Leaderboard

Just had my Parajubaea sunkha flower again at the start of winter. There are 6 flower spathes behind this one so maybe, just maybe I’ll have some male flowers and female flowers open at the same time with viable seed as the result.

Another frond drop on the middle Lemurophoenix halleuxii. Not so bright as the last one, but still pretty. 🥰 I love the tiny polka dots on the leaf scar.

It all begins with a seed the best way to get palm seedlings cheap is to germinate them yourself firstly you need the seeds before you can do anything with various luck in the germinating department you just never know how many seeds will germinate obviously the fresher the better but even then different techniques are required for different seeds which is a learning curve as you go the propagating I do is from learning over the years either asking or listening to other growers advice reading but a lot of self learning.

Chrysalidocarpus Robusta Hybrid size 10 shoe for scale and the largest “doinker” I’ve seen on a palm!

I got this plant sold to me as Dypsis Lutescens a few years ago and it has grown great since being grounded. It started out as a 15G with 30-40 little suckers. I knew I didn’t want it so full so I cut it all the way back to 3 of the largest sticks and planted it out in full sun. Fast forward 2yrs. Ive always thought it was Lutescens but looking at it lately, I’m really wondering if it’s possibly Dypsis Arenarium as it possesses the red emerging spears. The trunk portions have some color too. Not sure if your standard Lutescens have either of these traits. Am I just wishful thinking or could it be? March 2022 June 2024

Took my daughter and 15 year old grand daughter on a short hike the other day. Waimano Valley along the stream is now a jungle of what I believe of Pinanga coronata. I use to hunt wild boar in this area in the 70's and these palms WERE NOT present in the valley. Over the past decades Pinanga coronata has become invasive in many of the leeward Ko`olau valleys. I wonder if birds or pigs carried the seeds over the mountain from Hoomaluhia gardens? The photos following the first are NOT sideways on my computer. Not sure why this program turned them. Never happened before. Also saw a few of this. Could be young Roystonea regia? Didn't cross the stream to check the fan palm. Could it be Livistona chinensis; ? There are MANY of these in other valleys closer to Honolulu.

This jumped out at me. The Villages, FL Lowes. Arikury palm, Syagrus schizophylla. $84.98. 6.5 gallon pot.

Last winter didn't seem any worse than the previous few, and yet damage to my mule palm was extensive. Because of this, I would consider the mule palm as marginal in zone 8B. It's my understanding that fronds should be left on the plant until completely brown because there is nutrient uptake until that point. As usual, I erred on the side of caution (i.e., procrastinated), and performed nine frondectomies, certain that they were good and dead. The remaining leaves have considerable damage. Only the two that emerged this year are solid green. It looks like it's going to be a long recovery if we don't have another winter like the last one!

My beautiful Foxtail Palm has outgrown my apartment. A bit more than 220 cm from soil surface (a bit more than 245 cm incl pot). Grown by me from seed, sown 2018-05-24. Let me first say that I hope someone is interested in picking it up, because most shipping companies don't do > 2 metres and the cheapest I found that does, costs around €150. For the palm my suggested price is €40 even if it is worth at least 10 times that. Foxtail Palms love sunshine, although this has lived exclusively off grow lights so if to be put in the sun it should gradually get used to it. Rather easy to manage, grows similarly fast a Kentia palms, no acute need for repotting, needs water once per week for now. Planted in 75% coir and 25% seramis (when pottning up you can use the same mix or just coir). Normally grows in Australia. Mature palms have been observed to cope with down to -1 degC without damage see here. This palm has been grown in my apartment. It has very special leaves, and as it matures, they are gathered as fronds that resemble Fox tails. Also see Palmpedia.

In LA, I wouldn't worry about a Ficus like that strangling your Phoenix palms. We don't have enough humidity to allow it to really take over. Worry more about the arrival of the South American palm weevil doing damage to Phoenix palms in the coming years. They are here in San Diego County now and working their way north. Enjoy the Ficus epiphyte, as they rarely become parasites here.

Looks like Howea forsteriana to me.

my a. obesum in full bloom

Seeing both Tim's and yours, I wish they could survive here. I tried a decade ago and failed though. Absolutely stunning palms.

I planted it last night hoping for rain that was denied today. Found a spear well on its way when the last one just opened a couple weeks ago so heat is a big helper on growth rate. The sky photo is the view directly overhead into the Palmetto Protector (lol) and the open view to the southeast. Its heel is pointed away from the other trees and just above ground level, but i may need to add a bit of soil to it. By the end of summer im hoping to have a decent head of fronds going, and a mild winter after(please?)

I can’t help with the positive ID but if that is lutescens all that purpuly maroon-ness makes it one of the nicest ones I’ve seen.

I spent a fortune on seeds for a few years and found that either nearly all of them germinated from a batch or none at all. (mainly the latter) When people could still send us seeds, I never had a batch fail from other people on Palmtalk or from good old Rosebud Farm. These days I don't have the space or patience for seeds so I have to rely on those more dedicated to reproduction than me. Peachy

Some update pics from the garden.

