The Latest Coconut Growing News In California

[veeman55]

I understand that the huntington beach Coconut died recently because some idiot put a water competitive washingtonia palm next to it. How can they be so ignorant.

Has anyone planted another one in its place?

Ive read from one site recently that Coconut palms survive easily away from the coast where its hotter and sunnier yearly and least cold dampness in winter.

Heres the link to the evidence Coconut palms grow easily in hot spots in South California.

http://www.cloudforest.com/cafe/palms-pnw/coconuts-finally-growing-southern-california-t6295.html

[Gonzer]

[veeman55]

Why did you have to answer couldnt of you just looked elsewhere if it bothers you so much?  Can you disprove the recent evidence on that site? Until you can can you answer like a normal person

Edited July 16, 2018 by veeman55
Grammar

[PalmatierMeg]

I don't live in CA but I'll try to answer your question. The Newport Beach coconut is indeed dead - it had been declining for years. It hasn't been replaced and likely won't be. I believe there have been coconuts planted in Palm Springs but how they do long term I don't know. The latest awe inspiring coconut find is one planted in front of a house in a town whose name I can't recall right now. It is located inland not far north of the Salton Sea so is in a generally hot, dry area. What kills coconuts in CA, even ones living in hot desert areas, is the chilly/cold, rainy winters. They suffer damage starting around 40F and can be killed outright below freezing. But what most palm lovers don't realize is that coconuts are also "cool sensitive". Prolonged periods below 60F will kill them and they do not photosynthesize at all below 50F and will starve. And cold rain like CA gets in winter is almost certain death to them and other tropical palm species.

In FL where I live nearly all our yearly rainfall comes in the summer. Our winters are dry and sunny. Days average 75F and nights 55F. Occasionally cold fronts from up north drop temps into the 40s or even 30s overnight but when the sun rises they rebound quickly. They can cause damage, even kill seedlings or uber tropicals, but would need to last many hours to kill an adult coconut. When I do get rain it comes when temps are warm ahead of an arctic front. By the time the cold arrives the rain has been swept away and plants have dried off. Even so, most coconuts are confined to areas close to the coast, far south FL and the Keys. Not too many miles inland from me (zone 9b) winters are too cold for coconut survival except for warm micro climates or if the palms are protected.

In summary, coconuts want sun, high heat and warm rainfall. Welcome to PalmTalk.

[veeman55]

1 hour ago, PalmatierMeg said:

I don't live in CA but I'll try to answer your question. The Newport Beach coconut is indeed dead - it had been declining for years. It hasn't been replaced and likely won't be. I believe there have been coconuts planted in Palm Springs but how they do long term I don't know. The latest awe inspiring coconut find is one planted in front of a house in a town whose name I can't recall right now. It is located inland not far north of the Salton Sea so is in a generally hot, dry area. What kills coconuts in CA, even ones living in hot desert areas, is the chilly/cold, rainy winters. They suffer damage starting around 40F and can be killed outright below freezing. But what most palm lovers don't realize is that coconuts are also "cool sensitive". Prolonged periods below 60F will kill them and they do not photosynthesize at all below 50F and will starve. And cold rain like CA gets in winter is almost certain death to them and other tropical palm species.

In FL where I live nearly all our yearly rainfall comes in the summer. Our winters are dry and sunny. Days average 75F and nights 55F. Occasionally cold fronts from up north drop temps into the 40s or even 30s overnight but when the sun rises they rebound quickly. They can cause damage, even kill seedlings or uber tropicals, but would need to last many hours to kill an adult coconut. When I do get rain it comes when temps are warm ahead of an arctic front. By the time the cold arrives the rain has been swept away and plants have dried off. Even so, most coconuts are confined to areas close to the coast, far south FL and the Keys. Not too many miles inland from me (zone 9b) winters are too cold for coconut survival except for warm micro climates or if the palms are protected.

In summary, coconuts want sun, high heat and warm rainfall. Welcome to PalmTalk.

