Palms Around Town - Jacksonville, FL

[Scott W]

I've found a lot of random posts regarding this, so seemed like a good place to start a new thread in hopes others will contribute and share what they see growing around town.

This is probably the most beautiful Queen palm I've ever seen, growing in a subdivision on the Northside, New Berlin Road area.

  

Same neighborhood, not sure if it's Adonidia merillii or Wodyetia bifurcata.

 

And this one is my neighbor's tree two blocks away, Butia for sure, not sure what variety.  Arlington and Oakwood Rd area

And my other neighbor's Butia, says they planted these 30 years ago, completely different look from the one above

[kinzyjr]

2nd Picture => Definitely Wodyetia bifurcata (Foxtail)

[kinzyjr]

For those that like video tours, David Casella did a tour of Florida State College at Jacksonville some time back that I thought was great:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sx1pRbbX5OY

[Scott W]

Two nice clumps of Phoenix (probably reclinata) outside the entrance to Cruisers Grill in Jax Beach.

 

[howfam]

Check out this nice Queen Palm with a thick heavy trunk in the Arlington area of Jacksonville.  My favorite queen palm, as the trunk swells at a certain point, has shorter , flatter leaflets,  and longer petioles than some others I've seen. It's never hurt by cold, maybe a special variety of queen. 

[howfam]

Check out this nice Bismarckia in Atlantic Beach, just adjacent to Jacksonville. It's been there more than 10 years.

[kinzyjr]

@howfam I think Syagrus romanzoffiana (Queens) look really good when appropriately fed and watered.  The Silver Bismarcia looks great as well!  One grower in Hastings recorded 19F and had all of their Bizzies survive, so there is long-term hope for these in areas once considered a no-go.

[howfam]

Look at this nice Mule Palm in Jacksonville on the Southside in the Barnes Rd area. Many years old.

[howfam]

These Royals were planted more than 20 years ago on Jacksonville's Southside in the Beauclerc Rd. Area. They're still growing strong as of 2021.

[howfam]

36 minutes ago, kinzyjr said:

@howfam I think Syagrus romanzoffiana (Queens) look really good when appropriately fed and watered.  The Silver Bismarcia looks great as well!  One grower in Hastings recorded 19F and had all of their Bizzies survive, so there is long-term hope for these in areas once considered a no-go.

That's encouraging. I plan to plant more Bismarcks on my property very soon.

[howfam]

Check out this Bismarckia planted on Silver St. just North of downtown Jacksonville, planted more than 20 yrs ago. There's one in the back yard that's even taller.

[howfam]

Here's one of two Beccariophoenix alfredii at the Univ. Of North Florida in Jackonville.

[howfam]

Big Jacksonville Pindo (Butia) Palm in the Ontario St. area on the Westside.

[howfam]

Another big Jacksonville Pindo around the corner from the other one I posted.

[howfam]

Nice Triangle palm at the Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ) Palm Garden. I donated this palm many years ago.

[howfam]

The other Royal at the same location as the one above in Jacksonville.

[Scott W]

Awesome palm pics George, thanks for contributing.

UNF has quite a few Bizzys anted around campus, though they did remove a couple last year that were too close to one of the buildings that broke a water main.  Still have to pay a visit to the FSCJ palm garden and @edbrown_III house again.

[howfam]

31 minutes ago, Scott W said:

Awesome palm pics George, thanks for contributing.

UNF has quite a few Bizzys anted around campus, though they did remove a couple last year that were too close to one of the buildings that broke a water main.  Still have to pay a visit to the FSCJ palm garden and @edbrown_III house again.

Yeah, there were six Bismarcks in the Physical Plant area, and 2 were recently moved to a spot by the library. I visited the campus about 2 weeks ago and the 2 relocated ones were gone. Now they are down to 4 Bismarcks as best I can tell. I actually have 2 seedlings that I sprouted from those palms and hope to plant them out next spring. The FSCJ Palm Garden is a gem, invaluable as a open repository of cold hardy palms for N.E. Florida.

[Scott W]

4 minutes ago, howfam said:

I actually have 2 seedlings that I sprouted from those palms and hope to plant them out next spring.

Too funny, I collected seed from there last year and had two germinate as well!

[howfam]

8 minutes ago, Scott W said:

Too funny, I collected seed from there last year and had two germinate as well!

Yeah, too bad, I think the female palm was one that was moved and died.

[howfam]

Here's a shot taken in Jan. 2021 of the 2 UNF Bismarcks that were moved to an area not far from the Library. I did not see them when I visited a week and a half ago. Bismarckias simply don't like being moved.

Edited August 28, 2021 by howfam

[howfam]

Here's a Brahrea brandegeei at FSCJ Palm Garden. One of the few Braheas that can tolerate our humid climate.

 

[howfam]

Here's a Washingtonia filifera I grew from seed purchased from California over 20 years ago. Notice the fat trunk. I planted it along with W. robustas from 3 gal pots around the year 2000 at a local swimming pool on Jacksonville's Northside.

[howfam]

Archontophoenix just outside the Jax city limits in Atlantic Beach. Unknown how long it's been there.

[howfam]

Here's another nice Jacksonville Pindo Palm with a fat trunk. This one in Arlington area off Merrill Road.

[howfam]

An odd looking Pindo Palm with two heads on the Westside near Cecil Field off Normandy Bv.

[howfam]

This big Queen Palm is about 40 ft. tall. The owner says he got it from Home Depot back in the nineties when I first drove by it.  It's really grown since. I got seed from this palm in the late nineties and now have one of its offspring in my front yard that I planted out in 2010.  Looking forward to when it starts to produce seed of its own.

