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Showing content with the highest reputation on 02/19/2026 in all areas

  1. When iam finished, or at least I think I have with my old propagation medium, I usually tip it out on the potting bench and just use it as any other additive for my soil mix. And usually there are old or what I think are dead seeds in that mix. They say never give up on old seeds but sometimes you just have to move on to new seed. So it’s a wonderful surprise when they start popping up in the potted palms. Especially licualas, not sure what these varieties are it iam sure something good, and another physokentia is most welcome in the collection. The seed is one way of getting an identification. I just tip the pot upside down and simply remove the seedling!
    7 points
  2. I was able to force this color with 23 degrees but i don't think I’ll be able to maintain this look.
    4 points
  3. From what I've been told Bismarckia are extremely intolerant to having their roots disturbed in anyway. I think this might be one of those palms that can't be moved, unless you can get ALL of the roots.
    4 points
  4. Today it caught my eye that I could take a photograph of my palms when it’s raining and see the raindrops in the photograph.
    4 points
  5. Figured everyone could use some good news. Pritchardia thurstonii was able to weather the storm under coconut canopy and shielded from wind slightly by the lanai. It is opening the damaged leaf in the photo and the another spear is coming out. That said, we do have another front coming and that might finish it off. At least it is still in the game, though.
    4 points
  6. Up here you can drive from coconuts thriving to temperatures in the teens within a 30 min drive. It is horrible. Goes from a 9a climate to a 10a in like 10 miles or less
    4 points
  7. Hello all! My first post here in a long time...I was just in Corpus Christi over the weekend, and was pleased to see some cocos on North Padre Island still alive after last month's cold event. I was pleasantly surprised by most plants I saw in the area, I was expecting total carnage. Most strelitzia were undamaged on the island, which was surprising as well. Looks like the official low at CRP airport was around 26F/-3C, areas on N Padre were likely closer to the freezing point based on plant damage. Here are some pictures I took last Sunday, February 15.
    3 points
  8. One thing I noticed about this winter is some of the models going doomish fast, and pretty much staying consistent well before the event, then proving true when most winters those outliers are safely disregarded. Those models are saying a possible light freeze and frost in late February, which is completely possible here, so I expect that to pan out with water temps going up too. 85 yesterday and near 80 so far today, so hopefully that warms everything up for the usual quick drop and recovery. Anyone that avoids a frost or freeze should be good until next fall I think 🤞.
    3 points
  9. Don't touch it! It will come back. Maybe give it some extra water when you can. If you try and move it, it's almost a guaranteed death sentence. aztropic Mesa, Arizona
    3 points
  10. Yah, what Chester said. They are thought to be extremely intolerant to root disturbance. Here in SF a tree crew hired by the city "maintained" my Howea in the same way. It died.
    3 points
  11. Chambeyronia hookeri, variegated rhapis ayanishiki.
    3 points
  12. Here’s the Greenhouse I forgot which one in Cincy forgot to post this! Man, that is a huge queen sago palm!!
    3 points
  13. @sacts those look a lot like my 5 big Alfredii. I didn't have much if any damage in the past 7 or so years, down to ~27F several times with heavy snowlike frost. Mine took mostly light leaf burn at 24.4F and frost, and did take nearly a year to totally grow a new crown from that. I'm guessing they are going to look kinda ratty through mid summer. I fertilized mine 2 weeks ago, hoping for quicker recovery. I also did hydrogen peroxide and then Daconil into the crowns, but not copper...yet. I will probably cut off the lower fronds in a week or two. That's partially for looks, and partially to make sure there's good airflow and sunlight into the green bit left in the center.
    3 points
  14. Copper is a great fungicide too. I wouldn't worry about liquids mixed with the fungicide, but I wouldn't pour or spray water into the crown without the fungicide. Hydrogen peroxide is a great fungicide too, and degrades to water and oxygen in the presence of fungus (thus the bubbling). One reason people suggest H2O2 is because it bubbles up, and you can easily see if fungus is present. I think a good squirt in there occasionally is a good safety measure. I used about 5 x 32oz bottles of H2O2 and then ~2.5 gallons of Daconil mix on the 6th (I think) an am doing another dose next week.
