How wet can Nannorrhops and Uresana tolerate?

[Keys6505]

I have a few vacancies that have opened up on my fence line thanks to the last few TX winters.  My ultimate goal is to have a wall of trees so I don't have to see any other houses from my yard.  I am including an overall pic so everyone can see the nearby trees that are seemingly unaffected by the soil conditions, albeit they are not desert species like the ones I am looking to plant.  The small tree on the left and the larger on the right are L. Chinensis, the second to the right is an Arenga Englerii.  All 3 have survived total defoliation over the past 2 winters.  The second spot to the left is just a placeholder clearance Majesty and in the middle is an A. Wrightii that survived the first freeze but I transplanted last fall and the transplant followed by another hard freeze were just too much for it and it is almost completely dead.  In their places I'm hoping to plant a Nannorrhops Ritcheana in the middle (courtesy of the now defunct TCHP) and a S. Uresana that I bought on the classifieds here last year.  I think that most of the year these trees would be fine here, but we have been known to go through stretches where it just rains for weeks on end and this side of my yard gets super soggy.  Will these guys handle soggy a month or 2 out of the year at worst?  The bed is about 5" higher than the grade already, but I'm wondering if building up another 12" or so directly around the planting locations would make any difference?  I've been trying to find answers online and I read some things that said wet soil isn't a problem and others that said it's certain death.  Any help would be appreciated.

[Swolte]

Based on their natural habitat, you'd say they would prefer sandy/rocky well draining soil. However, that logic doesn't always hold. A friend of mine has a S Urusana in a low area that accumulates quite some rain during the rainy season and they seem to do fine. I'd still mound a bit if I were you given that seems to be the most trialed and tested method.  Sabals are tough.

My hunch is that the Mazari would be less flexible and probably does prefer more drainage but that is based on very little data! I hope others have more insights to share.  

[D Palm]

My sabal uresana has survived for 4-5 years now in N. Florida. It’s planted right above where a drainage ditch that flows east to west and another North to South converge. So lots of water, but only in standing water for a day or 2 after massive rain events. 
 

The North to South ditch will overflow at times causing a flash flood river effect. Like I said above, never lasts more than a couple of days.

Edited August 14, 2023 by D Palm

[Las Palmas Norte]

Even Wikipedia - Nannorrhops doesn't have too much info.

[necturus]

Uresana comes from dry places but it's still a Sabal. It likes a lot of water.

Some people on here say Nannorrhops likes a lot of water when it's hot, not so much when cold. I've had one in-ground from TCHP for several years. It has frozen back several times and isn't much to look at it. It gets very little supplemental water. My guess is it would like a lot more.

I think both will be good there. Neither will grow too fast, but perhaps the rich soil and water will get faster growth.

Sabal causarium would grow much faster.

[Silas_Sancona]

1 hour ago, necturus said:

Uresana comes from dry places but it's still a Sabal. It likes a lot of water.

 

I wouldn't go that far...  Both forms, coastal form esp. experience a 5-8 month dry season where little or no rain falls  at all.   ( Note photos of how the landscapes look around Alamos during the dry season )  

That said, because they are often found growing in deep, alluvial deposits of weathered Granite and similar volcanic- origin rock, they can access water from deep, sub surface resources to sustain themselves through those dry periods ...so periodic deep soakings, primarily during the warmer months, would suit uresana best,  rather providing regular irrigation ..like say someone might provide for Sabal palmetto. 

[necturus]

7 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

I wouldn't go that far...  Both forms, coastal form esp. experience a 5-8 month dry season where little or no rain falls  at all.   ( Note photos of how the landscapes look around Alamos during the dry season )  

That said, because they are often found growing in deep, alluvial deposits of weathered Granite and similar volcanic- origin rock, they can access water from deep, sub surface resources to sustain themselves through those dry periods ...so periodic deep soakings, primarily during the warmer months, would suit uresana best,  rather providing regular irrigation ..like say someone might provide for Sabal palmetto. 

They've done well in well-irrigated gardens in Houston. Average ~50-inches of rainfall annually + irrigation. This may not be their natural environment, but they do well in it. I'm  confident mine would like more watering, especially right now!