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Fifteen old leaf bases finally falling away on this eighteen year old P. torallyi’s fattening trunk. This one was planted as a small two leaf seedling. This one has never set seed but a number of dried up immature inflorescences were hiding behind the fallen away leaf boots and they fell off as well. The palm is pushing a very visible fresh inflorescence now. Maybe this one will actually produce something.

Got my annual order of palms from Floibunda today and the plants exceeded my expectations as usual. Experimenting with some new (to me) species besides some that have already done well and I’m repeating them in the landscape.

Three in a row Burretiokentia palms. B. vieillardii (just planted) B. kogiensis (in the ground two years) B. dumasii (in the ground two years) The two in the ground two years have done well with growth even during the winter months. They were in 4” containers when planted. Hoping the vieillardii does as well! Please show yours! B. vieillardii B. dumasii B. kogiensis

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

I was lucky enough to spend a week aggressively visiting gardens around Hawaii and the islands of Hawaii, Oahu, and Kaui Click here for complete album with all identifications (429 photos) Vonitra perrieri - at Jeff Marcus's amazing garden Wallaceodoxa raja-ampat - at Jeff Marcus's Garden Areca tunku - at Jeff Marcus's garden Veitchia vitiensis - from Jeff Marcus's amazing garden Physokentia insolita - from Jeff Marcus's garden Cyphokentia cerifera - Jeff Marcus's garden Leopoldinia pulchra - Jeff Marcus's garden Geonoma stricta var. arundinacea - Jeff Marcus's garden Ravenea cycadifolia - Jeff Marcus's garden Chrysalidocarpus carlsmithii - Bo Goran's original garden (now Bob and Andy's garden - doing an AMAZING job maintaining it and expanding it) Jubaea chilensis at Koko Crater BG Manicaria saccifera - Ho'omaluhia Pritchardia minor - Ho'omaluhia Cyphophoenix fulcita - Allerton BG Pritchardia viscosa

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

First flower spathes on this 2 headed Chrysalidocarpus Prestonianus Hybrid

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

Glad you got one of these. Yours is doing great - especially for a palm that can be a bit fastidious. One of my favorites in my yard. Here is mine now flowering. This came as a 7 gallon from JDA in 2008. Little more history on the palm. JDA had two similar palms at the time “Betefaka” and “Honkona” (note the ‘o’). Both grew very similar. Betefaka being more glaucous, Hankona green. This is the plant Ron Lawyer once called the “butt-ugly betefaka” because the original Betefaka was such a looker from a young age. That original betefaka turned into Oropedionis.

I’m doing a remodel and I’m now working on the kitchen so I’ve kinda ee-victed myself from it to an outside space with profane tank etc, damn almost don’t care about fixing the house, just stay out here. So maybe you’ve got a Palm Cave? If so show us!

Close to five years past and the palm nursery is getting there. I would say 60 percent was started from seed and the other 40 percent from mostly bare rooted purchased seedlings. When I first started the project I knew it would take around 5 years before you can really do anything with the plants, from planting them in the ground to seller a few of them. It is a love of growing palms and plants that drives me to succeed in such a project, and now there is no stopping all I can do now is grow from strength to strength and build another greenhouse to fill it with more palms. So if you’re wondering how long it takes to build up a palm nursery at least five years. IMG_9723.mov

Another palm from Central America the Crysophilla warscewiczii. Tolerance for cool conditions is plus for this lovely palm. Nicknamed the silver star palm, easy to grow and look after. Tolerant of a little dry conditions although that will slow it down a bit like most tropical palms they love water. Slow growing in my climate this one is 23 years old originally planted in a sunny spot then the garden grew around it making deep shade for it. But a beautiful palm that is still a bit rare in my area. Rps just had seeds for sale so I put a hundred seeds in to see what pops up time will tell how I go with them.

