Anyone want to help skin some washingtonias?

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How long until you think it will seed?

15-20 years from seed is my guess.  Could this seed be your trees?

It's been flowering?

Wow! Those are the TorC trees!  Could be!  No hasnt been flowering.. those are leaves that are growing into the crowns from the other trees.. I did add the lighting..

@SailorBold

Your pic deserves another reposting as "miracles never cease in these parts"!

Coming out of winter in zone 7b unprotected!!!!!

AMAZING!!!!

Mile high winter.....

Or is it summer?

 

Winter low of 18f. A mild winter in my yard. These filifera were in the garage and did not see that 8b low.  I had a 6% survival rate! In fact, the lowest these saw was around 25f. 

6%!!!!!

@jwitt

In my humble opinion, plastic growing bags get considerably colder faster and for a longer period. My own rule of thumb is if planted in a plastic nursery pot, you subtract about 5⁰f from the actual temperature. Now plastic growing bags have a very thin layer, so it would be significantly lower than that.  I'm still trying to gauge how much that temperature difference might be.

Were the survival palms in the middle of the group or the exterior? If they were in the middle or against a wall, than my guess is that they were more insulated. 

On 4/27/2026 at 9:58 AM, ABQPalms said:

@jwitt

In my humble opinion, plastic growing bags get considerably colder faster and for a longer period. My own rule of thumb is if planted in a plastic nursery pot, you subtract about 5⁰f from the actual temperature. Now plastic growing bags have a very thin layer, so it would be significantly lower than that.  I'm still trying to gauge how much that temperature difference might be.

Were the survival palms in the middle of the group or the exterior? If they were in the middle or against a wall, than my guess is that they were more insulated. 

I was incorrect, the survival rate was 4%.

One of the survivors was in a larger pot, left on the patio the entire winter. 

So of the 2 "bag" survivors, the best one was on the edge, and the hanger on was in the middle. 

I do not think the losses were temperature related.

More to follow.....

 

 

1 hour ago, SailorBold said:

Lit up underneath....... ✔️ 

Two outer palms curving outward ✔️ 

-10f survivors ✔️ 

Filifera trifecta ✔️ 

Growing in zone 7b unprotected ✔️ 

 

10 hours ago, jwitt said:

Lit up underneath....... ✔️ 

Two outer palms curving outward ✔️ 

-10f survivors ✔️ 

Filifera trifecta ✔️ 

Growing in zone 7b unprotected ✔️ 

 

Lol..Yes sir.. the bit of the trunks that were skinned..was a truck load.. should I shave em higher?

1 hour ago, SailorBold said:

Lol..Yes sir.. the bit of the trunks that were skinned..was a truck load.. should I shave em higher?

They look great in my opinion! Skinned not too much and not too little to even notice. 

7 hours ago, SailorBold said:

Lol..Yes sir.. the bit of the trunks that were skinned..was a truck load.. should I shave em higher?

Any more is just teasing a palm pedophile! More......!

Lol..Nice!.. interesting how damp and cool the leaf bases were as I was removing them..they must provide a ton of temperature moderation and protection in winter? I wonder if they will grow faster now..

9 hours ago, SailorBold said:

.they must provide a ton of temperature moderation and protection in winter

@SailorBold summer protection.  Hence the term I use sometimes, " water pumpers". 

But yes, winter protection when larger, almost like a wall of water.  Actually thermal mass in the spear of mostly water. 

The palm groves themselves provide their own, cooler microclimate on hot days, noticed by many people who enter these groves. 

You can feel it with your hand near the spear on a hot dry summer day. 

This palm is so misunderstood.  So many mistruths! 

Number one being they dislike humidity/wet .....

Water pumping cotton palms create their own microclimate where it matters, around the spear.

For some, this past winter has been rough.

 

My own deep bag filifera had a 4% survival rate. 

 

My worst "grove" =33% survival az ecotype, Mesa.  Midland sourced seed have been added to the "grove".

 

Had one 75% (CA pure)survival grove, the rest at 100%.  

 First split leaf. Any guesses?

On 5/20/2026 at 6:37 PM, jwitt said:

 First split leaf. Any guesses?

Hybrid?

4 hours ago, SailorBold said:

Hybrid

4 hours ago, SailorBold said:

Hybrid?

Reasons?

I dont know.. does filifera throw more strap leafs before leaf splitting?

On 5/27/2026 at 8:13 PM, SailorBold said:

I dont know.. does filifera throw more strap leafs before leaf splitting?

There are very few fibers on @jwitt picture of his "hybrid". For me, my filiferas from seed have started to push out split leaves about 4 to 5 months after germination. Here are a couple of pictures of mine. Note: Germinated March 6, 2025.

The first pic is from August 9, 2025, shortly after first split leaves despite having a grasshopper problem last summer. Second pick is today May 30, 2025, that are currently between 12" and 18" overall height.

Here is a shot from the other side. Seed was planted late, in mid June, did not sprout til July. Pot was on patio entire winter. First leaf with any split, so fourth or fifth leaf.

I see a difference in the first split leaf between mine and @ABQPalms . July 21, 2025

Marked up first split

Happy 250th!

Some say that is how long a filifera can live.

@Ltapia Rayado or TorC? They are 4f survivors!