serenoa repens

[_Keith]

OK, I just have to say on the opening post "There is no palm that is more wide spread and that can survive more diverse conditions in the Southeastern United States" that I think Sabal minor probably has it beat. But no matter, I'd love to have some Serenoa for sure. Bring on more pictures everyone.

[Jimbean]

I don't understand why these are not grown in Louisiana.

[_Keith]

I don't understand why these are not grown in Louisiana.

Jim, I have killed a couple already. Not sure if they don't like clay, or if the soil is too acid. Maybe not well drained enough. I have noted they definitely thrive in sandy soils. I even planted my last one in a very sandy mix, to no avail. It can be done, I am sure, but not an easy grow here. I will try again, as I really want some in my garden.

[Jimbean]

that's what I was thinking when I drove through Louisiana years ago. I thought to myself that it sure seemed warm enough to make it look like north central Florida, that is growing an abundance of Sabal palmettos and Serenoa, and slash pine, etc.

[Alicehunter2000]

Yes.....I think sandy soil is the key.

[JLeVert]

I was having trouble establishing a S. repens in Augusta (my first) and a friend suggested that I practically bury the crown in sand with just the leaves sticking out. It made a dramatic difference when I did that. That was 20 yrs. ago and the same clump is growing like crazy.

[_Keith]

I was having trouble establishing a S. repens in Augusta (my first) and a friend suggested that I practically bury the crown in sand with just the leaves sticking out. It made a dramatic difference when I did that. That was 20 yrs. ago and the same clump is growing like crazy.

Awesome tip. I have never heard that and will definitely do it on my next attempt.

[redbeard917]

Taken in Hillsborough River State Park last week. There were many Serenoa in the park, and some were upright growing, but this one stood out. Almost like a Chamaerops.

[redbeard917]

Another interesting trait of Serenoa: branching trunks. Also from Hillsborough River State Park.

[NorthFlpalmguy]

^I like when the owners trim them to resemble clumping chamerops humulis. I wonder if that occurs naturally down in more southern parts of Florida as well? I have never seen this naturally occuring in the panhandle.. but they don't burn much here and pines are in 18-20 yr rotation so they do not get much age on them.

[Jimbean]

yes, around here we have standing clumps of them. In fact they usually grow somewhat upright to a height of 10 to 15 feet tall.

[Sandy Loam]

I took these photos of two different patches of Serenoa Repens at the Lowry Park Zoo, Tampa, Florida. I thought these were pretty big ones, but the photos really don't do justice. In person, they definitely seemed to have big trunks.

(No, that is not me in the photo -- just tourists who accidentally got in the picture)

I wish I had a photo of the less common "super silver" variety. There is a type that is almost white, perhaps best known as the Hobe Sound sand dunes serenoa repens (Florida), but Hobe Sound is not the only place where this white/ultra-silver type of serenoa repens is found in sand dune habitats in Florida.

[Jimbean]

I was having trouble establishing a S. repens in Augusta (my first) and a friend suggested that I practically bury the crown in sand with just the leaves sticking out. It made a dramatic difference when I did that. That was 20 yrs. ago and the same clump is growing like crazy.

Awesome tip. I have never heard that and will definitely do it on my next attempt.

Are there any higher elevation areas with sandier soil in Louisiana?

I am surprised that sabal palmetto and serenoa does not grow wild all along the gulf coast.

[Walt]

This past few weeks I've been cleaning up patches of Serenoa repens growing about my property, removing dead fronds, spent fruit stalks, and removing lots of wild muscadine grape vines that was growing thickly withing the palms. Once cleaned up they don't look half bad, and have a more ornamental look. My largest clump with semi-vertical trunks has had some die back, and three long trunk (all with more than 10 feet of developed trunk). In one of the blow photos you can see a long trunk lying on the ground, with the growing end starting to turn back up. This trunk was semi-vertical like those in the rest of the big clump, but it fell down about four months ago. I wasn't happy about it, but I'm glad it survived. I have more Serenoa repens growing naturally on my property than any other native palm species. What I'm showing here is just the tip of the iceburg (figuratively speaking).