[howfam]

Another nice Bismarckia on Jacksonville's Southside on Vancouver Dr. off University Bv., S.- Street View shows this Palm as a little 15 gal.  size plant in 2013. Much growth in a short time. (Sept. 2021 picture)

[kinzyjr]

@howfam + @Scott W

Has anyone tried Hyphaene coriacea up your way?

[howfam]

5 hours ago, kinzyjr said:

@howfam + @Scott W

Has anyone tried Hyphaene coriacea up your way?

Not to my immediate knowledge, but anything is possible. We have a number of microclimates in our area. Some royals have had success over the last 20 years or so near the river.

[Scott W]

I have not tried it and do not know of anyone that has.  Interesting looking palm, and based on my observations at my location over the last six years this palm would be doing just fine.  I'd be willing to test it out for sure...

[kinzyjr]

53 minutes ago, Scott W said:

I have not tried it and do not know of anyone that has.  Interesting looking palm, and based on my observations at my location over the last six years this palm would be doing just fine.  I'd be willing to test it out for sure...

Since it isn't too long until our meeting at Dr. Rossi's, I could probably get a bag of these together for you and @howfam.  The germination technique is pretty simple.  Get yourself a plastic tub, put down about 3" of moist germination medium, set the seeds down with the thick end facing the direction you want the root to come out, cover the seeds with a few more inches of germination medium, set on a heat mat and crank it to 95F-100F for about 4-6 weeks. 

One thing about these - be careful when you pot them up and have some deep pots handy.  They send down a deep root that is fragile and easy to break.  If you damage it, you're out a plant.  The nice thing about them is that, once they are established, they clump.  If you do get a nasty freeze, there is a chance they will come back from the ground.

[Scott W]

@kinzyjr sounds like a plan!  I have the heat mat and deep pots covered, just need the seeds! 

[howfam]

On 10/18/2021 at 9:50 AM, kinzyjr said:

Since it isn't too long until our meeting at Dr. Rossi's, I could probably get a bag of these together for you and @howfam.  The germination technique is pretty simple.  Get yourself a plastic tub, put down about 3" of moist germination medium, set the seeds down with the thick end facing the direction you want the root to come out, cover the seeds with a few more inches of germination medium, set on a heat mat and crank it to 95F-100F for about 4-6 weeks. 

One thing about these - be careful when you pot them up and have some deep pots handy.  They send down a deep root that is fragile and easy to break.  If you damage it, you're out a plant.  The nice thing about them is that, once they are established, they clump.  If you do get a nasty freeze, there is a chance they will come back from the ground.

Yes, the Hyphaene is a beautiful palm. However due to space limitations and no time to give needed protection for these tender palms, I would pass on these seeds in favor of a non-clustering hardier species. But thanks for considering me.

[JDawgs]

I have a decent size foxtail palm, queen palm, and Christmas palm in my backyard in St. Augustine. There are also some banana clusters. This past winter was rough. It got down to 27-28 and defoliated the foxtail, but it has come back strong. I also have a triple king palm in the front yard that’s really starting to take off. 
 

[Scott W]

14 hours ago, JDawgs said:

I have a decent size foxtail palm, queen palm, and Christmas palm in my backyard in St. Augustine. There are also some banana clusters. This past winter was rough. It got down to 27-28 and defoliated the foxtail, but it has come back strong. I also have a triple king palm in the front yard that’s really starting to take off. 

 

Nice!

I've killed every foxtail previously at my house in north Jax.  Now that I'm Central Jax and on the water I put two seedlings in th ground to see what transpires.   Also have a few Archontophoenix and royals I'm trying.

[howfam]

On 10/30/2021 at 7:17 AM, Scott W said:

Nice!

I've killed every foxtail previously at my house in north Jax.  Now that I'm Central Jax and on the water I put two seedlings in th ground to see what transpires.   Also have a few Archontophoenix and royals I'm trying.

Scott W: I hope we have a few mild winters to allow your palms to get more size and establishment. That along with your microclimate should make the difference in their survival.

[howfam]

On 10/29/2021 at 4:57 PM, JDawgs said:

I have a decent size foxtail palm, queen palm, and Christmas palm in my backyard in St. Augustine. There are also some banana clusters. This past winter was rough. It got down to 27-28 and defoliated the foxtail, but it has come back strong. I also have a triple king palm in the front yard that’s really starting to take off. 
 

JDawgs.: Which species of King Palm is your Archontophoenix, Cunninghamiana or Alexandrae, and how did your 27 deg. temps affect it?

[JDawgs]

5 minutes ago, howfam said:

JDawgs.: Which species of King Palm is your Archontophoenix, Cunninghamiana or Alexandrae, and how did your 27 deg. temps affect it?

It’s a king alexandrae. Some of the fronds were slightly burned, but not too bad. It’s in a north facing spot, but close to the house. It’s been in the ground for over 2 years and I got it as a seedling 3 years ago. It’s definitely more cold hardy than a foxtail palm. 

[howfam]

1 hour ago, JDawgs said:

It’s a king alexandrae. Some of the fronds were slightly burned, but not too bad. It’s in a north facing spot, but close to the house. It’s been in the ground for over 2 years and I got it as a seedling 3 years ago. It’s definitely more cold hardy than a foxtail palm. 

Surely more hardy than a Foxtail, but not as hardy as A. cunninghamiana from what I've heard over the years.  Good luck with all of your palms. BTW- Are there any large Royal Palms in St. Augustine that you know of?