Cultural Perception of Palm Trees

[NC_Palms]

Has anyone noticed that the general public seems to be very uninformed on regional climate and where palms can grow either  naturally or not? Like for example; most people are in disbelief that states like North Carolina has two native palms while areas like Southern California or Bermuda only have one. This got me thinking since I saw this article on my Facebook timeline about sabal palmettos in Virginia Beach. The readers and commenters of that post stated that palms have no place in Virginia and that the climate isn’t tropical for palms and so on. So what do you think? Personally I think it’s a cultural perception that we have, we tend to think of palms as purely tropical species. 

[Tropicdoc]

In popular culture “palm” means cocos nucifera on a tropical beach. It is used in ads from everything from beer to snowball stands to a/c companies here. 

 

[Palms4Steve]

Most people in my area have no idea , I found that they hate palms.

[cm05]

Yes I’ve noticed, a few years back I asked a friend from Georgia if her hometown had palms and she told me that palms only grew in Florida (she also thought New York was an arctic tundra), I believe she lived just west of the Sabal palmetto native range, where Sabal minor and Rhapidophyllum hystrix should predominate, but I guess those two are easy to miss for non-palm enthusiasts. I have a difficult time believing there weren’t any arborescent palms though.

I’ve seen lots of “palms look out of place here” talk online in areas where they’re native, while foreign species like the Crepe Myrtle are regarded as more appropriate. Makes no sense.

[sgvcns]

Most people on "palmtalk" (I think Californian as the fall back)have a narrow palm interest in my opinion.

You fight it out  yourselves from there. And don't start me on poorly grown coconuts.

In my opinion this forum is not generally about Palm Trees Worldwide but what grows in Cali "zones" colder/hotter.

I much prefer looking at palms in habitat than cultivation. 

Bring on my next trip and who cares what the general "public" think. My interest is in the small understorey and not the huge tillering Dypsis that are so popular on this forum.

Doesn't make me right but gee I can't wait for Vietnam in 4 weeks.

Steve

 

[Turtlesteve]

Aside from people who are indifferent to landscaping, many want the 'Southern Living' look (magnolias, crepe myrtles, azalea, etc).  I've not run into much misconception that palms are not native here.  Anyone local is taught in school that the palmetto is the SC state tree.  I do find that some people just don't like them.

When people do like palms it typically translates to 1-2 palm trees in the yard (not 50).  Also, variety is limited by what the box stores and nurseries sell.  There are a few very nice palmy yards (Palmetto + Butia with an understory of Sago's looks fantastic when done right).

Steve

Edited August 5, 2018 by Turtlesteve

[PalmatierMeg]

When most people think of landscaping they imagine the tried and true for their area so all yards tend to look alike, i.e., no imagination. They are unwilling to think outside the box, certainly unwilling to muster the intellectual curiosity to research and learn about these plants’ requirements and/or too lazy meet them. When I still lived in VA I loved palms, esp Howea forsteriana, but believed all palms were tropical. I was aware of Sabals and Serenoa but assumed they were tropical palms from year old round tropical FL. I now know I was wrong on both counts.

For some reason some people are actively hostile to palms. When my son lived in a gated community in Ft. Myers about 10 years ago the HOA expressly forbade planting of all palms. Go figure.

[PalmTreeDude]

1 hour ago, PalmatierMeg said:

When most people think of landscaping they imagine the tried and true for their area so all yards tend to look alike, i.e., no imagination. They are unwilling to think outside the box, certainly unwilling to muster the intellectual curiosity to research and learn about these plants’ requirements and/or too lazy meet them. When I still lived in VA I loved palms, esp Howea forsteriana, but believed all palms were tropical. I was aware of Sabals and Serenoa but assumed they were tropical palms from year old round tropical FL. I now know I was wrong on both counts.

For some reason some people are actively hostile to palms. When my son lived in a gated community in Ft. Myers about 10 years ago the HOA expressly forbade planting of all palms. Go figure.

