Bottle Palms Living it UP! They say not In SoCal?!

[Briank]

I got these Bottle Palms from Home Depot about 8 months ago, before I knew anything about Palms.  Everyone keeps telling me they will die, and that they are probably Florida Grown! I have seen other people post on here they are doing well. 

My Bottle Palms are just growing like crazy. Fresh Stem right after the previous one spreads! Have 3 in Full Sun, 1 in a large Pot, and the other one the East Side Part Sun location. I spreaded them out just to see wich location would be best.  THey are all growing at same pace. Here are the pics.

[Moose]

 

They really hate multiple nights in the 40's F. Saw bunches of them get really burnt and a large % cark during our 2010 cold season. They also get very unhappy when exposed to frost. Might as well grow a Coconut and see if you get lucky.

[PalmatierMeg]

Looking good. They are a bit cold sensitive and prone to leaf spotting, esp. with frost. But they are small enough to protect. On cold nights (below 40F) wrap them with cotton flannel sheets (visit Goodwill, Salvation Army, etc.) or set up some kind of shelter to keep rain out of the crown on wet nights. Just don't let any plastic touch them! You could also add extra warmth with shop lights, rope lights, small space heaters. Use your imagination.

[Briank]

I am located in San Diego, about 6 miles from the beach.  My avg lowes for winter in Dec/Jan is 48-49 degrees.  Cannot remember ever seeing below 40 degrees here.

[Briank]

If by any chance, they don't make it, I have a bunch of Sabals  I am looking for Space LOL.  But I hope they make it.  Every Reason people have given me for their Decline or Demise just doesn't jive with my locations climate. They will get full sun all day in winter, unless they get water Boarded this winter with EL NINO this winter! HAHA.

[Pete in Paradise Hills]

Brian, not sure where you live but II am 4 miles inland and I. had 4 nights in a row below 40 around new years 2015.  Maybe you are in a super microclimate I don't know...

[Brett in Mission Viejo]

This is a interesting topic I would like to hear from others, because I hear so many stories and in So Cal, from what I gathered from others, either you have to have perfect cold air drainage on a south facing coastal influenced slope in an area that gets some heat, or create a microclimate artificially.  Since I live in Mission Viejo, with limited coastal influence, little cold air drainage and several frost nights per year, I planted one next to a south facing black rock wall next to a spa and small pool. This has worked great and mine is about 14 feet tall at about 9 years old and pushes leaves year long. The last couple of mild winters, I did not even get any leaf spotting, which spotting is very typical in a "normal" winter.  Here is a picture of it taken last spring:

[Briank]

Brian, not sure where you live but II am 4 miles inland and I. had 4 nights in a row below 40 around new years 2015.  Maybe you are in a super microclimate I don't know...

I am in Clairemont/bay park area.   

[DoomsDave]

Bottle palms are a tough grow in most of so-Cal, except for the very warmest microclimates. I've managed to grow a number of small ones to large size to have them eventually die in a cold winter.

That said, there are mature plants about 6 miles from me on some high hills, that appear to be doing well so far, which I suspect are some of those Home Depot specimens (I was tempted!)

Brian, keep us posted.

[Briank]

Will do Dave.   I mean why grow anything that is not a challenge? Might as well move to Hawaii lol.  And that's why I have got hooked w Palms, if it doesn't work out, mostly easy to try something else. And unless it's a large 800lb gorilla Tor Tor or Phoenix C you don't have to get Crane involved. 

 

I was looking for a med sized palm to fit corners and walkways and these are perfect for that.  Will see how they turn out. 

[quaman58]

The good ones I've seen around either have some form of protection from stagnate cold air, or are in a good draining area. Even then, winter can beat them up, but they are such a robust grower that they can keep putting on some size. For some reason, spindle palms seem a better bet in this area.

[DoomsDave]

The good ones I've seen around either have some form of protection from stagnate cold air, or are in a good draining area. Even then, winter can beat them up, but they are such a robust grower that they can keep putting on some size. For some reason, spindle palms seem a better bet in this area.

I've had MUCH better luck with spindles, too.

Not foolproof, but not bad. Two in the ground are looking mighty fine, like cherry wine . . . .

[DoomsDave]

Will do Dave.   I mean why grow anything that is not a challenge? Might as well move to Hawaii lol.  And that's why I have got hooked w Palms, if it doesn't work out, mostly easy to try something else. And unless it's a large 800lb gorilla Tor Tor or Phoenix C you don't have to get Crane involved. 

