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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 just got my new 3 gal windmill palm in the mail yesterday!!!!! super proud to have it and I already spot new growth

I had a taitungensis set some seeds so why not grow them I can always put a long row of them in as a landscape feature or just use them in the garden somewhere they don’t get eaten by the cycad moth so a good one to grow for that reason and similar looking to the revoluta.

Finally, some blooms this year on my Cassia leptophylla here in interior NorCal. It's been in the ground for at least 5 years and defoliates every winter.

I would say C lutescens as it looks like the one planted in my back yard. When it was smaller, the stems showed areas of light blue, lavender and rose pink along with black speckles. Very pretty for what is a trash view blocking palm here in FL. This species deserves more respect than what it gets. However, I'm not familiar with arenarium as I can't grow it here.

Awesome Tyrone! I’ve got one but still years from maturity.

It’s a shame exotic palms have become weeds in such a unique environment islands in the Pacific Ocean have been vulnerable to habitat destruction since early exploration.

Very unlikely, it’s about impossible to obtain. Ever even seen one here in RBGSYD etc ? There is a couple reason that is so.

Sounds like a nice spot under the live oak canopy. That would be a more ideal spot if you have to put it away from the building. Italian Cypress or something like it would be ideal for wind protection. Rocks around the base wouldn't hurt anything either.

Not a palm but a rather root bound Musa sikkemensis. I think it began to appear much better the day after it got out of the restrictions of being potted.

I just love the leaves on this palm

A nice little box of Aussie native plants arriving in the mail 5 boronia pinnatafrons 10 dasymalla terminalis 5 kunzea pomifera 5 verticorda chrysantha and 5 sierra pink crystal some rare and exotic Australian native plants as well as my tropical garden around my house I also want a exotic native plant garden surrounding the tropical gardens edge in some of the tougher dry areas more suitable for Australian native plants the gum trees just drink to much water for tropical water loving palms so why not go a native garden working with what I have rather than struggling to go exotic tropical plus it will complement the whole garden theme.

I'm not sure if it would work or not, but the only reason to do it would be to reduce the height of the plant. The base of the cyathea won't regrow after the top is cut off. With dicksonias you can lop off a section of trunk and you'll get regrowth from the base, plus the removed trunk will grow roots if watered well. Cyatheas don't do that (at least the nz species), but they do transplant alright if you dig a decent root ball.

Cool palm that grows in somewhat temperate conditions and is underutilized:

I rearranged my backyard planting a bit yesterday. I want to have a good evergreen screen along my back fence, behind the pool. I planted a couple of Sabal mexicana in the biggest size I could lift and manage on my own. So now I have 3 loquats alternating with the two Sabals as my screen:

At it again buying more plants this time a couple of exotic trees for the garden first up we have a pleiogynium Timorese or Burdikin plum and a Gustavia Augusta aka membrillo when they are ready they shall be planted out in my garden I like to buy small tube stock trees or plants and grow them on a lot bigger to plant out it’s fun and a lot more cheaper plus its satisfying to know you grew the tree into something a bit bigger learning about that plant as you grow.

The next couple is of the “middle” path, and the blue granite stairs, running up to the upper level. The contractor filled in the gaps with mortar. Not wild about the color, but I can tint that. I guess if that’s my biggest complaint, I got no complaints.

Pic taken at the mining town of Alyangula, Groote Eylandt, Northern Territory of Australia.

Thanks for all the kind comments! I am pretty excited about finally being able to do this. Obviously, we’re starting at the top of the slope and working our way down. I’ll keep documenting as we go. Kim, I think someone posted the question a couple months ago on the forum, “what should be the first thing I should do while planning a garden?” That was an easy one to answer! 😁 Tin, good question about the Keystone blocks. It’s pretty interesting, the instructions call for a certain amount of compacted aggregate, and then the main blocks set dry on top of one another, with only the pins holding them into place. The caps themselves are glued on. This particular type of block is only good up to about 3 feet or so above the soil line. I actually asked the installers, “what keeps the whole wall from pitching forward overtime?“ Their response “weight”. And they aren’t kidding. For some reason I figured these blocks probably had the same weight as say a cinderblock might. But each one of these full-size blocks has to weigh at least 40 pounds. They are amazingly heavy. The guys spent two of the five days on this wall simply carrying individual blocks up the hill. Crazy. For what it’s worth, we will also be pouring concrete walkways at the base of each wall. So I certainly don’t see them going anywhere, at least in my lifetime. Bill, Yeah, this was a long time in the making. Once the hardscape is done, I really want to have somebody go through my entire irrigation, which I’ve never been terribly happy about. And then somebody that knows lighting. Lucas, Good eye!! Funny story here. Up until about five years ago there were large pine trees growing on the opposite side of the fence in my neighbors yard. They sucked nearly all the water away and shaded anything I attempted to plant there and dropped acidic pine needles everywhere. Most everything I planted there languished, with the exception of a seed grown Jubea and a Livistona mariae. About six years ago the pine trees came out and anything that was hanging on in that little strip just exploded in growth. I had every intention of moving that Jubea before they got the wall built, but they got ahead of me. But it still has to come out. It’s base is about as big around as my leg is now. But I’ve heard they move okay, so now I’m just trying to figure out where I have space to put it elsewhere. But it can’t stay there obviously. Thanks for looking, all!

These are both still around.. B.v. is trunking. The C.b. has gone, but last one is about the same size..... 🤔

Thanks Marcus and Kristof and all the people that liked the pictures. Kristof that first picture has great atmosphere and that frond is huge. It’s still very hard to find anything besides trachies and chamaerops in gardens here as the winters are too cold for most other palms. The other plants that are planted by many people are oleanders and yucca rostrata which do really well and easily survive long term. I also found a reddit picture of the recent jubaea plantings. These jubaeas have been outside since 2014 i believe in large planters outside the UHI of Amsterdam and are now finally planted out in the city center.

Earlier this spring I sliced a big box store Majesty triple apart with a big kukri knife, just separating them into 3 equal parts. I figured that I'd take a decent amount of large and small roots on each plant so they'd probably be okay. I planted them in a shady corner, they just sat there for about 2 months and then started growing normally. They've doubled in size since May, and seem pretty healthy. A few days ago I ran across a ridiculously overplanted Livistona Chinensis 3 gallon pot with a whopping 7 individual plants in it. For $10 I thought it would be a fun experiment to try and separate these out and see if they survived. Since they were so intertwined it was obvious the slice-and-dice method wasn't going to work. I washed as much of the (apparently pine bark) soil from the root ball and then slowly untwined the roots, trying not to break the big ones. One of them was fairly loose (the left one in the picture below) and it only had one large root mixed in with the others. So that one was easy to pull out. Two of the really small 1" diameter ones separated easily because they had few roots, then the last 4 came apart in under a minute. I potted them up into 2.5qt and one 1G pot for the biggest, using a mix of sand and Miracle Gro potting mix. They are now sitting over in 50% shade and we'll see how many survive! I'm betting the bigger ones (about 2" diameter) survive but the two small ones (about 1" diameter) don't. They all seemed to have a decent number of large and small roots, and I don't think I damaged the root initiation zone on any of them, so there's a chance!

Well, it's been a very long time between updates. Over 2 years. I've slowly been pulling this place into shape, and there still is tons to do yet. We've had an enormous amount of rain here and you'll see from the pics. I've had to dig drains and try to get standing water out of certain areas. So some of the palm shots have them sitting in water but just yesterday they were high and dry.