In a few months I will be moving further south to the Port City! Anybody down there and if so, what kinda palms are you growing?

Edited August 28, 20187 yr by NC_Palms

1 minute ago, NC_Palms said:

In a few months I will be moving further south to the Port City! Anybody down there and if so, what kinda palms are you growing?

Nice! Enjoy all of the palmettos! When I was there they were everywhere. 

10 hours ago, NC_Palms said:

In a few months I will be moving further south to the Port City! Anybody down there and if so, what kinda palms are you growing?

 

Sabal: palmetto, minor, brazoria (and something with large seeds that was sold as sabal x texensis)

Trachycarpus: fortunei, wagnerianus, nova, these all love my yard.  princeps (beautiful blue but keeps getting a summer basal rot probably won't make it long term)

Rhapidophyllum

Chamaerops: blue form

All the above thrive with minimal winter damage once established (some spear damage on all except S minor and S brazoria last brutal winter)

 

Surprise survivors of last winter

Serenoa: silver, no winter protection

Brahea: clara, small seedling past strap leaf size, with just a bucket over it to protect from snow and ice.  (damaged but survived, seems to hate the summer wetness).

 

My soil is not the local sand which is everywhere but is mostly a heavy clay (I guess the namesake of Blue Clay Road).  So it has poor drainage and is heavy and wet during winter.  Not everything that seems to grow effortlessly locally seems to appreciate my soil.

 

Things that should grow but seem to resent the poor drainage...

Chamerops: green form I can't keep one alive over a winter...

Butia spp : I have killed many 3-10 gallon sized. I am left with one large trunking one that survived the past winter.  My other large trunking one died of some sort of fungus in the summer.

Anything with Jubaea.  Various limited success. 

(J x BJ) sailed through winters and summers in a pot, died first wet summer in the ground

JxB f2, no problem 2 winters in ground, died second wet summer in the ground 

BxJ F3, or 4,  survived a couple years in the ground, Jan 2018 took it out.  I think had it been larger, it would have been a long term survivor.

 

Things that I protect:

Washingtonia "fillabusta": protected through many winters, but it got too huge and spiny to protect through this last winter.  It did not survive unprotected Jan 2018.

Butia x Syagrus: I have a large mule that is testing my limits of protection this winter.  It has survived with a thermo-cube and Christmas lights for 4 winters now. Only wrapped up when temps forecast below 20F. 

BXJXQ, has survived with protection for a couple years in the ground, significant damage last winter, has mostly recovered.  Surprising slow growth. 

Livistona nitida:  Just like the washy, I'll protect until it gets too huge or draws too much blood.

 

Upcoming potted prospects that I have high hopes for in the ground some day:

Sabal uresana

Brahea "super silver", it takes the summer wetness much better than the clara, no damage.

Trachycarpus: wagnerianus x princeps, just seedlings now but I'm hoping for the best. 

 

 

 

 

canary island date palms should do well if protected.  Ive seen them on the coast along with silver date palms

11 hours ago, Joe NC said:

 

Sabal: palmetto, minor, brazoria (and something with large seeds that was sold as sabal x texensis)

Trachycarpus: fortunei, wagnerianus, nova, these all love my yard.  princeps (beautiful blue but keeps getting a summer basal rot probably won't make it long term)

Rhapidophyllum

Chamaerops: blue form

All the above thrive with minimal winter damage once established (some spear damage on all except S minor and S brazoria last brutal winter)

 

Surprise survivors of last winter

Serenoa: silver, no winter protection

Brahea: clara, small seedling past strap leaf size, with just a bucket over it to protect from snow and ice.  (damaged but survived, seems to hate the summer wetness).

 

My soil is not the local sand which is everywhere but is mostly a heavy clay (I guess the namesake of Blue Clay Road).  So it has poor drainage and is heavy and wet during winter.  Not everything that seems to grow effortlessly locally seems to appreciate my soil.

