Do Chambeyronia macrocarpa live in full sun in Cali ?

[trioderob]

Do Chambeyronia macrocarpa live in full sun in Cali ?

the only palm I have killed is a flame thrower.

planted it on the east side of my house

fried it.

[MattyB]

The east side of your house is perfect. Morning sun and afternoon shade. When they're young they need time to acclimate and grow roots before slamming them into full sun.

They'll take full, all day sun at the coast. Inland they appreciate a break from the sun but will still grow in all day full sun after several (3-5) years of acclimation and root growth.

[CromulentKevin]

I have a small one I planted I think two years ago. The first year it burned badly even with shade cloth over it. I took the shade cloth off this year and though the older fronds burned about halfway, the newest frond has handled some pretty blazing temperatures and sun and doesn't appear to be burned at all. It went through a week of over 100 degrees every day and basically handled it. So I think they can acclimate to sun and expect each year it to get more used to it. Of course, in my climate, some cold spell could just easily knock it off so the sun acclimation could be a moot point.

[CromulentKevin]

BTW, during the really bad hot spell, I handwatered it extra. . .I think that probably helped.

[MattyB]

They like to be really wet. Ask Palmgrover (Bob Weas). He's got a horrible drainage issue w/ his yard but his Chambeyronia is in full sun and has turned into a monster.

[BS Man about Palms]

I've said for a long time they will take a lot of sun EVENTUALLY after 3-4 fronds. Problem is 3-4 fronds can take 2 years or more.

[trioderob]

I've said for a long time they will take a lot of sun EVENTUALLY after 3-4 fronds. Problem is 3-4 fronds can take 2 years or more.

so how do you care for them till then ?

can you buy sun hardened flamethrowers?

the only ones I see for sale are in perfect conditions under sun netting or in dappled light

[Walter John]

I've said for a long time they will take a lot of sun EVENTUALLY after 3-4 fronds. Problem is 3-4 fronds can take 2 years or more.

so how do you care for them till then ?

can you buy sun hardened flamethrowers?

the only ones I see for sale are in perfect conditions under sun netting or in dappled light

You move them into full sun on a gradual basis. Example, for a few months put them under a tree with filtered light/sun, then ease them gradually further out from the canopy to part full morning sun, then further and further into full all day sun after 12 months or so. These are tough hombres that respond well to plenty of water and songs by the Drifters.

[Kim]

I'm on the coast and mine are planted on the north side of a wall, not too close to the wall. This one is the largest, planted -?- four years ago from a 1-gallon pot. I like them so much I planted three more in a group further down the wall to the west. Never had shade cloth over it.

[happ]

I'm on the coast and mine are planted on the north side of a wall, not too close to the wall. This one is the largest, planted -?- four years ago from a 1-gallon pot. I like them so much I planted three more in a group further down the wall to the west. Never had shade cloth over it.

Kim, the close-up photo of the frond is gorgeous [a great photo for a picture frame].

[gfs]

Kim -

I have bought 2 watermelon flame throwers that I had under a tree for about a month that were doing great. I moved them to the full sun for a week and they still looked good. Of coarse we had a lot of ran that week also. I then planted them and went out of town for a week and when I got back the leaves looked burned. I bought some shade cloth in the next few day and covered them. I was planning on trying to uncover them when it gets a little cooler. I did notice from your pictures that one of your leaves on the bottom looks burned also. I was wondering than if mine would survive if I just uncovered them again to let them get used to the Florida sun. What do you think?

A little info on me. I am new to the forums and growing palms and live in Seffner, Florida.

[Kim]

Hi gfs, welcome to Palmtalk. Glad to see you make your first post.

The damage on the older leaf is winter cold damage. I just removed the leaf last week; the photo is maybe a month old.

Unfortunately, I have no experience with growing palms in Florida, but many on this board do, and I hope they will speak up to answer your questions.

Happ -- thanks for the kind comment.

