Advice on Best Outdoor Patio Palm

[Hombre de Palmas]

Good Day Everyone,

I live in Zone 10 Atlantic Florida, and I currently have a number of Ravenea Rivularis of Home Depot/Lowes fame under my pool cage in 20 Gallon Pots.

The Majesties struggle if I am not consistent in my maintenance, but with elderly parents who live out-of-state I cannot always give them the care they require. I hate pulling and replacing them, and they seem to be magnets for scale especially when stressed.

 

I am looking to replace them sooner than later with palms better suited to pot life. Howea Forsteriana seems like a good candidate, but they seem to be hard to find, and expensive at that. I live in the midst of what should be good availability, perhaps I am looking in the wrong places?

 

I have ample room for height and width and slow growing is ideal. I would even be open to seedlings. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

Many Thanks.

[Fusca]

2 hours ago, Hombre de Palmas said:

Good Day Everyone,

I live in Zone 10 Atlantic Florida, and I currently have a number of Ravenea Rivularis of Home Depot/Lowes fame under my pool cage in 20 Gallon Pots.

The Majesties struggle if I am not consistent in my maintenance, but with elderly parents who live out-of-state I cannot always give them the care they require. I hate pulling and replacing them, and they seem to be magnets for scale especially when stressed.

 

I am looking to replace them sooner than later with palms better suited to pot life. Howea Forsteriana seems like a good candidate, but they seem to be hard to find, and expensive at that. I live in the midst of what should be good availability, perhaps I am looking in the wrong places?

 

I have ample room for height and width and slow growing is ideal. I would even be open to seedlings. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

Many Thanks.

The Ravenea rivularis would do much better in the ground and they need lots of water.  Howea forsteriana is hard to find there because it doesn't do well with the heat and humidity of south Florida.  Although you have easy access to many viable candidates there I believe that Hyophorbe lagenicaulis (bottle palm) do well in containers, don't need a ton of water and don't grow very fast.  I have even seen large Butia species (pindo palms) growing well in containers and are quite drought tolerant and don't grow fast.

[JohnAndSancho]

Xmas palms? They seem to be everywhere in FL. And everything else Fusca said. 

[PalmatierMeg]

Howeas hate FL heat and swelter and need careful placement in deep shade if you want them to survive.

The dreaded, weedy Adonidia might work but I don't know about your winters. Freezing weather will kill them. What about Butias? They aren't fast and have nicely recurved leaves. If you are not anti-palmate, Coccothrinax spp won't overwhelm the space. And their starlike fronds dancing in a breeze are quite charming.

[OC2Texaspalmlvr]

5 hours ago, Fusca said:

Hyophorbe lagenicaulis (bottle palm) do well in containers, don't need a ton of water and don't grow very fast. 

This is the easiest palm I have in a pot in 9a. It winters in my garage but takes full sun and is not picky about how often it gets watered. Very slow growing but puts out 4 fronds a year =) 

T J 

[Hombre de Palmas]

I guess we could do Adinodias, they certainly do well here, but they will quickly outgrow their pots? I planted three 3-4FT triples in the ground five years ago and now they are approaching 12 FT, but maybe they stay smaller in pots? We don't get freezes, but we can have some chilly nights during winter, so the uber tropicals like the Lipstick are out...unfortunately.

Bottle Palms are an interesting possibiilty but would be a hard sell with my wife, and I worry Butias might overwhelm the area I don't see a lot of them here and while I like them up north I'm not as fond of them here. I need to look at the Coccothrinax, that was not on my radar before.

We thought about single Robellinis, but I serve under three of them already. We are also considering Cat Palms, but I have read they don't like exposure to salt/chlorine and the pool area is pretty sunny. I have also begun to consider an Arikury (Syagrus schizophylla).

I guess I should have realized the Kentias don't like the heat & humidty of the summers here, although 7-8 months out of the year it's not so bad with the sea breeze. I "rescued" a Ravenea after I bought these for the pots. I stuck it in the wettest part of the yard and gave it 12-4-12 with minors. IT'S HUGE. Now I'm ridden with guilt about the potted ones.

Thanks everyone for taking the time to give some info and ideas, it is much appreciated.

 

[oasis371]

I am in the arctic (NJ/Zone 7), I have massive Queen Palms, Butia/Pindo, Canary Islands, and Washys.

[Hombre de Palmas]

On 5/26/2021 at 7:28 PM, oasis371 said:

I am in the arctic (NJ/Zone 7), I have massive Queen Palms, Butia/Pindo, Canary Islands, and Washys.

I can tell you that your skills are beyond my level, having lived in the tundra me-self!

 

[Hombre de Palmas]

Maybe a Spindle Palm (Hyophorbe verschaffeltii) for a patio palm in Zone 10 Florida?

 

I couldn't sell the Bottle but I can sell the Spindle!

Edited May 28, 2021 by Hombre de Palmas