Palms Suitable for Roadways/Walkways

[Palm Guy]

Matt- Attaleas would be an interesting one to plant. Lutescens would be one of the only clumpers that is used often here. I like them for creating a natural hedge. Good screening effect, great growth and most of all its a hedge I don't have to prune!

Dave- Washys are quite commonly used here as sidewalk palms and are also very invasive. Here are some pics I took at a nature reserve here on the island. These guys grew on their own and one can see many seedlings popping up all over. I think we have two varieties on the island, those being filifera and robusta.  I like them when they are young but tend to look ratty when older. Brahea armata and decumbens are two of the braheas I want to try out. I've seen photos of the in Cali which look quite nice. What's the average humidity in your area?

[Palm Guy]

Tim,

I believe those shots were indeed a Veitchia species and the Rhopaloblaste augusta look amazing. I know Veitchia leaves and seeds would do little damage but I have no experience with the Rhopaloblaste. I assume they should be ok. Both excellent palms for walkways. I take it those shots were in Hilo?

Cheers,

Mike

[Palm Guy]

Again guys, you can post anything you would use in your area or home. This post doesnt have to be Bermuda specific.

[ariscott]

I have 3 Rhopaloblaste elegans... They are very pretty palms. Killed 2 because I put them in full sun. I learnt that they need protection while young   . I put them under 30% shadecloth now until they are fully established. Definitely worth growing!!

Regards, Ari

[realarch]

Hi Mike, yes those shots were from beautiful little Hilo. Here in San Diego, most of the street trees are Kings, Queens, and Washies.

Ari...good luck with your R. elegans.

[bgl]

And, yes, those are indeed Veitchia and Rhopaloblaste augusta. And even though those fronds are probably bit heavier than say those of Bentinckia and Actinorhytis, I'm fairly certain that they're not going to cause any damage when falling down - either to plants, people or vehicles.

[Gileno Machado]

Here in Recife the local municipalty is massively planting the native Acrocomia intumescens at some new avenues and parks. This is a fast growing and self cleaning species and it has spiny fronds, but they are not so heavy to dent a car or harm someone passing by. The edible fruit gets big but it doesn't fall off easily. Once past the juvenile stage, the trunk starts buldging and loses most of the spines, getting smooth and atractive:

[Gileno Machado]

...

[Palm Guy]

Ari- I have made the same mistake with many a palm. I hope you finally get luck with that species. They look beautiful and also a great palm for walkways/driveways.

Tim- I thought that was the case. Looks like Hilo is quite beautiful in its urban parts as well. I don't forsee any problems with those palms mentioned.

Bo-I hadn't thought about damaging the plants below but now that you mention it I guess it is important.

I'm also beginning to see where your coming from on the Carpoxylons. Their fronds may get in the way of cars/pedestrians if they are planted too small and the slower growth rate would mean that pedestrians would have to walk around the crown for a longer period of time than say a foxtail or syagrus.

Gileno - Nice to see you're back to posting. Long time no hear my friend! Como estas? Bem? Those Acrocomias look well fed. I would've thought that because they had spines people would be reluctant to grow them near walkways but I guess not. The trunk looks alot like a Gastrococos on steroids!

How are the clinostigmas you're growing doing? Any visible/salt wind damage?

Cheers

[Jerry@TreeZoo]

Mike,

I was under the impression that coconuts would not set seed in Bermuda, I am glad to find out otherwise.

I would suggest some of the faster (?) growing coccothrinax (barbadensis?) as parking lot/ pathway palms.  Of course, you would have to start out with taller palms, but I think they look better than thrinax, IMHO.  I have a Clinostigma samoense in my yard, 3 blocks from the beach and in beach sand.  It took a good bit of water to get it up to size, and Bo is right about the juveniles getting torn up in the wind, but now that it has several feet of trunk it is doing well and handles the strong ocean winds very well.

Jerry

[Palm Guy]

Hi Jerry,

I would love to see photos of that Clinostigma if you wouldn't mind. That sounds very promising. AND in Beach sand! Wow. Impressive!

Cocothrinax is another palm used often here. I like them better than the Thrinax radiata also just for the faster growth.  

Bermuda coconuts do set seed but the larger the tree the larger the seeds in my opinion. Those particular cocos had many more mature coconuts on them just before Christmas when the winter winds began to pick up. There was a rush of people grabbing coconuts off the ground and I was able to get my hands on three(if only I had a bag!). I would say that the bigger one photographed had about 40-50 coconuts on it before winter kicked in.

Here is a photograph I took around Christmas time. Imagine one of those hitting your bentley. Not good.

[realarch]

Gileno, those Acrocomia are pretty impressive palms. really beefy!

Tim

[Gileno Machado]

Michael:

I`ve been working a lot here lately but still I read most posts at Palmtalk, including yours, always amongst the most interesting ones. I`ll try to photograph some palms on the streets and roads from down here and try to post soon. The Clinostigma in the ground is doing fine but it will probably look better as our rainy season arrives with more intensity.

Tim and Michael: I guess these Acrocomias intumescens are close relatives to the Cuban Gastrococos I`ve seen in pictures, except maybe for the smooth trunks at mature age and also for the higher number and disposal of the fronds. Most people from south Brazil get surprised to see these palms here for the first time because they are only found in our region, where they are called Macaíbas. I have a young Acrocomia aculeata germinated from seed sent by Don in Manaus, where they call it Mucajá and also I`ve seen many in Central/Southeast Brazil but I still don`t think they are from the same species...

[fastfeat]

(Palm Guy @ Mar. 26 2008,21:16)

QUOTE

Imagine one of those hitting your bentley. Not good.

