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Showing content with the highest reputation on 01/18/2026 in all areas

  1. Jonathan Haycock
    It’s been a long road to get to this point, but we’ve finally achieved it, we own acreage in Australia 🥳. The acre parcel is located 3 km from the township of Malanda, 15 minutes to Atherton (main hub on the Atherton Tablelands), and just over an hour down the stunning Gillies Range highway to Cairns. 740 metres above sea level and typically 6-7C cooler than Cairns in summer (29 Vs. 36C this Saturday), with minimums rarely dropping below 12C in winter. Also humidity tends to be lower. I’m hoping the climate is a suitable candidate for Juania australis, Ceroxylon, and Hedyscepe. The land is red volcanic soil, which is very fertile with good drainage and moisture retention. Ultimately I would like to build a house on it and retire up there over the next 10-15 years, but that all depends on if I can convince my wife to leave the Gold Coast. If not, we’ll use it as a holiday home and split our time between the two locations accordingly. For now, it’s my playground to plant sun loving palms that will provide future canopy. As each species goes in, I’ll update this thread. The YouTube video shows the land as it is now. Over the next few months all the infrastructure will go in (town water, underground power, sealed roads, concrete access driveway etc).
    6 points
  2. Nico971
    Hello ! Was lucky enough to explore the forests of Costa Rica : from altitude cloudy forest to dry savanes. They have it all, with amazing species. A special thanks to Jeff who gave me great advices and IDs. Some of you might know him.
    6 points
  3. Phil Petersen
    And some more from Punakaiki and surrounds including Pororari River track, Truman Track, Pancake Rocks, and the bottom end of the Paparoa track.
    6 points
  4. Phil Petersen
    Was on the west coast of the South Island recently for 2 weeks camping and experienced lots of great habitat. Here are some photos, mainly from start of the heaphy track. The first photo is from the deck of a friend’s house at the Mohikinui River mouth.
    5 points
  5. JLM
    Yeah. It got to 12F here last year. NWS forecasting 28F tonight. Will have to see what happens. I've got icicles forming on the tips of the washy fronds as the snow melts. Current temp is 31.1F as of 7:36 AM CST. Got these shots as the sun was rising this morning. My goodness it was beautiful.
    4 points
  6. JLM
    Its prettier in daylight. It'll be gone within the next 2 hours. Winter wonderland vibes in the Panhandle this morning.
    4 points
  7. JLM
    Status update: we have a dusting of snow.
    4 points
  8. JLM
    Good morning, Palmtalk.
    4 points
  9. Jonathan Haycock
    Some stills of the land and view. Land: View:
    4 points
  10. DrZnaturally
    This Sabal palmetto 'BRIDGEPORT' has been outside with only minor protection in zone 7 Bridgeport and has made it to the Connecticut notable tree database https://oak.conncoll.edu/notabletrees/ViewTreeData.jsp?selected=226219 I believe it to be one of the most northern Sabal palmettos to survive outside since 2009 without external heat it indeed is a champion tree It is in an incredible microclimate: 1. the long island sound on 3 sides 2.Near a large dark brick building built in the 1960s which radiates heat all winter 3.protected from the North wind 4. Mummy wrapped 5.planted close to the foundation,and te old building probably osses some heat to keep 1 -2 feet from the building from freezing too deeply DrZnaturally
    3 points
  11. Jonathan Haycock
    Palermo was a bit of mixed bag. Still pockets of stunning ancient heritage, but unfortunately the city in general does appear to have lost its way. The botanical garden on the other hand was a pleasant surprise, with a fantastic variety of palm species. Also the most comprehensive collection of citrus trees I've ever seen, the majority of which were full of ripe fruit. Well worth a visit. Washingtonia robusta Church of St. Dionisio 14th century ruins Phoenix sylvestris Washingtonia robusta Not 100%, but I think this is Trachycarpus takil. Labelled Trachycarpus fortunei. Brahea armata Butia sp. Brahea edulis Trachycarpus martianus Jubaea chilensis Trithrinax campestris Rhopalostylis sapida Chamaedorea metallica Archontophoenix maxima Roystonea regia Chrysalidocarpus baronii Brahea decumbens Brahea brandegeei Brahea armata Chrysalidocarpus decaryi Trithrinax campestris Brahea aculeata Nannorrhops ritchiana Parajubaea torallyi Sabal maritima Dioon spinulosum Encephalartos lehmanni Chamaerops humilis var. argentea Howea forsteriana
    3 points
  12. Nico971
    it is some sort of Bactris. Picture doesnt show but mega spiny. I will try to add the Ids. Many différents places : braullio carillo, around arenal volcano, around tenorio volcano, guanacaste, monteverde, and around manuel Antonio
    3 points
  13. Jonathan
    Good stuff Phil, looks stunning. If you're only going to have one species of palm, it better be a good one, and that's a beauty.