I noted that when there is a quick shower in the garden, the Dypsis decipiens ( manambe palm) has the ability to collect the rain. Every upright leaflet is a little channel that drains the rain to the bigger channel shaped petiole and that brings all the water to the crownshaft of the palm from were it falls copiously over the trunk. Sometimes, in hard rains, it washes dirt away from rhe roots at the base. You can see where all the water collected and ran away from the palm's trunk, while the soil beneath the crown itself remains dry and the palm itself becomes a perfect umbrella. I suspect that in the dryish climate of the highlands of Madagascar, were this palm is native, it collects all the few rains and moisture from fogs and brings it close to the base of the trunk were it is needed. ( Last week I put some iron rich soil called "cascalho" around the crowns and this makes it easier to see what I' m trying to explain)

Both still growing but not yet trunking. They look like Nikau but are slower and a lighter green than some Chatham Island forms. Fortunately Chathams flower very early so might not have to wait too long for more conclusive information on their true identity.

My largest of three Lepidorachis mooreana is very close to developing clear trunk now. The Climate on the summit of Mt Gower on Lord Howe Island is cool humid and windy lowest temperature recorded was 2C and the highest was 21C. Perfect my cool maritime climate.

A beautiful palm well worth growing. I have two of them and so far they have survived. Seemingly easy to grow, yet not planted in the ground as of yet. It will be a few more years before I plant them at least a good 140mm sized plant before going in the ground. Another one with deadly little needle sharp spine, there’s an attraction there somewhere for the dangerous palms.

I stopped by my previous home in Roseburg Oregon to check in on the palms I planted. So glad to see the new owners kept all of them, even though they did remove a 50ft sequoia. You can't see them from the road, but I got some pics from our old neighbors house. They were all planted around 2011 and were probably 5 gal at the time. Butia sp.? Glad to see this looking so good, I covered it a couple times when it was young, but the new owners haven't protected it at all. Even after a couple hard winters, all the fronds are still green. I would guess that's around 5 years of fronds, which would be about the time we sold the house. Chamaerops humilis Row of 6 Trachys, tallest is close to 20' and shortest is below the fence. Other angle.

Not a cave but a place we like to spend quite a bit of outdoor time , our fire pit. Whether early morning coffee or evening under the stars , many hours sitting as we gaze out over the Santa Paula Valley. We burn White Sage from our hill , sometimes listening to flute music. The smoke from the Sage in the Abelone shell is wonderful. Harry

Bought this as Chrysalidocarpus Ambositrae, I refer to it as a “stiff leafed Ambositrae”. Size 10 sandal for scale.

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.

A nice winter afternoon with the garden looking well watered and rested up tucking in for the next couple of cool months. With a lot of new plantings in the ground it will be an interesting few months to see who is going to make the zone push race in the garden. So enjoy a nice wander in the garden.

Amazing Len! @richnorm what do you reckon…to me this looks like the decipiens I saw throughout NZ (Landsendt, Auckland BGs, South Pacific Palms). The blue fronds, plumose leaflet arrangement and even orange freshly exposed crownshaft. I didn’t see large ones of what I know as the typical form at all over your side of the ditch.

Here is my eleven year old Chamaerops 'vulcano'. It was a gift to me in September, 2021 by a guy who will remain unknown. Let's just say he knows the best place for pho ! It is 3 cm diameter by 30 cm tall (1.25x12 inches) I ground planted it today.

More of a tree fern cave I guess View from cave

Another Central America palm that loves my climate is the schippia concolor, according to palmpedia it was discovered by an Australian botanist William A. Schipp in 1932 and described by German taxonomists Max Burret. A lovely palm well worth growing tolerant of cool conditions and hot dry weather at least in my climate. This one got shaded out as the garden grew around it so slow. If I come across some more I will plant them in a dappled light situation. Easy to grow and easy on the eye, similar looking to a Livistona Australis as juvenile only no thorns and a thinner petiole.

I would like to publicly thank a friend from New Zealand who sent me seeds of 3 species of palms, I don't want to mention his name, but THANKS YOU! I take this opportunity to thank the others who sent me seeds from Italy, Greece, France and the USA, and it's nice to know that after being absent from this forum for 5 years, the friends I had have not forgotten me

I just finished captioning the photos from this portion of my Hawaii trip last week! Foster BG is a small urban BG with many OLD specimens which is what really makes the BG special. Ho'omaluhia BG is a well maintained beautiful BG with stunning scenery and amazing plants. Koko Crater is more of a "hike" with plants suited for dry weather scattered around - a highlight being their Jubaea chilensis. Lyon Arboretum has many stunning and old specimens, but you sometimes need to bushwhack to get to them! Complete Oahu album is here

No time like the present then to plant my alfredii, if there as tough as they say they are this planting session will be a spring holiday for the afredii then! How tough are they we will find out!