You're right. I thought they only problem I had with my Bentley was keeping it hidden from the guy I stole it from...

[Palm Guy]

Michael:

I`ve been working a lot here lately but still I read most posts at Palmtalk, including yours, always amongst the most interesting ones. I`ll try to photograph some palms on the streets and roads from down here and try to post soon. The Clinostigma in the ground is doing fine but it will probably look better as our rainy season arrives with more intensity.

Tim and Michael: I guess these Acrocomias intumescens are close relatives to the Cuban Gastrococos I`ve seen in pictures, except maybe for the smooth trunks at mature age and also for the higher number and disposal of the fronds. Most people from south Brazil get surprised to see these palms here for the first time because they are only found in our region, where they are called Macaíbas. I have a young Acrocomia aculeata germinated from seed sent by Don in Manaus, where they call it Mucajá and also I`ve seen many in Central/Southeast Brazil but I still don`t think they are from the same species...

Gileno, no problem mate. I understand having too much work also. Please post some more roadway palms whenever you get a chance. The Macaibas are quite wonderful! You guys definitely have some nice native palms in your area.

(Palm Guy @ Mar. 26 2008,21:16)

QUOTE

Imagine one of those hitting your bentley. Not good.

You're right. I thought they only problem I had with my Bentley was keeping it hidden from the guy I stole it from...

Ken,

As long as you don't steal my Ford Focus or drop coconuts on it, your secret is safe with me!

[Palm Guy]

Ok guys,

How about something different. Dypsis. I know that many of them are not as fast as some of the previously mentioned but what about a solitary Dypsis Ambositrae. Great silhouette, not to large, not sure of the frond weight but I think these guys grow pretty fast enough for a avenue palm. Here are some of the famous Ambositra pics I pilfered from Jeff. Hopefully, he doesn't mind.

Looks as though Jeff isn't worried about falling debris. What do you guys think?

Another palm that I have very little knowledge on but also a Dypsis which I would like to see as an avenue/roadway palm: Dypsis Oropedionis

Mike

[Tyrone]

(ariscott @ Mar. 25 2008,04:25)

QUOTE

(Palm Guy @ Mar. 24 2008,19:53)

QUOTE

Ari why the hatred for Carpies? I guess they wouldn't grow as prolific as in Australia but I'm pretty sure they would like it here.

Mike,

Everyone asked me the same question.... Carpies are native and very prolific and WEEDS. Under carpentaria, usually you would have hundreds of carpies seedlings grows like grass... and if you don't weed religiously, you would have carpie forest  - literally. They are very fast grower too and can't be killed. You can plant and forget.

The birds love to eat the fruit, and then of course, they would spread the seeds everywhere... So, you don't even have to have the trees to have seedlings...

They are nice palms, I agree... but there are nicer ones out there.

Regards, Ari

Ari, the thought of having a Carpie forest is a wonderful thought. And the babies are beautiful little things IMO. I wish I had the climate where Carpies would actually do this. They grow here and set viable fruit, but nowhere near as fast as in Darwin.  Give me Carpies any day, they're wonderful.  

regards

Tyrone

[fastfeat]

Mike--

Looks like Jeff's looking (in vain) for seed to fall on his head...

Nice trees. Never seen any planted out anywhere though.

[Peter]

Those Acrocomia's are incredible-try saying that fast.  Anyone ever have any seed?

[ariscott]

(Tyrone @ Mar. 30 2008,09:14)

QUOTE

Ari, the thought of having a Carpie forest is a wonderful thought. And the babies are beautiful little things IMO. I wish I had the climate where Carpies would actually do this. They grow here and set viable fruit, but nowhere near as fast as in Darwin.  Give me Carpies any day, they're wonderful.  

regards

Tyrone

Let me know if you want seeds, Tyrone... I would send you a bucketfull  

Regards, Ari

[fastfeat]

A few shots from downtown Coral Gables today:

Thrinax radiata:

Coccothrinax argentata:

[ariscott]

The thing about cocothrinax is that they are so slow!! I have several... and compared to say other fan palms like Bismarkia, Latania - they are terribly slow.

Regards, Ari

[fastfeat]

And a few more:

Adonidia merrillii:

Ptychosperma elegans:

Roystonea regia:

[Palm Guy]

Mike--

Looks like Jeff's looking (in vain) for seed to fall on his head...

Nice trees. Never seen any planted out anywhere though.

LOL. I think any Palm addict would want a Ambositrae seed to hit em on the head.  Nice photos! I tend to like the smaller trees for homescapes and the adonidia's are a prime example of a good palm for a driveway. We have them growing here also, although not to the same extent as the pytchosperma elegans. For city sidewalks nothing looks better than large palms. I see coral gables doesn't seem to worry about falling roystonea leaves. I would agree with Ari in that most cocothrinax do grow slow but some are moderate growers.

Ari- I wouldn't mind taking a bucket or two of your hands! Hmm...Sending a bucket would be quite expensive via post so how hard can you throw?

[brodklop]

Those Acrocomias intumescens would have to be the best Acrocomias. How come so little is known of them. This a real oversight.

I am a real fan of Gastrococos but these are just as good. None of the books I have make a mention of it. How can we get some seed.

Regards

Brod

[Mark_NoVA]

A question from total ignorance--how would Euterpe edulis do?  Beautiful palm, hopefully such a slender tree wouldn't drop anything too heavy.  No idea if the fruits are a problem.  Only solitary-trunking, and most cold-hardy species of genus.

[Palm Guy]

Bumping this one for Trinidad Bob

[Palm Guy]

Bumping this one for Trinidad Bob