    3 points
  14. Urban Rainforest
    This one is Cleopatra x True blue Arenarius. It is turning more blue with each flush. It is also is a speedster as this flush started in Nov. for its 3rd flush last year! I believe this will turn into a good looking plant.
    3 points
  15. Urban Rainforest
    I have’nt posted in awhile because not alot going on this time of year. I have a few plants flushing but thats it. This one is Horridus x Arenarius. Not very blue yet but maybe in the future.
    3 points
  16. Mandrew968
    3 points
  17. Hilo Jason
    I was out cleaning up this part of the garden and did some trimming on this Decipiens hybrid which makes it easier to get photos of it. Also, for what it’s worth, I was speaking with a friend about this palm. He is familiar with the original garden this seed came from and mentioned that he believed the Decipiens crossed with a Baronii which is close by. In the past I thought it was crossed with a Madagascariensis type palm that is right next to the Decipiens, but none of these hybrids, to my knowledge, showed any irregular leaflets which crosses with Madagascariensis always seem to show. Supposedly, Decipiens and Baronii are very closely related on the Chrysalidocarpus DNA tree. That would explain many things about these hybrids. Not just their appearance, but also the fact that so many hybrids happened from the 1 seed batch, and now the hybrids themselves are making plenty of viable seed. I’m no expert but I wonder if palms that are so closely related hybridize, does that create a somewhat new species? Or a variation?
    3 points
  18. realarch
    Intrigued by the stilt roots of this palm attracting airborne Tillandsia and a home for a benign orange lichen. It’s a beautiful palm with the roots, spiny trunk, and entire leaves. Here are a few photos starting with the roots. Tim
    2 points
  19. Ben G.
    Fishtail looks almost untouched so far after a, low of around 28F. It had a bit of damage after some drought stress last summer. Other than that, one or two of the leaflets that looked the rough already look a little worse now. Papaya at. 08:30: Again at 14:00: Finally at 16:30: Not worried about any palms so far, but I would love to have those two little rajapuri bananas to not freeze back to the ground and start their flowering cycle over again.
    2 points
  20. TonyDFW
    26 year old, seedling grown Jubea chilensis in Dallas. Zone 8a 🌴
    2 points
  21. JohnStraz
    Absolutely magnificent, thanks so much for sharing your amazing journey.
    2 points
  22. Tracy
    We were over at a freinds for dinner and I snapped a photo of a large specimen in their neighbors yard. I have seen small specimens planted just far too close to homes over the years, knowing that the owners had no idea how large the plants would get. There were some large ones at a nursery not far from George Sparkman's that I remember discussing with him many years ago. I never planted one, as I didn't really have the space I was willing to dedicate, despite the beauty of a large specimen.