 

Things that should grow but seem to resent the poor drainage...

Chamerops: green form I can't keep one alive over a winter...

Butia spp : I have killed many 3-10 gallon sized. I am left with one large trunking one that survived the past winter.  My other large trunking one died of some sort of fungus in the summer.

Anything with Jubaea.  Various limited success. 

(J x BJ) sailed through winters and summers in a pot, died first wet summer in the ground

JxB f2, no problem 2 winters in ground, died second wet summer in the ground 

BxJ F3, or 4,  survived a couple years in the ground, Jan 2018 took it out.  I think had it been larger, it would have been a long term survivor.

 

Things that I protect:

Washingtonia "fillabusta": protected through many winters, but it got too huge and spiny to protect through this last winter.  It did not survive unprotected Jan 2018.

Butia x Syagrus: I have a large mule that is testing my limits of protection this winter.  It has survived with a thermo-cube and Christmas lights for 4 winters now. Only wrapped up when temps forecast below 20F. 

BXJXQ, has survived with protection for a couple years in the ground, significant damage last winter, has mostly recovered.  Surprising slow growth. 

Livistona nitida:  Just like the washy, I'll protect until it gets too huge or draws too much blood.

 

Upcoming potted prospects that I have high hopes for in the ground some day:

Sabal uresana

Brahea "super silver", it takes the summer wetness much better than the clara, no damage.

Trachycarpus: wagnerianus x princeps, just seedlings now but I'm hoping for the best. 

 

 

 

 

WOW. Thats a diverse collection of palms! 

I am surprised sabal palmettos are not completely bulletproof in the Wilmington area. They are native just south in Brunswick county, with some reports of wild sabal palmettos in Kure Beach. The city plants a lot of sabal palmettos, they all look great yet there is always an outlier palmetto which is dead or dying. 

Your soil is probably holding you back from keeping palms like chamaerops alive. In Downtown Wilmington and on the beaches I have seen some beautiful and gigantic washingtonia, butia, and chamaerops. 

8 hours ago, Mr.SamuraiSword said:

canary island date palms should do well if protected.  Ive seen them on the coast along with silver date palms

I have seen a few CIDPs in Carolina and Kure Beach. CIDP an uncommon palm for North Carolina's coast but does well when protected from the north winds. All CIDPs from Atlantic Beach to Wilmington seem to have recovered from this past winter.

23 hours ago, PalmTreeDude said:

Nice! Enjoy all of the palmettos! When I was there they were everywhere. 

Thanks you. Wilmington has to be the most palmy city in NC. 

10 hours ago, NC_Palms said:

I am surprised sabal palmettos are not completely bulletproof in the Wilmington area. They are native just south in Brunswick county, with some reports of wild sabal palmettos in Kure Beach. The city plants a lot of sabal palmettos, they all look great yet there is always an outlier palmetto which is dead or dying.

Jan 2018 was brutal on everything.  This was the first time I had any damage on a Sabal in ten years of growing them here.  All of my palmetto lost at least a spear or two this spring, some even some established ones around town were damaged or died.  

 

10 hours ago, NC_Palms said:

In Downtown Wilmington and on the beaches I have seen some beautiful and gigantic washingtonia, butia, and chamaerops

Most of the familiar large old Washingtoina around town did not make it through this winter, and most Butia  were defoliated with many large ones now as standing dead trunks.  Even on the beaches some of them were damaged badly and killed.  It was a rough week in early January for palms in Wilmington.

On 8/29/2018, 9:38:49, Joe NC said:

Jan 2018 was brutal on everything.  This was the first time I had any damage on a Sabal in ten years of growing them here.  All of my palmetto lost at least a spear or two this spring, some even some established ones around town were damaged or died.  

 

Most of the familiar large old Washingtoina around town did not make it through this winter, and most Butia  were defoliated with many large ones now as standing dead trunks.  Even on the beaches some of them were damaged badly and killed.  It was a rough week in early January for palms in Wilmington.

