Lolipop Palmettos and More in Charlotte NC

[Mr.SamuraiSword]

During spring break I took a trip to North Carolina to visit some family and friends, and on the last day, I took a trip into the Charlotte area, I was quite surprised at the abundance of palms in some areas, and almost complete lack therof in others.  One neighborhood in South Charlotte has a large number of palms, particularly Sabal Palmetto and Windmills, with some others mixed in.  First, some of the palmettos, most had very full crowns and looked as healthy and robust as any palmetto in Florida or elsewhere.  Many have clearly been there for some years.  Take a gander at these lolipops!

Probably my favorite of the bunch.

Is this Charlotte or Chareleston?

The housing planners were clearly going after that old coastal southern Charleston/Savanah type look with many these homes, might explain the palm overload. 

A few were volunteering scattered in shrubs and understory, this was one of the nicer ones, located on a property with no other palmettos, hopefully they let it grow.

Interestingly among the dozens and dozens of palmettos I only saw a few Butia scattered around the place. 

Here's the largest one I saw, sadly trimmed to hell and penciling.   I saw a total of 4 including one juvenile planting that didn't seem worth photographing.

Another under more palmettos.

Healthy Chamaerops humilis, appearing to have a single trunk.   This was only European Fan palm I saw in the area.

Windmills were planted in similar numbers to Palmettos.  there were a couple small volunteers mixed in.

These two were the tallest I saw.

Most were around this size 

Only one home had any Sabal Minor or Needle Palms, the same home that has the Pindo underneath the two palmettos.

A few Sago Cycads were scattered around too.

Sagos, Palmetto's and Windmills.

IMG_0462.HEIC IMG_0462(1).HEIC

Edited March 20, 2022 by Mr.SamuraiSword

[Mr.SamuraiSword]

After leaving the neighborhood, I started the journey back to my friends house, though took several detours.  While passing through the Mountain Island Lake region, I stopped into a neighborhood across the street from the Haymarket Nature Preserve.  The most surprising find was this fan palm with heavy cold damage.  I first assumed Washingtonia Robusta though now am considering Livistona Chinensis, any opinions on an ID are welcome!

Sabal Palmetto, Butia Odorata, Sabal Minors, Needle Palms,  and a Trachycarpus windmill palm, 

They also had some large Prickly Pear Cacti (Anyone know what kind?) and Yucca (Glorisia?), note a naturalizing sabal in the mix.

More Palmettos, at another home.

A few other palmetto and butia were mixed around, though I couldn't get any photos.  Windmills were widespread and sagos were more prevalent than in that south charlotte neighborhood. 

Needle palm pair, some seedlings naturalizing around.

 

IMG_0462.HEIC IMG_0462(1).HEIC IMG_0462.HEIC IMG_0462.HEIC IMG_0462(1).HEIC

Edited March 20, 2022 by Mr.SamuraiSword

[DreaminAboutPalms]

Thanks for sharing! Always wondered how many palms in charlotte, can’t seem to find many pics on here

[NCFM]

Great finds!

[Phassett]

I wish all of Charlotte was like this!

[knikfar]

15 hours ago, Phassett said:

I wish all of Charlotte was like this!

I wish all of Raleigh was like this! 

[MonkeDonkezz]

1 hour ago, knikfar said:

I wish all of Raleigh was like this! 

I wish all of NYC was like this! though it would only happen if a harsh climate change scenario happened in 50 years.

[PalmatierMeg]

I like the Sabal "Puffball on a stick" full, round crown look best. I hate that in FL many of them are hurricane cut just before storm season. Of all palms, Sabals have evolved to cope with hurricane winds.

[Mr.SamuraiSword]

On 3/22/2022 at 1:23 PM, PalmatierMeg said:

I like the Sabal "Puffball on a stick" full, round crown look best. I hate that in FL many of them are hurricane cut just before storm season. Of all palms, Sabals have evolved to cope with hurricane winds.

Very true, natural is best... Hurricane cuts legit make it more likley to die in a storm as you are aware, and even odder is it is often done out west.  From my experience, its done more often in Phoenix than Fort Myers or anywhere else in FL....  Wonder when the last Sonoran hurricane was?

Edited March 30, 2022 by Mr.SamuraiSword

[WSimpson]

Thanks for showing those pictures . I didn't know Charlotte had that many mature  Palmettos .  Some of them obviously made it through 2018 so they have taken about as much as mother nature can throw at them after surviving that winter's  8 day cold spell .

Will

Edited March 30, 2022 by Will Simpson

[GoatLockerGuns]

16 hours ago, Mr.SamuraiSword said:

Very true, natural is best... Hurricane cuts legit make it more likley to die in a storm as you are aware, and even odder is it is often done out west.  From my experience, its done more often in Phoenix than Fort Myers or anywhere else in FL....  Wonder when the last Sonoran hurricane was?

I think the "hurricane cut" has gone out of favor for pre-storm pruning.  The attached paper from UoF details how this method did not bear fruit after the 2004 and 2005 seasons (it also provides a wealth of information on palm pruning in general).

I believe there are still some conflicting views of the "hurricane cut" for transplanting Sabal spp. (i.e., digging up a fully grown palm and transplanting it in a new location).  The working theory, as I understand it, is that the "hurricane cut" forces the palm to focus on the new spear/frond/root growth post-transplant (vice "wasting" energy keeping the old fronds alive).  I would suspect that transplanted "hurricane cut" Sabal spp. is what you are seeing in Phoenix.  While some recommend the "hurricane cut" for transplanting Sabal spp., like Lee County, Florida (https://www.leegov.com/dcd/Documents/ES/SabalPalms.pdf), others disagree.  This nursery business (Regenerated Sabals Palms) prefers to "regenerate the Sabal spp. roots" prior to customer delivery (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/regenerated-sabal-palms-versus-hurricane-cut-andrew-birkett).  Sounds good...also sounds costly/time consuming (the cost of which I would assume are passed on to the customer).

Regardless, the fact that Sabal spp. have less tolerance to root disturbance than many other palms, and the fact that it takes so long to grow mature Sabal spp. palms, has led to people coming up with innovative ways to try an solve the "transplant" problem.  I haven't found any specific peer reviewed studies that would suggest advocating for one Sabal spp. transplant method over the other (yet); therefore, it seems most of the information on this is based on anecdotal data/opinions/preference.

EP44300.pdf