Planting Location Advice

[DAVEinMB]

Alrighty so 3 new palms are being added to the mix and I have no first hand experience with any of them. 

- Allagoptera Arenaria - 3g

- Livistona Decora - 5g

- Phoenix Dactylifera - 3g

In terms of cold hardiness I'm assuming the Allagoptera is the least hardy but I'm not sure how the Livistona and Phoenix compare to each other. Below are pictures of the 3, next post will have some layout pics with potential spots. 

[DAVEinMB]

Ok so here are some of the locations im thinking of as well as some overall yard shots so you guys have an idea of what im working with. The front yard faces northeast and the backyard faces southwest. My current plan is to put the Allagoptera under the canopy of the Washingtonia and Sabal. It will have good wind and frost protection here but at the compromise of less sun. Below are pics of the area. 

[DAVEinMB]

Here are the rest of the layout pics. Potential spot in the front yard will provide early morning / all day sun but will not give any wind protection or overhead canopy. The rest of the backyard is wide open and gets sun all afternoon. There is still some space left in the elevated retaining wall area which is close to the concrete patio and stays warmer than the rest of the yard. More backyard pics below. 

[DAVEinMB]

And finally here is the potential area in the front yard. 

Thanks for looking!

[zero]

The Allagoptera will stay the shortest so your proposed position might be OK but I'd move it out as much as you can to get it more sun.  It doesn't grow fast so it will probably be relatively easy to protect from severe winter cold.  I think these can take some shade but will do better with more sun.  The Phoenix is the most cold hardy so in your front yard where it's in full sun and exposed would probably be OK for it. The decora will grow the fastest with ample water.  I would think that it would do well in full sun also and should do fine once it gets past it's first winter.  Is that a Syagrus frond I see in the last pic?  If you can keep a queen alive in that location the others should be easier.  You're in 8b right?

[DAVEinMB]

40 minutes ago, Fusca said:

The Allagoptera will stay the shortest so your proposed position might be OK but I'd move it out as much as you can to get it more sun.  It doesn't grow fast so it will probably be relatively easy to protect from severe winter cold.  I think these can take some shade but will do better with more sun.  The Phoenix is the most cold hardy so in your front yard where it's in full sun and exposed would probably be OK for it. The decora will grow the fastest with ample water.  I would think that it would do well in full sun also and should do fine once it gets past it's first winter.  Is that a Syagrus frond I see in the last pic?  If you can keep a queen alive in that location the others should be easier.  You're in 8b right?

Thanks for the info! 

The frond in the last pic is of a Butiagrus that appears to have taken most of its appearance traits from the Syragrus parent. Its location is a bit iffy but I guess we'll see how it does. It's pushed 2 new fronds since it was planted in January and seems to be picking up speed here recently. 

Yes sir, myrtle is an 8b trending towards 9a.

[zero]

25 minutes ago, DAVEinMB said:

The frond in the last pic is of a Butiagrus that appears to have taken most of its appearance traits from the Syragrus parent.

Very nice!  I like the variability of these.  The fronds do look more Syagrus-like than most Butiagrus I have seen.  I assume it's already sailed through a winter in the ground and should be good to go in that spot.  I wonder if it's any less cold-hardy since it favors the Syagrus parent?  Mine is also in full sun and it's roughly the same trunk thickness but mine's taller and more upright.  And mine has more of the Butia thorns.

[Allen]

No advice but your yard is looking great.  Too many locations for me to think about and I'm not familiar with all your palms.

 

 

[DAVEinMB]

3 hours ago, Fusca said:

Very nice!  I like the variability of these.  The fronds do look more Syagrus-like than most Butiagrus I have seen.  I assume it's already sailed through a winter in the ground and should be good to go in that spot.  I wonder if it's any less cold-hardy since it favors the Syagrus parent?  Mine is also in full sun and it's roughly the same trunk thickness but mine's taller and more upright.  And mine has more of the Butia thorns.

Yea man, that's the beauty of hybrids...a roll of the dice haha. I have 5 mules and that one looks very different from the rest. I have my months all confused so for whatever reason I was thinking I planted it in January but it was actually September. That said it spent one winter in the ground in its current location and the previous winter in a pot on the nursery's lot here in town. I gave it almost no protection this past winter and it did fine and even grew some through the colder months. I'm hoping that it's not less hardy for obvious reasons haha but it very well could be. I love mules man throw some pics of urs up 

[DAVEinMB]

1 hour ago, Allen said:

No advice but your yard is looking great.  Too many locations for me to think about and I'm not familiar with all your palms.

 

 

Thanks man  and yea I know my yard layout like the back of my hand, it's tough to paint that picture for people who haven't seen it.

[zero]

26 minutes ago, DAVEinMB said:

I love mules man throw some pics of urs up 

I do too!  Here are my two.  Larger one I got from Erik in 2014.  It's been dug up and moved to a new yard 4 times or it'd be bigger.

 

This smaller one was a strap leaf seedling when I bought it in March 2018 from @TexasColdHardyPalms

 

 

Edited June 11, 2020 by Fusca