Sorry for the late response,

It seems like most of the palms have regrown since the bad winter of 2018. Since my last trip down to Wilmington, I was surprised to see phoenix canariensis and washingtonia robusta alive and flourishing on Carolina and Kure Beach. Also, do you know if any of Bald Head Island's native sabal palmettos got damaged this past winter? I have reported sabal minor being damaged from the past winter in the Pamlico region of North Carolina. 

That is crazy if Sabal minor got damaged, the ones people have around here were fine. Not sure where they are from though, if they are McCurtains or some other eco type. 

41 minutes ago, PalmTreeDude said:

That is crazy if Sabal minor got damaged, the ones people have around here were fine. Not sure where they are from though, if they are McCurtains or some other eco type. 

These sabal minors were naturally growing. Complete defoliation of many native plants this winter including live oaks and wax myrtle. I have a theory that the subtropical south has been rapidly cooling since the turn of the 20th century, causing havoc to the ecosystems.   

A bad winter in 1976 killed Washingtonias in places like Lake City, Florida (inland on I-75, first major town south of Georgia).  

January 2018 was just plain awful.  Florida was spared only because the cold air went to sea over the Carolinas rather than proceeding south.  The Norfolk Botanical Garden has Sabal minor and some others and is a good place to look for hardy plants.

You should look at cycads.  Coonties maybe and Norfolk is managing to nurture some others with winter protection  They did fine this winter.

Best wishes with Florence.  It's not looking good at all

Good luck!

Hope Wilmington gets good luck too. They'll really need it. Oh lordy.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/hurricane-florence-could-be-a-lot-like-harvey-here’s-why/ar-BBN9xHD?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=spartanntp&fullscreen=true#image=2

I have a buddy who lives in S.E. Wilmington, about 3-1/2 miles from the ocean. He likes to go to Carolina Beach almost everyday -- although he isn't there today. I've talked to him by cell phone when I could see him on the Carolina Beach beach cam. I've been monitoring the beach cams to see when the surf will start to become angry.

I think starting today there will be mandatory evacuations of all the beaches along the North Carolina shore. This morning there were lots of people on the beach and in the water, but most have left now.

http://surfchex.com/

 

On 9/9/2018, 1:25:31, Dave-Vero said:

A bad winter in 1976 killed Washingtonias in places like Lake City, Florida (inland on I-75, first major town south of Georgia).  

January 2018 was just plain awful.  Florida was spared only because the cold air went to sea over the Carolinas rather than proceeding south.  The Norfolk Botanical Garden has Sabal minor and some others and is a good place to look for hardy plants.

You should look at cycads.  Coonties maybe and Norfolk is managing to nurture some others with winter protection  They did fine this winter.

Best wishes with Florence.  It's not looking good at all

I am planning on visiting the Norfolk Botanical Gardens soon, they do have a lot of palms that are not too common for Virginia. I think they were growing some phoenixes as dieback perennials until they perished this last January. 

On 9/11/2018, 11:50:21, DoomsDave said:

Good luck!

Hope Wilmington gets good luck too. They'll really need it. Oh lordy.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/hurricane-florence-could-be-a-lot-like-harvey-here’s-why/ar-BBN9xHD?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=spartanntp&fullscreen=true#image=2

Thanks! Hoping for the best for Wilmington and the surrounding areas. 

On 9/11/2018, 1:34:47, Walt said:

I have a buddy who lives in S.E. Wilmington, about 3-1/2 miles from the ocean. He likes to go to Carolina Beach almost everyday -- although he isn't there today. I've talked to him by cell phone when I could see him on the Carolina Beach beach cam. I've been monitoring the beach cams to see when the surf will start to become angry.

I think starting today there will be mandatory evacuations of all the beaches along the North Carolina shore. This morning there were lots of people on the beach and in the water, but most have left now.

http://surfchex.com/

 

Wilmington is a reck. The death toll has reached the teens in the Carolinas. Heartbreaking but still hoping and praying for the best.

