Palms of New Orleans French Quarter

[bubba]

I had not been to the French Quarter in New Orleans,La.for over 6 years and my wife and a group of couples spent Oct.15-18 in the Big Easy.This is a truly great spot with some of the best food in the world.While others shopped for trinckets,I was keeping my eyes peeled for Palms.This is what I saw:

(1)-Sables-all over and indistinguishable from Florida to my eye;

(2)-Queens-this seems to be the most popular Palm in the Quarter to give that Tropical look.I saw them in large numbers from the Airport to the Quarter.They are various sizes but a good number of rather mature specimens;

(3)-Washys-Almost as abundant as Sabals,although most were planted in groups.I am not certain if these were robusta or filfera.Definitely a favorite;

(4)-Phoenix-These were also abundant with many very old specimens that lined Cable Car through-ways.Most appeared to be Phoenix dactylifera but I saw one extremely tall Phoenix canariensis near a government building that must hve been 80 Feet plus.Also had a happy Phoenix robelenii in our courtyard that was not potted;

(5)-Butia-I saw a few of these but was suprised I did not see more.The climate would seem perfect.I would say this is under-utilized;

(6)-Ravena rivularis-This also seemed to be a favorite in the guarded courtyards.However,although a number were quite large,they all were potted.I would hate to have to drag some of these pots around!

(7)-Wodyetia-Only saw two small one's in pots;

(8)-Ficus-Not a Palm but deserves mentioning as a barometer of climate.These are confined to the guarded courtyards but numerous Rubber trees that were frost tested and were therefore stunted but always coming back.In one courtyard,I saw a very nice Bejamin that had multiple trunks from freeze damage but was over twenty feet tall and well established.Numerous Banana's with fruit not ripe and I am not sure if they make it through the Winter.Also,numerous Papayas that grow well but not sure if they fruit or make it through the Winter.I am sure there are Avocadoes in the well guarded areas but did not recognize one.

New Orleans grows a large variety of Tropicals and I would guess that a Psuedophoenix sargenti would give a go of it as well as well placed Triangles.It is a location with a great mix of Tropicals together with some of the most beautiful Live Oaks and Bull Magnolias that I have seen.Drinks make your eyes blurry!

[_Keith]

(3)-Washys-Almost as abundant as Sabals,although most were planted in groups.I am not certain if these were robusta or filfera.Definitely a favorite;

I would almost guarentee that a 'filifera' would not even make one year in the humidity, wet winters, and 60+ inches of rain in New Orleans. Maybe a 'filibusta' and even that is a maybe.

[bubba]

Keith,As I recall,the Washy's were not that tall.There were a number of them.Could they be robusta's?Also,I forgot to mention the extremely large and old clusters of Chamaerops humilis,particularly in Jackson Square.Thank you for your pre-trip suggestions on food and places.

[NBTX11]

(3)-Washys-Almost as abundant as Sabals,although most were planted in groups.I am not certain if these were robusta or filfera.Definitely a favorite;

I would almost guarentee that a 'filifera' would not even make one year in the humidity, wet winters, and 60+ inches of rain in New Orleans. Maybe a 'filibusta' and even that is a maybe.

There are big filiferas in East TX, Houston, Galveston, etc. and they get as much rain and as humid as you are.

[_Keith]

(3)-Washys-Almost as abundant as Sabals,although most were planted in groups.I am not certain if these were robusta or filfera.Definitely a favorite;

I would almost guarentee that a 'filifera' would not even make one year in the humidity, wet winters, and 60+ inches of rain in New Orleans. Maybe a 'filibusta' and even that is a maybe.

There are big filiferas in East TX, Houston, Galveston, etc. and they get as much rain and as humid as you are.

I so much want you to be right. I have a palm in the front and driest part of my property that was labeled as W. filifera. I suspect it might be a hybrid. Regardless, from what I have read a true filifera here seems as unlikely as a Jubaea chilensis. I want to grow one of those too. If you have pictures of either grown long term in Houston or New Orleans please post them to give me hope.

[mnorell]

If you spend more time driving around N.O. you'll see many surprising palm specimens growing to perfection. Especially in the French Quarter, temperatures most years give it 10a performance-levels. I've seen many, many huge Ravenea rivularis all over town, with ten-foot trunks, owing to the lack of a sub-20F freeze in years. If you look on the I-10 as you approach the airport in Kenner, you'll see some nice Wodyetias that have been there for a couple of years, and there are more and more popping up all over the city...something unwary buyers may regret after the next 25F cold-snap. Obviously these are about as tender as you can hope to find growing for a few years at a time, due to the fact that Home Depot keeps trucking in loads and loads of them from Florida each year.

At the HDs in the area you'll see many, many large Bismarckias, Raveneas, Wodyetias, Archontophoenix and even (oops) Roystoneas and Verschaffeltias moving through at a good clip. That's not to mention the standard Syagrus, Washingtonia (indeed those in N.O. are almost always near-100% robusta), Rhapis, and the usual suspects for zone 9 areas, particularly Livistona chinensis, which is ubiquitous. There were large Caryotas at the Audubon zoo that I think are still there, having been righted after Katrina knocked them down. P. roebelenii grow very well there for many years at a time without suffering leaf-burn or death.