 

I was looking for a med sized palm to fit corners and walkways and these are perfect for that.  Will see how they turn out. 

Most of my palms are easy ones! You too can have a garden like mine, albeit more orderly if that's your taste.

There are so many bitchen gardens in San Diego . . . .

[Josh-O]

This is a interesting topic I would like to hear from others, because I hear so many stories and in So Cal, from what I gathered from others, either you have to have perfect cold air drainage on a south facing coastal influenced slope in an area that gets some heat, or create a microclimate artificially.  Since I live in Mission Viejo, with limited coastal influence, little cold air drainage and several frost nights per year, I planted one next to a south facing black rock wall next to a spa and small pool. This has worked great and mine is about 14 feet tall at about 9 years old and pushes leaves year long. The last couple of mild winters, I did not even get any leaf spotting, which spotting is very typical in a "normal" winter.  Here is a picture of it taken last spring:

looking real nice :-) it goes to show that a good microclimate is key for these guys. 

[Hammer]

This is a interesting topic I would like to hear from others, because I hear so many stories and in So Cal, from what I gathered from others, either you have to have perfect cold air drainage on a south facing coastal influenced slope in an area that gets some heat, or create a microclimate artificially.  Since I live in Mission Viejo, with limited coastal influence, little cold air drainage and several frost nights per year, I planted one next to a south facing black rock wall next to a spa and small pool. This has worked great and mine is about 14 feet tall at about 9 years old and pushes leaves year long. The last couple of mild winters, I did not even get any leaf spotting, which spotting is very typical in a "normal" winter.  Here is a picture of it taken last spring:

Brett's whole place is phenomenal.   He has done a great job with his hardscape and leveraging it to grow all kinds of cool plants. As a result his Bottle Palm is something to behold in person.

Edited November 5, 2015 by Hammer

[Pip]

That bottle palm looks great. Am I alone in thinking that bottle palms only look attractive when young?

[Pal Meir]

That bottle palm looks great. Am I alone in thinking that bottle palms only look attractive when young?

If you mean "attractive" = "bottle like" you are right.

[Zeeth]

The good ones I've seen around either have some form of protection from stagnate cold air, or are in a good draining area. Even then, winter can beat them up, but they are such a robust grower that they can keep putting on some size. For some reason, spindle palms seem a better bet in this area.

Spindles seem about 1/2 a zone hardier than bottles in Florida. 

[mcrawford]

They grow fine in central Arizona also, if given light shade and of course moved inside the greenhouse during the winter.

[Pete in Paradise Hills]

If you have to move them inside in the winter they are actually not suited for your climate....

[Butch]

This is one from Home Depot...It has been in this spot from day one...The overhang, stucco walls and concrete keep it from getting too cold...Yea I know it needs repotting, but I can't find one bigger than the 24" pot it is in...This is in La Mirada, LA/OC, CA....About 15miles away from the ocean....It gets a little burned on really cold days, but always comes back nice....It throws new spears all year....

Butch

[OverGrown]

I know of a few bottle and spindles that are surviving in Chino Hills area planted from a 5g for about 4 yrs now...  

 

Butch,  the Armstrong Garden center off Imperial Blvd and Harbor Blvd has a large 32" or 36" pot in a similar style but different color made of resin if you are looking for something larger.  

[aztropic]

They grow fine in central Arizona also, if given light shade and of course moved inside the greenhouse during the winter.

I'm only 10 miles away from Monte and my bottle palm has been in the ground since 2000 planted as a 3 gal HD special.It has defoliated a couple times over the years, lightly spots up most winters, but is a strong grower none the less.

aztropic

Mesa, Arizona

[DoomsDave]

This is one from Home Depot...It has been in this spot from day one...The overhang, stucco walls and concrete keep it from getting too cold...Yea I know it needs repotting, but I can't find one bigger than the 24" pot it is in...This is in La Mirada, LA/OC, CA....About 15miles away from the ocean....It gets a little burned on really cold days, but always comes back nice....It throws new spears all year....

Butch

Howdy neighbor!

Shoot me a PM and visit some time.

[Butch]

I know of a few bottle and spindles that are surviving in Chino Hills area planted from a 5g for about 4 yrs now...  

 

Butch,  the Armstrong Garden center off Imperial Blvd and Harbor Blvd has a large 32" or 36" pot in a similar style but different color made of resin if you are looking for something larger.  

Thank you...The pot it's in is a 30", not a 24", like I said. So I would like a  36", min....Maybe larger...Resin in terra-cotta would be great.  The nursery up on Whittier Blvd. had some nice ones in dark gray for 1/2 price a while back, but I was looking for the reddish ones. I'll look at Armstrong...thanks again.  

