California Wild Fire Palm Survival (or not)!

[utile]

August 20, 2020 3 AM a wall of furry fire storm bears down on my garden like a tidal wave.  Twelve hours later there was a smoldering chard landscape as far as the eye could see.  This story may take a while to explain so I will spill it out in pieces as there is so much to say.  I began my garden when I joined the Society in 1977.  Many of my palms came from the Seed Bank at that time.  Others came from my collections of travels to remote places.  My garden contains about 100+ species/varieties of palms, some 400 or so trees about a 28 acre property.  Many are now 30- 40 years old.  Basically palms are survivors! A good percentage retained small canopies that never burned.  Fan palms were the real winners.  Those with slender  trunks close to the ground like Chamaerops sand Acoelorrhaphe suffered the most damage.  Trachycarpus are putting out stunted small crowns after 6 months but appear to be living.  Almost all of the trunks on all the palms are charred black and may stay that way for quite some time.  Pressure washing works quite well but is hard to do on a 30 trunk foot tree.  Brahea and Washingtonia now have full crowns.  Not one was lost.  Livistonas suffered but are pushing new crowns and in a few months will look again normal.  As far as Feather Palms go Phoenix canariensis, theophrastii and sylvestris did great.  Although their dead fronds torched, they torched hot and fast leaving a green center crown.  Roebelenii and reclinata not so good.  Once again slender trunks close to the ground suffered,  A Reclinata clump of 9 trunks now appears that only one or two have survived with suckers now appearing at the base.  All the Parajubaea and Jubaea survived with little damage.  Syagrus were a mixed batch of results.  Those on the greener lawn area did well while those near my garage (that torched to a cinder) where the flames were the hottest still look pretty bad.  Several tried to push new leaves that the winter winds quickly damaged.  Several of the Caryota gigas maintained at least one green frond.  

Because my ranch is hills and valleys the current of the furry moved with different strengths.  The lush area around my pool and house was completely passed untouched (my house was saved with modest damage).  30 feet away on both sides the palms torched.  The well watered lawn area helped slow the flames.  My biggest problem was the bamboo plantings (Oldhamii 30 feet tall) that went up like match sticks near the palms.  

I guess this is chapter one.  In future chapters I will talk about Cycads, Bamboos, Conifers, Trees, Shrubs, and all that other cool good stuff and their survival or not!  Rock mulch vs, wood mulch products and other fire wise ideas that I have learned will be other topics.

[Silas_Sancona]

10 minutes ago, utile said:

August 20, 2020 3 AM a wall of furry fire storm bears down on my garden like a tidal wave.  Twelve hours later there was a smoldering chard landscape as far as the eye could see.  This story may take a while to explain so I will spill it out in pieces as there is so much to say.  I began my garden when I joined the Society in 1977.  Many of my palms came from the Seed Bank at that time.  Others came from my collections of travels to remote places.  My garden contains about 100+ species/varieties of palms, some 400 or so trees about a 28 acre property.  Many are now 30- 40 years old.  Basically palms are survivors! A good percentage retained small canopies that never burned.  Fan palms were the real winners.  Those with slender  trunks close to the ground like Chamaerops sand Acoelorrhaphe suffered the most damage.  Trachycarpus are putting out stunted small crowns after 6 months but appear to be living.  Almost all of the trunks on all the palms are charred black and may stay that way for quite some time.  Pressure washing works quite well but is hard to do on a 30 trunk foot tree.  Brahea and Washingtonia now have full crowns.  Not one was lost.  Livistonas suffered but are pushing new crowns and in a few months will look again normal.  As far as Feather Palms go Phoenix canariensis, theophrastii and sylvestris did great.  Although their dead fronds torched, they torched hot and fast leaving a green center crown.  Roebelenii and reclinata not so good.  Once again slender trunks close to the ground suffered,  A Reclinata clump of 9 trunks now appears that only one or two have survived with suckers now appearing at the base.  All the Parajubaea and Jubaea survived with little damage.  Syagrus were a mixed batch of results.  Those on the greener lawn area did well while those near my garage (that torched to a cinder) where the flames were the hottest still look pretty bad.  Several tried to push new leaves that the winter winds quickly damaged.  Several of the Caryota gigas maintained at least one green frond.  

Because my ranch is hills and valleys the current of the furry moved with different strengths.  The lush area around my pool and house was completely passed untouched (my house was saved with modest damage).  30 feet away on both sides the palms torched.  The well watered lawn area helped slow the flames.  My biggest problem was the bamboo plantings (Oldhamii 30 feet tall) that went up like match sticks near the palms.  

