Must-Have Palms in SoCal

[OverGrown]

Any input would be appreciated. Experts please chime in.

I'd like to know what are the "must have" Palm species that will grow without building a green house in the Los Angeles area. I'm looking into palms that can take full sun, understory or containers.

Here's a list of the species I've collected so far:

Chamaedorea hooperiana (Maya Palm)

Chamaedorea plumosa (Baby Queen)

Chamaedorea seifrizii (Bamboo Palm / Reed Palm)

Dypsis lutescens (Areca Palm /Butterfly Palm/ Golden Cane Palm)

Archontophoenix cunninghamiana (King Palm / Bungalow Palm)

Archontophoenix alexandrae (Alexander King Palm)

Syagrus romanzoffiana (Queen Palm)

Caryota urens (Himalayan Fishtail Palm)

Phoenix roebelenii (Pygmy Date Palm)

Phoenix reclinata (Phoenix Palm)

Phoenix canariensis (Canary Island Date Palm)

Butia capitata (Pindo Palm)

Howea forsteriana (Kentia Palm / Sentry Palm)

Brahea armata (Mexican Blue Palm / Blue Hesper Palm)

Livistona chinensis (Chinese Fan Palm)

Wodyetia bifurcata (Foxtail Palm)

Bismarkia nobilis (Bismark Palm)

Cocos nucifera (Coconut Palm)

Ravenea rivularis (Majesty Palm)

Species I'm looking into:

Chambryonia macrocarpa (Watermelon flame thrower palm)

Chambryonia hookeri (Flame thrower palm)

Dypsis decaryi (Triangle Palm)

Caryota gigas (King Kong Fishtail palm)

Arenga pinnata (Sugar palm)

Archontophoenxi purpurea (Purple King palm)

Thanks,

Peter

Edited April 14, 2009 by OverGrown

[gavilan1]

Not an expert on this end by any means, but I went over your list and your requirement of culture outdoors here in So. Cal., and right off the bat, I can tell you that unless you have an incredibly perfect microclimate (in your yard) to grow your C. nucifera, that coconut will break your heart. It will thrive in the summer, and it will thrive indoors, but our recent winter lows will kill it (again, going by your requirement). Chambeyronia do well here, but they must be acclimated to full sun. Get one, and plant it where you will see it every day. Dypsis decaryi grow well here, and thrive in full sun (at least they do here, 8 to 9 miles from the ocean). I've killed a few A. purpurea, so I can't speak to their suitability. A. cunninghamiana are easy, and good looking. Chamaedorea generally prefer indirect sun (understory palms), so full sun is not a good idea, if you want them to look good. I have Ch. tepejilote and Ch. klotzschiana growing into full sun, and it is rough on them. Even more so for Ch. ernesti-augustii - it is a good looking Chamaedorea, but full sun will toast it (experience speaking here - I lost some canopy recently). Most everything else on your list looks safe, but a few freezing nights in January, and your W. bifurcata may become just a frond memory.

Good luck with your collection. It sounds like a good start.

[Paul The Palm Doctor!]

Hi, Peter!

I don't think that you can "miss" with Howea forsteriana (Kentia Palm / Sentry Palm) in coastal So Cal!! They kind of look coconutty, too!

I wish I could grow them in South Florida but L.A. is way better because of cooler nights & less miserable heat in summers than does South Florida.

Have a fine week!

Pablo

[quaman58]

Hey Peter,

Allagoptera is way cool as a smaller, shoulder height palm. Roystonea seems like a good bet; probably regia or borenquena. I love Hyophorbe vershafeltii; it spots a bit in the winter, but is otherwise a sturdy grower (barring really bad freezes). Beccariophoenix "windows" or alfredii, both very tough. Okay, that's enough to confuse you for now!

Bret

Edited April 15, 2009 by quaman58

[SoTropiCal Ben]

.... Most everything else on your list looks safe, but a few freezing nights in January, and your W. bifurcata may become just a frond memory.

Good luck with your collection. It sounds like a good start.

[freakypalmguy]

Dypsis decipiens is a must.

[Path007Finder]

Hi All!

Does Any one have or had Luck Growing the Red Latania Lontaroides Palm in Southern California " San Diego" I've been looking every where and can't find one. I would love to add this palm to my collection.

