Da Lat ......a potential cloud forest palm paradise ????

[trioderob]

here is an interesting place for someone to retire and grow palms.

its has some unique attributes :

Đà Lạt (Vietnamese pronunciation: [ɗâː làːt] ( listen)), or Dalat, (pop. 206,105 as of 2009, of which 185,509 are urban inhabitants) is the capital of Lâm Đồng Province in Vietnam. The city is located 1,500 m (4,900 ft) above sea level on the Langbian Plateau in the southern parts of the Central Highlands region. In Vietnam,

Da Lat's year-round temperate weather, standing in contrast to central & southern Vietnam’s otherwise-tropical climate, has led it to be nicknamed the “City of eternal spring”.^[4] The average temperature is 14 °C (57 °F) - 23 °C (73 °F). The highest temperature ever in Da Lat was 31.5 °C (88.7 °F), and the lowest was −0.6 °C (30.9 °F).^[5] Mist covers the adjoining valleys almost year-round. Its temperate climate also makes it ideal for agriculture. Indeed, Da Lat is renowned for its orchids, roses, vegetables, and fruits. There are nascent wine-making and flower-growing industries in the region.

[trioderob]

ok so the weather is wonderful - there is rain all year but the perfect amount- there is cooling mist all the time as shown in photo.

it never get cold in winter.

perfect place for a CLOUD FOREST palm garden

and its Cheap to live there

not too bad - no ?

(pretty killer if you ask me)

Edited July 31, 2015 by trioderob

[trioderob]

its pronounced " DA-LAT "

Edited July 31, 2015 by trioderob

[rprimbs]

I agree. Da Lat the "Alps" of Vietnam. I saw some good sized bottle palms in Da Lat so I know it doesn't get too cold. But it is definitely cooler and not so humid as Ho Chi Minh City.

Incidentally I'm standing in Da Lat in my avatar.

Edited July 31, 2015 by rprimbs

[trioderob]

how ironic

[trioderob]

how would the place be for a yard of New Caledonia palms ?

[bgl]

Looks like a lovely place! How close is the nearest specialized palm nursery?

[Gonzer]

Rob, I hear the Vietnamese language is a snap to learn...not. You get misinterpreted over there and it's goodbye Charlie.

[trioderob]

heard New Guinea is like that too.

heck of a palm place - but if there is a misunderstanding they chop you up and send you home in a envelope

[Sabal Steve]

Hey Rob,

From my conversations with palm collectors/growers in Vietnam (perhaps they will chime in) it's my understanding that Vietnam has lots of red tape regarding visas. Anything is possible, but I feel you may have better luck assimilating into other Southeastern Asian countries.

Looks beautiful for sure though.

[Tyrone]

Any palms that grow naturally in that region??

[rprimbs]

Rob, I hear the Vietnamese language is a snap to learn...not. You get misinterpreted over there and it's goodbye Charlie.

Just don't cross your fingers for "good luck" in Vietnam. Just don't do it.

[trioderob]

must be like Italian hand gesture's

[rprimbs]

must be like Italian hand gesture's

I don't know what all of the Italian hand gestures mean. The crossed fingers in Vietnam are sort of gender specific. The raised middle finger is male, and the crossed fingers are female. So you don't want to use either -- and make people think that you are attempting to solicit something that you are not!

[PalmatierMeg]

My sister-in-law is Vietnamese, came here in the 1960s after marrying my brother-in-law who was in the Air Force.

My husband, also a Vietnam vet, told me about the Vietnamese language. No word is longer than 6 letters. It is a "tonal language", which makes speaking it particularly treacherous for non-natives. The concept of tonality is very difficult for me to wrap my head around. The same word might mean "gold" or "prostitute" depending on how it is spoken. Trip-ups like that can get you lynched.

[palmsOrl]

Da Lat looks gorgeous, and is probably a perfect place for many palms that like mild to cool temperatures year round. It can clearly support some tropical, heat-loving species too. Personally, I will stay put, in an area where instances of subtle miscommunication are not fatal, or at least dangerous.

[JasonD]

My friend Dat is from Vietnam, and has named his garden design business after Dalat.

[rprimbs]

My sister-in-law is Vietnamese, came here in the 1960s after marrying my brother-in-law who was in the Air Force.

My husband, also a Vietnam vet, told me about the Vietnamese language. No word is longer than 6 letters. It is a "tonal language", which makes speaking it particularly treacherous for non-natives. The concept of tonality is very difficult for me to wrap my head around. The same word might mean "gold" or "prostitute" depending on how it is spoken. Trip-ups like that can get you lynched.

I just got laughed at... My wife is from Vietnam. I have never found it a particularly dangerous place -- unless you are talking about the crazy traffic on the road. I am much more intimidated by Thailand than Vietnam.

[sgvcns]

I will be in Vietnam For the third time in 6 weeks.

I have never felt it was dangerous.

I was in Dalat briefly last year.

I think it would be very difficult to have a visa allowing full time occupation as a foreigner.

I have been to cloud forest and the area does not remind me of those experiences.

Wall to wall poly tunnel on the outskirts with native pine fores further.

Loved Dalat but don't know about gardening.

The forest to the east however on the road to Nha Trang held many treasures and with the marked dry season appear tough , 1000m means some cold tolerance too. here in Brissie.

This time the first port of call of call is Nha Trang to explore the slope from sea level.

Family should enjoy the beach as well.