Butch 

[Butch]

This is one from Home Depot...It has been in this spot from day one...The overhang, stucco walls and concrete keep it from getting too cold...Yea I know it needs repotting, but I can't find one bigger than the 24" pot it is in...This is in La Mirada, LA/OC, CA....About 15miles away from the ocean....It gets a little burned on really cold days, but always comes back nice....It throws new spears all year....

Butch

Howdy neighbor!

Shoot me a PM and visit some time.

Hi Dave.  I've been lurking and watching your post for a long time. I would love to see your palms some time. Thanks for the offer. 

Butch

[DoomsDave]

This is one from Home Depot...It has been in this spot from day one...The overhang, stucco walls and concrete keep it from getting too cold...Yea I know it needs repotting, but I can't find one bigger than the 24" pot it is in...This is in La Mirada, LA/OC, CA....About 15miles away from the ocean....It gets a little burned on really cold days, but always comes back nice....It throws new spears all year....

Butch

Howdy neighbor!

Shoot me a PM and visit some time.

Hi Dave.  I've been lurking and watching your post for a long time. I would love to see your palms some time. Thanks for the offer. 

Butch

I've probably ridden past your place on my bike on the way to El Cheapo Cinema on Rosecrans . . . .

[enigma99]

How much cold will these take really? I've got a couple.. one is 6ft tall now. Paranoid about under 40F but as long as they don't get frost should be fine right?

[Moose]

How much cold will these take really? I've got a couple.. one is 6ft tall now. Paranoid about under 40F but as long as they don't get frost should be fine right?

They can take some lows, but for brief periods. Here we get cold fronts, temperatures dip but then recover quickly. In 2010, we experienced multiple days in the 40's F. I cannot recall ever seeing such a prolonged cold event. There were multiple fronts, many that stalled on top of us for days on end. Yes we have had much colder events that the bottles could survive, but those events were short in duration. 2010 demonstrated to me that Hyphorbe lagencaulis is essentially a zone 10 palm. I was quite surprised the distress they exhibited that is cold season. A well grown Spindle (Hyphorbe verschaffeltia) can rival a bottle and is definitely a 1/2 zone more cold tolerant like Keith mentioned above.

[Josh-O]

They grow fine in central Arizona also, if given light shade and of course moved inside the greenhouse during the winter.

I'm only 10 miles away from Monte and my bottle palm has been in the ground since 2000 planted as a 3 gal HD special.It has defoliated a couple times over the years, lightly spots up most winters, but is a strong grower none the less.

aztropic

Mesa, Arizona

Scott!! you win for zone pushing this species hands down. Nicely done  

[kylecawazafla]

It makes me so happy that someone else states that their palms are "living it up!" I do the same thing when I see happy palms! haha 

[MattyB]

8 years in the ground from a 3 gallon pot.  This guy is turning into a bahemoth.  Unfortunately it's become shaded out from surrounding trees so I'm not sure how it will fare in the future.  In the past it was in full, all day, inland sun.  Spring Valley about 9 miles inland.

[Pando]

8 years in the ground from a 3 gallon pot.  This guy is turning into a behemoth.

That thing is huge! Looks great Matty.

It's scared - it saw what you did to the spindles when they didn't perform. 

[MattyB]

Yeah, it does get beat up pretty bad in the winter but it makes a very fast recovery every summer so I've left it.....for now

[Josh-O]

Yeah, it does get beat up pretty bad in the winter but it makes a very fast recovery every summer so I've left it.....for now

I'm down for a hearts of palm salad!!

[Danilopez89]

8 years in the ground from a 3 gallon pot.  This guy is turning into a bahemoth.  Unfortunately it's become shaded out from surrounding trees so I'm not sure how it will fare in the future.  In the past it was in full, all day, inland sun.  Spring Valley about 9 miles inland.

perfect size and shape. Nice bottle! 

[Josh-O]

Matty, Mine has a little ways to go before it's as big as yours.

[Briank]

Matty, Mine has a little ways to go before it's as big as yours.

did you plant that as an Pot grown 15ga or 20ga? I saw you had some large potted ones for Sale.   Did you grow them from seed or Florida grown like my Home Depot specials ?

[Danilopez89]

Here's my bottle palm

older frond about to make a TOUCHDOWN! 

bullet proof palm for so cal

Just kidding

[Hammer]

Matty, Mine has a little ways to go before it's as big as yours.

That's what she said