[DoomsDave]

OG Peter:

You've made a good start!

Here's some more:

Dypsis leptocheilos, ambositrae, decaryi, decipiens, fibrosa, baronii, pembana, plumosa, carlsmithii;

Howea belmoreana

Rhapis, all of them

Chuniophoenix

Oraniopsis

Pritchardtia from Hawaii

Jubaea!

Parajubaea! (Scream!)

Hedyscepe (scream loud enough to deafen the deaf . . . . .)

Archontophoenix tuckeri, myolensis, purperea, tuckeri . . . . .

Ptychosperma elegans

Arenga engleri, pinnata

Roystonea! No balognea!

Wodetya

Cocothrinax dussiana, etc.

Ravenea glauca, rivularis

Livistona decora/decipiens, australis, etc.

and many more . . .

[JasonD]

I'd have to add the humble, beautiful, drought-tolerant, almost-native Brahea edulis, and armata, and some of the others, like Brahea nitida/calcarea and B. decumbens.

[Matt in SD]

Peter,

A lot depends on how good of microclimate you're in, what sort of look you like, and how crazy into palms you think you might get. If you think you are really going to get into growing and landscaping with rare palms, I would avoid getting a lot of common stuff early on, unless you have a lot of space (like an acre or more). You'll regret it later. Give us a little more info on your climate in LA (which can vary a lot) and whether you want a really tropical garden, whether you want really rare and unusual stuff, or whether you want something that will not suck up so much water and don't care if some of your neighbors have the same palms.

Matt

[Mark Heath]

  palmdoctor said:

Hi, Peter!

I don't think that you can "miss" with Howea forsteriana (Kentia Palm / Sentry Palm) in coastal So Cal!! They kind of look coconutty, too!

I wish I could grow them in South Florida but L.A. is way better because of cooler nights & less miserable heat in summers than does South Florida.

Have a fine week!

Pablo

Hey Paul,

You can grow them in South Florida!!! I have a friend in the buisness that was a nurseryman in Cali as well and he has large specimen Kentias for sale that he brought w/ him from Cali many years ago! They're still in the shade though, but beautifull none the less! Let me know if you're interested and i'll give his number. His nursery is in Stuart, not too far from you!

[John Case]

  Dave from So-Cal said:

OG Peter:

You've made a good start!

Here's some more:

Dypsis leptocheilos, ambositrae, decaryi, decipiens, fibrosa, baronii, pembana, plumosa, carlsmithii;

Howea belmoreana

Rhapis, all of them

Chuniophoenix

Oraniopsis

Pritchardtia from Hawaii

Jubaea!

Parajubaea! (Scream!)

Hedyscepe (scream loud enough to deafen the deaf . . . . .)

Archontophoenix tuckeri, myolensis, purperea, tuckeri . . . . .

Ptychosperma elegans

Arenga engleri, pinnata

Roystonea! No balognea!

Wodetya

Cocothrinax dussiana, etc.

Ravenea glauca, rivularis

Livistona decora/decipiens, australis, etc.

and many more . . .

Hedley LaMarr 'You said tuckeri twice'

Bad Guy ' I like tuckeri'

[gavilan1]

"I would agree except for the above statement. Wodyetias can take down to 26 degrees (rare here in SoCal)"

I understand your position, considering... but we have had a few bad (record low) winters (Jan. 07, Jan. 08) where temps did drop into the mid to high 20s (°F) where folks lost palms all over So. Cal., and I wasn't the only person who had foxtails lose all their fronds to freeze/burn. There were lots of related weather posts and burned/dead foxtail images posted here on this board afterwards. Nothing personal. Most palms do well here for 15 to 17 years, until one of our freak freezes comes through. Nowadays, though, it seems like all bets are off when it comes to predictable weather.

That empty lot in Leilani Estates looks better to me every day...

[Paul The Palm Doctor!]

  Mark Heath said:

  palmdoctor said:

Hi, Peter!

I don't think that you can "miss" with Howea forsteriana (Kentia Palm / Sentry Palm) in coastal So Cal!! They kind of look coconutty, too!

I wish I could grow them in South Florida but L.A. is way better because of cooler nights & less miserable heat in summers than does South Florida.

Have a fine week!

Pablo

Thanks for the info, Mark!