    3 points
  15. I just keep on buying seeds, I have another 5 orders out at the moment just waiting to get into the country and clear customs, and one in the Australia post system that should be here on Monday. Richard
    3 points
  16. I sprayed a bottle of bonide copper fungicide in the crown, around the crown, and on some of the lower frond areas yesterday. I have to admit I do have concern spraying so much liquid in and around the crown wondering if it will negatively affect it at all as far as the dampness. Although I guess it gets soaked when it rains anyways, and it was around 80 in full sun today. Today I also added some 5-1-1 fish emulsion in with my moral watering. Good idea on marking the spear, I’ve done that in the past to will do that tonight would you still recommend after a bit putting some peroxide in there periodically?
    3 points
  17. Rhy. gigantea, var. illustre. A rescue from one of Home Depot’s 1/2 dead 1/2 price shelves. Purchased in FL 2 years ago. Been a long, slow nurturing process. First time blooming for me. Humidity in the house is very low in winter and am surprised it bloomed. Life is better for this orchid in the summertime, where it can luxuriate outdoors, in all the humidity and balmy air.
    3 points
  18. My B. Alfredii palms after the recent florida freeze. I'm in Orlando. Had these in the ground for about 9 years. Not very cold hardy if you ask me. I went to lucas nursery and they have several that seemed burned as well. They trimmed all of theirs fairly aggressively after the storm. Most of them have 4 or so fronds on them now. Anyways, I sprayed copper fungicide on the center spear more so into the center of the crown. Hoping that helps. Most worried about appearance since these have been sloooooow growing so will take forever to replace these crowns.
    2 points
  19. Licualas and water go together, I think the moss is a good sign of a healthy microclimate. Only problem is, licualas never mix up those seeds with other licualas, I can be practically impossible to tell what varieties they are for a long time🤣
    2 points
  20. One of my Dendrobium speciosum is close to full bloom. I moved this one and another under my patio cover to protect them from the rain, wind and wind borne debris. It was a good call. Chrysalidocarpus pembanus leaves have come down in various parts of my garden, a banana stalk loaded with a bunch of almost ripe bananas came down and several snapped leaves on other palms.
    2 points
  21. The first four Sabal lougheediana are GONE! Stay tuned as we hope to get more in the coming weeks, but as was said, it's not a guarentee as to when we get them and how many.
    2 points
  22. I love those kind of surprises. Harry
    2 points
  23. Most of the ones I cut down are a little shorter than that . I cut one or two stalks every year or so. I have four clumps around the house , so there seems to be a flowering trunk or two every year. I like the look of them and it isn’t too hard to cut them . I do have one clump out front that gets large , probably over 15’ . I cut two trunks a couple of years ago and they had to be cut in sections. I can understand , they certainly are not self cleaning . It is more than just a trimming to have to cut trunks down . The one I tell people never to plant in their yard is Caryota Urens , they have a really bad habit of falling over! Mine fell and it never flowered. Harry ‘The C. Urens towers above the C. Obtusa . It fell over . Luckily the neighbor had left for work so no damage . It had just opened a beautiful dark green frond , no inflorescence ever appeared.
