buy way more than I needed. But the roll shipped postal. But, I recognize that your garden is much larger than mine. Many a night I would listen to weather at 11 pm, and then chose to go out and save the palms in the dark, never the tall ones, but glad they developed headlamps. I am so lucky that a have a tall husband, who happens to like me, and it was his idea of the pvc poles. Looking forward to next years post. Cecile

I know it is a very nice specimen. I'll probably leave it as is for now. I have no intention of removing the tree entirely. It is at least 30 years old. I just needed to know what my options are for removing one limb to make it better fit the space while keeping in my yard.

Depends on humidity how much sun they can take. But they certainly like a bit of shade and good morning sun and after that dappled bright light. They will yellow in full sun.

Howea fosteriana there from an island that gets pretty windy out there. Or a Howea bellmooreana for that real punk look.

Adam, I took a look at the Service's page link you posted and they do seem to address interstate sales: Interstate Commerce permits authorize the sale of endangered and threatened species across State lines, but only for activities determined to be consistent with the purposes of the ESA. Interstate commerce activities with plants require, prior to the sale, that the seller obtain a permit for plants coming from cultivated stock and that the buyer obtain a permit for plants taken from the wild. The confusing part to me, is that they are referencing the ESA for the endangered or threatened species. ESA = Endangered Species Act. As far as I know the USF&WS only puts species native to the US (maybe US Territories too) get listed. So I don't know how you could get a consistency listing for something which isn't listed as an Endangered Species. Said differently, if the species you are interested in acquiring aren't domestic palms, while on the CITES list, they are on the Service's Endangered Species list. It also appears from that paragraph that the burden for obtaining the permit for plants coming from cultivated stock is on the seller, not you the buyer. Maybe they don't want to go through the headache of the paperwork.

Just take the pills and we can forget about her together. Money does strange things to people! I can understand relationship breakdowns but it’s usually the children that feel it the most!

Oh and the road runner of course beep beep that poor coyote he never did catch him! Richard

I just think of cactus and vast open spaces like Australia, except we don’t have native cactus. The only one we have that is a major weed is the prickly pear cactus a big mistake letting that one into the country. The geography of the Americas has always fascinated me, which I acredit to yogi bear, Donald Duck and the porky pig show he’s our favourite ham! Richard

Yes , most Christmas trees are Fir . It is the most commonly used hardwood around for construction . At least here in the states. Another good source for mulch is tree trimmers but you never know what kind of trees or disease you could end up with. I think the best bet is commercially available bags of garden amendments. Most carpenters use kiln dried wood , I haven’t heard of any chemical treatment unless it is for fences . Harry

I've managed to pop a few, but most soon perished. Two small seedlings were promising, but got sun burnt during a house move after I left them too long in the wrong spot 😩. I think they'd do well in my new auto-irrigated set up. Just got to get some more to pop.

I got them germinating at the moment, and by the looks of the Aussie counterparts theres a bit of seed getting around this great country we call home in the land down under.

They really are a beautiful palm but I don't have the lifespan left to enjoy having a fully grown one. No point planting for the future generations either. They always end up bulldozed or cut down around here. Peachy

I live in the hot and humid (9 months of the year) subtropics. I planted a little windmill nearly 4 years ago and it is now reaching the eaves on my house. I water it on hot days, mulch it well and it has thrived. \Peachy

Thank you so much for your feedback. I did some preparations before I went there, mapped out the different locations and made routes to check them all in 2 days. The Darlaston Washy was truly impressive, California vibes! Crazy growth. Imagine if more people start to plant Washies how it will look in 10-15 years!

A few Trachycarpus wagnerianus pics I took some years ago now, most likely in excess of 15 years ago.

I have two Encephalartos arenarius, one is greenish and the other blue. The blue one germinated with two main roots and two different growing points for the first emerging leafs, so it’s always had twin caudex. They always seem to flush one after the other. Here is one caudex currently flushing.