Thank you good to be here. From what I read along california coast its too damp wet and cool for coconut survival however bit more inland you go its dryer sunnier and warmer even in winter amd the heat of the day helps keep the cocos alive on the cool dry evening..have a look at the link above

[Darold Petty]

Veeman;  Your link is to the site of Axel  Kratel.  I know Axel from when he lived formerly in Santa Cruz, CA.  He is a very smart man, but he suffers from a common condition of smart persons.  They assume that they can acquire facility and competency quickly in areas where others have years of experience.  He was banned from this site for contentious comment, mostly likely based on this assumption. 

PalmatierMeg's comment is the most concise explanation of why Cocos is not viable long-term in California.

Welcome to Palmtalk        

[Stevetoad]

3 hours ago, veeman55 said:

Why did you have to answer couldnt of you just looked elsewhere if it bothers you so much?  Can you disprove the recent evidence on that site? Until you can can you answer like a normal person

This has been disproved over and over and over again. The only place in CA that seems to work is out in a few isolated spots in the desert. Then we have a few random ones that make it for a while like the newport coco. Ive seen a nice one in oceanside that died a few years back and theres one in del mar that is pushing along. Ive tried to grow one a few times as im inland (about 15-18 miles from the coast) and they grow for a while then die. There are so many better palms we can grow that it doesnt make a whole lot of sense to grow a ratty looking coco that will just break your heart. 

If you do a search on CA coconuts you'll understand Gonzers post. 

[Kim]

The best thing for you to do to satisfy your curiosity and prove your claim is to plant your own coconut outside in a carefully chosen spot and treat it like an average plant, and you can see for yourself how they grow "just fine" in California....  

.

.

...which, other than a few exceptions, they usually do not. Who knows, with your Ontario location, you may succeed.

Even in the hands of an obsessed and highly experienced palmophile, planted in an enclosed pool house (for humidity) with heat cables in the root area to fend off the cool winters, they only make it so far. That was an extreme attempt in a relatively benign location on a hill in north San Diego County, and it did grow tall enough to produce tiny immature fruit that fell off, which in California would be considered a huge success. However, in places where coconuts grow like weeds, it would have been regarded as a stunted weakling. Later the palm was removed, though I'm not sure why. Perhaps it was because the palm was right up against the house and getting close to the roof of the pool house? I don't remember. Maybe it carked.

[PalmatierMeg]

Kim has a good idea. Find a few cheap coconut seedlings at the local big box garden center to experiment on then plant them in select places around the yard.

[pj_orlando_z9b]

My yard dipped to 28F this winter and I had substantial damage. Protecting the trunk was key but also that the soil was dry. Had it not been for those two items, it likely would have not survived. Several in my area did survive with no protection though but their progress is slower this year than mine. I had to grow almost a full new crown but it is making progress. I also learned to spray copper fungicide after a cold event and fertilize well throughout the year. 

[veeman55]

8 minutes ago, pj_orlando_z9b said:

My yard dipped to 28F this winter and I had substantial damage. Protecting the trunk was key but also that the soil was dry. Had it not been for those two items, it likely would have not survived. Several in my area did survive with no protection though but their progress is slower this year than mine. I had to grow almost a full new crown but it is making progress. I also learned to spray copper fungicide after a cold event and fertilize well throughout the year. 

Yes as im learning Dry winters are the key for survival in the cooler areas. I always thought hot areas in interior cali had dry sunny winters

8 minutes ago, pj_orlando_z9b said:

My yard dipped to 28F this winter and I had substantial damage. Protecting the trunk was key but also that the soil was dry. Had it not been for those two items, it likely would have not survived. Several in my area did survive with no protection though but their progress is slower this year than mine. I had to grow almost a full new crown but it is making progress. I also learned to spray copper fungicide after a cold event and fertilize well throughout the year. 