Someone down the street planted a CIDP (a small one, with literally no care, it was just slapped in the dirt) and it died in the winter (of coruse) so his attitude towards all palms now is, "they can't grow here." 

[PalmTreeDude]

11 hours ago, cm05 said:

Yes I’ve noticed, a few years back I asked a friend from Georgia if her hometown had palms and she told me that palms only grew in Florida (she also thought New York was an arctic tundra), I believe she lived just west of the Sabal palmetto native range, where Sabal minor and Rhapidophyllum hystrix should predominate, but I guess those two are easy to miss for non-palm enthusiasts. I have a difficult time believing there weren’t any arborescent palms though.

I’ve seen lots of “palms look out of place here” talk online in areas where they’re native, while foreign species like the Crepe Myrtle are regarded as more appropriate. Makes no sense.

I know someone who does not think Sabal minor, Rhapidophylum hystrix, etc. Are palms. 

[PalmatierMeg]

21 minutes ago, PalmTreeDude said:

I know someone who does not think Sabal minor, Rhapidophylum hystrix, etc. Are palms. 

Many people’s idea of a palm is the coconut. Anything else doesn’t count. Some members on PT openly admit they are biased against palmate palms and would never consider planting a fan palm in their yard because, “only feather palms are true palms.”

[Anthony_B]

Please, whatever you do, do not get upset over the ignorance of "the general public."  I think you'd be surprised how many people don't know which president is on the $1 bill.  And I think you'd be equally shocked how many people think the guy on the $100 bill is President Franklin

 

One of the cool things about where we live in southeastern NC is we have so many options for growing a tropical garden, and most people don't know anything about it.  In Florida, every Tom, Dick and Harry have a tropical garden because, "It's just what you do."  How do you stand out in Florida?  Grow deciduous oak and bradford pear trees?  No thanks.

 

Here, we have an opportunity to stand out.  The home I'm building should be done in 2 months, and I already told the Superintendent I want NO landscaping.  I am having all of the beds put in around the house and leaving them empty, except for pine straw mulch.  I already have an arsenal of plants, including:

 

Canary Island Date Palm

Red Lime

Owari Satsuma

Trifoliate Orange

Moro Blood Orange

Variegated Pink Lemonade

Lattarula Italian Honey Fig

Violetta de Bordeaux Fig

Dwarf Orinoco Banana

Lila Avocado

Pineapple Guava

 

The Moro Blood Orange and Variegated Pink Lemonade trees will spend their lives in containers because they're not hardy here, but everything else is going directly into the ground (even the Lila Avocado).  I have a south-facing rear brick wall that I'll be taking advantage of, and with some string lights and protective measures a handful of nights a year, many of these marginal plants can be grown long-term if you're dedicated.

All of these crops would be boring in Florida, but they're incredibly exciting here and I can't wait.  I've only just begun, my collection will be extensive.

[NC_Palms]

18 hours ago, cm05 said:

Yes I’ve noticed, a few years back I asked a friend from Georgia if her hometown had palms and she told me that palms only grew in Florida (she also thought New York was an arctic tundra), I believe she lived just west of the Sabal palmetto native range, where Sabal minor and Rhapidophyllum hystrix should predominate, but I guess those two are easy to miss for non-palm enthusiasts. I have a difficult time believing there weren’t any arborescent palms though.

I’ve seen lots of “palms look out of place here” talk online in areas where they’re native, while foreign species like the Crepe Myrtle are regarded as more appropriate. Makes no sense.

I’ll never understand the “palms look out of place” argument. I’m guessing all of our native sabal minors look “out of place” since they grow predominantly under deciduous flora.

17 hours ago, sgvcns said:

Most people on "palmtalk" (I think Californian as the fall back)have a narrow palm interest in my opinion.

You fight it out  yourselves from there. And don't start me on poorly grown coconuts.

In my opinion this forum is not generally about Palm Trees Worldwide but what grows in Cali "zones" colder/hotter.

I much prefer looking at palms in habitat than cultivation. 

Bring on my next trip and who cares what the general "public" think. My interest is in the small understorey and not the huge tillering Dypsis that are so popular on this forum.

