A few palms on the south central Texas coast...

[Xenon]

Here are a few pictures from the Corpus Christi area (Rockport and Port Aransas) of Texas...zone 9b/10a.

The palm selection here: washie washie washie washie washie washie sabal sabal sabal queen queen pygmy date chinese fan with the occasional bismarckia

How royal palms in Port Aransas look like after a day with an afternoon high at freezing...can anyone id the tree in the background?

Bismarckia

me with Bismarckia trunk

Everglades palm...

A few non-palms...

I believe this is Ficus religiosa, saw many dead trunks of what appeared to be Ficus elastica

A sea grape re-sprouting from the ground, there was a sizable trunk too...

new leaves

Edited August 17, 2011 by Xenon

[Stevetoad]

pretty cool, the tree in the backround looks like a Melia azedarach (china berry)

[awkonradi]

Xenon, thanks for the pictures! I grew up in Seabrook TX, between Houston and Galveston. Andrei

[AggiePalms]

Hey Jonathan -

Good job tracking down those palms. I didn't know people were growing Bismarckia that large around Port A. I used to be down there all the time in high school, and I don't remember seeing any. The Acellorphe looks great...I am just a little cooler here, or I would risk putting mine in the ground. Any idea which Royals those are?

The Sea Grapes bring back fond memories; I know there used to be some on the Seawall in Galveston, but I heard they were all killed except along S. Padre and Port Isabel. Good to see they are growing nicely that far up the coast.

Have you ever been to the University of Texas Marine Science Institute there at Port A? I have spent many a late night there opening diseased oysters for a research project, while discussing palms and tropicals etc. with the scientists. Check out online which faculty and students are doing interesting work these days, then go talk with them next time you are down. They are some really good biologists and nice people, too. (It hurts to say that about Texas, being an Aggie)

[Xenon]

Thanks Steve!

I live a bit northwest of Houston Andrei .

Hi David

Didn't really do much tracking, Bismarckias seem to be semi-common (saw maybe a few dozen of them) down there though most of them weren't trunking yet, but did great in the cold weather, can't wait to see them in a few years The royals are probably the common R. regia from the Rio Grande Valley though I'm no expert. I don recall ever seeing any sea grape in Galveston, though I saw very large ones on South Padre back in 2010, they seem to have been frozen back a bit based on some pictures I saw on another palm forum though. I did pass by the UT Marine Science Institute on the way to the beach, but was very busy with other activities so I'll pass this time.

Thanks for the replies,

Jonathan

Edited August 18, 2011 by Xenon

[paulgila]

the bizzie looks pretty good! thanks for the pix!

[Xerarch]

Any word on how those Royals look now? Texas is so ripped off climate wise, there ought to be tropical palms all over that place. The equivalent latitude on the coast in any number of other places around the globe would hardly ever, if ever, experience a freeze. I'm considering a move to south Texas at some point in the future but it's discouraging that I get fewer severe freezes here in Phoenix, far to the north and inland to boot. Anyway, just had to vent a little, thanks.

[Xenon]

Any word on how those Royals look now? Texas is so ripped off climate wise, there ought to be tropical palms all over that place. The equivalent latitude on the coast in any number of other places around the globe would hardly ever, if ever, experience a freeze. I'm considering a move to south Texas at some point in the future but it's discouraging that I get fewer severe freezes here in Phoenix, far to the north and inland to boot. Anyway, just had to vent a little, thanks.

I don't know about the status of those particular Royals in Port Aransas, but they're Royals much further up the coast in Galveston (near Houston) that should be looking quite good now.

Royals in Galveston at Moody Gardens...

Link to full thread (scroll to post #21)

I also posted a recent topic with pictures of Coconuts, Adonidias, and Royals in Deep South Texas (coconuts are still recovering from Feb 2011 freeze): Coconuts and more in Deep South Texas. South Padre Island is a borderline 10b (last winter didn't drop below 40*F) climate and Brownsville is definitely a solid 10a (of course there are big freezes that will kill most tropical plants every few decades, last dip below high 20s was in 1989). Royals are very common in the area along with other tropicals like Delonix regia, Ficus, and Schefflera.

Jonathan

Edited June 13, 2012 by Xenon

[Xerarch]

Thanks, I've seen this post of Galveston before, it's nice to know that they can look that good so much farther up the coast from the Port Aransas / North Padre area. I wish there were many more.

[markincorpus]

The palm selection here: washie washie washie washie washie washie sabal sabal sabal queen queen pygmy date chinese fan with the occasional bismarckia

Xenon this is an excellent summary of the palm scene in this area. Most are common varieties. A few folks seek out something a bit different like bismarckia's and then a small group of zone pushers like myself. I am pleased with the increased plantings of royals in the last few years. Folks just have to be careful where they plant them.

[Xenon]

The palm selection here: washie washie washie washie washie washie sabal sabal sabal queen queen pygmy date chinese fan with the occasional bismarckia

Xenon this is an excellent summary of the palm scene in this area. Most are common varieties. A few folks seek out something a bit different like bismarckia's and then a small group of zone pushers like myself. I am pleased with the increased plantings of royals in the last few years. Folks just have to be careful where they plant them.

Mark, how does North Padre look compared to Port Aransas? I don't recall seeing too many royals or foxtails in Port Aransas like I did on South Padre. What about coconut palms? Would also love to what you are "zone pushing"...

Jonathan

Edited June 26, 2012 by Xenon

[Maximus]

There are larger bismarckia in corpus Christi itself. There are also majesty palms growing here and a few triangle palms. There is also one large caryota urens on the Southside with bout 20 feet of trunk. I've started to see a couple kings planted too. Also a couple baby Baby queen palms.

[Xerarch]

Photos?

[Maximus]

Here are a few pictures but there are more.

[Xerarch]

Great to see some variety out there, thanks, also looks like there might be some royals behind that Bismarck.

[Maximus]

There's a row of three or four royals back there and they are looking nice. They are starting to plantedore commonly now. These are outside of a hotel.

[Maximus]

There's a row of three or four royals back there and they are looking nice. They are starting to plantedore commonly now. These are outside of a hotel.

[Sabal Steve]

Here are a few pictures but there are more.IMAG0756-1-1.jpgIMAG0758-1.jpgIMAG0759.jpgIMAG0767-2-1.jpg

One of the best Ravenea Rivularis I've seen in a while.

[Maximus]

Caryota Urens in Corpus Christi. Sorry for the poor quality pics.

[Jimbean]

Nice photos! thanks