8 minutes ago, pj_orlando_z9b said:

My yard dipped to 28F this winter and I had substantial damage. Protecting the trunk was key but also that the soil was dry. Had it not been for those two items, it likely would have not survived. Several in my area did survive with no protection though but their progress is slower this year than mine. I had to grow almost a full new crown but it is making progress. I also learned to spray copper fungicide after a cold event and fertilize well throughout the year. 

8 minutes ago, pj_orlando_z9b said:

My yard dipped to 28F this winter and I had substantial damage. Protecting the trunk was key but also that the soil was dry. Had it not been for those two items, it likely would have not survived. Several in my area did survive with no protection though but their progress is slower this year than mine. I had to grow almost a full new crown but it is making progress. I also learned to spray copper fungicide after a cold event and fertilize well throughout the year. 

12 hours ago, PalmatierMeg said:

I don't live in CA but I'll try to answer your question. The Newport Beach coconut is indeed dead - it had been declining for years. It hasn't been replaced and likely won't be. I believe there have been coconuts planted in Palm Springs but how they do long term I don't know. The latest awe inspiring coconut find is one planted in front of a house in a town whose name I can't recall right now. It is located inland not far north of the Salton Sea so is in a generally hot, dry area. What kills coconuts in CA, even ones living in hot desert areas, is the chilly/cold, rainy winters. They suffer damage starting around 40F and can be killed outright below freezing. But what most palm lovers don't realize is that coconuts are also "cool sensitive". Prolonged periods below 60F will kill them and they do not photosynthesize at all below 50F and will starve. And cold rain like CA gets in winter is almost certain death to them and other tropical palm species.

In FL where I live nearly all our yearly rainfall comes in the summer. Our winters are dry and sunny. Days average 75F and nights 55F. Occasionally cold fronts from up north drop temps into the 40s or even 30s overnight but when the sun rises they rebound quickly. They can cause damage, even kill seedlings or uber tropicals, but would need to last many hours to kill an adult coconut. When I do get rain it comes when temps are warm ahead of an arctic front. By the time the cold arrives the rain has been swept away and plants have dried off. Even so, most coconuts are confined to areas close to the coast, far south FL and the Keys. Not too many miles inland from me (zone 9b) winters are too cold for coconut survival except for warm micro climates or if the palms are protected.

In summary, coconuts want sun, high heat and warm rainfall. Welcome to PalmTalk.

Thank you good to be here. From what I read along california coast its too damp wet and cool for coconut survival however bit more inland you go its dryer sunnier and warmer even in winter amd the heat of the day helps keep the cocos alive on the cool dry evening..have a look at the link above

[GottmitAlex]

3 hours ago, veeman55 said:

Yes as im learning Dry winters are the key for survival in the cooler areas. I always thought hot areas in interior cali had dry sunny winters

Thank you good to be here. From what I read along california coast its too damp wet and cool for coconut survival however bit more inland you go its dryer sunnier and warmer even in winter amd the heat of the day helps keep the cocos alive on the cool dry evening..have a look at the link above

Welcome. Yes the coast, even if it is a 10b zone, is just too wet, perpetually cool and usually cloudy, foggy. Sunlight does not penetrate very often.

There are 9B zones in California in which coconuts have just taken off. The Corona, CA coco is one example. Yes. It snows, hails and freezes in Corona.

http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?/topic/51903-corona-ca-coconut/

Edited July 17, 2018 by GottmitAlex

[veeman55]

15 minutes ago, GottmitAlex said:

Welcome. Yes the coast, even if it is a 10b zone, is just too wet, perpetually cool and usually cloudy, foggy. Sunlight does not penetrate very often.

