Palms you Don't like

[Kumar]

There have been many topics on palms you like, palms you want to plant, palms you wish you could plant but can't. I thought it was also interesting to hear what are the palms that people don't like, never intend to plant or simply refuse to plant!

For myself, I dislike clustering sorts in general with a special dislike for D. lutescens. Borassus (familiarity has bred contempt I suppose), Syagrus (too untidy), Canary date (too large and spiny), Washingtonia, and Ravena rivularis also find mention.

Please add what's on your Negative list.

Edited August 20, 2010 by Kumar83

[sur4z]

That's easy...off with the heads of Queens!!

[Xenon]

I'm not to crazy about Washingtonia, Syagrus, Butia, Sabal, Aiphanes and bushy palms like Sereona, Nannorhops, and Zombia.

Jonathan

[John in Andalucia]

I've always thought that palms were only ever dismissed for non-aesthetic reasons. Hence, both beautiful, and butt-ugly palms I refuse to plant.

[Breadfruit Bill]

CURSE THIS THREAD!!!

[BS Man about Palms]

Let me be the first to say I don't like DEAD palms...

[Jeff in Costa Rica]

Adonidia merrillii

[John in Andalucia]

Adonidia merrillii

Hey wait a minute! I've got 4 of those, and 11 of the golden variety!!

[AJQ]

Any palm that doesn't grow.............

Regards Andy.

[buccaneers37]

I'm not to crazy about Washingtonia, Syagrus, Butia, Sabal, Aiphanes and bushy palms like Sereona, Nannorhops, and Zombia.

Jonathan

Wow, every palm you named is in my yard (Aiphanes melted over the winter)

[BeerPlant]

Oh yeah, this topic's subject to implode. Don't worry Wayne, were just not fortunate enough to enjoy the convenience of growing every palm out there to be that picky!

[Erik]

I guess I'm not so fond of palms that fuss over cold, as my wife makes me haul them indoors each winter.

Her potted Washingtonia robusta in particular is huge and always manages to hurt my back and make me bleed.

[Jeff in Costa Rica]

Adonidia merrillii

Hey wait a minute! I've got 4 of those, and 11 of the golden variety!!

Sorry John, but you can't walk 2 meters in this country without seeing a Christmas palm. They are like weeds and pop up everywhere. I guess I'm just sick of looking at them since there are so many other palms that I would rather see growing here.

[Kim]

Almost any species of palm can be appreciated if it's a well-grown, well-located palm. ( she said diplomatically )................ However, (you were waiting for that, right?) why take up limited space in your garden for the palms that can be seen across the street, next door, and down the block? Where I live, that would eliminate Washingtonia, several Phoenix, Syagrus romanzoffiana, Chamaerops, and Trachycarpus -- just not very exciting. At the other end of the spectrum would be palms that never look good because they are too marginal. A weak, struggling specimen doesn't merit the space it takes up in the garden, and some other exotic palm is always waiting in the wings, so OUT!

Whenever I make a "rule" for myself about palm selection, I break the rule very quickly. "All palms must be self-cleaning." Am I going to live my whole life without planting a Tahina? No way! "No spiny palms." If I get the chance to grow Phoenicophorium borsigianum, will I pass it up because of the spines? Nix! So my only rule is: try any palm that suits my fancy.

[John Case]

I'm not to crazy about Washingtonia, Syagrus, Butia, Sabal, Aiphanes and bushy palms like Sereona, Nannorhops, and Zombia.

Jonathan

Heck, Jonathan....that's the whole list of what you can grow!

[ed110220]

There are very few unattractive palms in my opinion, but Phoenix reclinata is just too untidy for my taste except in the wildest of settings. In South Africa one quite often sees what is meant to be a P. canariensis in a street planting that is some sort of reclinata mongrel, all spindly and untidily clumping and it looks awful and miss-matched in the row of proper canariensis.

