Date Palms and Other Phoenix

[Phil]

Group,

I know many of you are not real keen on Phoenix Palms, but I wanted to let you know I posted a new article at my site on Phoenix Palms and the Date Palm. I like this group of palms and found many people out there have confusion over what is a true Date Palm. I think the link below will take you to the article. Thanks for looking at it and feedback appreciated.

Phil

http://www.junglemusic.net/articles/DatePalms.html

[Miccles]

Phil,

Sensational in-depth article. That would have really taken some time ! Most people with kids seem to avoid Phoenix as a species, for obvious reasons.... mature Phoenix are a sight to behold though.

If you know the secret to keeping P.Rupicola from constantly browning at the tips.... please share !

Again - well done - great article. Two thumbs up.

Regards

Michael.

[iamjv]

Great article thanks for writing and posting it! A favorite species of mine... Jv

[Phil]

My thanks to Michael and John for their feedback. Yes, it did take a while to write. My favorite part is going around shooting the photos. The best place to see Phoenix in San Diego is at old, established government buildings or at commercial sites in Mission Valley. It's amazing how the dactylifera are being used more and more in shopping centers. I'm sure it's because they are cheaper than the Canaries.

One of the most interesting things is to go around, really look at Phoenix, and spot hybrids. I love trying to guess the parentage. It was also fun looking for dates accessible for photos.

Phil

[ghar41]

Thanks for the post. Although I can't say I am big on Phoenix palms, I enjoyed the reading esp. the section on P. acualis. I like dwarf palms, and have found this one to be an interesting, cold hardy palm but have never been able to find much information on it. I use to rip on it as the "ugly palm" but as it has grown and leafed out, Ive had visitors tell me they find it attractive.

[John in Andalucia]

With much satisfaction I'm cultivating P. canariensis, dactylifera, theophrastii, roebelenii and rupicola. When I started cultivating palms just 3 years ago, I didn't attach much value to Phoenix palms, but any palm grown well, is beautiful in my eyes. The diversity - great or small - within a genus is enough to get me hooked, and so it goes on. Phoenix are my "safe" palms, and especially with the losses here in Europe due to Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, I almost feel a sense of duty to be growing as many CIDP as possible. Phil, I just want to point out something you wrote, as you are encouraging feedback, and that is the description of the Canary Islands in relation to the coast of Spain. "A Spanish archipelago (62miles) off the coast of northwest Africa" would be more accurate, since the coast of Spain is some 600 miles north-east. Anyway, still reading, and taking it all in. Thanks for an excellent synopsis!

[peachy]

I thought the Canary Islands were somewhere down near Morocco, so when I read the article I thought I must have been mistaken. Thanks John for helping me know I am not as silly as I thought. A well written article Phil. I have a lot of P. roebeliniis in the garden, just got some seeds for a variegated form of it too. CIDP are very very common here and I can admire a nice healthy specimen without actually wanting one. I planted a little P. reclinata when I first moved into this house and it grew into a gigantic, space wasting, mega spiked, multi trunked horror with 4 metre long leaves and offshoots by the truckload that are impossible to cut back. I also have a P. rupicola which I always admired but never knew just how damned slowly the things grow. Got its first pinnate leaf this year, after 5 years in the strap stage. There's another that I would like if I ever actually find one, P. zeylonica, its looks so pretty in the books. (but dont they all ?)

Peachy

[Phil]

Thanks guys. I clarified the location of the Canary Islands. I mentioned it this way because of the relationship the Canaries have to Spain.

I thought about getting into the really unusual Phoenix species but figured it would be a bit much for the average reader. It's interesting that the readership here, among this group, shows little interest in Phoenix. This is what I expected. But, to the average internet reader, it is quite different with high interest.

Phil

[freddyuk]

I have grown some seedlings from boxed date stones like many others i guess but how do you know what you have grown?

Will maturity reveal parentage?