They might even come with me on the piste

Steve

[PalmnutVN]

Indeed! I can't imagine a situation where you would need to say this however, 'Five lying southern men, held five mushrooms for five years' would be rendered.... Năm nam nằm nam nắm năm nắm nấm năm năm.....

Anyway.... Da Lat would be an excellent location for growing such beauties as Dictyocaryum to perfection, although you can forget Cocos or Cyrtostachys. They simply won't grow there. Another problem is that most nurseries here hold run of the mill stuff with most 'specialist' nurseries being limited to plants such as orchids. The plant centres in Da Lat, while numerous, all sell orchids, bulbs and other flowering plants, with very little in the way of palms.

Once you've exhausted the local offerings, the only way to increase your stock is to bring them in bare route in your hand baggage via Thailand. Seeds are out as they are always impounded by customs unless they are tiny, in which case, they will sometimes slip through.

[Tyrone]

What native palms grow in that region. Anything interesting??????

[sgvcns]

Around Dalat itself not much because all pretty well under cultivation.

However in the forest on the way to Nha Trang my 2 favourites found growing there are Lanonia hexasepala and Pinanga declinata.

Both should grow very well in Brisbane.

No surprise that my first stop in 5 weeks will be this area.

Steve

[Tyrone]

Around Dalat itself not much because all pretty well under cultivation.

However in the forest on the way to Nha Trang my 2 favourites found growing there are Lanonia hexasepala and Pinanga declinata.

Both should grow very well in Brisbane.

No surprise that my first stop in 5 weeks will be this area.

Steve

Those two species you certainly don't hear much about. Should be OK for cooler moist climates.

[rprimbs]

Indeed! I can't imagine a situation where you would need to say this however, 'Five lying southern men, held five mushrooms for five years' would be rendered.... Năm nam nằm nam nắm năm nắm nấm năm năm.....

Anyway.... Da Lat would be an excellent location for growing such beauties as Dictyocaryum to perfection, although you can forget Cocos or Cyrtostachys. They simply won't grow there. Another problem is that most nurseries here hold run of the mill stuff with most 'specialist' nurseries being limited to plants such as orchids. The plant centres in Da Lat, while numerous, all sell orchids, bulbs and other flowering plants, with very little in the way of palms.

Once you've exhausted the local offerings, the only way to increase your stock is to bring them in bare route in your hand baggage via Thailand. Seeds are out as they are always impounded by customs unless they are tiny, in which case, they will sometimes slip through.

I like Da Lat but I don't think that it really be a palm paradise if you could not grow Cocos or Cyrtostachys there..

[PalmnutVN]

The few parks that I've been to here in the south are mostly devoid of large numbers of palms. Licuala and Lanonia leaves are regularly harvested for the famous 'non la' conical hat and while they can be found in some of the larger parks, one area of real interest, much of which is still under investigation, is the somewhat impenetrable jungle along the Laos/Vietnam border. Unfortunately, this area was formerly part of the Ho Chi Minh Trail and getting into this part of this country can be extremely difficult, not to mention hazardous due to much of the unexploded ordnance that still persists in this region, although this is slowly being cleared.

That said, Bach Ma park is allegedly one of the better parks for palm hunters although I haven't been there myself as of yet. The My Son temple complex is also worth a visit, not so much for the temples themselves, but for a number of interesting palms that can be found here including Licuala bachmaensis....

[Tyrone]

I think there must be a ton of plants in those remote forests that await discovery. The last few palms mentioned I haven't even heard of.

[sgvcns]

I agree that most forest was agent oranged and so now is predominantly eucalypt( fire wood ) and bamboo.

Even Bach Ma is "oranged" at the top near the temple( helicopter landing pad )'

The area I'm talking about is a new road that was very remote during the american war.

Pinanga declinata is in Bach Ma but there it is Lanonia Bachmaensis not hexasepala.

I will be in Bach Ma this trip also.

Let alone the ginger diversity.

Bring it on

Steve

[Tyrone]

I agree that most forest was agent oranged and so now is predominantly eucalypt( fire wood ) and bamboo.

Even Bach Ma is "oranged" at the top near the temple( helicopter landing pad )'

The area I'm talking about is a new road that was very remote during the american war.

Pinanga declinata is in Bach Ma but there it is Lanonia Bachmaensis not hexasepala.

I will be in Bach Ma this trip also.

Let alone the ginger diversity.

Bring it on

Steve

Take many pictures.

I've often wondered what all that agent orange destroyed. Tragic.

[rprimbs]

I agree that most forest was agent oranged and so now is predominantly eucalypt( fire wood ) and bamboo.

Even Bach Ma is "oranged" at the top near the temple( helicopter landing pad )'

The area I'm talking about is a new road that was very remote during the american war.

Pinanga declinata is in Bach Ma but there it is Lanonia Bachmaensis not hexasepala.

I will be in Bach Ma this trip also.

Let alone the ginger diversity.

Bring it on

Steve

Take many pictures.

I've often wondered what all that agent orange destroyed. Tragic.

I should have taken more pictures when I was there. I intended to but it wasn't so easy to convince my wife to stop to take a picture of a palm tree.. Next time.

[weldertom]

I spent time in Vietnam a few years ago and never felt threatened.

The people were gracious and helpful, friendly and accommodating.

I was in Hanoi and parts north, never made it to Da Lat, but its on the bucket list!

[DCdesertpalm]

Bump