Best spot for 24-36” box palms near LA

[Breaktheory]

Hi all…

Aside from Moon Valley ($900 for 24” king ha!) and Palm plantation, who else sells large boxes near LA? There are a few places up and down the 101 between Thousand Oaks & Somis but they don’t seem to be the most well maintained plants…

Palm Plantation has a great selection but the prices are also pretty high when you factor in delivery and planting.

Thanks!

[Matt from LA]

International Palm Growers in Arleta has, at least as of a couple of years ago, very large specimens--818-892-9341

Also, The Fern Factory in Riverside has some pretty massive stuff as well--Fern Factory - Fern Factory offers a wide variety of Tree Ferns, staghorn fern, Rare ferns

[bruce Steele]

Maybe Fresno seems a long way from LA but if you are in the market for box sizes$ the trip north might be worth it. Sago Rey has been around a long time and Maria knows the business. 
https://www.facebook.com/sagoreypalms/

Another place with lots of big boxed palms of the landscape variety is in Nipomo. Called Cal Coast Palms 805-868-0822.  Their website isn’t working and you need to call to make sure someone is there but they have lots of very big Butia 4-5’ trunks, CIDP, and like I said mostly standard landscape cool area palms. The whole place is under canopy because their boxed palms are very big. A fun walk through the jungle. 

[Billeb]

There is a bunch of places in Orange County. If you are trying to hunt down a 36” box Archontophoenix that’s one thing. But if your searching for a 36” box Chambeyronia that’s another. 
What are you looking for? Do you have the capability of transporting a 36” box? Some trees will be waaaaay over $900 for that size. 
 

-dale

[Breaktheory]

Riverside is a hike but Arleta isn’t too far - thanks for the tip I’ll call them

[Breaktheory]

8 minutes ago, Billeb said:

There is a bunch of places in Orange County. If you are trying to hunt down a 36” box Archontophoenix that’s one thing. But if your searching for a 36” box Chambeyronia that’s another. 
What are you looking for? Do you have the capability of transporting a 36” box? Some trees will be waaaaay over $900 for that size. 
 

-dale

So it’s the transport that gets expensive - I’m in Agoura (near Thousand Oaks)

I’m looking for large size Royals and Foxtails.

Palm plantation had a few 42” Royals but after delivery and install it was $2500 - they also had some nice 36” Royals for $750 but again the delivery and install more than doubles the cost.

Are there places in OC that would have large Royals and not kill me on delivery?

I don’t even have a truck so I would need delivery of any box size.

Edited March 29, 2022 by Breaktheory

[aztropic]

You can always rent a truck from the orange box. Very reasonable rates,and might be a solution to your dilemma.

 

aztropic

Mesa, Arizona

[Billeb]

30 minutes ago, Breaktheory said:

So it’s the transport that gets expensive - I’m in Agoura (near Thousand Oaks)

I’m looking for large size Royals and Foxtails.

Palm plantation had a few 42” Royals but after delivery and install it was $2500 - they also had some nice 36” Royals for $750 but again the delivery and install more than doubles the cost.

Are there places in OC that would have large Royals and not kill me on delivery?

I don’t even have a truck so I would need delivery of any box size.

You’re looking for the Holy Grail deal. Big plants, fair price, cheap delivery. It’s going to be a huge challenge. I mean huge…
 

Both Roystoneas and Bifurcata grow really well. I would just buy a 15-20G max, throw it in the ground as soon as you can. Growing season is upon us. 
 

-dale

[Dusty CBAD]

I agree with Dale, a boxed palm with no way to transport it or plant it yourself is easily over $1k. 
 

Home Depot/lowes has 8’ tall foxtails all the time in 15g-25g size. And a good 15g royal is usually about that tall also. Royals want to be in the ground, I would be really skeptical buying a boxed one. 2 years from now the healthy non trunking 15g will be the better plant. 
 

Josh-O at Fairview in Vista Ca probably has 15g Royals. Or bluebell nursery in Anaheim. Try Craigslist too. Backyard growers are awesome. 

This topic of size seems to come up quite a bit on palmtalk. All of the palm growing vets with the most beautiful gardens will tell you 1g-20g plants are the way to go.

[Silas_Sancona]

28 minutes ago, Dusty CBAD said:

I agree with Dale, a boxed palm with no way to transport it or plant it yourself is easily over $1k. 
 

Home Depot/lowes has 8’ tall foxtails all the time in 15g-25g size. And a good 15g royal is usually about that tall also. Royals want to be in the ground, I would be really skeptical buying a boxed one. 2 years from now the healthy non trunking 15g will be the better plant. 
 