The long forgotten solitaire palm a beautiful Australian palm. I have three mature beauties in the garden. Tough as well heat tolerant cool tolerant and a little dry tolerant. A great palm and a nice single stem ptychosperma well worth growing.

I purchased an Alcantarea imperialis about 15 or 20 years ago and planted it in my yard. Unfortunately, when I moved out and began renting the house, the bromeliad didn't get its cup watered ever and I have drip irrigation. So my original plant died in early 2015 before ever blooming. I was at least smart enough to remove one of the basal starts before I moved and planted it in my current residence. I don't recall when I removed the pup from it's parent, but it got put in the ground in 2015. Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago, and I can see that a flower is beginning to emerge. I have numerous pups I have planted or shared from this 2nd generation plant, so although I will miss it when it goes, I can plant another in its spot. One of the leaves on my Cycads conveniently pointed out the emerging flower initially for me. I didn't want it to block the new flower stalk, so I trimmed that one leaf off as the Cycad should be flushing soon anyway. More recent progress is shown in the last 3 photos.

If anyone would like to see how my gardens doing this year i made a video here on youtube:

Variegated Caryota mitis are a clourful plants especially in sunlight. Sorry only one picture had the leafs in the sun

Massive flower on this, will produce enough seed for the world 10x over. two story high Areca macrocaylx "red" next to it. aloha

I recently had a chance to quickly swing by the University of Melbourne where they have a nice palm collection by Melbourne standards largely thanks to a collector and former palmtalker. Hope you enjoy some of these: Trachycarpus fortunei var wagnerianus Trachycarpus martianus (L) and Arenga ‘micrantha’ (R) Becarriophoenix alfredii Livistona decora Trachycarpus martianus Arenga ‘micrantha’ Ceroxylon ventricosum Another Ceroxylon ventricosum. There’s a group of 3 here. Hopefully a seed production factory one day in the distant future. Macrozamia macdonnellii for the cycad lovers. Linosoadix monostachyos loaded with ripe fruit Archontophoenix purpurea Licuala ramsayi. Very marginal here but they look good. I’m told these are old plants, in ground over 10 years. Very slow here. Archontophoenix cunninghamiana Archontophoenix alexandrae

Here’s my palm cave, and what happens in the palm cave stays in the palm cave!!

I could have added this under the Texas Palms thread, but I thought this might make it easier to find for people to find. If you have ever asked how fast will a newly planted Washingtonia grow in its first year, here are the results from my experience here in Texas: Planted last year on June 1st This year on February 1st after taking a bit of winter damage: And tonight, just shy of it's one year mark in the ground: With this filifera putting on this much growth in its first year, it kind of makes me wonder what a robusta could have done.

I had put in my order, they had been picked, packed and posted on a monday, express post so they should have arrived on wednesday at the very latest. Come wednesday, no palm. I contacted the purveyor of pulchritudinous palms, who after investigating, discovered they had been stuck in a flood zone. Silly little post truck driver didn't think of making a detour around the floods. Oh my bleeding heart, all my pretty new babies laying dead in a cardboard coffin, woe is me. We shall now ignore the next 9 days, spent in mourning for the babes. Late in the afternoon, on the hottest May day on record for this area ( 28.8c) I heard the postman's little motor bike, went outside and there was a parcel. Should I open it and face the horror of little corpses or just chuck the box and be done with it ? I chose the former and to my utter amazement, apart from being a little bit pale, they were all in perfect health. How did such a wondrous miracle occur you ask ? The secret is perfect packing. Even after all that time the soil was still slightly damp. My house plants can't go that long without water. Who is this pearl of a palm packer you must be wondering.....well it was performed by none other than Richard, of Happypalms Nursery fame. So after this prolonged presentation, let me introduce the new comers. Areca vestiaria, red form. Reinhardtia gracilis, ( I call him Reinie for short) Lanonia dasyantha, Brassiophoenix schumanni and of course the palm that nobody can live without, Chuniophoenix nana. Thanks again to Happypalms nursery for providing and special thanks to Richard, whose packing kept them alive. Peachy