🫤 I am hoping they will grow somewhat slowly here in zone 7, especially if clumped. If they don't do well closely planted that is extremely helpful to know. Even if they were ok being on top of each other, It sounds like separation would be necessary anyway because there are at least six palms in that pot. Guess I'll be doing that in the next week. I'd rather not just snip them, but on the other hand it was $20 so losing two or three out of six would not be so heartbreaking. I'm seeing now there's an older thread where someone separated a similarly overpotted clump of them that's also pretty helpful ( )

Looks more like a resort/hotel than a home. 😍

Agreed Tracy. Tim’s tree in person is even more fantastic than in pictures as you know. Doesn’t even look real. 😂 @Kim, yours is an unbelievable palm too. As Tracy said, wish they grew here. -dale

@flplantguy I have had mixed experience with most of them, Chrysalidocarpus leptocheilos (Teddy Bear) and Chrysalidocarpus lastelliana (Redneck Palm): Chrysalidocarpus leptocheilos (Teddy Bear) - I still have one in the ground, on a relatively high-and-dry area on the East side. It's fully open to the sky and frost, and seems to be okay so far. I had 4 small ones die on me, 2 in the ground and 2 in pots. They were apparently killed by crown rot after a winter freeze. Chrysalidocarpus lastelliana (Redneck Palm) - I have two in the ground. The one on the East side is about 10 feet from the above Leptocheilos, and is doing great. The other is in the SW corner in a low-ish area and is not happy. It got burned 2 winters ago in the Christmas 2022 3 day heavy freeze, and has just struggled and stayed yellowish and barely alive ever since. My gut feel on these is that they prefer a drier spot in the winter, though I have not grown one over about 3 feet tall yet. I'm hoping that the two on the East side continue to do well. Frost protection is a good idea, and avoiding a low wet area is probably a good choice too.

My neighbor has a nice silver specimen I see peering over my pool fence area, I glance at it daily. In full sunlight it’s almost blue some days . Butia odorata I believe it is. Very common here in north orlando area. I don’t have any planted in my yard, but get to enjoy this one on the regular. This one was probably planted back in the late 70’s or early 80’s when these neighborhoods were developed, if I were to guess.

Cindy, at first glance Phoenicophorium and Verschaffeltia are almost indistinguishable. Your stretched version looks pretty cool. Leaf yellowing seems to be pretty common, especially in older fronds. A friend of mine who’s entire palm was yellow, thought that’s what they are supposed to look like. I’ve had good luck with a common palm fertilizer containing micronutrients that works pretty well. Takes a few months, but the new fronds respond to the food. This one get quite a bit of sun from mid morning to late afternoon. Sits on a slope with good drainage. The old super model shovel for scale. Tim

Awesome trails through this sub-tropical rainforest. I’m lucky to have a son who enjoys these experiences just as much as I do. Dominant species Archontophoenix cunninghamiana. Also spotted Calamus muelleri, the odd Livistona australis, and Macrozamia lucida.

Last night the boot came off this Chrysalidocarpus prestonianus, revealing it's colorful trunk underneath. I couldn't help noticing.

Some Parajubaea pics from yesterday.

Another Cocos ID, SW Florida: Jamaican Tall?

I've since moved away from where I grew up/planted stuff since my teens (now 26) but I'm back in my garden for the weekend 😁. Can you tell I like zonepushing? Hopefully we get some normal to mild winters soon so the stuff on borrowed time can live a little longer under canopy. It's a celebration every time this Cyphophoenix elegans makes a new leaf Prime time for Euterpe edulis Lanonia dasyantha Chuniophoenix nana and a Chambeyronia pyriformis seedling Licuala fordiana Chuniophoenix hainanensis Chamaedorea cataractum back from the ground after 18F and a Everglades palm (how do you spell that Latin name LOL) direct seeded Lytocaryum hoehnei making a comeback after record heat, drought, and freeze Sable rosei Ravenea rivularis that refuses to die I have several of these Chamaedorea radicalis (thanks DoomsDave) spread throughout the yard, they are indestructible Livistona saribus I hope Sabal causarium is going crazy this year (and so is the Bahía grass LOL) Hoping for many many years with this Bismarckia Sable guatemalensis Livistona nitida Making Houston Queen palms ubiquitous again

@flplantguy I'm just guessing on the reason the Lastelliana failed to really "recover" after the freeze. Sometimes palms just never get back to normal after a freeze, and it's not obvious why. I had a Caryota Gigas/Obtusa in the front yard that did the same thing, just stayed yellowed and sluggish to grow after a cold front. The Caryota turned out to be a root rot problem with soil that was too sludgy-rich a foot or so down. That particular spot had a lot of oak stump grindings mixed into the dirt. The rear SW bed Lastelliana also has pretty rich soil, which is why I'm guessing it's a correlation and causation. I figure that it's easy enough to add a bit of rich organic mulch on top, or add more water if needed, but difficult to keep water out!