    2 points
  24. All seeds are spoken for thank you regards Richard
    2 points
  25. Yes , the flowering stalk will die . It will start pushing out smaller fronds and inevitably start looking bad. If it is near anything that can be harmed if blown over by strong winds , I would cut it down soon. The “pups” will continue to grow and eventually replace the flowering stem as the cycle continues. I have Caryota Mitis clumps that are almost thirty years old . I have cut many stalks down , some very tall. Harry
    2 points
  26. They get even more as they get bigger. Harry
    2 points
  27. Seconding the Foster BG recommendation, along with an impressive assortment of palms, they have a beautiful cycad collection which contains an impressive specimen (or two) of Encephalartos woodii. Lyon is a must as well, huge palm collection and beautiful location in the back of Manoa Valley. Highly recommend grabbing a meal (Off The Hook Poke or Morning Glass Coffee are favorites) at Manoa marketplace, then eating up at the arboretum in the gazebo down the hill from the parking lot. Tell the person in the little shack at the entrance that you’re going to Lyon and they will waive the $5 fee for visitors parking to hike Manoa Falls. If you’re the adventurous type, bring your own pair of hiking boots and ask the front desk at Lyon about the hike to Aihualama falls inside the arboretum. Not as manicured or impressive as nearby Manoa Falls but a lovely and authentic stroll through the thick rainforest beyond the more curated grounds of the garden. For both Lyon and Hoomaluhia, you’ll have the best time if you come prepared with a rain jacket and shoes/clothes you don’t mind getting dirty. Bug spray too if the mosquitoes are fond of you. One of my favorite nurseries in town is Kawamoto Orchid. It’s tucked in the back of a valley and there’s endless shade houses to wander. If you find something special, I believe they have the facilities to pack and ship with proper ag forms so you can have a little piece of Hawaii back home. The Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle problem is quite real here. Not much you can do yourself but as you look at our landscape, take in the coconut palms. They may not be there the next time you visit. In fact, the pest is beginning to target palms more broadly, so take a moment to appreciate any palms you get to enjoy as the future is uncertain. As @Rick Kelley pointed out, the angular cutouts in the leaves are quite distinct, especially if you are a palm aficionado. Once you see it, you’ll notice quickly notice how far it has spread on Oahu. Finally, can’t recommend a visit to Hilo enough. Honolulu/Oahu is the CITY (I grew up here) and Hilo will transport you back to an old Hawaii that is quieter and full of all the little quirks and traditions that make these islands so special. Oh and of course the abundance of tropical gardens (I’ll let our Big Island folk point you in the right direction). Have so much fun! And as always, share pics!
    2 points
  28. I just got done watching the Palmcast with @Sabal Kingand @teddytn talking about experimenting and not listening to people say what will and won't work and immediately throw out a feeler because I read these hate swamp. The seeds are slowly popping so I'll keep a couple but priorities are priorities....
    2 points
  29. The wind made the difference this time. 23F is one thing, but couple it with 30-40MPH winds... 🥶
    2 points
  30. I just love the diversity in palm seeds, I have a collection of old germinated or dead seeds on the table in a dish, better looking than a bowl of fruit.
    2 points
  31. Temperatures in the Orlando area this go-round were ~24F in most spots. Hope for a full recover for all of them.
    2 points
  32. Love buying some cold tolerant palm seeds off of @Bigfish. Great experiences buying off of him and speaking with him at meetings when he's able to come.
    2 points
  33. @Golden10 I like the idea of the hydrogen peroxide and Daconil crown treatments too. A simple squirt from a $2 bottle of H2O2 could prevent [or cure] aa crown fungal infection. Since the crown is only a foot off the ground, it's easy to reach. I'd also mark the new spear horizontally with a sharpie, across it and the fronds next to it. That way you can easily see if it is growing. It may not move much for several moree weeks, but generally should be steadily growing. Even if it is only 1/16th of an inch per week, some steady movement is a good sign.
    2 points
  34. I also had a couple copernicia that were potted and infected, one fallaensis and one hospita had spear infections. They were fine till I put them in a shady spot. Dew is everywhere here for a good part of the year. Sun burns the dew off, if its direct for several hours. I treated them and moved all my potted copernicias into direct sunlight and they responded with good healthy growth. I have one cuban copernicia in mostly shade, a macroglossa and it just sits there barely grew in 4-5 years. A second same sized one I put in direct sun 8 hrs and it is 3x the size. My experiences with the cuban copernicias( I have eight) is they hate shade plus being frequently wet with dew. Wet soil, they are fine, wet leaves/bud is a no in shade. Some of mine near irrigation sprinklers have mold spotted on oldest leaves. They love rain but they also want the crown to dry out. Once they get some size up off the ground, dew is less an issue, and they may be fine. But overhead water, lack of sun and incessant dew in florida has led to spear pull on mine. Overhead water is not a problem when in full sun, as the bud consistently dries out.