[_Keith]

I was having trouble establishing a S. repens in Augusta (my first) and a friend suggested that I practically bury the crown in sand with just the leaves sticking out. It made a dramatic difference when I did that. That was 20 yrs. ago and the same clump is growing like crazy.

Awesome tip. I have never heard that and will definitely do it on my next attempt.

Are there any higher elevation areas with sandier soil in Louisiana?

I am surprised that sabal palmetto and serenoa does not grow wild all along the gulf coast.

Sandy soil is rare in Louisiana. Pretty much silt and clay loam. Alluvial soils from the many paths of the Mississippi River over the millenia.

We have about millions of native S. minor all over the state, and only one known naturalized very small stand of S. palmetto in the state.

[edbrown_III]

this is my blue seronoa

[Jimbean]

this is my blue seronoa

I have never seen the silver ones grow that far north. Do they grow wild up there?

[Sandy Loam]

Here is a thread in which someone took photos of the white serenoa repens growing wild on sand dunes in certain regions of Florida:

http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?/topic/9696-the-elusive-white-serenoa-repens/

[edbrown_III]

mine are seeds from the south they disappear a county down maybe Flagler

[Alicehunter2000]

The silver form is really nice....the green...not so much IMO. Here they are side by side. 20131026_171323.jpg

This giant silver one is right down the street. I will collect seeds this year for trade if anyone is interested.20131026_171205.jpg

#$#^*^@! .....they cut down this beautiful old silver palm......crap! .... people are so stupid! That was the nicest silver saw in the whole area....crap!

[Takil]

Hi,

I am on this forum since some years but because my bad english I didn't post anymore. I live in SE of France about 15 kilometres from the the mediterranean sea.

In April I was in Florida and I have seen very nice silevr form of Serenoa repens in The Yamato Scrub natural area in Palm Beach County. See the pictures

[Alicehunter2000]

Well I feel pretty dumb.....they didn't rip out those palms....my mistake....they ripped out some different ones.

Hey Takil, welcome to the forum....your English is fine....much better than my french....except when I'm really mad ...lol.

Those are nice ....they get even nicer a little more north from where you were.....up on Merritt island they are super silver....that area is where the natural stands are.....we have green ones everywhere else....however, people plant the silver ones here and they do great.

[Phoenikakias]

Do you have the silver variety, David?

[Alicehunter2000]

Not yet....waiting for the one pictured earlier in the thread to fruit.

[Sandy Loam]

Takil, those are excellent photos. The Serenoa Repens in the first photo is the nicest (in my opinion) because it is the most white.

Here is another PalmTalk thread where someone posted photos of white Serenoa Repens from approximately that same region:

http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?/topic/9696-the-elusive-white-serenoa-repens/

[Sandy Loam]

One more picture:

Eric, sorry for stealing your photo, but here it is, extracted from another PalmTalk thread:

[Yunder Wækraus]

This thread is great. I've been seeing natural stands of the silver type here in Brevard County,and I've been wondering whether it's possible to purchase that variety. I love that they prefer sand:-)

[Sandy Loam]

I have definitely seen the "super silver" variety for sale, but I don't know who sells them in Brevard County.

[Walt]

Perkins Nursery of LaBelle, Florida, specializes in green and silver form Serenoa repens, along with other native palms (sabal palmetto, Sabal minor), plus some cold hardy non native palms. They occasionally have other species of palms not listed in their availability list. I've seen potted Roystonea regia and Beccariophoenix alfredii (which I bought two nice ones) there in multiple sizes.

I've bought 17 silver form Serenoa repens from Perkins, over several visits there. 16 I planted at the driveway entrance to my property. The first one I ever bought from them I planted in my back yard. It's been seeding for years now. From my observations, the silver form seem to grow faster than the green form, but that may only be due to my fertilizing them with 8-2-12 palm special, whereas I don't fertilizer the green form that grow naturally on my property.

http://www.perkinsnursery.com/

[Yunder Wækraus]

Thanks