Doesn't make me right but gee I can't wait for Vietnam in 4 weeks.

Steve

 

I think Palm Talk has a fairly diverse population of people from different locations and with different palm favorites. 

7 hours ago, PalmTreeDude said:

Someone down the street planted a CIDP (a small one, with literally no care, it was just slapped in the dirt) and it died in the winter (of coruse) so his attitude towards all palms now is, "they can't grow here." 

It seems like people are planting the wrong palms and just giving up. If he at least covered the CIDP, it may of had a chance. 

7 hours ago, PalmTreeDude said:

I know someone who does not think Sabal minor, Rhapidophylum hystrix, etc. Are palms. 

Ahaha that’s ridiculous! 

6 hours ago, PalmatierMeg said:

Many people’s idea of a palm is the coconut. Anything else doesn’t count. Some members on PT openly admit they are biased against palmate palms and would never consider planting a fan palm in their yard because, “only feather palms are true palms.”

That’s a shame. There is nearly 2,500 species of palms from around the world, each with unique features. Palm diversity is a beautiful thing. 

 

4 hours ago, Anthony_B said:

Please, whatever you do, do not get upset over the ignorance of "the general public."  I think you'd be surprised how many people don't know which president is on the $1 bill.  And I think you'd be equally shocked how many people think the guy on the $100 bill is President Franklin

 

One of the cool things about where we live in southeastern NC is we have so many options for growing a tropical garden, and most people don't know anything about it.  In Florida, every Tom, Dick and Harry have a tropical garden because, "It's just what you do."  How do you stand out in Florida?  Grow deciduous oak and bradford pear trees?  No thanks.

 

Here, we have an opportunity to stand out.  The home I'm building should be done in 2 months, and I already told the Superintendent I want NO landscaping.  I am having all of the beds put in around the house and leaving them empty, except for pine straw mulch.  I already have an arsenal of plants, including:

 

Canary Island Date Palm

Red Lime

Owari Satsuma

Trifoliate Orange

Moro Blood Orange

Variegated Pink Lemonade

Lattarula Italian Honey Fig

Violetta de Bordeaux Fig

Dwarf Orinoco Banana

Lila Avocado

Pineapple Guava

 

The Moro Blood Orange and Variegated Pink Lemonade trees will spend their lives in containers because they're not hardy here, but everything else is going directly into the ground (even the Lila Avocado).  I have a south-facing rear brick wall that I'll be taking advantage of, and with some string lights and protective measures a handful of nights a year, many of these marginal plants can be grown long-term if you're dedicated.

All of these crops would be boring in Florida, but they're incredibly exciting here and I can't wait.  I've only just begun, my collection will be extensive.

A huge amount of tropical and subtropical plants are long term in North Carolina. The problem is that people won’t put in the extra mesure to protect and care for their plants. 

You should also maybe try washingtonias. Definitely one of my favorite palms. I’m growing both filfera and robusta in NC. No matter what, your landscaping will be gorgeous. 

[Kim]

The General Public will vary from place to place. Some places have zero awareness of palms. In other places they are taken for granted, coconuts, D. lutescens and Adonidia merrillii or Ptychosperma everywhere. In moderately palm-friendly climates they may be appreciated or despised, or mostly unnoticed, depending on the individual. The General Pubic loves flowers. But not palm flowers. People on PalmTalk are wacko for palms!

Those are my generalizations for the day.

[Fusca]

I fully agree with @Kim  Some people aren't paying any attention to palms.  Several weeks ago I noticed a huge Sabal mexicana outside of restaurant where I had lunch and collected some seeds to send to fellow Palmtalker @Mostapha  The restaurant was less than a half mile from the office where I work. A lady I work with who grew up in San Antonio asked me about the seeds and we got into a brief conversation about palms.  I remarked that there are palms everywhere in town, but she hadn't noticed!  How can this be?  Oh wait, there aren't any coconut palms here, that's right!  I took her outside - look, there's a palm (Washingtonia).  Oh, and there's a Sabal palmetto.  In that direction there's another palm (Chamaerops)...