I guess this is chapter one.  In future chapters I will talk about Cycads, Bamboos, Conifers, Trees, Shrubs, and all that other cool good stuff and their survival or not!  Rock mulch vs, wood mulch products and other fire wise ideas that I have learned will be other topics.

Very interesting and welcome to the forum.. 

Look forward to updates on this topic ..and others -related to the effects of the fire- on other things to be shared.  A topic that isn't discussed enough, but should be, ..esp. out there in CA. ( &  here in AZ.. )

[sipalms]

Super interested in this thread.

[utile]

On 2/4/2021 at 9:19 PM, utile said:

August 20, 2020 3 AM a wall of furry fire storm bears down on my garden like a tidal wave.  Twelve hours later there was a smoldering chard landscape as far as the eye could see.  This story may take a while to explain so I will spill it out in pieces as there is so much to say.  I began my garden when I joined the Society in 1977.  Many of my palms came from the Seed Bank at that time.  Others came from my collections of travels to remote places.  My garden contains about 100+ species/varieties of palms, some 400 or so trees about a 28 acre property.  Many are now 30- 40 years old.  Basically palms are survivors! A good percentage retained small canopies that never burned.  Fan palms were the real winners.  Those with slender  trunks close to the ground like Chamaerops sand Acoelorrhaphe suffered the most damage.  Trachycarpus are putting out stunted small crowns after 6 months but appear to be living.  Almost all of the trunks on all the palms are charred black and may stay that way for quite some time.  Pressure washing works quite well but is hard to do on a 30 trunk foot tree.  Brahea and Washingtonia now have full crowns.  Not one was lost.  Livistonas suffered but are pushing new crowns and in a few months will look again normal.  As far as Feather Palms go Phoenix canariensis, theophrastii and sylvestris did great.  Although their dead fronds torched, they torched hot and fast leaving a green center crown.  Roebelenii and reclinata not so good.  Once again slender trunks close to the ground suffered,  A Reclinata clump of 9 trunks now appears that only one or two have survived with suckers now appearing at the base.  All the Parajubaea and Jubaea survived with little damage.  Syagrus were a mixed batch of results.  Those on the greener lawn area did well while those near my garage (that torched to a cinder) where the flames were the hottest still look pretty bad.  Several tried to push new leaves that the winter winds quickly damaged.  Several of the Caryota gigas maintained at least one green frond.  

Because my ranch is hills and valleys the current of the furry moved with different strengths.  The lush area around my pool and house was completely passed untouched (my house was saved with modest damage).  30 feet away on both sides the palms torched.  The well watered lawn area helped slow the flames.  My biggest problem was the bamboo plantings (Oldhamii 30 feet tall) that went up like match sticks near the palms.  

I guess this is chapter one.  In future chapters I will talk about Cycads, Bamboos, Conifers, Trees, Shrubs, and all that other cool good stuff and their survival or not!  Rock mulch vs, wood mulch products and other fire wise ideas that I have learned will be other topics.

 

[Darold Petty]

Welcome to Palmtalk, Dale !  

Readers, don't be fooled by the user name.  This is Dale Mostiska, one of only two persons with seniority to me in the NorCal group, and he is a lifetime pro nurseryman. 

Ask him anything about fan palms!        https://www.palmislandnursery.com/

 

 

[utile]

The second photo shows the colony of W. robusta 6 months after the fire.

Chapter 2 Cycads.  My garden has about 150+ Cycads of about 30+ species.  These guys are amazingly well adapted to wild fire.  Macrozamia johnsonii with 10 foot leaves was defoliated but the next morning began pushing a new distorted crown that was so heavy and tender that the crown fell to the side as it emerged.  It has since gained strength and is now pushing a somewhat normal crown.  The M. moorei in close proximity to the johnsonii with a five foot crown retained 80% of its foliage but had the same falling to the side of the crown.  Lepidozamia peroffskiana was completely defoliated.  Three weeks later it flushed a most beautiful crown!  Cycas panzhihauensis was also defoliated and flushed a new beautiful crown after a few weeks.  Both of these cycads had about one foot of trunk.  Encephelartos longifolius pushed a stunted 3 foot crown after about 30 days.  Previously its leaves were 6 feet long.  Several of the E. lehmanii were half way burned but all will survive.  The worst of the survivors were the Ceratozamia sp.  Of the 20 or so plants, only one flushed a new crown a few weeks after the fire.  The largest ones with 12" caudexes put up suckers from their base but have not yet pushed anything from their main trunks.  Most of the Dioons were in areas with rock mulch and suffered no damage.  Please keep in mind that the days after the fire I was soaking the ground any where that I could by leaving the rain bird running all night long.  I have several colonies of different Encephalartos on one of my hillsides.  The fire basically avoided these areas as I had weed wacked the grass to the nub, then I raked away any loose grass a month before the fire.  Of the 30 or so plants none were damaged.  I cannot stress enough the use of rock mulch over ground fabric.  Wood mulch will smolder for days!