It is beautiful to me but when a species is introduced in an otherwise pristine environment it can become a problem. I was on Kuaii and they were dealing with bougainvillea in mass as it was taking over and strangling other plants. Harry

it’s supposed to 94F in my area with temps feeling like it’s 100F. thank god I’m keeping my new windmill inside 😭

It's looking so lush and established now Tyrone. I could have sworn you only moved there 4 or 5 years ago. It was a shock to find you've been there for 10. Where did that time go ? You've made your own slice of paradise down there. In the meantime I will still slog away to make something special out of my table size yard. Peachy

I think you promised me one of these when you still lived in Perth. They are such an attractive species but I no longer have the room for one. How long has this one been in the ground ? Peachy

I believe this is Calamus tenuis. Seed was from Northern Thailand. It is starting to form climbing appendages now. There are two plants together in this pot. Plants are 6 or 7 years old. Hardy above 0°C.

I will be there!

I had one like this. It didn’t take many cut backs. 2-3x at most and then it just died off. Get a ladder and some clippers and just cut as much of it back as you can, or the pole saw if that’s impossible.

Kim, I love your wide winding path with black volcanic rock edging! And your grouping of borsig/robbers palms is perfectly spaced. Thanks so much for posting. This species looks potassium deficient (or something) on my farm even if I fertilize it. On my one trip to the Seychelles I was so busy looking at the double coconuts that I barely recall the other endemics. Perhaps those IPS members who went there last Fall might respond as to the older leaf color in the wild there?

To me, it looks like normal waxy coating on new fronds.

coming very nicely and looking forward as everyone to the progress. regarding the handrail, there are many diy railing sites that if you give them the specs of your rise and run and then overall span, they ship you the parts and you just install as opposed to going with a contractor doing custom work ... just a thought. thats what wifey and i decided to do to upgrade the railing to a more modern look in our house. regardless, i love hardscape when it effortlessly flows into your landscape and i think you achieved that look nicely. at the end of the day, i always tell my wife that the cost is trivial as long as it brings good memories. quality of life at my age as i am leaning LOL. looks like you will be creating many memorable moments in the near future and many years to come. i love the juxtaposition of you and the the bare open plot of land behind the gate vs the newly incorporated hardscape. cheers tin

Keeping fingers crossed for a bit more rain.

Here’s a few I germinated last year and a few this season from seeds harvested from my own plants.

NZ flaxes are really tough. I sometimes pick up flax fans off the beach here after a storm when they've ended up in the sea due to erosion and even though they've been immersed in salt water and bashed to kingdom come by waves, they still put out roots quite happily after they've been rinsed, tidied up with secateurs and then planted say 200 mm deep and kept moist. Established flaxes are easily divided into separate fans with a sharp spade. Just be sure to cut downwards enough so there's some root base included. Then take off the top half of all but the youngest couple of leaves with secateurs to reduce moisture loss, bung them in the ground, keep them moist and you're away. 🙂

Like Jim said, leaf burn is something of an issue on this for me. I can never tell if it’s too much sun, or too much exposure. But that notwithstanding, they have such a beautiful form to them. Sorry for the less than stellar picture.

My largest Chatham Island nikau lighting up in the sun coming through a break in the canopy. It looked better in reality though. It caught my eye today.

Looks great! I agree with your tactic of doing 2x triples, at that size they don't have a ton of roots and quite a bit of leaf area. So a fairly shady area (especially PM shade) is a good choice. I eventually ended up with 5 out of 7 survivors...and ironically transplanted the 5 in the previous photo over to the NE side of my yard. I put them in a close pack, with about 1 foot between each palm. I figured this would be far enough apart to not crush each other, but hopefully close enough together to get just a little bit of curve as the trunk bases push each other apart.

Thanks mate. Yes. Will post some more tonight. I wanted to put more before and after shots up but we got the sun in many of the after shots on the weekend so I will need to reshoot them again when there's less glare around. I'm glad I started this thread 6 years ago. You don't notice the growth of your own garden over time until you look back at where you started. Some areas have completely changed.

I was finally able to take some pictures

Inside the bamboo barrier. Since I started this thread in 2014 I've recorded a lowest minimum of −0.7C (just the other day). The day that froze the borinquena was likely a bit colder than that, but I wasn't recording temps at that time. Now I have more vegetation the plants are more protected. The maximum temp I've recorded is 43C but we never have warm nights. I've never recorded a min over 19.6C. Humidity is medium to high all year round here. Fog and heavy dews can even happen in summer. Although summers are generally dry, we can still get decent rainfall in summer. Our water tank which is our water supply here overflowed about 12 times this last summer. Winter is wet with mins around 6-8C and max's around 18-20C. Summers are drier with mins around 14-16C and max's around 28-30C with generally high humidity. We are nothing like Albany or the airport weather site here. That's all for now.