[Tracy]

On 8/4/2018, 11:46:43, sgvcns said:

Most people on "palmtalk" (I think Californian as the fall back)have a narrow palm interest in my opinion.

You fight it out  yourselves from there. And don't start me on poorly grown coconuts.

In my opinion this forum is not generally about Palm Trees Worldwide but what grows in Cali "zones" colder/hotter.

I much prefer looking at palms in habitat than cultivation. 

Bring on my next trip and who cares what the general "public" think. My interest is in the small understorey and not the huge tillering Dypsis that are so popular on this forum.

Doesn't make me right but gee I can't wait for Vietnam in 4 weeks.

Steve

Steve, just wanted to observe that most people on Palmtalk are interested in growing palms, not just observing.  As a consequence we do share about what grows well in our microclimates, whether Australia, Florida, Hawaii, Europe..... etc.  I could go on speculating why there are lots of us from California into palms and hence the Palm Societies and this forum, but let's just say that we are well represented.  While plenty of "us" are into the large Dypsis, most also have plenty of smaller species.  Its a bit of a truism that if you want to grow understory palms from anywhere you need a canopy or overstory or grow them in a greenhouse.  I wish you well on your trip to Vietnam, and hope you post plenty of photos.  I wish I could grow more palms from there, but my few plants native to Vietnam are some Cycas species and orchids.  Nothing below is possible without some canopy, which might just include some large Dypsis.

[Brad Mondel]

I was talking to a lady last week and she showed me a picture of a garden with a Washingtonia, Alocasia, Musa, and Angelonia. She said she wanted to create this garden except for the palm in the center because it was, "too tropical for this area".

[Xerarch]

I’ve met quite a few people that just thought there was only 1 kind of palm tree. Even when I lived in Phoenix, AZ where there are many very different species I knew people that thought that.  Even for a non palm lover it’s difficult for me to believe that perception for anyone that has their eyes open. 

Having said that, I’ve had some success opening people’s eyes, once I point out the differences and they can see the different varieties. I’ve had some luck generating a modest to moderate amount of interest in people that previously had no clue. 

[Jesse]

Personally, I enjoy sharing with people how many different palm trees there are and all the differences between them.  I may come off as a little crazy at first but as long as I keep things short I can usually keep their attention.  Just this weekend I shared my garden with some friends from Cambodia who didn't know there were more types than their "sugar palm" and the infamous coconut. They were actually very amused when they were able to see the difference between a foxtail, a sabal, and a teddy bear.

On another note, while many of us may be from California and come with a certain excitement about Dypsis, I believe it is gardening which brings us all together.  It was my love for tropical plants that brought me here when I searched for "Heliconia in California".  After being enlightened by Palm Talk, it's community, and the vast variation of tropical plants and Palms I too got the palm bug.  Now I'm the guy at work with 6 small palms on his desk who jumps at the opportunity to share information about palms.

I agree that the general public is uniformed about palm trees, that is most likely why this site exists, but the same could be said about lots of other plants and animals, native or otherwise.  Since we have the knowledge, its our responsibility to spread understanding.

Knowledge is a gift that doesn't cost you anything to give.

[Tracy]

3 hours ago, Xerarch said:

I’ve had some success opening people’s eyes, once I point out the differences and they can see the different varieties. I’ve had some luck generating a modest to moderate amount of interest in people that previously had no clue. 

 

2 hours ago, Jesse said:

the same could be said about lots of other plants and animals, native or otherwise.

