Trachycarpus latisectus at the Bamboo Farm, Savannah, GA

[Tom GA]

The Southeastern Palm Society planted this Trachycarpus latisectus, along with two others, in 2000. The other two died over time, victims of Savannah's occasionally cold winter weather. At the time we really did not know how hardy T. latisectus would be, as initial reports indicated it would be at least as hardy as T. fortunei. In fact, it's probably just a little hardier than T. martianus.

Here it is as of summer 2013. If there is a larger specimen farther north on the east coast, I'm not aware of it.

And here it is as of February 2014. Yuck! It will survive, I'm sure, and hopefully time will restore it to its former grandeur. It is testimony to the resilience of this species and genus - and also a warning to those who want to grow T. latisecuts in a zone colder than about 9A.

[Zeeth]

The Southeastern Palm Society planted this Trachycarpus latisectus, along with two others, in 2000. The other two died over time, victims of Savannah's occasionally cold winter weather. At the time we really did not know how hardy T. latisectus would be, as initial reports indicated it would be at least as hardy as T. fortunei. In fact, it's probably just a little hardier than T. martianus.

Here it is as of summer 2013. If there is a larger specimen farther north on the east coast, I'm not aware of it.

And here it is as of February 2014. Yuck! It will survive, I'm sure, and hopefully time will restore it to its former grandeur. It is testimony to the resilience of this species and genus - and also a warning to those who want to grow T. latisecuts in a zone colder than about 9A.

Yikes.

[Richard Booth]

We have similar experiences of this palm over in the UK - frost burn at around -2°C and dead at maybe -6°C.

What sort of temperatures did this palm see?

It is certainly nowhere near as hardy as fortunei, waggies, princeps or an of the fortunei forms, and i think you are right in putting it close to martianus. Manipur seems hardier than the latter two though, maybe somewhere in between martianus and fortunei.

[Tassie_Troy1971]

Nice Palm

I am sure it will recover quickly in the warm spring Summer !

[Tom GA]

It was 18F at the Bamboo Farm in Savannah this year, with (I think) one day that either failed to reach 32F or just barely above it. Although the absolute minima were not atypical for Savannah, the duration of cold this year made this the coldest winter in probably 25 years.

I put martianus and latisectus because they both fall in the oval-and-groove seed type of Trachycarpus, which so far have been far less hardy than the reniform seed type (which includes fortunei, takil, princeps, etc.).

[Xenon]

An attractive Trachycarpus! Has that refined elegant look...probably would do well here too!

Edited March 15, 2014 by Xenon

[Tropicdoc]

Sweet. I hope to get one for 9a with canopy.

[akamu]

Got 1 for my b day 1 1/2 yrs ago you got to love the bowl shaped leaves great looking trachy you don't see very often thanks for the pics

[Palm crazy]

Just a little to tender here for me, but in Seattle area I’ve seen some at a house with only spear pull at 17F. They all made a full recover that summer. The older foliage was not damaged at all. This was back about 10 years ago. The one at the farm should make it. Oh and the ones in Seattle were 15 gallon size not the giant you posted.

Edited April 29, 2014 by Palm crazy

[Tropicdoc]

This and martianus look twice as nice as fortune and waggie imo. I will try one. Keith, also in South Louisiana, has a seedling that just came through the polar vortex unharmed, unprotected under canopy

[DoomsDave]

That Trachy is magnificent, and do tell us if it survives.

It's nice to know there's more than just T. fortunei (which can be marvelous, too).

[Alicehunter2000]

I'm watching also.....to see what the verdict is on this species.

[_Keith]

I'm watching also.....to see what the verdict is on this species.

My 2nd year seedling lots its foliage this winter, but is already roaring back having replaced it all and doubling in size and it is hardly even May.

[Mauna Kea Cloudforest]

These have got to be some of the most beautiful trachy. I have a lot of trachy, I overlooked them for years until I figured out that they really make things look tropical. The Trachy genus is California's answer to the cocothrinax look.

[Tropicdoc]

Agreed, I've said before that they resemble coccothrinax. Still don't love a sun grown fortunei though. They have a lot of them around here even 30-40 feet tall with clear trunk. Its like the crown is just too bushy and small for that height. It looks like latisectus has longer petioles giving a more elegant looking palm.... once again, gotta get one.... and princeps too.

[Brad Mondel]

This species is very attractive, with long petioles and less divided leaflets. I'm curious if this palm would survive here, along with princeps. My princeps seeds refuse to germinate however.

[Mauna Kea Cloudforest]

Agreed, I've said before that they resemble coccothrinax. Still don't love a sun grown fortunei though. They have a lot of them around here even 30-40 feet tall with clear trunk. Its like the crown is just too bushy and small for that height. It looks like latisectus has longer petioles giving a more elegant looking palm.... once again, gotta get one.... and princeps too.

Street grown fortunei look horrible around here. I refuse to grow the regular form. I did buy a nanital and a Bulgaria because I believe they are much nicer looking forms. I also think that a backyard grown trachy can look much better thanks to proper irrigation and feeding.

[_Keith]

Agreed, I've said before that they resemble coccothrinax. Still don't love a sun grown fortunei though. They have a lot of them around here even 30-40 feet tall with clear trunk. Its like the crown is just too bushy and small for that height. It looks like latisectus has longer petioles giving a more elegant looking palm.... once again, gotta get one.... and princeps too.