Josh-O at Fairview in Vista Ca probably has 15g Royals. Or bluebell nursery in Anaheim. Try Craigslist too. Backyard growers are awesome. 

This topic of size seems to come up quite a bit on palmtalk.   All of the palm growing vets with the most beautiful gardens will tell you 1g-20g plants are the way to go.

Agree 100% w/ this..

[Darold Petty]

Yes, this is very common, spend the big bucks for a large, containerized palm, add a few small ones, after a few years the small ones have surpassed the big one.  Palms installed smaller will always become better adults.  

[Breaktheory]

1 hour ago, Billeb said:

You’re looking for the Holy Grail deal. Big plants, fair price, cheap delivery. It’s going to be a huge challenge. I mean huge…
 

Both Roystoneas and Bifurcata grow really well. I would just buy a 15-20G max, throw it in the ground as soon as you can. Growing season is upon us. 
 

-dale

holy grail indeed - I’ve certainly heard the advice I’m hearing now that buying small and having a little patience is the way to go. I get it and it makes financial sense but I recently razed my entire yard tearing down 3 birch trees so i have nothing there except grass - I’d love a single 36” Royal and then 3 additional 25G and 2 x 25G foxtails - that way my yard isn’t just a nursery for 2 years. 
 

When @Dusty CBAD mentions royals wanting to be in the ground, might this affect them negatively down the line as being trapped in a box strangles them for too long?

[Breaktheory]

2 minutes ago, Darold Petty said:

Yes, this is very common, spend the big bucks for a large, containerized palm, add a few small ones, after a few years the small ones have surpassed the big one.  Palms installed smaller will always become better adults.  

I get why this would be as they’re struggling for space to spread out…

 

I don’t understand how the 96” box 20 foot canaries so robust - expensive as hell but they look as good as anything I’ve seen in the ground (at moon valley or palm plantation anyway)

are these ground dug and then placed into containers?

[aztropic]

Yes. Large palms are field grown,root pruned,then boxed or potted up. Pretty much anything 15 gallon size and up, unless coming from a small local nursery or backyard grower.

 

aztropic

Mesa, Arizona

[James B]

It’s your yard and your money so at the end of the day I cannot tell you what to buy but I will give my input around Royal palms. It will be expensive to go above 24” box size with a Royal.

2.) Personally I think it’s it’s not worth it. Royals that are in a 36” plus sized box are skinny and never will be good representations of the species here in CA. (In FL you can get field grown specimens.

Its better to get 25 gallon to 24” box sized Royals which I bought 2 from Palm Plantation 2 years ago and my larger specimen has double the trunk width of the 36” and 48” box sized specimens which really just look like large King palms as Royals need lots of water and space for their roots.

They grow fast if you water them lots and in 2-4 years you’ll be looking up at them if you go that route. 

[James B]

This guy I bought from PP in summer 2019. 
was about 7 feet tall and 6-8” across at the base.

Now it’s about 17-18 feet tall and close to 20” across at the base with a 5ft crown shaft.

Leaves are fried from brutal Santa Anna’s this winter but I puts out 8 fronds between April-November so it’s whole crown will be replaced by late summer. 

[Kim]

Buy in 15-gal pots and spend the money you would have paid for boxed specimens and delivery on water for them. You will not be disappointed. Watching a palm grow from juvenile to adult is 90% of the joy.

 

Edit: When I first saw your post, I assumed it was a commercial installation. You don't need the problems that come with an instant landscape.

[Breaktheory]

@James B

Sounds like you did what I’m thinking of - I’ve certainly heard this before, the smaller plants start eclipse the larger which tend to get crippled by life in a box.

That’s a huge leap in size over less than 4 years!

Where are you located that the winds fried your trees? I’m in Agoura Hills with an area that gets full sun morning to night but it’s not uncommon to hit 100 in the summer - the coldest we’ve seen in 20 years is 32 degrees in December although that’s from a weather station 3 miles. How do you think Royals would do in my area?

[JubaeaMan138]

Big specimens at awesome price some Of the harder to find stuff Cambridge pines nursery orange ca . 

[OC2Texaspalmlvr]

6 hours ago, Kim said:

Buy in 15-gal pots and spend the money you would have paid for boxed specimens and delivery on water for them. You will not be disappointed. Watching a palm grow from juvenile to adult is 90% of the joy.

100% truth here from Kim Don't bother with instant satisfaction stop by @DoomsDave get a tour and buy a bunch of palms off him for cheap. Well thats what i wouldve done if i knew about PT back when i lived in SoCal.