I have to agree.  The balance is not to overload people, which I confess that I am often guilty in this department.  I have a friend who grew up in Malibu, and has lived here in San Diego since we were in college together.  She has lived in the neighborhood where I currently live for over 20 years and has lots of mature tall Archontophoenix in her yard.  When she and her husband came by to see what we had done with the house and yard, and her first comment was you sure like king palms because you have planted a lot of them.  Ironically, there are only a group in the front which the previous owner had planted.  Once I started pointing out differences the lights went on.  Trunk thickness, coloration on trunk, leaf forms of all the pinnate palms (Howea's, Burretiokentia's, Veitchia and various Dypsis clumping and solitary) suddenly made it apparent these were not "King palms".  So a little education goes a long way.  Few of the neighbors identify my Cycads as "little palms" anymore either.  A little education can go a long way, as with everything.  Have to mention that they even distinguish my various fan palms from Washingtonia's or Mexican fan palms now too, be they Pritchardias or Copernicia.  The plant labels below the plants helps too !

[Anthony_B]

On 8/5/2018, 8:44:50, NC_Palms said:

You should also maybe try washingtonias. Definitely one of my favorite palms. I’m growing both filfera and robusta in NC. No matter what, your landscaping will be gorgeous. 

I find them unattractive.  They are beautiful when they are young, but I find the petticoat they grow to be very unsightly when older.  They also are fast growers, so they can quickly outgrow their protection and when they do, if they get killed, they're a nightmare to remove because of their size.  In my limited space, I'd much rather grow phoenixes because they're much more elegant in my opinion and easier to maintain (and hardier).  I'm also growing a theophrasti from seed, but it's still pretty small.

Edited August 8, 2018 by Anthony_B

[hbernstein]

On ‎8‎/‎5‎/‎2018‎ ‎2‎:‎46‎:‎43‎, sgvcns said:

Most people on "palmtalk" (I think Californian as the fall back)have a narrow palm interest in my opinion.

You fight it out  yourselves from there. And don't start me on poorly grown coconuts.

In my opinion this forum is not generally about Palm Trees Worldwide but what grows in Cali "zones" colder/hotter.

I much prefer looking at palms in habitat than cultivation. 

Bring on my next trip and who cares what the general "public" think. My interest is in the small understorey and not the huge tillering Dypsis that are so popular on this forum.

Doesn't make me right but gee I can't wait for Vietnam in 4 weeks.

Steve

 

Hoo boy! On most other forums, a post of similar nature would be fightin' words. Of course, folks are too polite on this one to be pulled into such fisticuffs.

Being a Florida feller, I don't feel offended in the least... 

[Manalto]

I notice a bias toward pinnate palms among palm enthusiasts, myself included. They're just a little more dramatic and romantic. It hasn't stopped me from broadening my horizons and accepting palmate species into the fold. Once they're in the ground and looking robust, it's easy to appreciate their beauty.

Bill Finch, a garden writer and Mobilian, wrote an article a few years ago, clearly exasperated by the negativity toward palm trees in this city:

http://blog.al.com/living-press-register/2011/02/finch_palm_trees_have_long_his.html

Through casual observation, I've noticed palms usually occur here as generic, rubber-stamp landscaping in front of businesses, as volunteers or, curiously, in the very posh neighborhoods (where pinnate species are overwhelmingly preferred). It's odd. I consider Mobile, Charleston and Savannah, the triumvirate of the grand old South. Sabals are woven into the fabric of the latter two beautifully, but the resistance in Mobile endures.

Edited August 8, 2018 by Manalto

[NC_Palms]

On 7/8/2018 11:26:58, Jesse said:

Personally, I enjoy sharing with people how many different palm trees there are and all the differences between them.  I may come off as a little crazy at first but as long as I keep things short I can usually keep their attention.  Just this weekend I shared my garden with some friends from Cambodia who didn't know there were more types than their "sugar palm" and the infamous coconut. They were actually very amused when they were able to see the difference between a foxtail, a sabal, and a teddy bear.

On another note, while many of us may be from California and come with a certain excitement about Dypsis, I believe it is gardening which brings us all together.  It was my love for tropical plants that brought me here when I searched for "Heliconia in California".  After being enlightened by Palm Talk, it's community, and the vast variation of tropical plants and Palms I too got the palm bug.  Now I'm the guy at work with 6 small palms on his desk who jumps at the opportunity to share information about palms.