A little chronicle of the day. It held up well on hwy 40, and I got it in ground right as it started to rain. Thanks @Joe NC

This community is wonderful. I got into a bad spot and had to move pretty quick and left most of my palms behind. I got a few care packages of some seeds, seedlings, and some really cool exotic stuff I wouldn't be able to afford and never thought to grow. Honestly I've killed most of it, but that's not the point. This is a kind and caring community filled with warm and generous people. Out of all the gifts, the most meaningful was a note that said younger people like me (I'm 46!) are the future of this hobby, and that meant the world to me.

Here’s most likely the “mother” of your seedlings, and what a looker she is!!! They are surprisingly tough too. Don’t mind a bit of sun first thing or our SE Queensland winters unprotected.

Another small palm from Central and South America, which is just beautiful and relatively trouble free, even Peachy would love this one. These are about fifteen years old and always look fantastic. Lots of moisture, high humidity, and a bit of shade will make it happy. I’ve seen these high in the rain forest, so they may take cooler temps. Tim

I saw these gorgeous Decipiens in Ventura today . Probably the largest around! I visit them every once in a while . Not as often now that Terry moved up north. Harry

Jim, have you already had success with those Basselinia species or are they new for you? I got a velutina to try as well, my B. eriostachys has been in the ground for a couple of years and does pretty well here.

Hard to believe June 21, 2025 is here. What a cool, wet Spring we had. Getting our first summer heat wave here in the DMV zone. The winter was a cold one in my estimation with two nights in single digits(5f and 8f) and corresponding days below 32f. Nights were consistently in the 20’s but day temps did tend to moderate above freezing. A cold winter and spring though. @Allenmy big Trachy got the dreaded single digit pin holes and some segment damage but all in all, had a good, relatively unprotected winter. I did give it some crown lights and black landscaping cloth wrapping but nothing too drastic. It’s neighbor, the Needle, is undamaged as always and is really bulking up some trunks. The Brazoria has always had a really hard time with its fronds in winter. I cut all the damaged fronds off and it’s got two new fronds following the slightly damaged 2024 spear. It’s also sending up spikes. I really like the trunk on it. And it’s fronds are massive…so it’s a catch-up challenge every spring. the small Trachy got lights around the trunk and wrapped in landscaping cloth. The fronds remained uncovered did extremely well unprotected so I have a feeling it’ll do as well as the big one in this south facing backyard. This is the accidental, squirrel planted Butia Odorata. It’s a long story and a very slow grower but as soon as I get a pinnate frond, I’ll be posting it…it gets some lights on the ground and leaf pile cover for now while it is so small. This pair, total protection Chamaerops and zero protection McCurtain are growing in to each other but I like the way they look together. Hard to believe the Chamaerops came back from near total destruction a couple years ago. Then there’s the good old no protection stand by shady Needle. 1/3 the size of the bigger fuller sun Needle but happy just the same. Welp, that’s about it. No winter deaths and I can’t complain about the recovering ones. I’ll have to order some fertilizer and give them a good dose. Before you know it, it’ll be Christmas 😂

My absolute two favourites . Licuala sallehana var sallehana and licuala triphylia. They take the cool weather well for such little tropical classics. Spring will see them go in the ground. Perfect understory specimens just waiting to go in!

My Trachys look really nice , and I think can compete with other varieties as far as beauty is concerned . Some palms obviously are so damn cool that my Trachys can't compete with those cool beautiful palms , but considering everything , like climate , I think mine are respectable when put up against a lot of palm varieties in more southern locations . What do you think ? Will

Yes, that clever iPhone made a video of my garden with photos from 2020 -- much easier than me trying to do it myself. I will attempt to post it here. Got a garden video to share? Post it here! My Time in Pahoa - 2020.mov

A few nice hookeri pictures.