[LilikoiLee]

Kim, I agree with Happ...that new frond photo is gorgeous!

We have two C. macrocarpa that we planted in full sun. (They were some of our earliest palm plantings and we didn't know any better.) Our new fronds are never that red. The trees are now about 5' tall (to the top of the new shoot.), which I think is taller than Kim's. So I am wondering if it too much sun, too little water, or the fact that I've yet to fertilize them.

Anybody have any thoughts!

Thanks,

Lee

[Palmə häl′ik]

George, you don't have any canopy you can put those under?

Maybe getting a cheap Syagrus or sumthin to put over them would be better?

I seen some on Valrico and Seffner-Valrico Rd. real cheap.

Right next to the train tracks.

First post too! Wowzers!

WELCOME ABOARD.

[gfs]

Ok. I will leave them under the shad cloth for a few months and than see if I can get them out in the full sun again.

[DoomsDave]

Welcome gfs!

To our merry little band . . . . .

Perhaps a little too merry, but not too little . . . .

[DoomsDave]

I have about 19 of them in the ground, and, since the removal of the infamous C. deodar, they have mostly had full sun, though some are somwhat sheltered by other palms nearby. Most, particularly the largest ones, have taken the sun relatively well, though there is still some burning, especially in the hottest times of summer. Admittedly, we also had a relatively cool summer this year, though we had a few weeks of hot days.

What helps a lot is plenty of water, applied regularly and frequently. If you have five gallons a week for a Chambey, give it one and two-thirds gallons, three times a week, plus the odd Noah's Arkian deluge now and again.

The more humidity the better, too.

They do need acclimatizing from the greenhouse, but, an abundance of water can cure this ill . . . . .

[osideterry]

Dave - This summer has not been cool. We've had high temps 5-25F degrees above average almost everyday since mid July. After a week of normal, we are back in the heat again. My rhopies and kentias look a bit bedraggled.

Too repeat what others have said, my chambeys are not fussy about drainage. They are planted in my most awful heavy clay soil, and are completely happy with it.

Edited September 18, 2009 by osideterry

[John Case]

I have 2 small seedlings that have not grown an inch this year. Hopefully, they are doing what Matty said, establishing roots. Maybe next year.

[DoomsDave]

Dave - This summer has not been cool. We've had high temps 5-25F degrees above average almost everyday since mid July. After a week of normal, we are back in the heat again. My rhopies and kentias look a bit bedraggled.

Too repeat what others have said, my chambeys are not fussy about drainage. They are planted in my most awful heavy clay soil, and are completely happy with it.

Well, sorry, we've had the usual late-summer furnace, nothing amazing for us. But, you're nearer the ocean, and it has been hotter there . . .

[DoomsDave]

I have 2 small seedlings that have not grown an inch this year. Hopefully, they are doing what Matty said, establishing roots. Maybe next year.

They're not fast, but they take the winter cool well, as long as you don't get a freeze.

More water is better, but not a swamp. Clay they seem to like, if well-amended.

[Tyrone]

I'm not in California but my climate is sort of similar. I just drove past a large one today in a leafy expensive suburb next to the Swan River out in fullsun hanging over the fence over the pavement. It looked great and was flowering. The trunk was above the 7ft tall front fence and it was a watermelon variety.

The more I think about this species and how it performs in fullsun, it's sort of similar to Howea's. Take a Howea out of a shadehouse and ram it in fullsun in spring to autumn and it will incinerate before your eyes. But if you slowly let it get more and more sun, I think they gradually put out a large root system to help them handle the suns brutality and eventually look great. I wonder if Chambeyronia's just need some time to put an extensive root system out, so they can suck up enough moisture to support the transpiration loss of those large glossy leaves in the summer sun.

This leads me to another question. Do Chambeyronia's eventually sunharden in a pot, or is that unheard of in the drier climates? My thoughts are no. I've never seen a sunhardened potted Chamby. Maybe it's the root thing and a pot doesn't allow enough root growth to support those big glossy leaves in fullsun in summer.???????? Something to think about....?????

