Filifera Update 3.5 years old

[SailorBold]

Here is an update of my Washingtonia filifera 'TorC' palms for mid summer. The palms were planted in March 2013 as strap leaf seedlings.  First pic is from June 2013 ~ 3 months in ground.

 

[SailorBold]

Here are the palms from July 2014...

[SailorBold]

And here they are in July 2016.. Pictures taken this morning.  Height to the tallest leaf tip is ~7 feet.

[Brad Mondel]

Stunning growth! I see that your petioles are pure green. Pretty fast for a "slow" palm! 

[Ben in Norcal]

3 minutes ago, Brad Mondel said:

Stunning growth! I see that your petioles are pure green. Pretty fast for a "slow" palm! 

I still don't know how to really tell the species apart.  It looks like there is brown on the petiole margins of these?

[Brad Mondel]

7 minutes ago, Ben in Norcal said:

I still don't know how to really tell the species apart.  It looks like there is brown on the petiole margins of these?

Look at the bases of the petioles, they're pure green. Robusta has a reddish-brown blush at the base and filifera is pure green. That's one way you can determine which species. 

However, I've read that filifera isn't supposed to have teeth on the petiole margins,  I'm not sure if their teeth disappear as they grow older and taller or if they retain them. In California the large Filiferas I saw had no spines on the petiole margins. My young filifera has very tiny green teeth. Perhaps it's a variation in filifera? 

Edited July 21, 2016 by Brad Mondel

[Ben in Norcal]

1 minute ago, Brad Mondel said:

Look at the bases of the petioles, they're pure green. Robusta has a reddish-brown blush at the base and filifera is pure green. That's one way you can determine which species. 

However, I've read that filifera isn't supposed to have teeth on the petiole margins, but I'm not sure if their teeth disappear as they grow older and taller. My young filifera has very tiny green teeth. Perhaps it's a variation in filifera? 

Ah.  I thought the brown along the margins was an indicator of robusta or a hybrid as well.  Thanks for the info.

[dalmatiansoap]

Filibustas in best case

[Ben in Norcal]

13 minutes ago, dalmatiansoap said:

Filibustas in best case

What tells you they are filibusta (which is what I suspected?)

[TexasColdHardyPalms]

These are filifera.  As they age they will loose their teeth just like a livistona Chilensis does.  You can see the heavy tomentum on the top side of the fronds. I haven't see a robustra mutt with heavy tomentum, and green leaf bases once they start to trunk.   I now have over 11,000 filifera growing from native seed and just as with any other plant there are subtle differences between plants which are compounded with the amount of sunlight.  Shade grown filifera are pure green even from a seedling with small green/yellow teeth, but when in 100% (texas) sun the teeth will turn red.  However when the plants start to trunk there will be virtually zero red veining on the leaf base on a filifera.  Don't confuse the red veining with the leaf base stretching and splitting.  Additionally the teeth on the petiole on filbustra and robusta are MUCH larger and gnarly than a silimarly sized filifera.  This is my  $.02.

[SailorBold]

2 hours ago, Brad Mondel said:

Stunning growth! I see that your petioles are pure green. Pretty fast for a "slow" palm! 

I'm pleased so far..  and there is still a good amount of growing season left!  Should be ginormous by Nov.

[sashaeffer]

What is the lowest temp they have seen?

[SailorBold]

2 hours ago, Brad Mondel said:

Look at the bases of the petioles, they're pure green. Robusta has a reddish-brown blush at the base and filifera is pure green. That's one way you can determine which species. 

However, I've read that filifera isn't supposed to have teeth on the petiole margins,  I'm not sure if their teeth disappear as they grow older and taller or if they retain them. In California the large Filiferas I saw had no spines on the petiole margins. My young filifera has very tiny green teeth. Perhaps it's a variation in filifera? 