Because of the moderating effect of Lake Pontchartrain to the north, they haven't had a sub-28F freeze since I moved into the region four years ago, so I'm used to seeing Florida-style plantings flourishing all over the city. I'm in a 9a area so I really notice these things when I'm in the Big Easy! A visit to not only the big-box stores but also the good nurseries in town (e.g., Banting's in Bridge City) will reveal a lot of the materials that are going into landscapes there. I've also seen very nice Plumeria trees in the Quarter, nice large Dypsis lutescens, Cordyline terminalis and Bauhinia x Blakeana, established far-ranging Epipremnum aureum and hardier but rarer items like Acoelorrhaphe. The courtyards in particular do offer amazingly sheltered environments and some wondrous gardens hide behind those walls...but remember that it was 11F in Audobon Park in 1989, three solid days below freezing. Ouch.

[merrill]

There are mature W. filifera in Gainesville, FL; suspect we are similar in rainfall [60 in.] but hotter. Wish I'd started some filifera years ago [or filibusta for that matter].

merrill

[Tomsky]

I once took a cruise along the Mississippi and saw Sabal louisiana natives with short trunks along the riverbanks. On another occasion, driving from Baton Rouge down to New Orleans, I saw many Sabal louisianas in the woods.

Jack

[bubba]

Michael, Your outline certainly verifies my suspicions after a brief viewing of the French Quarter.The Woodyetia's I saw were only potted but they were healthy.The Ravena's had absolutely grown through the pots and were quite large.Many,many nearly mature and good looking Queens.

Perhaps the most telling sign of microclimate in the Quarter was the robust growth of Ficus.The large Benjamin in one courtyard was very well established.The combination of Lake P,The River and the lockbox courtyards suggests the possibility of many additional tropical specimens.Got to believe avocadoes would flourish and numerous other items.

[floridagrower]

Keith,

I disagree. We have full blooded W. filifera here in Tallahassee. I would consider New Orleans a very similar climate. If anything we are hotter and more humid. I even took a picture of a nice publicly grown specimen. See below...

http://s316.photobucket.com/albums/mm339/f...nt=filifera.png

http://s316.photobucket.com/albums/mm339/f...=sidebyside.png

Edited October 25, 2008 by floridagrower

[_Keith]

Keith,

I disagree. We have full blooded W. filifera here in Tallahassee. I would consider New Orleans a very similar climate. If anything we are hotter and more humid. I even took a picture of a nice publicly grown specimen. See below...

http://s316.photobucket.com/albums/mm339/f...nt=filifera.png

http://s316.photobucket.com/albums/mm339/f...=sidebyside.png

As I said, I hope to be wrong, but I still wait to see pictures of multiple filifera more than a few years old IN NEW ORLEANS. And if you show me Jube down there, mature or not, I will fall out of my chair.

And I want to fall out of my chair.

Keith

And actually the daytime humidity of Tally and N.O are very close with Tally actually a couple of percent higher on average during the day, but New Orleans is 10% higher at night on average.

[FRITO]

thats the only W. filifera ive seen in the area. I still have doubt of 100% filifera also. but its got a good portion for sure.

my W. filabusta seedlings dont like the humidity and rain much. I have got about about eight 3 gal palms from 100 seeds after 2 years. (let mother nature doo what it normally does, ie: not greenhouse grown)

I planted one in the ground and it rotted after a month earlier this spring. I planted another a couple months ago and has two green fronds and a spear slowly pushing. I planted it high on a bermed mound also.

I dont get as much sun as they would like either (full sun). an amended high mound in full sun and ventilation and W. filifera have a chance here I think.

[floridagrower]

thats the only W. filifera ive seen in the area. I still have doubt of 100% filifera also. but its got a good portion for sure.

my W. filabusta seedlings dont like the humidity and rain much. I have got about about eight 3 gal palms from 100 seeds after 2 years. (let mother nature doo what it normally does, ie: not greenhouse grown)

I planted one in the ground and it rotted after a month earlier this spring. I planted another a couple months ago and has two green fronds and a spear slowly pushing. I planted it high on a bermed mound also.

I dont get as much sun as they would like either (full sun). an amended high mound in full sun and ventilation and W. filifera have a chance here I think.

There are more. You got to know where to look. There are a few bigger than this one. The trick to planting these in the Southeast is to get them installed already mature.

[FRITO]

thats the only W. filifera ive seen in the area. I still have doubt of 100% filifera also. but its got a good portion for sure.

my W. filabusta seedlings dont like the humidity and rain much. I have got about about eight 3 gal palms from 100 seeds after 2 years. (let mother nature doo what it normally does, ie: not greenhouse grown)

I planted one in the ground and it rotted after a month earlier this spring. I planted another a couple months ago and has two green fronds and a spear slowly pushing. I planted it high on a bermed mound also.

I dont get as much sun as they would like either (full sun). an amended high mound in full sun and ventilation and W. filifera have a chance here I think.

There are more. You got to know where to look. There are a few bigger than this one. The trick to planting these in the Southeast is to get them installed already mature.

I figured about installing them as mature palms. (what was there before that Infinity dealership do you remember?)

where are the other filiferas? North side up there?

[NBTX11]

I wish some of our Houstonians would chime in. I know there are quite a few mature Filiferas in that area, and they are every bit of humid/rainy as NOLA, but unfortunately I do not have any pictures.

[floridagrower]

Panama City folks could chime in too. There quite a few random ones there. I saw a dealership with 10+ just this summer and they have been there MANY years.

Luke,

All others I've seen are in residential yards. I can pm you some and you can do a drive by and creep them out. HAHA