[JASON M]

Hmm.... anything that has "thrinax" in it. Then there's copernicia, arenga, attalea, most dypsis, I could list so many more.

[paulgila]

"familiarity breeds contempt," is what most of us seem to be saying ,& i have to agree,

but if i could grow whats on jeff in costa rica's list of "most hated palms" i would be ecstatic!

[John in Andalucia]

Adonidia merrillii

Hey wait a minute! I've got 4 of those, and 11 of the golden variety!!

Sorry John, but you can't walk 2 meters in this country without seeing a Christmas palm. They are like weeds and pop up everywhere. I guess I'm just sick of looking at them since there are so many other palms that I would rather see growing here.

I understand Jeff. They seem to grow quite readily in my greenhouse, like the water, bug-free etc. We need a palm relocation program! Off-load your weeds to the needy! Exchange for fine, local produce!

[Alberto]

Unidientified Phoenix hybrids............ but if I exactly know what the parents are they have there charm........

[PalmatierMeg]

Let me be the first to say I don't like DEAD palms...

Hear, hear.

[buccaneers37]

O.K., if someone held a gun (or a saribus petiole ) to my head and FORCED me to pick a palm, I would have to say Dypsis cabadae. It's not that I dislike them (I have owned one, by the way), there is just so many more choices for my limited yard space that I like better.

[MattyB]

I'm so sick of my Vershifeltia splendida grove. I'm gonna chop it down soon.

[cfkingfish]

I'm so sick of my Vershifeltia splendida grove. I'm gonna chop it down soon.

Matt you better, or I'll come take care of it for you. Those things are popping up in my yard like weeds.

I would probably not like C. alba except that it grows so well in my yard, and the one I do have was given to me by my mentor....

I guess I am not a huge fan of Trachycarpus.

[Rafael]

I hate queens haters!

[paulgila]

christian do you mean ALL trachies or just fortuneis? its just like syagrus--i wouldnt plant anymore UNLESS it was something off the beaten track for socal.

[sonoranfans]

Anything tropical, a chainsaw and a 55 gallon barrel of roundup should do the trick . Just kidding

[epicure3]

Any cold hardy palm. Even though I have one.

[_Keith]

No palms I don't like. Palm growers, now that is another question.

[velutina]

Time to hate on all the palms that are common and cold hardy...

Edited August 21, 2010 by velutina

[Kumar]

Adonidia merrillii

Hey wait a minute! I've got 4 of those, and 11 of the golden variety!!

Sorry John, but you can't walk 2 meters in this country without seeing a Christmas palm. They are like weeds and pop up everywhere. I guess I'm just sick of looking at them since there are so many other palms that I would rather see growing here.

One person's weed is another's prize - Jeff, your adonida is very sought after here - the golden variety that is - and priced quite prohibitively. I bought a very small one last month after much bargaining and it looks so delicate that I have this urge to mount a CCTV to keep watch when I'm not around.

[Jonathan]

No palms I don't like. Palm growers, now that is another question.

Hear hear....

[Jonathan]

Time to hate on all the palms that are common and cold hardy...

Hear hear hear....after all who would want to grow a palm that is hardy, beautiful and cheap to buy.....

Sorry Kumar, but this topic comes up about 5 times a year - its a bit tired.

[peachy]

My pet dislike are clumping palms. Very few of them are even remotely attractive once they go from a nice looking palm into a celery bunch. Most hated palm is Phoenix reclinata....spikey, nasty, huge and takes over the place....also bloody hard to kill and believe me I have tried. Things with no trunk always look like messy shrubs nothing like my idea of an elegant palm. Many Dypsis turn into fat ugly things, nothing like the photos promise. I think its because the retailers know you will be so old and senile by the time its big enough to sit under that you wont remember what it was meant to look like. My big Areca vestiara put out lots of little shoots last week so I had to cut them off...a chore...if it does that again, it can go. Matty I like my V.splendidas, most of the time. It's now the end of winter here so they look quite vile and if they were getting the chop it would be this time of year it would happen.