    2 points
  35. Guidance has trended colder in the past 36 hours or so. This is shaping up to be a freeze for the Panhandle. NWS currently forecasting a low of 33F for Monday night. Looks like it may warm up pretty quickly after that before getting cool again to start the month of March. Being cold in Florida multiple times during the winter season is not a new thing. Y'all have gotten lucky more than anything in the past decade down south. I would be grateful to live in the areas of central Florida thats been trashed on so much in this thread. I am still thankful to be located in NW FL, where many palms can be grown. Sometimes it pays to just be thankful for what you have instead of being upset about what you cant have. My Queens are fried, my bizzy might not make it, my lady palm spear pulled, my washies are burnt, but... here is my super mule, looking like winter never happened: For that, I am thankful.
    2 points
  36. There is A LOT to do on O'ahu in the world of horticulture and landscape...pardon my very long post here but Honolulu is a big city, O'ahu is a good-sized island, with several diverse climate-types, and this is just some of what is there for your botanical enjoyment... The single most important place for you to go is Lyon Arboretum, part of the University of Hawai'i, at the top of Manoa Road. Truly spectacular and you'll probably want to go up there more than once. The late great Ray Baker along with Bob Hirano were the driving forces there in the latter 20th century, establishing amazing collections of palms, Heliconia and many other plants in this perfect, rainy greenhouse of a place. You can really wander into the deep tropical forest there, and you can see things like Amherstia nobilis and lots of other rarities thriving. There are also a lot of plantings on the UH campus further down the valley toward town. For a flip-side experience, you should go to Koko Head Crater and botanical garden...this fascinating crater has a semi-desert climate with one of the best collections of Plumeria on the planet. Also many other tropical plants that thrive in such a dry, hot environment (Madagascar, etc.). Very useful to inspire you for your Arizona garden. Very importantly, remember to bring water with you if you go there...water/beverages are not available, and the dehydration factor may remind you of Arizona! Foster is important because it's a very old botanical garden and thus has some very large specimens of many tropical palms and other plants that represent early introductions. I lived in Honolulu in '88-'89 and would often visit Foster Gardens, it was the first place I ever saw the beautiful Satakentia liukiuensis...I was really transfixed by those palms and I'll bet they are really something after all these years. You might also look into Wahiawa Botanical Garden...interesting because it is located upland, in the middle of the island (near the Dole Plantation). Also Waimea Botanical Garden on the windward side of the island, I remember that being a very nice walk up into that valley...but not sure if it's worth the ticket price considering how many other options you have. To me some of the best experiences are to be found just wandering in town and through some of the old parks like Ala Moana, and Kapi'olani. If you walk down along Kapi'olani Park (on Kalakaua Avenue) by the Aquarium and toward Diamond head it's a really pleasant experience parallel to the beach and it's fun just to explore the neighborhoods flanking Diamond Head, just to look at the residential landscapes. More Singapore Plumeria and Tahitian Gardenia than you can shake a stick at, and lots of beautiful uses of lava-stone walls and other Hawai'i-style landscaping elements that may give you inspiration for your own landscape back at home. Other well-heeled areas that feature very nice landscaping and good for an easy driving tour include Kahala (on the other side of Diamond Head, this is where Magnum P.I. was largely shot), and up on Tantalus and Makiki Heights (Round Top Drive, Makiki Heights Drive), very jungly area with large estates hiding behind some wonderful plantings, you can work that area in with a trip to Manoa. Through this area and going up to the Pali, you'll see gigantic pothos and Cup of