    2 points
  23. realarch
    Ok, the rest of the palm……. Shovel for scale. Tim
    2 points
  24. Xenon
    Hit 31F briefly right before sunrise in the garden in west Houston/Katy. Finally first freeze! But still no first freeze for much of central and south Houston. I moved into a condo closer to town (right on I-10 and W 610), low here was only 33F. Too bad only balcony garden 😅
    2 points
  25. UK_Palms
    I see parts of Florida with more snow than southern England again this winter. Just like last winter when parts of northwest Florida recorded minimum temperatures that were colder than anywhere in England that winter. Quite remarkable. Although another cold blast is on the way for us in Europe later next week…
    2 points
  26. DrZnaturally
    Yes Allen, everyone said it was impossible, put it just shows folks to seek out microclimates and you may succeed with your palms even in the fridgid north, and no extra heating DrZnaturally
    2 points
  27. MarcusH
    I can't give you guys an accurate number as far as temperatures goes but I see numbers anywhere from 24f to 34f from nearby weather stations in my neighborhood. Randolph Air Force Base weather station would be the closest official one, still about 5 miles away . Their station bottomed out at 29.5f . I also moved all potted plants inside of the garage. On average we have 1 to 2 more artic blasts to fear until temperatures go back up. One more month to go lol.
    2 points
  28. ChrisA
    I woke up to my coffee maker at 6am and the outdoor temp was a nice 33F. Checked the temp again just as the sun rose and it was 26F. This will be a neat experiment to see how a few of my non-palms deal with the quick zap. Still makes it a zone 9B winter! Ready to hit the ground running in another 6 weeks or so!
    2 points
  29. Phoenikakias
    ALWAYS! Especially to Butia and Syagrus.
    2 points
  30. Than
    Have you ever tried to buy compost and add sulfur?
    2 points
  31. Than
    I'm also making my own compost with lots of coffee grounds, orange peels and pine needles
    2 points
  32. Phoenikakias
    It is extremely difficult to find an acidic compost (compost not peat based potting soil!). The only one I have ever found with acidic pH is based on coir (from Antemisaris) but I do not trust it much! FYI I had used another potting soil based also on coir (available in Praktiker), in order to plant out my triple Wodyetia, nonetheless I had applied in the end all available, non radical acidity enhancers! (radical is imo the use of acid in the irrigation water).
    2 points
  33. Jonathan
    Very true. Anyone can edit Wikipedia, so errors are pretty common. I remember hearing an interview with some celebrity who said his birthday on Wikipedia was wrong, so he edited it, only to discover the next day it had been changed back, 😆
    2 points
  34. Jonathan
    Not sure, but I believe it's a very variable species.
    2 points
  35. Husain
    Red latania opening a new frond
    2 points
  36. Hilo Jason
    Chrysalidocarpus Lafazamanga is what everyone is growing and is described as a hybrid (that somehow keeps making viable seed?). Chrysalidocarpus Andersenii is the original plant (non hybrid) that no one probably has outside Hawaii as those plants never did well in other locations like Southern California. https://palmssc.org/restrictedDoc/Documents/new_palm_developments_in_southern_california.pdf https://ucanr.edu/sites/default/files/2025-10/Chrysalidocarpus andersenii and C x lafazamanga PalmArbor FINAL 24 Oct 2025 .pdf
    2 points
  37. Robert Cade Ross
    My biggest papaya in Alvin this afternoon. Starting to send out new growth from the top and lower mid section. 29° aftermath last month. We shall see what it looks like after this freeze
    2 points
  38. SeanK
    Congratulations on the acquisition. I hope you see your plans to fruition.
    2 points
  39. happypalms
    Gone are the days of germinating everything you could get your hands on in the way of seeds! Its own popularity pushed it out of fashion, along with the help of new varieties of palms coming along.
    2 points
  40. Xenon
    Why so definitive with the papaya? That's fully in the survivable camp depending on the duration. They don't die the second it hits 32F or 30F or some other arbitrary number. Fishtail too #optimism
    2 points
  41. ruskinPalms
    Doesn’t look like it got below freezing here. None of my freeze/frost indicator plants look like it got that cold. When I took my kids to school on Friday morning the car said 37 to 38 F there and back around sunrise. I know the car thermometers aren’t of the best scientific value but nothing looks froze around here so far. I guess bring on Monday night.