The Washington Post has been running excellent data and stories from NC (subscription barrier is down).  The rain has a long way to go.  Appalachian State up in Boone has closed through Tuesday.  I'm getting a FedEx package from the New York suburbs, but they routed it through Trenton N.J., Winchester, Va.,  Kingsport, Tenn., and Valdosta, Ga.  Long way around.  

Northern Outer Banks did reasonably well, though a lot of sand moved north of Hatteras Island and I think it'll be a bit until the highway's open.  I bet the highway from Manteo inland toward Wilson will take a long time to dry out.  New Bern looks awful, what you can see of it.  

I'm sure some dams will breach, like what happened in Va. and Pa. in the great 1972 Agnes floods.

Best wishes to all.

 

8 hours ago, NC_Palms said:

I am planning on visiting the Norfolk Botanical Gardens soon, they do have a lot of palms that are not too common for Virginia. I think they were growing some phoenixes as dieback perennials until they perished this last January. 

Thanks! Hoping for the best for Wilmington and the surrounding areas. 

Wilmington is a reck. The death toll has reached the teens in the Carolinas. Heartbreaking but still hoping and praying for the best.

I was watching the radar when Florence came ashore. The eye made landfall at Wrightsville Beach, then turned south and went over my buddy's house who lives one block from Silver Lake (you can see small lake to the right of Carolina Beach Rd.), then the eye passed over Carolina Beach. I saved these screen shots to show my buddy when I get back in touch with him.

On 9/16/2018, 3:58:23, Dave-Vero said:

The Washington Post has been running excellent data and stories from NC (subscription barrier is down).  The rain has a long way to go.  Appalachian State up in Boone has closed through Tuesday.  I'm getting a FedEx package from the New York suburbs, but they routed it through Trenton N.J., Winchester, Va.,  Kingsport, Tenn., and Valdosta, Ga.  Long way around.  

Northern Outer Banks did reasonably well, though a lot of sand moved north of Hatteras Island and I think it'll be a bit until the highway's open.  I bet the highway from Manteo inland toward Wilson will take a long time to dry out.  New Bern looks awful, what you can see of it.  

I'm sure some dams will breach, like what happened in Va. and Pa. in the great 1972 Agnes floods.

Best wishes to all.

 

 

My parents are originally from Johnstown, Pennsylvania and lost everything in the Johnstown flood of 1972. 

33 minutes ago, NC_Palms said:

My parents are originally from Johnstown, Pennsylvania and lost everything in the Johnstown flood of 1972. 

I grew up close to Johnstown and went to UPJ.

2 minutes ago, kinzyjr said:

I grew up close to Johnstown and went to UPJ.

 small world! A lot of my extended family went to UPJ. Way too cold up there. 

Just now, NC_Palms said:

 small world! A lot of my extended family went to UPJ. Way too cold up there. 

You're not kidding!  Driving up that hill toward Richland HS/UPJ during the winter was a suicide mission.  When in doubt, take 219.  The area was listed as 5a/5b when I was there, but at the tops of the mountains, it was more like 4a.  During the winter of 1994, I actually saw a thermometer hit -40F.  You can certainly understand why I left for the friendly zone 9 confines of Central Florida immediately after graduating

16 minutes ago, kinzyjr said:

You're not kidding!  Driving up that hill toward Richland HS/UPJ during the winter was a suicide mission.  When in doubt, take 219.  The area was listed as 5a/5b when I was there, but at the tops of the mountains, it was more like 4a.  During the winter of 1994, I actually saw a thermometer hit -40F.  You can certainly understand why I left for the friendly zone 9 confines of Central Florida immediately after graduating

I couldn't even take 6b Pennsylvania when I lived up there. The seasonal change had got me seriously anxious and depressed. I love 8a/b North Carolina but I am planning on going somewhere even warmer after I graduate.