Washingtonia hybrid growth

[surgeon83]

I realize this is a common palm, I have lots of seedlings and volunteers in my yard, but I still never get tired of looking at them.  Mine is at the perfect size for its spot right now, will probably still be ok in a couple of years.

Here it is in September '05, just after planting from 1 gallon pot:

Here it is today:

Show us yours!

[NBTX11]

Those Washy's can be lightning fast once established and taken care of.  I have one planted from a 5 gal last year that I can almost see the fronds growing now.  Every day you can see new frond growth.

[jimbiz]

My Washingtonia hybrid grows like nothing else I have.  It is amazing.  And yet, every year here in West Texas it loses 50-90% of its leaves to a freeze event and still bounces back.  An inspiration to us all.

[spockvr6]

I have a bunch of plain ole robustas and these things are rocketships as well.   One in particular (which gets the most water it seems) has gone from more or less a large seedling (maybe 2 ft high) to 7 feet in a little over a year!

[DoomsDave]

Surge!

You better watch it, it might try to steal your wife!

(Tried to steal mine, and I'm not even married!)

dave

[Neel]

I "rescued" one from the ground and put it in a pot. I was amazed at how fast it grew.

Even though they have they're own beauty, Washys are probably the biggest weeds out there. I must have pulled over a dozen in the last month from my flower beds.

[NBTX11]

Filiferas can grow fast too.  I have one in my front yard that is growing like there is no tomorrow.  When I left this morning it just started to open a new frond.  I bet by the time I get home the frond is totally opened.

[Exotic Life]

Also here, is the washingtonia one of the fastest growing palms here. A lot of new leaves every growing season .... Excellent palm for here

[Paul S]

Silly question time.  Sort of genetics, really.

Hybrids can vary with each seedling, I understand.  So, presumably, you would expect some x filibustas to favour one parent and some to favour the other in terms of their tolerance of cold/heat/damp etc.  

Yet, all the reports of these plants I read say they are all vigorous, tolerate more cold than a robusta yet more damp than a filifera.  No reports of duds at all.  Is this because the lousy ones get thrown away or die?  Or do they just all come like that for some reason?

I am just about to get one, but fear it will have the cold tolerance of robusta, damp tolerance of filifera and no vigour at all....

[NBTX11]

First of all, it should have plenty of vigor unless there is something wrong with it.  Second, it can't have the total "bad" qualities of both parents.  Only partial bad qualities.  In other words as a hybrid, it will be somewhere in between the robusta and filifera as far as hardiness, but not equal to either one.  Not as tender as a robusta, nor as hardy as filifera.  So you can't get one as tender as pure robusta, but still as damp intolerant as pure filifera.  It has to be a combination.  You can however, get one that is almost identical to either one or the other, they are so variable.

[BobbyinNY]

here's a pic of mine.... it sat for months not doing anything.. all of a sudden it just started growing out of nowhere... weird......

[spockvr6]

(BobbyinNY @ Jul. 08 2006,13:42)

QUOTE

here's a pic of mine.... it sat for months not doing anything.. all of a sudden it just started growing out of nowhere... weird......

Heat!  These things fly with lots of heat.

[surgeon83]

Bobby, is that the one that sat outside all winter?  If so, you may be able to get by with a pure filifera in the ground if it starts with some trunk and you give it mild protection.  The trachy you're getting will of course be easier to care for, though.

[polihale]

I've posted these pics before, but worth showing again in this topic. The two photos are about 12 or 13 months apart.

[Kris]

one of our washy filibusta_3 and half months old.and i have

started fertz feed one week ago !

here is a still_they consume water heavily..

[surgeon83]

Kris, they do grow so much faster in full sun (as I see you have) and in large pots.

polihale- that growth is incredible!  Nineteen months after germination and my biggest are no more than 18 inches tall (although confined to 2 liter soda bottles). Mine have also been through 2 winters and they spent their first 6 months in tiny plastic cups in the shade.  Mine virtually stop growing for almost 4 months each winter.  That is a killer.

[FRITO]

polihale, WOW! amazing growth. its this a result of a constant 80 degree temp there?

Also I like that little germination pack. what is it and did you make it yourself?  it looks interesting with the root pushing through it making transplanting into a larger container easy.

please let us know your tricks.

Luke

[BS Man about Palms]

(polihale @ May 09 2007,00:19)

QUOTE

I've posted these pics before, but worth showing again in this topic. The two photos are about 12 or 13 months apart.

Amazing, her hand got smaller and the palm got bigger!!!  

(cute as a button she is too)

[polihale]

Okay, we went out to take an updated photo. It's been four months and a week since the last photo. Amazing growth even in the winter! The brown pellet in the first photo is a "seed starter" peat pellet -- usually used to germinate flower and veggie seeds. You'll see them for sale in a tray that can hold water (see second photo) -- it worked great for the small Washie seeds.

I have an in-ground dripper system, so the palms get dripped on all day. I give the dripper the credit for the fast growth.

[BS Man about Palms]

I see the palm has surpassed the little one in height.  She still is more cute though.  Although the little seedlings give her a run for the money.

[Scott]

Look at this difference in the size of the base in just four months!

Are the hybrids faster than the regulars?

[Kris]

(Scott @ May 10 2007,01:42)

QUOTE

Look at this difference in the size of the base in just four months!

Are the hybrids faster than the regulars ?

Dear Scotty  

give me just 3 more months i will give you detail reports on that question.since i have a Washy Filifera about one year

old and this filibusta not even 3 months old i think.

we will clock it.and find out how these guys fair in our hot hottest summers.and for your information the ruthless summers have began.

And dear Polihale_ what is the medium or soil in those several handheld washy's.since mine sprouts weakly.

kindly let me know this_Please!

since the stem section looks fentastic...mine does not grow to that size.in the initial stages ?

Thanks & Love,

Kris  

[Kris]

Dear Friends  

this is the washy filifera that i was talking its about one year &

four months old ! these guys are water guslers for shure.

and here is a still of it and iam not fasinated by the weaker washy robusta.as it has more resemblence to our common palmera trees.

Love,

Kris  

[polihale]

Kris, the brown pellets I use are just peat pellets -- made just from peat moss. Check out this link to a page about them.

[Kris]

Dear PoliHale  

thanks for the very informative link,that is very kind of you.

and i forgot to tell your kid looks great and is she assisting

her dad in his garden work !  

and convey my greeting to her.

and dear friend can you put your name in the signature_please.since those who intreact & those

who are regular to our forum,i wish to call them by the

name they put in their signature..

once again thanks & love,

Kris  

[SoulofthePlace]

Here's my Wash. filibusta in South Carolina:

[SoulofthePlace]

Here's my Wash. filifera grown from seed in South Carolina after it's first winter in the ground in my yard. Before, it was growing on the coast of SC, then it was dug up, went into stress and lost its fronds and the fronds grew back within months. It's a pretty slow grower especially this cold and rainy spring-summer 2013.

[SoulofthePlace]

This is the same Washifera (California Fan Palm) about 4 months later. As you can see, it is quite a slow grower.