I agree that the general public is uniformed about palm trees, that is most likely why this site exists, but the same could be said about lots of other plants and animals, native or otherwise.  Since we have the knowledge, its our responsibility to spread understanding.

Knowledge is a gift that doesn't cost you anything to give.

Beautifully said! 

 

On 7/8/2018 21:25:23, Anthony_B said:

I find them unattractive.  They are beautiful when they are young, but I find the petticoat they grow to be very unsightly when older.  They also are fast growers, so they can quickly outgrow their protection and when they do, if they get killed, they're a nightmare to remove because of their size.  In my limited space, I'd much rather grow phoenixes because they're much more elegant in my opinion and easier to maintain (and hardier).  I'm also growing a theophrasti from seed, but it's still pretty small.

That’s understandable 

[Anthony_B]

On 8/8/2018, 11:22:25, NC_Palms said:

That’s understandable 

I wish there was a way to keep a Washingtonia at a 15 gallon size perpetually.  They look nice when they're in that "fan palm" stage before they get all hairy and frizzy.

[NC_Palms]

20 minutes ago, Anthony_B said:

I wish there was a way to keep a Washingtonia at a 15 gallon size perpetually.  They look nice when they're in that "fan palm" stage before they get all hairy and frizzy.

Maybe planting it more in the shade would work, that may slow the growth. Also it seems like filiferas are more manigable than robustas. 

[Anthony_B]

18 hours ago, NC_Palms said:

Maybe planting it more in the shade would work, that may slow the growth. Also it seems like filiferas are more manigable than robustas. 

The challenge: actually getting a pure filifera!  It seems like a filifera is the only thing that would have a prayer in Leland.  We are consistently 3-5 degrees colder than Wilmington proper during the Arctic outbursts.  When ILM hit 11 degrees and 12 degrees in that awful cold snap last January, my hi/lo thermometer caught 8 degrees and 9 degrees those two nights.  I have never seen a Washingtonia sold at a big box store, either.  Only Trachy's, Butias, needles and Mediterranean fan palms.  The selection here isn't great, that's for sure.

[Tyrone]

Personally I couldn't care less what the general public think as I'm not a politician running for office requiring their support. I know what I know and that's fine enough for me.

I do have a tshirt that I think says "San Diego" on it with a picture of a Harley Davidson underneath a heap of coconut palms. I bought it cos it had palms on it, but I do wonder if the designer had ever been to So Cal or just imagined it. Probably designed in the Phillipines somewhere. Oh well.

[Rickybobby]

20 hours ago, Anthony_B said:

I wish there was a way to keep a Washingtonia at a 15 gallon size perpetually.  They look nice when they're in that "fan palm" stage before they get all hairy and frizzy.

I agree Washingtonia are my fastest growing seedlings and are very attractive imo. I wish the same as you since I’m my climate they will stay in pots

[NC_Palms]

4 hours ago, Anthony_B said:

The challenge: actually getting a pure filifera!  It seems like a filifera is the only thing that would have a prayer in Leland.  We are consistently 3-5 degrees colder than Wilmington proper during the Arctic outbursts.  When ILM hit 11 degrees and 12 degrees in that awful cold snap last January, my hi/lo thermometer caught 8 degrees and 9 degrees those two nights.  I have never seen a Washingtonia sold at a big box store, either.  Only Trachy's, Butias, needles and Mediterranean fan palms.  The selection here isn't great, that's for sure.

Try online. I do most of my palm shopping over the internet.  I ordered my filifera on eBay. Who knows if mine are even pure lol. 

[Tracy]

17 hours ago, Tyrone said:

I do have a tshirt that I think says "San Diego" on it with a picture of a Harley Davidson underneath a heap of coconut palms.

That's funny Tyrone.  More realistic would have been a street lined with Washingtonias, unless of course the Harley were parked in my driveway .

[Anthony_B]

16 hours ago, NC_Palms said:

Try online. I do most of my palm shopping over the internet.  I ordered my filifera on eBay. Who knows if mine are even pure lol. 

