Just for those of you NOT up on your old Monty Python references..... (PS, fast forward 45 seconds or more..)

Anyway, I started this thread for people to post their REAL zone pushes.. Like "No one" would said would live, yet they keep stumbling on.. Some flourishing, others not bad considering how much you're pushing..Post away, Pics please.. I'll post several.. Jim better!

First I would offer up this palm....

When I bought it, a good 6-7 years ago or more, It was identified as a Dypsis sp. "highland mealybug".. CURRENTLY I believe it is being referenced and sold as Dypsis nauseosa.

The general consensus was that they would live in pots, but die in the ground. Thank heaven I'm too stupid to listen closely at times.

Just opened that new, roughly 7 foot (2+ meter) long leaf this week.

Hmm.

" . . . huge, tracts of land . . . "

Pretty much all of my non-elegans Ptychospermas.

My mind is obviously on other things... I read this topic my heart skipped a beat. The words of my foster son three days ago! He's been through a terrible terrible week after an ICE binge then out of the blue, complete silence I get a text message with these words.....Im not dead yet, going for a walk Im happy.

Oscar Wild's life imitating art rather more than art imitating life there!

Keep those palms coming.

Okay, you forced me Bill. Man, where do I start? At some point nearly everything in my landscape had the "This Can't Grow Outside Here" label on it so I'll just post a few that have overwintered well and a few I'm testing for the first time. I'm still told by nurserymen that King palms aren't reliable here. They've looked at me funny when I've told them that many of mine are over 25 years old . Here are just a few "zone pushers" of mine.

Licuala peltata 'sumawongii Ptychosperma cuneatum

Dictospema album Roystonea regia

Lemurophoenix hallexii...Third new leaf in three months! Wodyetia bifurcata w/B. condapanna behind it

Licuala ramsayi Bismarckia nobilis

Bentinkia condapanna Dypsis carlsmithii

Chamaedorea seifrizii Beccariophoenix alfredii

Marojejyi darianii...hmm Gaussia princeps

Polyandrococos caudescens Dypsis nucele

Chambeyronia macrocarpa Pinanga coronata

Actinokentia divarticata

Dypsis puluifera Geonoma scottiana

Howea forsteriana...Marginal, yeah really? Foxy Lady

Pseudophoenix sargentii base of Syagrus sancona (I can't get a good shot of its canopy.)

old Syagrus sancona I have several species of Pritchardia

Chambeyronia hookeri in ground seven years Chambeyronia from sown seed

Cyphophoenix alba fruiting Caryota urens

There are many others but this gives an idea of some of my risk taking.

Euterpe edulis Some have proven to not be risky at all.

"I'm feeling much better now"

"Shut up! You're not fooling anyone."

Wow I love that Howea forsteriana! This sounds like a cliche but thats as Cocos as I've seen thats not anywhere! Nice position too, where it can be seen in all its full lovliness.

Reminder must go and feed mine. I planted in a clump as it was growing in the pot like that, they are sold like this for indoor plants but the smaller ones gradualy faded now just two stronger ones left. Next time I think it will work better if i divide the clump and plant individualy.....still they battle my heat and humidity even in the shade.

Wow I love that Howea forsteriana! This sounds like a cliche but thats as Cocos as I've seen thats not anywhere! Nice position too, where it can be seen in all its full lovliness.

Reminder must go and feed mine. I planted in a clump as it was growing in the pot like that, they are sold like this for indoor plants but the smaller ones gradualy faded now just two stronger ones left. Next time I think it will work better if i divide the clump and plant individualy.....still they battle my heat and humidity even in the shade.

Thank you, Cedric. That Howea has been in that position over fourteen years and it's seen lots of heat, cold, wind, rain, dry air, you name it. These are an easy grow here because we have cool summer nights and it's not hot on average during the days. They are growable in hotter, more humid climates as witnessed by some growing well in Florida. I have fourteen Howea of various ages in my garden.

Jim, isn't a solid solid percentage of all that stuff planted this year? But the older stuff is truly impressive!

Yes I was surprised to see a row of these in a rather hidden and ignominious position behind the long low public toilet block at our botanical gardens. They were blocked by the WC one side and a bank of tall shade trees the other and doing well, maybe a bit short but I think they are slow. Here they wont see too many typhoons and are "relatively" cool being half way up the mountain. I think on the peaks here in the cloud zone they could do quite well.

Micro climates and all that but generally they don't thrive here, intensive care sort of approach, yours looks nice and robust. Florida is a big place of course, our climate using the American zone system starts getting similar around about the Keys our dry season pushes back to about maybe Fort Meyers I think its called.

I could do my whole garden in Howea, shiny green trunks the whole thing is so nice.

I would love to see your neighbourhood, Im sure there is a really stark contrast to your oasis jungle. At face value it looks like you are in effortless Key West.

Jim, isn't a solid solid percentage of all that stuff planted this year? But the older stuff is truly impressive!

Axel, Seven of the thirty two pics are new this year. I mentioned that a few of the palms pictured will be tested this winter for the first time. Those would be: Ptychosperma cuneatum, Lemurophoenix hallexii, Marojejyi darianii, Bentinkia condapanna, Geonoma scottiana, Cyphophoenix alba, and Cyphopheonix nucele. All the others have been through one to 14 winters in my yard. If any of these new ones are around next spring I'll start a new thread.

Looks good Jim! I have my very first Floribundle coming.

Never heard of Dypsis nucele. Isn't it Cyphophoenix nucele?

Edited August 28, 201411 yr by Pando

Looks good Jim! I have my very first Floribundle coming.

Never heard of Dypsis nucele. Isn't it Cyphophoenix nucele?

Pando, Sure is. Glad you caught that misnamed picture. I planted two of them this summer and I'm very hopeful they're around and looking good in the spring.

Jim, my C. nucele has an interesting mottling on the leaves. I'm curious if yours doing the same?

The C. nucele is a fantastic looking palm!

Jim, my C. nucele has an interesting mottling on the leaves. I'm curious if yours doing the same?

The C. nucele is a fantastic looking palm!

Hmm, that IS interesting but no mottling on mine. Once a new leaf has been open several days, it turns a solid dark green.

My post would be more like "bring out your dead"...Jim, what a great garden, stunning layout, lush, tropical, great variety very nice! I would like to use yours as a reference for planning my next garden.

"I'm feeling much better now"

Ooh ooh I know! John Astin on Night Court!

Astounding collection. Well done sir

"Always look on the bright side of life . . . "