Best regards

Tyrone

[DoomsDave]

I'm not in California but my climate is sort of similar. I just drove past a large one today in a leafy expensive suburb next to the Swan River out in fullsun hanging over the fence over the pavement. It looked great and was flowering. The trunk was above the 7ft tall front fence and it was a watermelon variety.

The more I think about this species and how it performs in fullsun, it's sort of similar to Howea's. Take a Howea out of a shadehouse and ram it in fullsun in spring to autumn and it will incinerate before your eyes. But if you slowly let it get more and more sun, I think they gradually put out a large root system to help them handle the suns brutality and eventually look great. I wonder if Chambeyronia's just need some time to put an extensive root system out, so they can suck up enough moisture to support the transpiration loss of those large glossy leaves in the summer sun.

This leads me to another question. Do Chambeyronia's eventually sunharden in a pot, or is that unheard of in the drier climates? My thoughts are no. I've never seen a sunhardened potted Chamby. Maybe it's the root thing and a pot doesn't allow enough root growth to support those big glossy leaves in fullsun in summer.???????? Something to think about....?????

Best regards

Tyrone

Just giving you my own experience: Chambeys don't sun-harden in a pot the way, say, Archontophoenix do, because there's no place for the roots to go and get water. THey have to have a lot of water to take the sun.

I've trashed a bunch, and have learned the hard way: they need plenty of water, period. Which is going to be a pain, in Oz, under watering restrictions. The overwhelming majority of the trashees recovered with enough water, though.

[joe_OC]

I cut my watering by 30% this Spring/Summer. Fortunately for us in Orange County, we have not had to deal with water restrictions, but I wanted to experiment to see how the plants would react as I try to conserve. I noticed that my Chambeys did not like that! The fronds on the ones that are getting the most sun burned more than usual. It will still open 2-3 frond for me this year. I will water my Chambeys more.

[pogobob]

Do Chambeyronia macrocarpa live in full sun in Cali ?

the only palm I have killed is a flame thrower.

planted it on the east side of my house

fried it.

Along the coast they do

[happ]

Dave - This summer has not been cool. We've had high temps 5-25F degrees above average almost everyday since mid July. After a week of normal, we are back in the heat again. My rhopies and kentias look a bit bedraggled.

Too repeat what others have said, my chambeys are not fussy about drainage. They are planted in my most awful heavy clay soil, and are completely happy with it.

Terry, actually Dave is correct. June set monthly records for cool\ 5-7F below normal. July was seasonably hot but only normal values. There were 18 days straight of below normal temps in August. It was quite hot at the end of the month & September has been a bit too toasty at times. Anything over 100F I consider hot & so far this summer has had only 4 days. We got off easy this year.

[osideterry]

I was going by the numbers for Oceanside on weatherunderground. For August, it was only at about average from the 7th to the 17th, and only below average 1-2 days at the most. Since then it's been almost constant heat with humidity.

[DoomsDave]

I was going by the numbers for Oceanside on weatherunderground. For August, it was only at about average from the 7th to the 17th, and only below average 1-2 days at the most. Since then it's been almost constant heat with humidity.

Hmm. Looks like Happ and I are talking inland and you're talking Ocean . . . .

[Surf Guy]

Here is a picture of mine. Planted in April it is under 40% shadecloth but is in full sun for a afte 3:00. I finally had my first leaf open about a week or so ago. The next leaf has already pushed out about four inches.

[billowen]

I have three Red Feather Palms, one is potted, the other two in the ground. I believe that this species in Florida needs to be in partial to full shade.

I have had no luck with full sun, leaves will burn for sure in South Florida.

[Gonzer]

Yep. Ask Bill, he's seen mine.

[BS Man about Palms]

Aye. Tis a big one..