Help with getting a palm in Blackpool UK

[WebT]

Hi folks.

I need help getting a palm tree for some guys in England. A while ago the supporters of BlackpoolFC in Blackpool, England, chose to "adopt" my MLS team, the Houston Dynamo (it's a soccer team, for non-soccer people). The Dynamo supporters and Blackpool supporters began sending messages back and forth, as well as other souvenirs and watching each others' games, etc.

Now the Dynamo supporters would like to buy a palm tree to be planted by the Blackpool stadium as a reflection of the palm trees in the four corners of our stadium (Robertson) in Houston. Our palms are Washingtonians and look really cool, they make our field look unique among MLS stadiums. We realize, though, that Washingtonians probably aren't a good choice for Blackpool.

We would like help selecting a palm that would do well for that area. I think maybe a trachycarpus would work, or maybe a Chamaerops humili. I found this link to a nice picture of a trachycarpus in London: http://www.urbantropics.co.uk/palms.htm and thought it might be a good choice, though I'm sure one the size of the picture would be quite expensive.

In addition, we also need help finding a place that would have palms in or near Blackpool, and would be able to deliver. Also, when would be the ideal time to plant a palm there? I'm thinking it's probably too late in the year over there already. But maybe it could be delivered now and planted in the spring?

Any help that British palm experts could give us would be appreciated by the folks that support the Houston Dynamo (the Texian Army and El Batallón). But shhhh! not a word to BlackpoolFC, let's keep it a secret. Well, they already know we're trying to get them a palm, but they don't know what kind.  Thanks for any help you can give us.

[ColinB]

Hi WebT,

You are right in your assumption that Washingtonias would not be suitable for Blackpool. Too far North. Trachycarpus fortunei however would be perfect and could be planted anytime except winter (although spring is always best).

I don't know of any places in the Blackpool area who would stock anything of a decent size but have a look at these links to get an idea of price (delivery could be quite a lot).

http://www.thepalmcentre.co.uk/

http://www.mulu.co.uk/plant_info.php?id=160

Hope this helps, Colin

[Nigel]

WebT how much do you want to spend ?

You do realise that english football fans are hooligans and liable to destroy anything within reach ?

A small palm would probably be ripped up and used as ammo.

A good size Trachycarpus wagnerianus might be a good choice assuming its outside of hooligan alley.

[WebT]

Thanks guys, you sure are fast.

They know what we're planning on doing so I think they can find a place where it would be relatively safe, the team knows about it too and I think they're planning something. It's really a cool thing going on between us.

As far as money, that's what we're trying to figure out. So far we've collected a couple of hundred $$ I think, but we can probably get whatever we need. I think most of the people involved don't really have any idea how to do this. I do know palms and used to post here a lot, so I've seen a lot of British palm pix and things. But I have no idea about how to go about actually getting a palm purchased and delivered to the site.

Thanks again, I'll be keeping in touch here.

And Let's Go Dynamo and Blackpool!!!!

[Nigel]

The nearest main dealer that I know of is Easytropicals around 50 miles away.

The website is www.easytropicals.co.uk and they would certainly have some large specimen Trachys for sale.

I am sure the owner, Paul Robinson would be able to arrange the delivery if you contact him.

[PalmGuyWC]

Nigel,

Would a Butia or even a Jubaea grow in Blackpool? Once it formed a trunk, even your Soccer hooligans might have trouble tangleing with it. (BTW, I love that British term, "hooligans." In the USA we call them "punks" or worse).

I'm growing up several Parajubaeas and some other palms to be planted in public places (parks, medians, etc.) in the San Francisco Bay area. They probably won't be much taller than waist high when planted as I think the sooner you get Parjubaeas in the ground the better. I'm sure when they are young they will have to have some kind of wrought iron fencing to protect them, and that could run into a lot of money.

It's a pitty that we palm growers have not only the weather, and water problems to contend with, and also planning commissions, but vandals who would whack a palm down without blinking an eye.

Years ago there was a vandal who kept visiting my garden in the night and whacking off palms, spray painting, cutting hoses, etc.  After installing burgler alarms, light beams, etc., we finally caught the little bastard. He was in my green house trashing it at midnight. My partner tackled him, rolled in the gravel, and finallly whacked him on the head with a heavy duty flashlight. That took the fight out of him, but my partner had two fractured ribs and missed 6 weeks of work.

We tied him up with 100 feet of rope, arms down by his side.  He looked like a mummy with only his head not bound in rope. We called the cops and when they arrived, they broke up laughing at the sight.

It turned out to be a 16 yo kid, but a big kid, football player type, and he imagined he was Rambo. He was dressed in camaflouge, boots, mask and a large knife. Ahh, the tribulations of growing palms. My partner warned him he might meet a bullet if he came back, and we never saw him again.

Dick

[Nigel]

Dick, if you did that to a 16 year old hooligan here I am quite sure you would end up in jail. They are untouchable.