Gold vines snaking through the trees that will blow your mind. There is also a botanical garden at Tantalus but I haven't ever been there. As far as public-facing landscaping palms are concerned, Pritchardia pacifica in particular is used all over the place, particularly in commercial and hotel settings, and seems to reach its visual zenith in Honolulu's climate, and you may really fall under the spell of that palm. Honolulu is famous for its huge banyan trees and you will also see incredible Monkeypod (Samanea saman) trees wherever there is room for them, along parkways, especially Moanalua Road/Hwy and at the Moanalua Gardens. If you have time, try to include the historic areas of downtown. Fort Street Mall, University Avenue, King Street all have wonderful old plantings around the historic buildings, lots of mature Pritchardia pacifica and Ptychosperma, et al. in random plantings in the commercial center. Also lots of beautiful red and pink ginger and Heliconia all over the place around Honolulu. I assume since my last visit (I think 2008) many new tropical palm and other plant introductions have arrived and thrived in landscapes around the city as well, especially in hotel landscapes. I remember noticing during my last visit that in particular Areca vestiaria had become more common in landscapes there. In Waikiki proper, you must wander, wander, wander, especially through the larger hotel properties, and go to the Royal Hawaiian Hotel and see the Banyan filled with its crowd of garrulous Mynah birds and some really magnificent old plantings of Ptychosperma macarthurii up against the hotel walls. The landscaping there epitomizes old gracious Hawai'ian landscaping of the early 20th century, and everything is very well maintained in the "Hawai'i style." Keep in mind that Honolulu enjoys a really interesting convergence of mostly Pacific/Asiatic cultures, Polynesian, Japanese, Chinese, Filipino and others, and so there is some real landscape diversity based on those cultural traditions. The East-West Center Japanese Garden next to UH is well known, and the Hawai'i Int'l Airport's cultural garden (yes, in the middle of the airport!) was designed in the early '60s by famed Landscape Architect and author Richard C. Tongg and hopefully you can work that in with your arrival or departure. And for just the natural beauty of the island, don't forget to drive out along the Kalaniana'ole Hwy to Makapu'u Beach (famous for the sand that will be deposited in your swimsuit, and you can see Maui!) and further along, the view of the Ko'olau Mountains in Waimanalo is truly spectacular and should not be missed. If you take that trip (which could include Koko Head), you might also visit some of the nurseries along that route. Just a few I remember are nurseries like Ni'i Nurseries (Charles Ni'i Nursery and also R&S Ni'i Nursery, there are two of these) above Hawai'i Kai near Koko Head. Frankie's Nursery (mostly tropical fruit trees but also some ornamentals) in Waimanalo is very well known, and may be worth visiting for a wander. If you're interested in Plumeria there are some major nurseries like Jim Little Plumeria Farms. Many of these nurseries will ship to the mainland as well. There used to be quite a few well-known mom-and-pop nurseries specializing in orchids, anthuriums, etc. around the island and I'm not sure how many of these are still around. But you might just google nurseries and call around, and I'm sure there will be a good selection to choose from. While many people associate Honolulu with coconuts, banyans, breadfruit, monkeypods, Plumeria, Anthurium, orchids, gingers, Cordyline, et al., Honolulu is also famous for its flowering trees, and you will likely see some nice ones in bloom in April, including Pink-and-white Shower (Cassia javanica), Rainbow Shower (Cassia x nealeae), Silver Trumpet Tree (Tabebuia aurea) and the Primavera (Tabebuia/Cybistax/Roseodendron donnell-smithii). If you can't tell from my verbose listing, there's a lot to see pretty much everywhere you go!
    2 points
  37. I would surely add Lyon Arboretum in Manoa to your list. The arboretum adjoins a trail hike to a waterfall via a bamboo - Sinobambusa tootsik - forest , plus lots of heliconia and lush tropical looks abound.