I read that its a height thing.. so when they get past a certain point the teeth are less and less. Time will tell.. but with the variability in these palms.. (hybrids upon hybrids) in all of my limited palm experience.. this is (in my opinion) a true filifera... and most likely the first true one I've ever had..

[SailorBold]

6 minutes ago, sashaeffer said:

What is the lowest temp they have seen?

~12f..first year.. with the past 2 winters at ~15f.    BUT...   I protected them as seedlings with a wall-o-water.  They were a good size by the end of last year... and were left to fare on their own.  They suffered leaf bronze (nothing new) but did grow at a slower rate throughout the winter.

[Alicehunter2000]

Filifera are nice and hairy, robusta not so much. 

[Mohsen]

19 hours ago, SailorBold said:

And here they are in July 2016.. Pictures taken this morning.  Height to the tallest leaf tip is ~7 feet.

amazing growth and results...well done Jimmy ...

what is the soil type? I am guessing it gets full sun all day ?

[Brad Mondel]

Has anyone noticed the teeth that appear on the outer leaflet of young Washingtonias? Does your Filifera carry this trait? 

[_Keith]

5 hours ago, Alicehunter2000 said:

Filifera are nice and hairy, robusta not so much. 

filibusta can be anywhere from one end to the other.  I have a trio of seeds from the same batch planted together that demonstrate that well.  Totally different, but all filibusta.

[dalmatiansoap]

13 hours ago, Ben in Norcal said:

What tells you they are filibusta (which is what I suspected?)

Leaf color, trunk shape, teeth size 

[realarch]

Geeze Jimbo, those look great! They have grown well and still blows my mind they can survive in those temps and thrive.

Tim

[SailorBold]

6 hours ago, Mohsen said:

amazing growth and results...well done Jimmy ...

what is the soil type? I am guessing it gets full sun all day ?

Thank you!  The soil is sand. They get full sun all day.  The petioles are long.. almost look shade grown but they aren't.

[SailorBold]

5 hours ago, Brad Mondel said:

Has anyone noticed the teeth that appear on the outer leaflet of young Washingtonias? Does your Filifera carry this trait? 

 

Ill check tomorrow.. hmm..  I haven't looked that closely.. I did notice the other day however that the leaves DO show significant costapalmate attributes..but not on the petioles... like the middle of the leaves split further into the leaf.  Ill take some pics tomorrow and look for those teeth.

 

 

[SailorBold]

32 minutes ago, dalmatiansoap said:

Leaf color, trunk shape, teeth size 

lol....  and then it gets complicated

[SailorBold]

20 minutes ago, realarch said:

Geeze Jimbo, those look great! They have grown well and still blows my mind they can survive in those temps and thrive.

Tim

Thanks Tim, They are doing alright.. I am excited because of the seed source to see how they compare to others in the area. They are one of my favorites..

[smithgn]

Pretty good growth there! I have one filifera, or at least I think it's a filifera, in ground. Great information on how to tell the difference between the two. I've always thought that the reddish/brown Is robusta, but the spines on the petioles always threw me off on my young filifera. One thing I've noticed, is that robusta will always burn in the low 20's and below. My filifera didn't burn at all after this past winter when we got down to 19 degrees briefly.

[Mohsen]

I bought this one few weeks ago as " American Cotton Palm" so my guess was it should be Filifera but now I am not sure...as the petioles are not pure green?

anyone can tell from the pics?

[sashaeffer]

Came back from Texas last year with a few marked filifera palms and kept all in their pots over the winter in garage along with some robusta's I've had.

This year I planted one of my filifera's in the  ground with plant to attempt a over winter with protection. Pics are on south side of house where other cold hardy palms(some planted in the ground as well)

I can't tell them apart either but I can tell the difference in growth (of both potted species) and it's the only way I can assume the differences.

Filifera first 3 pics. Robusta in pot.

 

 

 

[PalmTreeDude]

On July 21, 2016 at 12:12:20 AM, SailorBold said:

And here they are in July 2016.. Pictures taken this morning.  Height to the tallest leaf tip is ~7 feet.

