What Is The Most Underestimated/Under-appreciated Palm?

[Xerarch]

I've enjoyed all the "what is your favorite (fill in the blank) palm" posts. When I read them I keep thinking of palms that I really enjoy even if they'e not my absolute favorite, and some of these might not be highly appreciated by everyone else. For example I really like a well-grown or habitat photos of Washingtonia filifera. The habitat photos that have been posting recently are fantastic, what a magnificent palm, so robust and beautiful, and I like the petticoat. I think these might be under-appreciated by many.

Traditionally I haven't been too excited about the Trachycarpus genus, but thanks to the enthusiasm of others on this forum for them, I have gained a new appreciation for them, it's a great genus.

So, what are your favorite underestimated/under appreciated palms?

[Cikas]

Queen palms. They are beautifull. I do not understand why so many people here do not like them.

[waykoolplantz]

Queen palms. They are beautifull. I do not understand why so many people here do not like them.

Youre right...The fact they are overused does not detract from their inherent beauty. We're snobs and they are common. Very cool genus...the clumpers my favorite

[Stevetoad]

Mines the poor washies. I never look twice at them around town but have driven over an hour to see them in habitat a bunch of times.

[_Keith]

Washies, queens and any

Queen palms. They are beautifull. I do not understand why so many people here do not like them.

Youre right...The fact they are overused does not detract from their inherent beauty. We're snobs and they are common. Very cool genus...the clumpers my favorite

Absolutely, no matter what the palmsnobs say, lol.

[ghar41]

Rhapidophylum hystrix. It'll grow in any palm zone and is very attractive!

[redant]

dypsis lutescens can be stunning when planted from a single seed.

[Cocoa Beach Jason]

Sabal palmetto. Everywhere in Florida and elsewhere but a tall trunking well-fed sabal is gorgeous to my eyes. And I also think queens are pretty when healthy. The problem is queens often look terrible due to neglect. It is more common to see a sick queen than a healthy one.

[Zeeth]

dypsis lutescens can be stunning when planted from a single seed.

Agreed. My mom bought a bunch of them to screen out the back neighbors and I spent a few hours removing everything but the strongest plant and it's few suckers. It was definitely worth it though.

[awkonradi]

Interesting to read the above comments about queens. I am visiting my Mom on the western shore of Galveston Bay (TX), and most of the queens around here look fantastic. I think they are loving the heat and humidity, the year-round rains, and the muck soil. I think they are just poorly adapted to CA.

[ghar41]

Interesting to read the above comments about queens. I am visiting my Mom on the western shore of Galveston Bay (TX), and most of the queens around here look fantastic. I think they are loving the heat and humidity, the year-round rains, and the muck soil. I think they are just poorly adapted to CA.

I'm thinking the higher PH soil often makes unavailable the many nutrients needed for them to thrive in CA. I have to work hard to keep mine healthy and it often leads to too much fruit, which is a mess. They are the ugliest tree, hands down, in my area. When healthy, they are beautiful

[Mauna Kea Cloudforest]

I don't understand why anyone brings up the most common palms that are over-planted all over. Even if some collectors might snob these common palms they're hardly under-appreciated. Just look around to see how many of them are planted all over. And there is even a subset of the PalmTalk audience that loves each and everyone of these over planted palms.

If you really want to look at under-appreciated palms, look no further than the brahea genus. Even though the entire genus is superbly well adapted to all of California and Sonora, you rarely see them planted in either private or public landscapes, and even the collectors have neglected brahea in favor of the latest hottest dypsis and newcal palms. I guess brahea are just "so passé", people used to be into them in the 20th century. And landscapers and nurseries can't even use the excuse of them being too slow for commercial cultivation. Brahea brandegeei is a very fast grower, and some of the hybrids like nuri and clara are also quite fast and incredibly ornamental.

Bottom line is that brahea, (with the exception maybe of brahea armata) are neglected by both palm collectors AND private landscapers AND public landscapers AND nurseries. I can't think of any genus that suffers more neglect. Washingtonia, sabal, and queen most definitely do not qualify as "neglected", not even in the least bit, even if they might be looked down upon by many collectors.

[Tropicgardener]

I think here it is Archontophoenix alexandrae......... It is locally native and abundant along the creeks. It is very commonly used in gardens too but is often seen as being a 'weed'. They are a great palm especially the old ones that can be seen around old cane farms. So very majestic.

[Mandrew968]

Actinorhytis for me--I think it's because no one can spell it... I know of no other reason why we don't see these as much as Adonidia--what a garbage palm!

[Neil C]

I'm a believer that Chamaerops humilis doesn't get the recognition it deserves. Tough as old boots and comes in some very distinct forms and colours. Happy in a pot or the ground and doesn't cost the earth. Drought tolerant, pest resistant........should I go on?

Regards Neil

[yachtingone]

I agree with Axel. Brahea's almost always look great. In Southern California Kevin Weaver has produced thousands of B. armata and yet they are still quite rare to see just driving around! B. edulis you will find driving around town occasionally. Definitely an underused genus!

[NorthFlpalmguy]

x2 on sabal/cabbages here. They are everywhere and most here do not want them but I appreciate their hardiness and uniqueness. When someone cuts 'swamp cabbage' they harvest the head of the cabbage/sabal. In the right conditions (spring/summer) the sabal will regenerate a new head most of the time. It is quite a feat but fairly common.

[Mandrew968]

x2 on sabal/cabbages here. They are everywhere and most here do not want them but I appreciate their hardiness and uniqueness. When someone cuts 'swamp cabbage' they harvest the head of the cabbage/sabal. In the right conditions (spring/summer) the sabal will regenerate a new head most of the time. It is quite a feat but fairly common.