    2 points
  38. Pretty much most of what you see , botanically speaking , is going to be things that won’t grow in the desert . The islands I have visited do have some desert areas but most areas are high humidity and warm trade winds bringing tropical rains . The growth rate of tropical or some temperate plants is about 3x the growth rate even here in Southern California . I have never been to Oahu , other than a stop over , so I can’t recommend any specific gardens . I am sure you will see plenty of palms and tropicals . Some nurseries will sell orchids and small palms , with certs, that you can bring home . The palms I brought home from Maui were growing in shredded paper and came with import certificates . They are still living in my garden 25 years later. Enjoy your trip! Harry This Pritchardia was a seedling that I carried home in my back pack! Not pictured is the Chambeyronia I brought home that is now flowering . I think I paid less than $5 for each seedling in 2002. Harry
    2 points
  39. By the looks of it,they'll probably revert back to that ugly blue color... 🤷‍♂️😆 Not necessarily a bad thing.👍 aztropic Mesa, Arizona
    2 points
  40. Hey there yall! Long time no post and see! This is ChicagoPalma here, just cannot log onto my old account and I need some immediate assistance here! So far, I took off the enclosures for the palms, and this year instead of making it out of fosmboard, I made it out of reflective bubble wrap and chickenwjre. So far, the small windmill did amazing, but the larger one did horrible. The spear pulled and I am not sure what to do atp. Anything anyone can help with?
    1 point
  41. Two royals in habitat showing damage https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/339113012
    1 point
  42. I just moved outside a bunch of T.fortunei and S.minor plants. I see we're expecting two or three nights in the mid-20's, F this weekend. I may just leave them out and cover them.at this point. More delicate stuff is still inside.
    1 point
  43. I'm sure you will have a great visit and see plenty of beautiful palm species on Oahu. But just to inject a pinch of wretched reality, Oahu is being attacked by swarms of coconut rhinoceros beetles. They were introduced around 14 years ago, but the state's response has been pathetic. 'Too little, too late' does not begin to describe the bungled half measures taken. Large beetle populations are firmly established across Oahu and there is no realistic strategy to eradicate them. The department of Ag has stopped monitoring surveillance traps around the island because every region is now infested. Hundreds of large coconut palms growing in beach parks have been cut down to prevent the towering dead trunks from falling on people as well as to destroy any larvae that might be developing inside the rotting trunks. Driving around you will notice the characteristic V-shaped cuts to palm fronds that signal that the end is near. I think the public botanical gardens have not been hit hard, yet. But the outlook is pretty bleak. Good that you are visiting now. In five years there might be many fewer palms to see. Here is a map showing the latest infestation data. The map on the left shows no detections along the mountain chain, but that is only because nobody placed or monitored traps in this very steep terrain. The right panel shows color coded population densities with darker blue being worse, but the data are pretty incomplete. The beetles are pretty much everywhere. If you can possibly arrange a free day on your trip, I recommend a quick hop over to the Big Island. Depart Honolulu on the first flight of the morning, arrive in Hilo before 9, then hit four or five private palm gardens you see on PT, plus Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden 10 miles north of Hilo, fly back to Honolulu by 7. You will be very tired, but you will see great palm collections. CRB arrived on the dry Kona side of the island two years ago, but so far has not been sighted on the wet east side of the island.
    1 point
  44. Ordered one, thanks. FYI code SEED4LIFE took off a whopping $2!
    1 point
  45. When considering my available options for a rain event, I decided the best thing I could do is use Banrot on any species that appeared to be struggling with post-cold fungal growth.
    1 point
  46. Dave’s Doom, Harry said you were trying to germinate some seeds from the Ventura Jubaeopsis . Any luck, any tips?
    1 point
  47. Yeah sorry the photos did show up out of order. yeah I just don’t get why they would dig it up so quick after a hard freeze….then again to rid their liability of the palm. Honestly wasn’t expecting an alfredii of this size to take such burn. Guess it will either not make it or look like crap for a long time
    1 point
  48. Before I ever saw the decora along IH-45 there was one along the feeder road of US-59 north of Porter not far from my sister's place. I collected seeds from it (around 2015) and looked for it many times after but it must have been taken out with the development in the area.
    1 point
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