Peachy

[Moose]

Let me be the first to say I don't like DEAD palms...

Hear, hear.

I'm with Bill (BS Man about Palms) & Meg (PalmatierMeg)!

[BS Man about Palms]

Time to hate on all the palms that are common and cold hardy...

Hear hear hear....after all who would want to grow a palm that is hardy, beautiful and cheap to buy.....

Sorry Kumar, but this topic comes up about 5 times a year - its a bit tired.

You know, I don't really have a problem with any cold hardy palms or enthusiasts, but they're NOT for me.

BECAUSE,

If I can grow probably a couple hundred types or species of palms at my place or more, but I only have 1/4 acre to grow them on, why should I use that space for the same palm that 85% of the people with "tropical tastes" are growing in my area?

If I had the space, and someone to take care of them (which, obviously, by the point of their desirability, they would not need much) I would have more of them.

That being said, I do have a queen palm that I never post a pic of that looks great and its here because its the first palm I planted, probably about 10 years ago.

[KPL]

I must add my two cents even though I usually leave this type of question to Bo-Göran. That Salacca wallichiana comes to mind straight away! It's deadly! We were at the market and ate the fruit of same in Thailand back in 1998. The fruit was delicious! What a Biennial!!!!!! Thailand was the best of the best. Back to the topic at hand. We have about ten in our garden. We took out one, and I was extremely happy. Bo-Göran preferred that spot for some Pinangas. Thanks for putting forth that question Kumar.

Karolyn

[Jim in Los Altos]

I've never been one to want to offend someone's likes or tastes by proclaiming my disliking, or even worse, my hate, of something they may hold dearly. What's the point? I have several of the palms on this thread's "HATE" list and they're SPECTACULAR in my opinion and that includes P. reclinata, queens, clumping palms, cold hardy palms, etc., etc., etc. So I hope I don't offend anyone's tastes when I proclaim my distaste for dead or dying palms or fake discolored palms. I think I'm pretty safe with those two.

[Rusty on Pine Is.]

Time to hate on all the palms that are common and cold hardy...

Hear hear hear....after all who would want to grow a palm that is hardy, beautiful and cheap to buy.....Sorry Kumar, but this topic comes up about 5 times a year - its a bit tired.

You know, I don't really have a problem with any cold hardy palms or enthusiasts, but they're NOT for me.BECAUSE, If I can grow probably a couple hundred types or species of palms at my place or more, but I only have 1/4 acre to grow them on, why should I use that space for the same palm that 85% of the people with "tropical tastes" are growing in my area?If I had the space, and someone to take care of them (which, obviously, by the point of their desirability, they would not need much) I would have more of them.That being said, I do have a queen palm that I never post a pic of that looks great and its here because its the first palm I planted, probably about 10 years ago.

Well said, cogent point, Bill!

Rusty

[Jonathan]

Time to hate on all the palms that are common and cold hardy...

Hear hear hear....after all who would want to grow a palm that is hardy, beautiful and cheap to buy.....Sorry Kumar, but this topic comes up about 5 times a year - its a bit tired.

You know, I don't really have a problem with any cold hardy palms or enthusiasts, but they're NOT for me.BECAUSE, If I can grow probably a couple hundred types or species of palms at my place or more, but I only have 1/4 acre to grow them on, why should I use that space for the same palm that 85% of the people with "tropical tastes" are growing in my area?If I had the space, and someone to take care of them (which, obviously, by the point of their desirability, they would not need much) I would have more of them.That being said, I do have a queen palm that I never post a pic of that looks great and its here because its the first palm I planted, probably about 10 years ago.

Well said, cogent point, Bill!

Rusty

I think the point is though, that there are a lot of people who can ONLY grow hardy palms, and every time this topic comes up, the palms which they CAN grow get beaten up on. Not good for morale.

Cheers,

jonathan