On 10/14/2023 at 8:31 AM, iDesign said:

I just planted this very showdown...

The Pembana (left) is on a slope so looks taller, but the Teddy (on right, in the shadow) is actually the same height.  My money's on the Pembana for the win, but we shall see. Both have been strong growers for me. If I'm SUPER lucky, perhaps I'll be able to make a "Paradise Palm" hybrid someday.

* These two palms are closer than I normally plant, but I'm hoping to get a "wall" going between myself and neighbor's boring yard. If it gets too crowded I can easily remove the angel trumpet between the two palms and/or cut back the banana clump...  but there might be a lot of frond smashing if they do end up the same height. The Teddy fronds will also fight with the fence for a while (and need to be trimmed on the fence side) but will eventually clear it. The Teddy is approximately 14" from edge of the trunk to the fence, which I'm hoping will be enough. I'm really pushing it on spacing with this combo, and hoping I won't regret this pairing. 😬

If you absolutely have to, you can relatively easily dig and move the pembana (not so sure about the Teddy).

On 11/14/2023 at 9:28 AM, Billeb said:

Damn…..You should throw some sulfur dust on that!! That’s an open wound 😳

 

The growth is fantastic tho! Trees look awesome. 
 

-dale 

 

On 11/14/2023 at 8:15 AM, Looking Glass said:

After a windy, rainy night a frond ripped off one to reveal the first convincing trunk of the three.  The branch was brown, but seemed to rip off a little early, so hopefully any wounds will heal up ok.   The others are also starting to show their rings now too.  About 2.5 years from 3 gallon pots to trunking.   

Also the fuzz is really starting to come out.  This ginger 5 o’clock shadow seems to work like a waterproofing layer.  It stays dry and doesn’t soak up water.  

 

TEN

NINE

EIGHT

(etc) 

We have liftoff!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-cv_JJOxGI

On 6/7/2022 at 4:18 PM, Looking Glass said:

March 2021…

May 2021…

.    

March 2021….

 

May 2021….

  

 

November 2024…

I pulled up all the multiplied bromeliads and remulched the bed.   Once again, a million fireballs got swamped with weeds and greened out.  These guys are too small to battle the weeds.  

 

Fertilized and put everything back.  

 

The Teddies dropped a bunch of leaves quickly over a few weeks, revealing hidden rings underneath.

 

Pembana has caught up, doing fine.  I just ignore this one and it stays happy.  No extra fertilizer or water.  

 

Overall fairly quick bunch with a lot of fertilizer and water and sun.  

Nice update, I always love before/after pictures of palm growth. It's always fascinating to me watching them take off. It's exciting as well when you find a certain species that just loves the environment you put it in. Hurricane palms (dictyosperma) have always been that palm for me.

I read some of the earlier comments in this thread, and I have the same mentality as you in that I like interesting palms but it won't work if they want to be babied. 😂 I want a cool, interesting garden, but it can't be too much work. I've had a few palms in the past that didn't do the best, and I just ripped them out and put something else in that didn't complain. I don't spend all that much time trying to figure out why a palm doesn't like its spot lol

11 minutes ago, RainforestCafe said:

Nice update, I always love before/after pictures of palm growth. It's always fascinating to me watching them take off. It's exciting as well when you find a certain species that just loves the environment you put it in. Hurricane palms (dictyosperma) have always been that palm for me.

I read some of the earlier comments in this thread, and I have the same mentality as you in that I like interesting palms but it won't work if they want to be babied. 😂 I want a cool, interesting garden, but it can't be too much work. I've had a few palms in the past that didn't do the best, and I just ripped them out and put something else in that didn't complain. I don't spend all that much time trying to figure out why a palm doesn't like its spot lol

I’ve got a few of those simmering for years, and due to get out there soon.   They are carefree in our conditions.   

I like interesting, but also try to find those that fit without ICU level care!  I’m getting a little more ruthless with the culling lately.   Live long and prosper… or else!  

@Looking Glass That's the conjugatum variety, my favorite! Well, 2nd favorite palm next to my favorite, the Sabal Palmetto.

I think the conjugatum variety is a palm that flies under the radar for Florida. They're extremely hardy, and I know you don't have to worry about cold where you're at, but they can take a good bit of cold as well. They'll survive upper 20s no problem at all.

Their fronds stay so nice and dark green all the time, and one of mine just went through the very center of Milton's winds and looked awesome afterwards too.

This is the day after Milton, after taking somewhere around ~100mph winds:

 

 

8 minutes ago, RainforestCafe said:

 

That’s one looks great!  Perfectly aged.  

Pembana popped its first flower spathe today.   4 years from 3 gallon pot to flowering.  

I planted two new teddies in mostly sun(6-7 hrs direct) last august and they have grown much faster than my older one had grown in part day direct sun(3hrs).  The soil was also better prepared(more organics, turface MVP,  in the new plantings.  Seems to me the planting conditions (sun, soil) had a large impact.  the overall height has grown more than 2' after planting last august.  Might be the spot/conditions matter a lot more than people realize.

15 hours ago, sonoranfans said:

I planted two new teddies in mostly sun(6-7 hrs direct) last august and they have grown much faster than my older one had grown in part day direct sun(3hrs).  The soil was also better prepared(more organics, turface MVP,  in the new plantings.  Seems to me the planting conditions (sun, soil) had a large impact.  the overall height has grown more than 2' after planting last august.  Might be the spot/conditions matter a lot more than people realize.

I was surprised how sun tolerant these were at a young age here.  They took most day sun at 3g well, with enough water.  

Holy...

@Looking Glass, that's an amazing growth rate and thanks for the update!

If it's ok, I will post some new images of my teddy bear and pembana soon - at the moment it's pitch dark outside.

Lars

On 2/15/2025 at 6:57 AM, sonoranfans said:

I planted two new teddies in mostly sun(6-7 hrs direct) last august and they have grown much faster than my older one had grown in part day direct sun(3hrs).  The soil was also better prepared(more organics, turface MVP,  in the new plantings.  Seems to me the planting conditions (sun, soil) had a large impact.  the overall height has grown more than 2' after planting last august.  Might be the spot/conditions matter a lot more than people realize.

I agree they grow faster with some sun (within reason). I had three Pembanas in pots, one in front of the other in a row... and the one in the front (closest to the sun) grew much faster than the ones in partial sun. 🚀

Hi,

here are my two fellas.

C. leptocheilos  - gaining size in each dimension, longer leaves and thicker getting trunk, but most important: it looks 

healthy. (I hope it will do well the Bismarckia close by, we will see.)

Next one:

Super healthy - C.pembana. Crown gains size, too - I expect a new flowering attempt soon. The green colored trunk is nice to look

at.

Great to have them both!

Lars