Butia lallemantii

[mjff]

4 hours ago, Scott W said:

6 hours ago, Scott W said:

Hey Martin, hopefully you pop on here and can answer ....it's been over a decade since you posted this.... certainly it's flowered by now???

@Alberto, by chance do you have pics of Butia lallemantii seedlings or juvenile plants?

Most of the trunks were killed in the February 2011 freeze.  The 2 that survived got pretty large, but still have not flowered.  One of them may have died when we got to -1F on consecutive mornings last February, but some of this stuff has been very slow to start growing again, so not giving up on it yet.

 

[Scott W]

@mjff thanks for the reply and sorry to hear about the losses.  Crazy to think that these have not flow weed either.  Any pics of what it looks like at the moment?

 

[mjff]

55 minutes ago, Scott W said:

@mjff thanks for the reply and sorry to hear about the losses.  Crazy to think that these have not flow weed either.  Any pics of what it looks like at the moment?

 

The closer trunk has not grown new fronds but also isn't rotten, so I'm hopeful it will next year.  I have other Butias that have not grown and are already rotten.  Nannorhops ritchiana behind it and several Washingtonia filifera in the background which also survived the freeze.  Actually surprising how little I lost.  Below freezing for a week with -1F two consecutive mornings and a high of only 18F in between.  About a foot of snow too, and wind chills of -20F or more.

Bonus, guess what is the cold hardiest Phoenix?  These 2 Phoenix theophrasti on either side of my front entry survived the freeze and were actually the first palms to start growing again afterwards.  I also have a CIDP that survived, but it didn't start growing again until August.  That's a flowering Brahea moorei behind the column on the right.  Chamaedorea radicalis down the sides of the stairs.

[Scott W]

@mjff thanks Martin for the added pics and information!  Truly amazing that those survived that arctic freeze in my opinion!  Really hoping the severe cold stays away so that Butia lallemantii recovers.

Also much to my surprise I was able to locate @kelen on Facebook and had some nice conversation with him regarding this species and a couple others.  Waiting on a few pics of his Butia lallemantii that is currently growing in his personal garden. 

[mjff]

At some point I need to do a post on all the species that survived that.  In a lot of cases the result was mixed.  I have many species where some individuals survived while others in the same grouping did not.  Even many cases where some trunks of a clumping species survived while others on the same plant did not.  Around my tennis court and office/gym I have Sabal uresana planted every 15'.  About 2/3 survived, 1/3 did not.  We're talking established plants with 6-8' of trunk, not freshly planted 15 gallons or something.  Many will be shocked at what survived.  I was shocked any of it did to be honest.  I only had time to protect the very smallest plants and then all I could do was throw 95 gallon containers over them with the drainage holes taped shut, so not a lot of protection.  I did wrap Christmas lights and a blanket around the trunk of my Jubaea x Butia x Syagrus after removing all the fronds, but then the power went out for 14 hours during the worst of the freeze so essentially it was just wrapped with a blanket.  Somehow it still survived and nearly has a full head of fronds again.  It's one of my favorites and I walk under it's fronds every day on my way to/from my office.  The huge Brahea clara (12' CT) I have next to my office door somehow survived unprotected as did another one I have with about 8' CT in the yard.  Both are completely exposed to the north.  A lot of pleasant surprises.  I will be using a lot more Brahea armata.  Those, Sabal mexicana and Washingtonia filifera were the least affected of the trunking species.  Sabal minor and Rhapidophyllum hystrix weren't even defoliated by it.

[Meangreen94z]

I guess the drier climate of San Angelo made the difference for Theophrastii . The only Phoenix that has consistently survived in the Austin and Dallas areas is Canariensis. I would put it’s survival rate close to 100% from what I’ve seen.

[mjff]

I had 5 CIDP's, but only one survived.  Also had 5 large theophrasti, but only the 2 by the front door were unscathed.  The other 3 the main trunks were killed, so I will choose a sucker or two to let grow into a new plant.