Please note that I am just getting used to using this format.  It may take a bit of doing to respond and download images.  The first photo shows the Macrozamia johnsonii.  The second photo shows what was left of my garage.  The image was taken at 10 AM with thick smoke everywhere.

 

[utile]

14 minutes ago, Darold Petty said:

Welcome to Palmtalk, Dale !  

Readers, don't be fooled by the user name.  This is Dale Mostiska, one of only two persons with seniority to me in the NorCal group, and he is a lifetime pro nurseryman. 

Ask him anything about fan palms!        https://www.palmislandnursery.com/

Hi Darold,  Good to hear from you. I'm back in the saddle again.  Dale

 

 

[Brett in Mission Viejo]

Fascinating thread!

[NOT A TA]

Very interesting! The garage pic is surreal!

[utile]

57 minutes ago, utile said:

 

Hi Darold,  Check out my story about Braheas in N. Mexico under travels.  Dale

[Tyrone]

I’m very interested in your observations and advice. I live on a continent that basically is burning constantly somewhere. I’ve got around 6 acres on what is old swamp land, but I have Eucalyptus on my property and in the surrounding properties as this is there native habitat. 

[utile]

4 hours ago, Tyrone said:

I’m very interested in your observations and advice. I live on a continent that basically is burning constantly somewhere. I’ve got around 6 acres on what is old swamp land, but I have Eucalyptus on my property and in the surrounding properties as this is there native habitat. 

Hi Tyrone,  i found that E. citradorea was of my best performers probably because their canopy begins so high up.  My trees have grown 8 foot a year to 60+ feet.  I am still waiting on an 80' E. globulus that looks sad right now.  We are in one of the driest years on record that I recall.  If we ever get a decent rain it is my hope that many of my trees will re sprout.  I believe that it is still too early to tell what lives and what dies.  The native Oaks look terrible everywhere the fire burned.  I would suggest keeping their canopies cut high at your place.  Till the soil to expose the dirt in the dry season if you can or irrigate like crazy to keep everything lush and well watered.  Green lawns slow the flames.  Grow plants with big lush leaves closer to your house like bananas and strelitzia or alocasia.  Most any shrubs will torch in a hot fire as will any bamboos.  Dale

[Tyrone]

On 2/12/2021 at 11:22 AM, utile said:

Hi Tyrone,  i found that E. citradorea was of my best performers probably because their canopy begins so high up.  My trees have grown 8 foot a year to 60+ feet.  I am still waiting on an 80' E. globulus that looks sad right now.  We are in one of the driest years on record that I recall.  If we ever get a decent rain it is my hope that many of my trees will re sprout.  I believe that it is still too early to tell what lives and what dies.  The native Oaks look terrible everywhere the fire burned.  I would suggest keeping their canopies cut high at your place.  Till the soil to expose the dirt in the dry season if you can or irrigate like crazy to keep everything lush and well watered.  Green lawns slow the flames.  Grow plants with big lush leaves closer to your house like bananas and strelitzia or alocasia.  Most any shrubs will torch in a hot fire as will any bamboos.  Dale

Some good info there. Luckily I have plenty of water and in the event of a hot fire storm event I could use a petrol powered pump and use lake water to just flood the place and wet everything down. I’m thinking something in the order of 500-800 litres per minute via large jets into problem areas. I have lots of green lawn that likely won’t burn and is a buffer around the house. Jets on the roof could flood the gutters etc. If I just got hot embers land (which can travel up to 2kms) I could just keep the place wet and patrol the area for spot fires. If a firestorm approached with intense heat then things could change. Anything cellulose will burn given enough heat. The temps in a firestorm can exceed 1000C so green trees and bamboo would pretty quickly combust, but if a few embers were to hit green bamboo for example they probably would go out. 

If I had a firestorm here it would likely come from the north, and to the north of me is a band of thick eucalyptus in my neighbours property and further north is native eucalyptus bushland. If I could halt it at the boundary with a massive curtain of water then that would save my garden. I do have Eucalyptus here but I’ve started planting more Ficus macrophylla which would likely take a bit to burn. I do like using organic mulches as they feed the soil. For fire safety I need to keep it wet.

I think I’ll need to invest in some infrastructure such as a large pump and associated plumbing and jets. If I could set it going during a fire event and let it run while we evacuate that would likely be the best case scenario. 

I hope you get some decent rain and your trees come back.