Washy update :

[Will Simpson]

Eleven seasons  in the ground counting this season .

Someone brought it to my attention that this looks pretty much like all Robusta . I bought it as a Filibusta , but I have to admit I don't see much purple on the petiole bases and the trunk is pretty thin . I wish I had a Filibusta more on the Filifera side because I can use all the hardiness possible that can handle the humidity  , and it might grow a little slower in height too   . Also , the frond hardiness is only hardy to 23F , so all the fronds pretty much look bad after every winter , whereas if it were a Filibusta some years it might look decent after winter . 

 

What do you guys think ?

Thanks 

Edited July 27, 2021 by Will Simpson

[DreaminAboutPalms]

3 hours ago, Will Simpson said:

Eleven seasons  in the ground counting this season .

Someone brought it to my attention that this looks pretty much like all Robusta . I bought it as a Filibusta , but I have to admit I don't see much purple on the petiole bases and the trunk is pretty thin . I wish I had a Filibusta more on the Filifera side because I can use all the hardiness possible that can handle the humidity  , and it might grow a little slower in height too   . Also , the frond hardiness is only hardy to 23F , so all the fronds pretty much look bad after every winter , whereas if it were a Filibusta some years it might look decent after winter . 

 

What do you guys think ?

Thanks 

That looks really good. Do you protect it at all? If so with what.

What's the lowest temperature it has seen, and how many days below 25 do you typically get a winter?

[Swolte]

Amazing shot!

I don't have a strong opinion on whether it is a pure Robusta or not. My hunch is, since you're growing this in NC, that it is likely to be a hybrid of some sorts. (indeed, with more Robusta than Filifera in the genetic shuffle). I checked and it seems your average lows in the coldest months hover around freezing with, I assume,  some dips in the death zone for Robusta's (lower than 15-ish, imo) for some years? If its indeed a pure Robusta, you've done a great job keeping it alive and looking so good for over a decade!

Edited July 27, 2021 by Swolte

[Allen]

Looking good as always!

[Will Simpson]

Wow . it's a lot years I thought I had a Filibusta but it does really look more like a Robusta . I guess it's time to buy a solid Filibusta . I still like my palm but if it gets too much higher I'm not sure how I will protect it .

I do protect the trunk when I see any temps below 16F . 

I'll explain my protection later , which is a very simple protection method , but if it gets too tall ?

Thanks ,

Will

[Xenon]

Imo looks like balanced filibusta more or less.  From what I've seen "pure" robusta have very weepy and long leaflets. They also tend to develop random twists and curves in their trunks as they get older while filifera and filibusta are often very straight and columnar/"severe" looking.  Coloring on a robusta is also a vibrant lime green vs the duller color of filifera and many hybrids. 95% of "Florida robusta" meet this description too. There seems to be a lot more mixing happening in the western Gulf/Texas. 

And of course, robusta is a lot more cold tender. Both of these robusta examples are in the Houston Area and survived the last winter by the skin of their teeth. They are currently on their 4th or 5th leaf. Most balanced filibusta and even most of the robusta leaning ones have nearly a full crown by now. 

 

Edited July 27, 2021 by Xenon

[Will Simpson]

On 7/27/2021 at 4:56 PM, DreaminAboutPalms said:

That looks really good. Do you protect it at all? If so with what.

What's the lowest temperature it has seen, and how many days below 25 do you typically get a winter?

I protect it first by cutting off the fronds with the exception of several that are growing straight up ,  which by the time I've had any temps below 24F all the fronds will be bronzed . Then I start at the top and wrap small incandescent Xmas lights around the trunk a little heavier at the top around the bud area , then wrapping downward about 2 inches between each row of lights as I wrap them all the way down the trunk . I then wrap blankets over the lights  , only one layer , except where they overlap .  When I have wrapped the palm all the way to the ground I mulch over the lower trunk  and lower blankets about 6 inches up on the trunk which insulates the base of the palm and keeps air from moving up under the blankets . 

I protect it once during a winter , only when  I see temperatures below 16F for a nighttime low .  I unplug the lights for most nights that are 20F or above . Sometimes I will force  late winter/early spring growth by plugging them in in February and March  . I need to protect it about 50% of the winters here because I get below 16F about half the winters . 

It puts out about 25-30 new pretty  fronds a season ( a few tatty ones too when the first fronds are coming out in the spring ) . 

Will

 

Edited July 31, 2021 by Will Simpson

[Will Simpson]

On 7/27/2021 at 5:51 PM, Xenon said:

Imo looks like balanced filibusta more or less.  From what I've seen "pure" robusta have very weepy and long leaflets. They also tend to develop random twists and curves in their trunks as they get older while filifera and filibusta are often very straight and columnar/"severe" looking.  Coloring on a robusta is also a vibrant lime green vs the duller color of filifera and many hybrids. 95% of "Florida robusta" meet this description too. There seems to be a lot more mixing happening in the western Gulf/Texas. 

And of course, robusta is a lot more cold tender. Both of these robusta examples are in the Houston Area and survived the last winter by the skin of their teeth. They are currently on their 4th or 5th leaf. Most balanced filibusta and even most of the robusta leaning ones have nearly a full crown by now. 

 

Thanks for that information . I guess mine is a Filibusta with a lot of Robusta in it . 

Will

[Will Simpson]

On 7/27/2021 at 5:38 PM, Allen said:

Looking good as always!

Thanks , I'm super happy about what it's done . I just hope it doesn't get so tall I can't protect it anymore . I'll have to think out of the box at some point .

Will

[UK_Palms]

As I have said before, if it isn't a pure Robusta then it is surely a Robusta dominant hybrid. I am struggling to see any Filifera in that whatsoever. From the extremely thin trunk to the lack of fibres on the fronds. It probably is a hybrid to a degree, as most are, but its growth habit is extremely Robusta like. It will want to be a skyduster one day. Great looking palm nonetheless.