It is such a long investment online.  They cost 3 times as much due to the shipping, and they're small sizes.  I bought my CIDP from ebay a year and a half ago and it is finally a 5 gallon size.  I can buy a 10 gallon palm locally for $30, or a 3 gallon online for $60-100 shipped.  I would honestly rather take a road trip and drive down south.  I can get to Charleston in 3 hours, and I know there is more of a selection there.  The biggest challenge will be fitting a 10 gallon palm in a Camaro.

 

It cost me $100 for an avocado tree online.  I could have bought a 6 ft tall Joey at Lowes for $30!  But I wanted a specific one

 

I just bought a variegated pink lemonade tree online and it's dying.  Looks like root rot, I got a dud.  So they're sending a replacement.  Ordering plants online costs an arm and a leg and it's so expensive.

Edited August 11, 2018 by Anthony_B

[Turtlesteve]

2 hours ago, Anthony_B said:

 

It is such a long investment online.  They cost 3 times as much due to the shipping, and they're small sizes.  I bought my CIDP from ebay a year and a half ago and it is finally a 5 gallon size.  I can buy a 10 gallon palm locally for $30, or a 3 gallon online for $60-100 shipped.  I would honestly rather take a road trip and drive down south.  I can get to Charleston in 3 hours, and I know there is more of a selection there.  The biggest challenge will be fitting a 10 gallon palm in a Camaro.

 

It cost me $100 for an avocado tree online.  I could have bought a 6 ft tall Joey at Lowes for $30!  But I wanted a specific one

 

I just bought a variegated pink lemonade tree online and it's dying.  Looks like root rot, I got a dud.  So they're sending a replacement.  Ordering plants online costs an arm and a leg and it's so expensive.

Where exactly are you finding 10 gallon palms for $30?

I'm also turned off from ordering seedlings online recently, as I have a hard time with bare root seedlings.  The survivors end up being quite expensive when I factor in the shipping and a 50% survival rate.  Anything sensitive to humidity has died this summer - Brahea Armata, Washingonia hybrids, and Butia x Jubaea hybrids all rotted despite good drainage - I would estimate we've had rain and near 100% humidity about 20 days over the past month.  These varieties should be hardy here if I could get larger plants. 

Steve

 

[Anthony_B]

On 8/11/2018, 6:25:05, Turtlesteve said:

Where exactly are you finding 10 gallon palms for $30?

I'm also turned off from ordering seedlings online recently, as I have a hard time with bare root seedlings.  The survivors end up being quite expensive when I factor in the shipping and a 50% survival rate.  Anything sensitive to humidity has died this summer - Brahea Armata, Washingonia hybrids, and Butia x Jubaea hybrids all rotted despite good drainage - I would estimate we've had rain and near 100% humidity about 20 days over the past month.  These varieties should be hardy here if I could get larger plants. 

Steve

 

A lot of the local landscapers around here you can haggle with.  You're only going to get plants like dwarf palmetto and needle palm, though.  Depot has been selling 5 gallon Mediterranean fan palms and butia's for around that price range, and had a few leftover satsumas selling for $11 for 5 ft tall trees.  You can pick up some crazy deals with fall approaching.

 

I've tried my best to avoid buying bare root.  Unfortunately, that usually means you're getting smaller plants.  Like I said, I think it is more cost effective and time consuming to just take a trip down south a few hours and load up.  But it's easy for me to say, since I'm less than 6 hours to the Florida-Georgia line.  This is what I'll probably do when it comes to landscape my home with palms - call around to nurseries and just take a long ride.

Edited August 13, 2018 by Anthony_B

[Cikas]

Many people here also hate palms. City authorities consider palm trees not native to this reagion. They encourage people to plant native plants. New palms are almost never planted on city lands ( chamaerops, native european palm is a small exception ). Soo new palms are mostly planted around the hotels and in some private estates. Red Palm weewel has done things even worse. Now even people who like palms are afraid to plant them in gardens because of that pest.

People here mostly like flowering plants, shrubs, trees, climbers and plants with interesting, colorful foliage.