Let's see what comes our way, Mark (tropically-speaking) thru October, first.

If there's no big storms this season, and I don't need to repair stuff like in '05-'06, I'll buy a Kentia from your friend.

Nov. is a good month to plant here too! (Less heat load, and watering needs, on newly planted palms!)

I've got some very nice semi-shady locations that would love a Kentia too, so sounds like a nice suggestion!

Take Care, my amigo!

Pablo

Hey Paul,

You can grow them in South Florida!!! I have a friend in the buisness that was a nurseryman in Cali as well and he has large specimen Kentias for sale that he brought w/ him from Cali many years ago! They're still in the shade though, but beautifull none the less! Let me know if you're interested and i'll give his number. His nursery is in Stuart, not too far from you!

[DoomsDave]

  bepah said:

  Dave from So-Cal said:

OG Peter:

You've made a good start!

Here's some more:

Dypsis leptocheilos, ambositrae, decaryi, decipiens, fibrosa, baronii, pembana, plumosa, carlsmithii;

Howea belmoreana

Rhapis, all of them

Chuniophoenix

Oraniopsis

Pritchardtia from Hawaii

Jubaea!

Parajubaea! (Scream!)

Hedyscepe (scream loud enough to deafen the deaf . . . . .)

Archontophoenix tuckeri, myolensis, purperea, tuckeri . . . . .

Ptychosperma elegans

Arenga engleri, pinnata

Roystonea! No balognea!

Wodetya

Cocothrinax dussiana, etc.

Ravenea glauca, rivularis

Livistona decora/decipiens, australis, etc.

and many more . . .

Hedley LaMarr 'You said tuckeri twice'

Bad Guy ' I like tuckeri'

"Mongo LOVE Archontophoenix tuckeri!"

[MattyB]

D. ambositrae

D. onilahensis

Brahea nitida

Brahea moorei

Coccothrinax argentata

Coccothrinax miraguama

...are all must haves and will look great in SoCal, in my opinion.

[OverGrown]

  Matt in SD said:

Peter,

A lot depends on how good of microclimate you're in, what sort of look you like, and how crazy into palms you think you might get. If you think you are really going to get into growing and landscaping with rare palms, I would avoid getting a lot of common stuff early on, unless you have a lot of space (like an acre or more). You'll regret it later. Give us a little more info on your climate in LA (which can vary a lot) and whether you want a really tropical garden, whether you want really rare and unusual stuff, or whether you want something that will not suck up so much water and don't care if some of your neighbors have the same palms.

Matt

Matt,

My new found interest in plants and my original love for design has led me to work on several projects on different properties with vastly different factors (soil, climate, etc). These locations run the spectrum of climate differences, Lake Elsinore, Rowland Hts, La Habra Hts, Anaheim Hills, Whittier, Westwood, Las Vegas. In general, I'm collecting different species to learn their growing habits and hardiness. I'm gravitating towards the lush tropical look accented by rare palms when it comes to personal taste/design, however, I'm still interested in learning about the range and characteristics of all the different varieties of palms (common and rare) that don't require a green house but can tolerate outdoors in SoCal. Creating a micro-climate for landscape purposes is not an issue as long as the species has been proven to work outdoors (cold/heat tolerances). I ask this question broadly because the ones I come to learn about can be applied to the appropriate property in the necessary manner.

Thanks,

Peter

[rizla023]

I wanted to bring this thread back to get an update on what everyone’s must-haves are for SoCal. 
 

I am newer to SoCal, since late 2020, so my garden hasn’t yet matured (also considering I only buy small, lol). My favorites and must haves so far:

- Bismarck

- Brahea Super Silver

- chambeyronia macrocarpa & houailou

- Veitchia arecina

- I am a fan of syagrus (I know, save it). I especially think Sancona and coco queen are must haves

- dypsis Pembana/lanceolata

- Phoenix rupicola

- Archontophoenix sp. I have classic cunn. But also trying purple and tuckerii 

[Harry’s Palms]

I would agree and add Archontophoenix Alexandrea , Chrysalidocarpus Decaryi , Syagrus Schizophylla, Howea Foresteriana , Roystonia and ….ok I’ll stop now! Southern California is a great environment for many various palms . We are very fortunate. Harry