4 hours ago, SailorBold said:

I added my winter protection this afternoon. Overall...I think it grew about 4 leaves over the summer. Here it is in ground ~ 1.5 years.

Looks good!  Mine also added 4 leaves and pushing a fifth.  It's easy to count the undamaged fronds after 9°F temperatures in mid-February!  Same growth results from my slightly larger Sabal guatemalensis.  Your JxB looks awesome as well!

This is mine in Fresno. Like all my other sabal, it's been pretty slow. 

On 12/2/2021 at 6:57 PM, Fusca said:

Looks good!  Mine also added 4 leaves and pushing a fifth.  It's easy to count the undamaged fronds after 9°F temperatures in mid-February!  Same growth results from my slightly larger Sabal guatemalensis.  Your JxB looks awesome as well!

Thanks...I plan on protecting the trunk with xmas lights in the future as it gets larger.. i figure if it only defoliates half of the time it may still be a nice looking palm...  really want to try the mexicana tho..

Thank you.. the JxB is becoming a stunner...  I want seeds I want seeds I want seeds !!!  Ill plant these all over my property...

On 12/3/2021 at 5:22 PM, Josue Diaz said:

This is mine in Fresno. Like all my other sabal, it's been pretty slow. 

 

When did you plant your uresana??

On 1/29/2017 at 11:17 PM, Jdiaz31089 said:

Thanks, my "oregana" (uresana) went in the ground this morning! it'll be partly shaded by my neighbor's massive oak tree so I'm hoping for some really long petioles. 

 

 

On 12/18/2021 at 9:19 PM, SailorBold said:

When did you plant your uresana??

Looks like it went in the ground Jan 2017. The garden around it has grown immensely but the Sabal looks almost exactly the same haha

1 hour ago, Josue Diaz said:

Looks like it went in the ground Jan 2017. The garden around it has grown immensely but the Sabal looks almost exactly the same haha

They aren't exactly rocketships are they?   Looks like yours has a gnarly heel like mine.

June 2022

 

Sept. 12, 2022 update 

Jan 2023 update. Haven't protected this winter..

June 2023 update.. this palm was unprotected last winter.

 

Edited June 13, 20232 yr by SailorBold

Sept. 1st 2023 update..   the palm looks green in the photos.. but I'm hoping it's the highland form!  To me it looks more blue in person...

Overall not my fastest palm.. but not the slowest..

One observation to note.. as I'm watching each new frond.. they are significantly larger than each previously emerged leaf.. by like a third or slightly more. .

10 hours ago, SailorBold said:

One observation to note.. as I'm watching each new frond.. they are significantly larger than each previously emerged leaf.. by like a third or slightly more. .

Your previous pics. from '21 & '22 seem to show much bluer leaves. I would take some new shots from about the same time of day as back then. I'm sure the wax hasn't washed off.

As I've stated numerous times in other threads about this species, my 4 largest palms have all taken 5-6 yrs. for the root system to penetrate my soil type (around 50% caliche), before the leaves pick up speed. Another observation: the 2 in the most shade are the bluest, but that also could be that they're both from PD (supposedly the high elev. strain - from all accounts).

If you get a chance, post some new pics around the time I suggested, I'd like to compare them to my shade grown palms.

Hi 89˚, Lo 73˚ - light showers

Some more shots.. didn't get any up close...

Starting to get some nice blue color on the fronds !

15 minutes ago, iamjv said:

Starting to get some nice blue color on the fronds !

X 2^ ...Definitely see some blue showing up.. Very Nice.  Think you need one or two more, haha.

2 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

X 2^ ...Definitely see some blue showing up.. Very Nice.  Think you need one or two more, haha.

I'd agree but I'm pretty sure these are gonna burn every winter.. Im only slightly concerned about overall hardiness tho... would be cool if the leaf petioles get super super long.. which it might do because of afternoon shade..

1 hour ago, SailorBold said:

I'd agree but I'm pretty sure these are gonna burn every winter.. Im only slightly concerned about overall hardiness tho... would be cool if the leaf petioles get super super long.. which it might do because of afternoon shade..

If they survived the Texas disaster, i think you'll be good..  and, ..by the time they get big, you may not have many winters where you experience much -if any- burn..  Regardless, they'll be fine..  LongerpPetioles are an added bonus on these for sure, though the leaf color, blue ones esp. is the biggest eye catcher.

8 hours ago, SailorBold said:

Some more shots.. didn't get any up close...

These shots are much better for highlighting the blue aspect of this species. They are even better than your '21 & '22 images. Thanks for posting again. Here's one from 9-1:

Hi 114˚, Lo 76˚

Edited September 11, 20232 yr by Tom in Tucson

On 9/10/2023 at 3:25 PM, iamjv said:

Starting to get some nice blue color on the fronds !

Fingers crossed for the Highland form... how did yours fair in San Antonio?  How old was yours? Not sure if you mentioned it...