A Jubaea or Butia would probably do well in Blackpool, but Trachycarpus is faster and WebT was after a fan palm.

As an aside something that amused me in Brazil was the fact that whilst none of them spoke english they did know the word `hooligan`.  They also add `inho` to the end of words to indicate something small.

My 12 year old son quickly became known as `hooliganinho` because he was english and wore football shirts.

[Gaston in Argentina]

Palms and football !  Oh!

Plant Trithrinax campestris, they survived the attack of the megateriums and gliptodonts time ago, also will survive well any hoolingan attack for brave that can be.- But its true, their spines can injurie some hooligans, or the referee (and the ball if touched!) something that never would be so bad :-)

Nigel, english football "barrabravas" are know here also as hooligans.- They have a world reputation as brave people of the sport.-

Cheers. Gaston

[PalmGuyWC]

Nigel,

We didn't know he was a 16 yo until after the fact. His face and head were mostly covered with a scarf and you could only see his eyes.  The cops respondly quickly, and it was only when they pulled the scarf back that we realized he was a kid.....but a big one, could have passed for a 21 yo. They had us untie him and it was kind of funny watching him twirl around as the rope uncoiled.

Actually he was trapped in my greenhouse and he let out a blood curdling scream and dove through my greenhouse door and splatered it in a hundred pieces. It was only later after the cops had left that we discovered the large knife that he was holding that fell out of his hands and was under a bush growing by the greenhouse. I suppose the incident could have been more serious than two cracked ribs.

Dick

[Paul S]

Dick - sounds like your wife is someone to keep on the right side of.....

...... I'm kidding, of course.  I just couldn't resist.  Sorry.

[PalmGuyWC]

Paul,

Actually my "partner" was my house mate and a hard assed United Airlines Captain. He would take no nonsense from anyone, and when the kid spouted out some profanity, that's when Walter whacked him against the head with the flashlight. Never call your pilot names or you might suffer the consiquenses, and these days you would be detained at the next stop.

Sorry, I can't resist one airline story. Many years ago Sarah Churchell, the daughter of Winston Churchell was on one of our flights. It was a trans-con from NY to San Francisco, and she had to much to drink and was disturbing the other passengers. Since she was well known, the Captain tried the gental approach first, and moved the cabin pressure up about 2000 ft., thinking the booze and the rarer air would put her to sleep. It didn't work as she only got louder and more unruley.

So....the Capt. elected to make an unscheduled landing at Casper Wyoming, which was in the middle of nowhere, and he kicked her off the plane. I think she cooled it there for a day or two before she could continue her journey.  Sorry as this has nothing to do about palms.

Dick

[Nigel]

(Gaston in Argentina @ Aug. 24 2007,04:58)

QUOTE

Plant Trithrinax campestris, they survived the attack of the megateriums and gliptodonts time ago, also will survive well any hoolingan attack for brave that can be.-

Gets my vote for most hilarious sentence of the month.

[WebT]

So, then, yall would agree that Trachycarpus fortunei would probably be the best choice for us to add a touch of Houston tropics to the Blackpool stadium?

When would you consider it to be too late to order/deliver one to them? You don't think September would be too late? Around here I've always heard you shouldn't plant palms after August or September.

Thanks for all your help.

[Nigel]

Not a problem for T fortunei, they are tough as old boots.

[Dave-Vero]

Trachy seems the way to go, but Butias are pretty good at self defence.  I was cutting the grass around one of mine, and the tip of a leaflet got in my ear and punctured the eardrum.  Of course it was on Saturday at the start of a three day weekend.  There was no particular indication that the injury needed immediate treatment, so i toughed it out and saw the doctor on Tuesday.

[manxmann]

Did you get a palm planted in Blackpool? I got a six foot trunked Trachy from Stapely Water Gardens in Cheshire on Sunday. Bargain price too! Thats not a million miles away from Blackpool

[MattyB]

Trachy would be the tallest too.

[BS Man about Palms]

I can't believe I missed the first time through.....

I have SIX of the "products from Blackpool"

Yep, including my Avatar, TVR sports cars (were) made in Blackpool.

[steve 9atx]

WebT

If you're from East Bernard, there's probably an 80% chance you're Czech. If so, "dobre vecer".

Two questions: 1.) Robertson Stadium has W. robusta's in the corners, do you think filifera's or

even "filibusta's" would make it in the UK? 2.) How about Nannorrhops for a UK fan palm?

Steve

Edited September 26, 2008 by steve 9atx

[Daniel]

Hi Steve,

Washies would not be able to survive in Blackpool, it's always cold there, even in the Summer. They do ok further South but can be defoliated if it's a particularly cold Winter here in the UK.

I think it's going to have to be a Trachy assuming that it will not be too windy. Or Chamaerops, but they are very expensive here and are not available in big sizes.

It would be interesting to know whether this great idea is still going to happen. I'd be willing to ring some of the suppliers if my help is needed at all.