There are 9B zones in California in which coconuts have just taken off. The Corona, CA coco is one example. Yes. It snows, hails and freezes in Corona.

http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?/topic/51903-corona-ca-coconut/

Thanks very much. That Corona Coconut Palm is amazing. Perfect template for growing coconut palms in southern California. That surely gives everyone hope to grow them

[greysrigging]

Not an expert by any stretch of the imagination .....but from what I have seen in Australia is that a Mediterranean climate is the exact opposite to what a coconut needs to not just survive, but to actually thrive. Cool wet winters below 68f max and 50f mins as well as wet and cloudy is a fair dinkum ( Aussie slang meaning no bull.. ) death sentence for a coconut. Having said that, well drained sandy soil around southern WA ie Perth, ( even Mandura 85klm south of Perth is probably a town too far.... even though the coast is frost free ) and making the supreme effort that the Coconut nuts in Cal, Texas and Florida make, I reckon a Coconut might just grow in Perth's northern coastal suburbs. 

In my home town we reckon they are a weed....lol ! And hardy as in handle our winter months seasonal dry period of 3 to 5 months without supplemental watering.

[PalmatierMeg]

Another thing I forgot to mention is that coconut roots are cold/cool sensitive. That means in a climate with cold, rainy winters the soil around the roots can get wet and cold, which can cause them to rot and kill the palm. in contrast, during FL's sunny, dry winters the ground is warmed by the sun even on chilly days so doesn't stay cold enough to damage coconut roots.

The Corona coconut is indeed a marvel. How it does in the long term is the question as weather odds are against it. It may be in a perfect micro climate located way south in the desert surrounded by houses and pavement - the yards look negligible - to hold in heat. Perhaps the best option for a coconut lover may be to buy a home in the middle of the subdivision to take advantage of that micro climate.

When their exacting requirements are met coconuts can be rockets. But if you can't do so they are the devil to grow.

The CA climate can grow many wonderful palms that don't have a prayer here in FL. Perhaps your time and energy and yard space might be better spent concentrating on those.

[Xenon]

To be fair, there are spots in the Coachella Valley that average 60F mean temperatures in January. That's similar to Central Florida/Deep South Texas. There are also commercial mango groves. The combo of heat + relatively frost free definitely exists.There is a very famous thread on here about a now deceased fruiting coconut growing in Palm Desert. It can be done. 
 

Here's a vid. Looks way better than the Newport coconut. Seems like growth rate was decent too. 

Coconut Palm in Palm Desert

[Jim in Los Altos]

13 hours ago, Xenon said:

To be fair, there are spots in the Coachella Valley that average 60F mean temperatures in January. That's similar to Central Florida/Deep South Texas. There are also commercial mango groves. The combo of heat + relatively frost free definitely exists.There is a very famous thread on here about a now deceased fruiting coconut growing in Palm Desert. It can be done. 
 

Here's a vid. Looks way better than the Newport coconut. Seems like growth rate was decent too. 

Coconut Palm in Palm Desert

Sadly, the home’s new owner chopped down the coconut but left the queen palms. What a travesty!

[PalmatierMeg]

7 hours ago, Jim in Los Altos said:

Sadly, the home’s new owner chopped down the coconut but left the queen palms. What a travesty!

Ugh! Another clueless homeowner.

[Coconut Trees]

Aloha from Waikiki, Hawaii. This is our 10th year on Oahu. Obviously coconut palms thrive here and throughout the island. What is most intriguing is what occurs at high elevations. There is line of elevation at just under 5,000 feet where coconuts cease to grow. Winter temperatures and occasional frozen precipitation sees to this. Just below this elevation the tree are clearly stunted. We enjoy climbing and enjoy seeing the last coconut tree at elevation. Alan and HuiYa

[Darold Petty]

Coconut Trees,   Welcome to Palmtalk !  

[CrazyAsian]

On 10/7/2021 at 8:10 PM, Billy said:

I remember seeing a photo of the coconut in Del Mar not too long ago Can anyone tell me exactly where it is? I'd like to see it in person

It is at Wavecrest resort in Del Mar.

[Darold Petty]

CrazyAsian, Welcome to Palmtalk !  

[GottmitAlex]

Welcome!

[veeman55]

A man just tried making a coconut survive in northwest italian town on the riviera. It just got brown and dying. Temperatures went as low as 6 and 9 c.

He had it in a very protected location outside