On 9/10/2023 at 9:06 PM, Tom in Tucson said:

These shots are much better for highlighting the blue aspect of this species. They are even better than your '21 & '22 images. Thanks for posting again. Here's one from 9-1:

Hi 114˚, Lo 76˚

Thanks.. no problem. I enjoy keeping a record and reading others insights... I just noticed it grew pretty quick in the last 2 weeks... !

On 9/11/2023 at 11:10 PM, SailorBold said:

Fingers crossed for the Highland form... how did yours fair in San Antonio?  How old was yours? Not sure if you mentioned it...

My pure blue uresana (15 years old) had zero damage on it after the historic freeze... totally surprised me.   My other SU, which isn't as blue but is larger and older (seeds from U of AZ), had about 50% frond damage...

Quick update..  2/16/24

No protection this winter.

 

Here's mine in North Florida. 10 years old or a bit more. Full sun.

I saw another one in town with over 10' of trunk that had green/blue on almost all the old bootjacks all the way down. A cool feature I've never seen on another Sabal species (not sure about the more tropical ones though, I'm less familiar).

On 4/2/2024 at 5:29 PM, redbeard917 said:

Here's mine in North Florida. 10 years old or a bit more. Full sun.

I saw another one in town with over 10' of trunk that had green/blue on almost all the old bootjacks all the way down. A cool feature I've never seen on another Sabal species (not sure about the more tropical ones though, I'm less familiar).

How big was it when you planted it?

30 minutes ago, SailorBold said:

How big was it when you planted it?

Not sure, but I seem to recall it was bigger than a 3 gallon pot. Planted in 2016 or thereabouts.

10/1/24 Update.. it's almost 6 feet tall at the leaf tips!

Whoa! Looking great in the 505! The base looks to have gained some good girth this year as well.

@SailorBold

How many leaves did it push this year ?

 

@Everyone else,

How many leaves did yours push this year ?

 

I have 2 of the blue variety in the ground, in different areas of the property with differing soils and amounts of watering.  The one on the drier side only pushed 2-3 leaves this year while the other one (younger) pushed 5.

I also have 2 of the not so blue, but not green varieties, that also only pushed 2-3 leaves this year. 

Pretty certain it's the moisture availability that's driving the differences in growth for mine.

-Matt

3 so far.. 4 opened..and there is a good sized spear pushing atm..

22 hours ago, ChrisA said:

Whoa! Looking great in the 505! The base looks to have gained some good girth this year as well.

No protection last 2 winters.. there was very slight damage that showed up on a emerging fronds as it opened.. not bad.. this is my first time really growing.. like really growing a sabal. I just didn't think it was doable because of no humidity..and no rainfall per se.. we will see. It will get damaged one of these winters.. the recovery will be slow..  :(..

One interesting observation is what i mentioned earlier.. each new leaf is getting bigger and bigger.. I bet if I set them side by side it would be perfectly linear..  it's pretty neat..!

I’m sure we’re all looking forward to seeing how it goes. I think it will gain in hardiness as it gains size. Have you seen the large Sabal at the ABQ Zoo?  I’ve never seen it damaged by cold but am not sure if it was there in 2011.  Not sure if that one is Mexicana or Palmetto though. Fortunately days below freezing are not super common in Albuquerque, maybe one or two a year on average.  Of course every now and then there is a real zinger which will sting. Hopefully the gap between the two will be long enough for regeneration.  I’d try to protect if possible if you go below 10F.

2 hours ago, ChrisA said:

 Fortunately days below freezing are not super common in Albuquerque, maybe one or two a year on average.  

True for most of ABQ.  Days below freezing are exceedingly rare in his neighborhood. 

It has to do with the east winds, or lack thereof to be more precise. 

Even in 2011, while highs were only single digits at the sunport, mid teens were seen in Rio Rancho/Corrales. A fact I have never seen mentioned. 

Well, I never mentioned it.

Now we know a bit more.  

 

I didn’t know those days reached the teens in Corrales or Rio Rancho.  I only reached 5F at my home near the Ladera golf course. My ultimate low was -6.7F. 

3 hours ago, ChrisA said:

I didn’t know those days reached the teens in Corrales or Rio Rancho.  I only reached 5F at my home near the Ladera golf course. My ultimate low was -6.7F. 

Has to with east winds.  North of Montano/West of Edith, the east winds begin to die.  Head west of Unser, winds pick back up in the events. 

Personally I believe it is caused by the Rincon range in front of Sandia Crest.

 

2011 Corrales

2011 Rio Rancho 

I wasn't able to move my Sabal uresana and had to start over with a strap-leaf seedling planted in 2020.  It's fully palmate now (finally!) and starting to show some good growth.  I'm not sure if it's a coastal variety or a blue one from a high elevation but I'm happy with it regardless. 

22 hours ago, Fusca said:

I wasn't able to move my Sabal uresana and had to start over with a strap-leaf seedling planted in 2020.  It's fully palmate now (finally!) and starting to show some good growth.  I'm not sure if it's a coastal variety or a blue one from a high elevation but I'm happy with it regardless. 

Bummed.. but good you got another !! Please keep updating here..

Update May 2026..