If they harvest the meristem, then regeneration cannot happen. I doubt there is much to eat without the meristem...

[waykoolplantz]

Reinhardtia paiewonskiana

[Rory]

Orania, the only common species seems to be O. palindan and it's still the furthest thing from common. There are a bunch of other awesome species that you almost never see or hear about. Ravenea is another awesome genus that you don't see enough of and seems to be lacking in much interest.

[Xenon]

Green Bismarckia...Livistona rotundifolia (would make a nice tropical washy replacement)

Edited March 31, 2014 by Xenon

[Zeeth]

Green Bismarckia...Livistona rotundifolia (would make a nice tropical washy replacement)

I agree about green Bismarckia. They're lovely palms that you really never see.

[DoomsDave]

They're ALL underrated, compared to . . . .

Delphiniums . . . .

[redant]

Reinhardtia paiewonskiana

Wow, I wouldn't even try to pronounce that.

Stunning palm though.

[Tyrone]

The whole genus Livistona.

[jfrye01@live.com]

Sabal palmetto! I don't care how thick it is in Florida and the Gulf Coast, I love seeing them there every time I visit:)

-Jacob in Kansas, Zone 6/7

[Sabal Steve]

Bismarkia - Usually fairly fast, cold hardy, fairly drought tolerant, creates great canopy, easy to obtain, boosts your real estate value, has your neighbors asking about it, isn't picky about soils, can take full sun (and thrives in it), hard to overwater, etc...

[Mauna Kea Cloudforest]

The whole genus Livistona.

I agree! Very similar to the brahea case, just totally under-rated and neglected. I love them all.

[Tyrone]

The whole genus Livistona.

I agree! Very similar to the brahea case, just totally under-rated and neglected. I love them all.

Forgot about Brahea. You'd think the west coast of Oz would be full of them being a good climate. Virtually zero grown. No nurseries even stock them, and that's including palm nurseries except for maybe one every few years.

[Peter G]

The whole genus Livistona.

I agree! Very similar to the brahea case, just totally under-rated and neglected. I love them all.

Forgot about Brahea. You'd think the west coast of Oz would be full of them being a good climate. Virtually zero grown. No nurseries even stock them, and that's including palm nurseries except for maybe one every few years.

I germinated 1000 Brahea Super Silver, hopefully they will begin to circulate their way around WA, should be a decent size in 20 years!

[Tyrone]

The ones I got from you Peter are doing well. Only little blades of grass at this stage but they'll do fine I'm sure.

[Gileno Machado]

Attaleas are quite common palms here, bordering forests reserves, but no one hardly ever uses them in landscape projects.

Livistona chinensis and rotundifolia (Saribus now) are both beautiful looking palms (all stages) even though they are very common here.

Euterpe oleracea is very much under-rated too.

[Dave-Vero]

Public areas in my town have some big, impressive plantings of Sabal palmetto. If they're allowed to grow full crowns of leaves, they look great.

Sabal minor is hardly ever planted. It can make a good hedge or screen.

There's very few Ravenea, other than two majesties in front of the Art Museum. They should thrive here.

Only one Arenga engleri clump in a park, accompanied by rows of royals.

Not enough spindles (Hyophorbe verschaffeltii). A lone one at the Community Center is on dry ground between the parking lot and railroad track. I don't think it gets any irrigation. It's out in the open. Looks fine.

Everglades palms (Acoelorraphe wrightii) has a very limited natural range in Florida, but thrives in cultivation. My seedlings planted (I think) in 2003 are getting to 10 feet or so. Not a big clump, but enough to be an important part of the landscape.

Archontophoenix hasn't gone commercial for us. Three A. tuckeri (two flowering) do a great deal to give the back yard its look. An A. maxima propagated at Leu Gardens is off to a good start.

Crysophila warscewiczii (rootspine) is also thriving in the back yard. Beautiful fan leaves. No damage despite 26 degrees F one winter (-3 C).

[Mauna Kea Cloudforest]

Public areas in my town have some big, impressive plantings of Sabal palmetto. If they're allowed to grow full crowns of leaves, they look great.

Sabal minor is hardly ever planted. It can make a good hedge or screen.

There's very few Ravenea, other than two majesties in front of the Art Museum. They should thrive here.

Only one Arenga engleri clump in a park, accompanied by rows of royals.

Not enough spindles (Hyophorbe verschaffeltii). A lone one at the Community Center is on dry ground between the parking lot and railroad track. I don't think it gets any irrigation. It's out in the open. Looks fine.

Everglades palms (Acoelorraphe wrightii) has a very limited natural range in Florida, but thrives in cultivation. My seedlings planted (I think) in 2003 are getting to 10 feet or so. Not a big clump, but enough to be an important part of the landscape.

Archontophoenix hasn't gone commercial for us. Three A. tuckeri (two flowering) do a great deal to give the back yard its look. An A. maxima propagated at Leu Gardens is off to a good start.

Crysophila warscewiczii (rootspine) is also thriving in the back yard. Beautiful fan leaves. No damage despite 26 degrees F one winter (-3 C).

Crysophila warscewiczii is a trooper when it comes to cold, mine is super happy despite there being no shortage of chill here.

[Small palm]

This is more of a under used palm for the mediterranean climate I live in, but I wonder why I don't see Jubaea Chilensis more often. I know it's massive and pricey, but I never see them in the Bay Area. I know there are some here, but not enough.