T J 

[OC2Texaspalmlvr]

Also there is plenty of PTers in SoCal that are always selling palms for way cheaper then any nursery. Support our local PT hobbyist =) Also once you are looking for that one palm in particular check out @Phil Jungle Music one day better yet give them a call Phil and Jesse are great palm people to chat with. I still buy palms from them and I live in Texas now !!! 

T J 

[James B]

Rancho Cucamonga north of the 210 freeway. 1600 ft elevation. The hotter the area of Socal you are in the faster they will grow as long as you give them copious amounts of water. I normally get 10-15 days over 100 each summer. They grow fastest when it’s over 100. They will push spears over 2” a day when it’s that hot. You can mark a spear in the am with a marker and by 4pm it’s crazy how far it’s grown.

[Billeb]

52 minutes ago, JubaeaMan138 said:

Big specimens at awesome price some Of the harder to find stuff Cambridge pines nursery orange ca . 

Ive been buying stuff from Ed & his son Seth for years. Agreed, he’s got a bunch of stuff at good prices. Nothing too exotic at all tho. Kings, Kentias, Queens, Mediterraneans etc. Not like the growers down south in SD area. 
 

He actually does have Royals and Foxtails tho in 15’s & 20’s. I was there a while ago. You're going to need a truck. 
 

-dale

[Breaktheory]

1 hour ago, James B said:

Rancho Cucamonga north of the 210 freeway. 1600 ft elevation. The hotter the area of Socal you are in the faster they will grow as long as you give them copious amounts of water. I normally get 10-15 days over 100 each summer. They grow fastest when it’s over 100. They will push spears over 2” a day when it’s that hot. You can mark a spear in the am with a marker and by 4pm it’s crazy how far it’s grown.

That’s crazy indeed…how cold does it get out there? I would worry about a cold snap doing trunk damage in my area if it hits freezing.

[Matt from LA]

Another nursery which has some large palms and cycads is Estrada Nursery in La Puente:

http://www.estradaspalms.com/

[JubaeaMan138]

10 hours ago, Billeb said:

Ive been buying stuff from Ed & his son Seth for years. Agreed, he’s got a bunch of stuff at good prices. Nothing too exotic at all tho. Kings, Kentias, Queens, Mediterraneans etc. Not like the growers down south in SD area. 
 

He actually does have Royals and Foxtails tho in 15’s & 20’s. I was there a while ago. You're going to need a truck. 
 

-dale

Every once in a while he’ll have some rare privately dup up stuff . Big royals last I checked I think his 25 crate royals were around 125 he had some dypsis as well as jubaeas . Ed is a cool dude 

[James B]

9 hours ago, Breaktheory said:

That’s crazy indeed…how cold does it get out there? I would worry about a cold snap doing trunk damage in my area if it hits freezing.

29-30 degrees is the low a few nights each winter. We do not get cold enough anywhere in SoCal to severally damage a Royal palm. They see far colder temps in Florida where they are naturalized than they do here. At the size mine are now they can handle 23-24 degrees. In another 3 or 4 years they will be able to handle 20-22 degrees. I don’t see that ever getting that low at my place with global warming.

[Breaktheory]

9 hours ago, Matt from LA said:

Another nursery which has some large palms and cycads is Estrada Nursery in La Puente:

http://www.estradaspalms.com/

Thanks for the tip on Estrada

On a size related note, I see these (look like foxtails without the foxy fronds) below on their front page…I’ve seen this size in 24” but these appear to be in 20s or so. Is having this much trunk in such a small container going to be problematic down there line?

 

[aztropic]

Those are king palms that have been in their pots a long time. (Too long) It perfectly illustrates what everyone has been trying to tell you about buying the bigger potted material. If you are happy with a skinny trunked king palm,with a couple sickly fronds,well,there you go. A smaller king planted out in the ground would have a trunk at least twice as thick,and be way more robust overall.

 

aztropic

Mesa, Arizona

 

 

[Darold Petty]

Yah, what aztropic said !

[enigma99]

To echo what has already been said, years ago I wanted "instant gratification" so planted a dozen 24" box kings. While they have grown a little, it's the 15g size that have triple the diameter trunks and larger size.. and look really healthy. Also my 3 gallon kings are huge and passing them up now!

Edited March 30, 2022 by enigma99

[Billeb]

14 hours ago, Breaktheory said:

 

Those don’t look good at all. You can find better palms at HD. Which says a lot….

-dale