Street grown fortunei look horrible around here. I refuse to grow the regular form. I did buy a nanital and a Bulgaria because I believe they are much nicer looking forms. I also think that a backyard grown trachy can look much better thanks to proper irrigation and feeding.

Even fortunei look much different when shade grown in a moist environment. IMHO, all of the Trachies rate in the under appreciated palm family, if shade grown, that is.

[Tropicdoc]

Yeah, Keith, I noticed the fortunei at my kids schools while I was dropping them off this morning. It is tucked into a corner where two wings of the buildings meet. Even that shade makes it look more stretched out and elegant compared to full sun scrubbiness. Probably keeps it from getting tattered by the wind too.

[_Keith]

I hope my little lattie looks like the one in the picture someday. Wait, like the "before" picture, that is.

Here it is freshly transplanted today. Although it lost all of it foliage but that one fading leaf, look at how much it has grown back already. I hope this little transplant doesn't set it back to much.

[Tropicdoc]

Why did you move it?

[waykoolplantz]

Is the Bamboo Farm related to the early efforts by Haley Barbour with the help of David Fairchild

[turfpro01]

We have a lot of sun grown T. fortune that are to tall and don't look nice, I always suggest that other be planted next to them to hopefully make them look nicer.

For the t. latisectus, I have a 1000s seeds sitting on the table next to me waiting to be planted.

[_Keith]

I hope my little lattie looks like the one in the picture someday. Wait, like the "before" picture, that is.

Here it is freshly transplanted today. Although it lost all of it foliage but that one fading leaf, look at how much it has grown back already. I hope this little transplant doesn't set it back to much.

I was just trying to get those 22 gifted seedlings in the ground last year and chose the spot poorly. Now it is the perfect spot for a lifetime.

[CarlC]

Meanwhile we in the cooler locations, try our best with the fortunei's!!! lol

[_Keith]

Meanwhile we in the cooler locations, try our best with the fortunei's!!! lol

Try your best? They are beautiful.

[CarlC]

Thank you Keith, the only thing is that they don't seem to be a long lived tree for here, it may be our poor draining soil that cuts into their longivity.

[JLeVert]

Is the Bamboo Farm related to the early efforts by Haley Barbour with the help of David Fairchild

I think that it was Barbour Lathrop who bought the land and gave it to the USDA. There was already a large grove of Phyllostachys bambusoides on the property when he bought it. David Fairchild traveled all over the world with Lathrop, but I don't know if he had anything to do with the Bamboo Farm.

[_Keith]

Lathrop was Fairchild's mentor. He started Fairchild on his path as a plant explorer.

[JT in Japan]

Bump.

Keith, do you have any recent pics of your T. Latisectus? I just got 1,000 seeds and hope for great success in my 9a/9b zone. I like reading all the comments on this one, which is new to me.

Cheers,
JT

[Cikas]

I really like this trachycarpus specie.

Two seedlings planted in my garden.

[JT in Japan]

I really like this trachycarpus specie.

Two seedlings planted in my garden.

Those look nice, Junca. The bigger one looks like it's 2-3 years old. Did you raise it from seed?

JT

[Pal Meir]

I really like this trachycarpus specie.

Two seedlings planted in my garden.

Those look nice, Junca. The bigger one looks like it's 2-3 years old. Did you raise it from seed?

JT

Do you mean the upper palm in the first photo, that one with many teeth on the petiole? That one looks like a Livistona.

[Cikas]

Palm with teeth on petioles is Livistona australis.

Trachycarpus latisectus where purchased as seedlings.

[smithgn]

I'm glad I held off on purchasing a few 3 gallons from a vendor in Florida. I read the same thing about how they were just as hardy as Fortunei but also read conflicting reports that they were hardy to zone 9 in the U.S. Glad I didn't buy them as they would have been easy to protect while they are small, but judging from the Bamboo Farm picture they can get up to 20 feet.

Edited June 22, 2015 by smithgn

[Cikas]

Trachycarpus latisectus is nowhere near as hardy as Fortunei. It is actually with martianus the most tender trachycarpus specie. USDA 9b, maybe 9A in protected position.

[_Keith]

Bump.

Keith, do you have any recent pics of your T. Latisectus? I just got 1,000 seeds and hope for great success in my 9a/9b zone. I like reading all the comments on this one, which is new to me.

Cheers,

JT

Here you go, after being set back a year by a poorly timed move, it seems to be on the move again. Nice big spear coming, well big relatively speaking that is. :-)

[JT in Japan]

Bump.

Keith, do you have any recent pics of your T. Latisectus? I just got 1,000 seeds and hope for great success in my 9a/9b zone. I like reading all the comments on this one, which is new to me.

Cheers,

JT

Here you go, after being set back a year by a poorly timed move, it seems to be on the move again. Nice big spear coming, well big relatively speaking that is. :-)

There it is. That's a pretty fan spread its got. Nice ridge line.

Cheers,

JT

[JasonD]

Latisectus shows damage in the 20s, survived 22F in Los Altos Hills, near San Francisco, California, in 2007. It seems to like hot weather a bit more than Trachycarpus martianus.