    2 points
  42. PA-TX2024
    Coconuts can survive that.
    2 points
  43. Ben G.
    I've got my potted plants in the garage. I will be losing my papaya tree and my fishtail palm, but they were always intended to be annuals. Nothing else in my landscape has me worried with 28F as the forecast low.
    2 points
  44. sonoranfans
    very high calcium soil cannot be ammended to solve pH issues which will be a problem for many palms. I dont know about Alfredii there, I guess you will be the first one to grow in such an alaline soil. I would try adding elemental sulfur, and plenty of it to see if the pH can be changed. It will take a couple years to find out. pH 8.2 is not extremely high but5 its an issue. Here is a chart, the red pH zones are a no for most plants. https://planetpermaculture.wordpress.com/2013/07/25/ph-chart-showing-nutrient-availability/ looks like B, Fe, Cu, Zn, and N will be a problem. Get the sulfur pellets, they are small pellets but big enough that the wind wont blow them away like a granular sulfur. You will need to address the pH issue at and around the planting sites. You have to put this stuff down liberally, 4-5 lbs per planting site per year for 3-4 years. THe soil microbes break down the sulfur to acid in small amounts so no burn. I dont recommend using a quick soil pH adjustor, there is a high risk of killing plants as it rinses down. you might just be able to change that soil at pH 8.2 but it will take time an lots of sulfur. In the mean time get some humic acid as it chelates some of the micro nutrients and improves availability in alkaline soil.
    2 points
  45. MarcusH
    Upper 20s in the forecast for the northern part of SA in the forecast on Sunday morning. Nothing to worry about.
    2 points
  46. Urban Rainforest
    I noticed today several of my normal strain Arenarius are flushing. I think its due to this nice weather we have been experiencing here in So Cal after all the rain. Early spring🤔
    2 points
  47. Cindy Adair
    I have been asked to spread the word about the World Palm Symposium supported in part by the IPS as part of our research, education and conservation mission statement. Below I copy a letter from the Organizing Committee: Dear fellow palm researchers and enthusiasts! Abstract submissions and early-bird registration are now open for PALMS 2026 Singapore! We are now accepting submissions for talks and posters related to the following themes about palms: 1. Ecology and ecophysiology 2. Systematics, phylogenetics, and evolution 3. Biogeography, macroecology and macroevolution 4. Plant-animal interactions 5. Uses and conservation 6. Palms in the human landscape Hands-on workshops in palm propagation and collecting—plus exclusive field trips into Singapore’s nature reserves—are coming up. Join us and be part of it. If you are early career researcher or student, we are also excited to announce travel grants to help support you. For more information, check out our website: https://palms2026.sg Sign up here for news and announcements (e.g., workshop sign-ups and deadline reminders) or follow us on Instagram! Best, Jun Ying Lim On behalf of the World Palm Symposium Organising Committee
    2 points
  48. Harry’s Palms
    One of my Chamaedorea Ernesti Augusti decided to flower . It already needs to be repotted after only a year in this pot . I think I will wait for Spring and just freshen up the soil unless it is root bound . Harry It looks like it has gotten a bit of a trunk as well. These grow very well here . This has been the warmest January I can remember . Highs in the mid 80’s f and lows in the mid 50’s . We had lows in the upper 40’s already this year but ,since all the rain we got , it’s been very warm . Harry
    2 points
  49. realarch
    A few more photos. Tim
    2 points
  50. epiphyte
    my crosses so far… ficus opposita x carica ficus fraseri x carica ficus ulmifolia x carica ficus racemosa x carica ficus aspera x carica ficus lutea x carica ficus sycomorus x carica pics and timeline
    2 points
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