Wow looks great! 

Edited July 22, 2016 by PalmTreeDude

[Palm crazy]

On July 21, 2016 12:49:23 PM, Alicehunter2000 said:

Filifera are nice and hairy, robusta not so much. 

BINGO! 

Really nice growth, can’t grow them here to much winter rain. 

Edited July 22, 2016 by Palm crazy

[Ben in Norcal]

4 hours ago, Palm crazy said:

BINGO! 

Really nice growth, can’t grow them here to much winter rain. 

See, now that's where I am confused.  Because it's plenty easy to find hairy as hell Washintonia with purple petioles at any HD around here...

[Pip]

1 hour ago, Ben in Norcal said:

See, now that's where I am confused.  Because it's plenty easy to find hairy as hell Washintonia with purple petioles at any HD around here...

Yes so have I. I've noticed them grow in and out of the trait too

[Palm crazy]

1 hour ago, Ben in Norcal said:

See, now that's where I am confused.  Because it's plenty easy to find hairy as hell Washintonia with purple petioles at any HD around here...

At least you’re not….Dazed and Confused like me. LOL!    Also short fatty trunks, verses tall skinny trunks is how I tell them apart….when their bigger that is. 

Edited July 23, 2016 by Palm crazy

[SailorBold]

On ‎7‎/‎21‎/‎2016‎ ‎6‎:‎59‎:‎36‎, Brad Mondel said:

Has anyone noticed the teeth that appear on the outer leaflet of young Washingtonias? Does your Filifera carry this trait? 

 

I don't see that on my plants...

[SailorBold]

14 hours ago, sashaeffer said:

Came back from Texas last year with a few marked filifera palms and kept all in their pots over the winter in garage along with some robusta's I've had.

This year I planted one of my filifera's in the  ground with plant to attempt a over winter with protection. Pics are on south side of house where other cold hardy palms(some planted in the ground as well)

I can't tell them apart either but I can tell the difference in growth (of both potted species) and it's the only way I can assume the differences.

Filifera first 3 pics. Robusta in pot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Your landscape is looking amazing.. Nice job. Looks like a perfect spot for your filifera should jump up a zone for sure.   The lacking thorns on the petiole is interesting..  So would you say the robusta are faster as potted plants?

[SailorBold]

14 hours ago, Mohsen said:

I bought this one few weeks ago as " American Cotton Palm" so my guess was it should be Filifera but now I am not sure...as the petioles are not pure green?

anyone can tell from the pics?

 

 

That looks like a hybrid.. to me anyway.  The stem looks very much like robusta.

[jwitt]

They look great Jimmy! I have a slightly smaller t or c one also, same traits. I have some seed grown filifera exploding a couple of blocks from you.

[SailorBold]

Check out these leaves...  Different plants...  same seed batch...   Leaves are divided in line with the costa...  Not sure how to define that..  but take a look.  Strange huh? is that bi-palmate or something ?

[SailorBold]

24 minutes ago, jwitt said:

They look great Jimmy! I have a slightly smaller t or c one also, same traits. I have some seed grown filifera exploding a couple of blocks from you.

Thanks.. just a slight difference huh?  Would love to see some pics !

[sashaeffer]

8 hours ago, SailorBold said:

Your landscape is looking amazing.. Nice job. Looks like a perfect spot for your filifera should jump up a zone for sure.   The lacking thorns on the petiole is interesting..  So would you say the robusta are faster as potted plants?

I didn't mean because it was potted. I've found Robustas to be fast no matter what. I have tried those in the ground as well with "some" success and when in the ground they are super fast.   For me that is almost how I know the difference between them is sheer speed of growth.

[jwitt]

On 7/22/2016, 5:22:15, SailorBold said:

Thanks.. just a slight difference huh?  Would love to see some pics !

Will do Jimmy. Give me 3 weeks or so. Trapped in Maui.