Your Best palms for Sydney

[Wanderanwills]

Hi,

My front yard is like a quarry at the moment but I need to start planning and getting some palms together.

I would like your suggestions, especially if you have lived in Sydney of the 10 best palms that grow well, reasonably fast growing and very ornamental ie your 10 best.

Add photos if you like.

Go wild, it is my money....

Regards

Wanderanwills

[Daryl]

Howea forsteriana

Rhapis excelsa

Archontophoenix alexandrae (if no wind)

Archontophoenix cunninghamiana ( if no wind or sun exposure)

Archontophoenix purpurea

Livistona decora

Jubaea chilensis (not so fast)

Rhopalostylis baueri

Caryota urens

Cyphophoenix elegans

For starters....all hardy and reliable growers...all look healthy and well grown all year round if given care. My point is that you can grow Royals etc, but they always look like they are doing it tough...better to have good looking palms rather than ratty palms IMO...

Daryl

[Zeeth]

Beccariophoenix alfredii...

[peachy]

Most of the Parajubeas seem to do well in Sydney, they aren't the fastest growing things but I think they are really pretty.

Peachy

[nomolos]

Attalea Dubia, Howea (both types), Dypsis decaryi, Ravenea Rivularis

[pogobob]

Gotta get some Hedycepes! Nice going there Wanderman!

[Walter John]

My sister lives in Sydney and she has a couple of different Phoenix, they're pretty rare up here in these parts, no bugger grows them

wait a sec, I've got one

How about trying Syagrus coronata or botryophora and perhaps one or two Cocothrinax.

[Tyrone]

What about some Wodyetia?

Tyrone

[The Palm Nut]

Hi

If you want your garden to stand out from all the others I would suggest Beccariophoenix madagascariensis planted in the front yard to be seen by all. If you have some shaded areas plant some Chamaedorea tepejilote, most Chamaedorea's will do well down your way. Others which will do well are the flame thrower(Chambeyronia macrocarpa) Dypsis cabadae (not particularly fast growing so purchase a large one) maybe add a tiny golden cane within it(these are fast growing)and you will have a blue/green and yellow clumping palm. Euterpe edulis if you can find one, Howea belmoreana(bit slower grower than the forsteriana but nicer to look at in my view). Spindle palm for a nice open sunny area, and for your rainforest Licuala ramsayi(purchase a large one cause these are slow growing)and throw in a Licuala peltata these are quite cold tolerant and will look magnificent in your sheltered out of the wind place. If you get frost most of these will not do well or simply just die during your first winter. And if you have a warm microclimate somewhere in your garden during winter you can expand on these palms and go for even more exotic ones.

Good luck

Mike

Edited April 2, 2010 by The Palm Nut

[Miccles]

I'd suggest Caryota Ochlandra, some "Foxy Lady's" (if you can find some) and Ravenea Glauca's. The R.Glauca's are tough and would thrive in Sydney. They do very well down here in Melbourne. You might want to also consider Dypsis Baronii.

Best of luck.

Regards

Michael.

[Wanderanwills]

Thankyou everyone for the suggestions, I am now busy reading up on them.

Regards

Stephen

[Steve Mac]

Areca triandra, Basselinia gracilis, Caryota mitis, Clinostigma savoryana, Dictyosperma album, Dypsis lutescens, Kentiopsis oliviformis, Wodyetia bifurcata, Chamaedorea (costaricana microspadix cataractum radicalis tepejilote ) are a few of the ones that are doing well for us, and most are not too common.

[Wanderanwills]

Areca triandra, Basselinia gracilis, Caryota mitis, Clinostigma savoryana, Dictyosperma album, Dypsis lutescens, Kentiopsis oliviformis, Wodyetia bifurcata, Chamaedorea (costaricana microspadix cataractum radicalis tepejilote ) are a few of the ones that are doing well for us, and most are not too common.

Hi Steve,

Do have photos of your yard posted anywhere on the forum?

Regards

Stephen

[mangolorry]

If you're on the Central Coast go and see Paul Anderson at Impact Plants, Empire Bay.

[Tassie_Troy1971]

Stephen

Can you buy Hedyscepe up in Sydney -in my opinion they are one of the most beautiful palms for temperate climates. What about Howea belmoreana ?

[Steve Mac]

"Do have photos of your yard posted anywhere on the forum?"

No, Our garden is not as photogenic or impressive as I may have made it sound. Most of the palms are very young and small.

and to me " doing well" means 'not dieing'. But I do have 50 odd different species of palm alive at the moment,

many of which are only a few inches high seedlings, but I will take a few pics now for you.

Pic 1 Bamboo palm. 2 Wodyetia on right. 3 Tepijilote on right. 6 golden cane truncks

Edited April 4, 2010 by gtsteve

[Steve Mac]

Here are some more.

Pic 1 Kentia trunk. 2 Ravenea glauca. 3 Pritchardia hillibrandii. 4 Ch. tepijilote in full sun. 6 Dictyosperma album

Edited April 4, 2010 by gtsteve

[Steve Mac]

And more.

Pic 2 Ch. cataractum. 3 Areca triandra. 6 Chamberonia.

Edited April 4, 2010 by gtsteve

[GTClover]

Steve, your garden beautiful, so peaceful. It makes me want to just sit on the bench and enjoy the world you've created.

Susan

[palmtreesforpleasure]

Hi Liz and Steve

Your garden looks very nice and peaceful, The Dypsis sp laffa and the Dypsis pinnatifrons will fit right in,It is good to see the collection grow with different leaf and trunk forms.

regards

Colin

[Wanderanwills]

Stephen

Can you buy Hedyscepe up in Sydney -in my opinion they are one of the most beautiful palms for temperate climates. What about Howea belmoreana ?

Hi Troy, I agree it looks magnificient, I will keep my eye out for them.

Regards

Stephen

[Wanderanwills]

And more.

Pic 2 Ch. cataractum. 3 Areca triandra. 6 Chamberonia.

Hi Steve,

Excellent photos, all lovely and green. I like the idea of no lawn.

You have plenty of variety.

What is palm in photo 4?

Regards

Stephen

[Wanderanwills]

Getting a little closer..

[Tassie_Troy1971]

Getting a good idea of what the front yard will look like ,the big flat area in the middle is going to be a palm garden i presume otherwise there is only room in the large planters .

[Steve Mac]

"What is palm in photo 4?"

They are Chaemadoea tepijilote. above Ch. elegans and siefrizii and Basselinia gracilis.

[CoconutFreak]

Yeah, go to Impact Plants. I go there and buy palms all the time. Great nursery for tropicals.