Ventnor Botanic Garden & Isle of Wight (2023)

[UK_Palms]

Last week I was able to visit the impressive Botanic Garden in Ventnor on two separate days. It is located on the south coast of the Isle of Wight, which is on the south coast of England. This is probably one of the best exotic gardens in the world, given its northern location (50N).

Starting with some of the Phoenix Canariensis…

Beahea Edulis

Brahea Armata

Washingtonia stand - likely one of the most impressive in the world given the distance from equator/latitude (50N).

Edited September 30, 2023 by UK_Palms

[Foxpalms]

Look at that growth rate in 7 years. Roughly around 2.8ft of growth per year.

Edited September 30, 2023 by Foxpalms

[UK_Palms]

Cacti and aroids

 

Phoenix Canariensis forest

Sabal’s

 

Butia Odorata

 

Jubaea's

Phoenix Dactylifera’s

Butyagrus / Mule palms? 

Rhopalostylis Sapida x 3

Norfolk Island Pine

Some other flowers and cool stuff

This garden, along with Tresco’s Abbey Gardens, is probably in contention for being the best Botanic Garden in the world based on the latitude/distance from the equator. Still, there are many improvements that could be made and species to be added. They need some Queens (Syagrus Romanzoffiana) and preferably the hardier Santa Catarina variety. We already know that Queens survive and grow in southwest Cornwall. They need to add Archontophoenix too in a protected/favourable spot.

Edited October 1, 2023 by UK_Palms

[kinzyjr]

@UK_Palms Thank you for sharing.  Love the selection from the arid areas!

[Tom in Tucson]

If I had a say in choosing additional species to try, based on what is already established, the following species I think would be likely to thrive:

Juania australis

Ceroxylon quindiuense

Howea forsteriana

Hedyscepe canterburyana

Lepidorrhachis mooreana

Hi 97°, Lo 70°

[Foxpalms]

I actually ended up visiting last weekend since I was on the Isle of Wight for something anyway for the weekend.  I probably should have taken more photos of the zone 10 flowers such as osteospermums there.

Some sort of brachychiton 

 

Paraserianthes lophantha?

freylinia lanceolata

Dracaena draco

Cape dandelion 

 

Other Rhopalostylis sapida

 

[Foxpalms]

Not in the Ventnor botanical gardens but I spotted a potted chrysalidocarpus lutescens that supposedly survived the winter. Looks underwatered and neglected. It was right up against a wall and also right next to a building. It also is located only around 100ft from the ocean plus there is a partial glass overhang over it. If the wunderground station which was further away from the sea and further inland only got to -0.5c it's very likely despite the awful winter we had, the spot this palm was in was frost free.

Edited October 1, 2023 by Foxpalms

[Tassie_Troy1971]

6 hours ago, UK_Palms said:

Cacti and aroids

 

Phoenix Canariensis forest

Sabal’s

 

Butia Odorata

 

Jubaea's

Phoenix Dactylifera’s

Butyagrus / Mule palms? 

Rhopalostylis Sapida x 3

Norfolk Island Pine

Some other flowers and cool stuff

This garden, along with Tresco’s Abbey Gardens, is probably in contention for being the best Botanic Garden in the world based on the latitude/distance from the equator. Still, there are many improvements that could be made and species to be added. They need some Queens (Syagrus Romanzoffiana) and preferably the hardier Santa Catarina variety. We already know that Queens survive and grow in southwest Cornwall. They need to add Archontophoenix too in a protected/favourable spot.

Fabulous garden 

Looking at the minimum temperatures 

Howea forsteriana should be an easy grow like they are in coastal Tasmania 

[happypalms]

Amazing photos a nice  spot to walk around I noticed a lot of rocks and brick walls and gravel a great thermal energy protection for cold weather protection smart gardening 

[tim_brissy_13]

I think the Sabal labelled as mauritiformis is a wrong ID. Doesn’t look like it and I’d be really surprised if that species could grow in that climate. 

[UK_Palms]

On 10/1/2023 at 9:41 AM, Tassie_Troy1971 said:

Fabulous garden 

Looking at the minimum temperatures 

Howea forsteriana should be an easy grow like they are in coastal Tasmania 

Yes, Archontophoenix is one of the most underplanted and under-rated palms for the more protected south coast areas, along with Rhopalostylis. Neither are readily available or risked outside either, but that is gradually changing now that people are realising they are hardy enough, in the right spots.

The Archie growing at Lamorran Gardens in St Mawes, Cornwall came through last winter unprotected with no damage, despite it being the coldest winter in 12-13 years since 2010/11. They had -1C / 30F right out in the open there, but in sheltered areas with overhead cover (like where this one is planted) it wouldn’t have gone below 0C / 32F. This is in a very sheltered, south facing spot.

These photos are from June. It has grown quite a bit just since my last visit in August 2022. I wonder what it looks like now after another full growing season?

 

Haven’t seen the Tresco one since then as well, so 14 months ago now.

 

There are more Archie’s near Weymouth in Dorset and also in Torquay. They should put some of the hardier highland type at Ventnor Botanic Garden.

 

Edited October 24, 2023 by UK_Palms

[Foxpalms]

On 10/25/2023 at 12:53 AM, UK_Palms said:

Yes, Archontophoenix is one of the most underplanted and under-rated palms for the more protected south coast areas, along with Rhopalostylis. Neither are readily available or risked outside either, but that is gradually changing now that people are realising they are hardy enough, in the right spots.

The Archie growing at Lamorran Gardens in St Mawes, Cornwall came through last winter unprotected with no damage, despite it being the coldest winter in 12-13 years since 2010/11. They had -1C / 30F right out in the open there, but in sheltered areas with overhead cover (like where this one is planted) it wouldn’t have gone below 0C / 32F. This is in a very sheltered, south facing spot.

These photos are from June. It has grown quite a bit just since my last visit in August 2022. I wonder what it looks like now after another full growing season?

 

Haven’t seen the Tresco one since then as well, so 14 months ago now.

 

 

There are more Archie’s near Weymouth in Dorset and also in Torquay. They should put some of the hardier highland type at Ventnor Botanic Garden.

 

The one at lamorran is archontophoenix cunninghamiana illawarra. Other than that one and the one I have planted I think all the others in the UK are standard cunninghamianas. My illawarra grows faster in cooler conditions but it is less hardy than the standard from. Mine also puts out bronze colored fronds when they first open which the standard cunninghamianas I have don't. 

Edited October 26, 2023 by Foxpalms

[UK_Palms]

Long overdue update on the other palms and exotics around the Isle of Wight. These photos were taken back in September, so over 5 months ago now.

And now for some ‘bigguns’…

Bougainvillea in Ventnor

Shanklin / Sandown...

Ryde…

 

One of the hybrid Phoenix palms near Ryde pier...

 

Echium Pininana, which is native to La Palma in the Canary Islands, has aggressively naturalised in most areas of the island. These appear to be more invasive then anything else in southern England. There must be close to 1 million of them in the Ventnor area alone.

 

Some of the beaches around Sea View, Ventnor and Fishbourne.

Edited March 2, 2024 by UK_Palms

[VA Jeff]

Nice pictures.  My house that I live in part time is in Isle of Wight County (US) on a road named Ventnor.  The original inhabitants here were supposedly from Isle of Wight England.  I overlook a large body of brackish water, but it is nowhere near as clear as yours.

[redbeard917]

Looks great. That is indeed fast growth. Many of those palms, especially the Ph. canariensis, look better than they would here in sunny North Florida. And the columnar cacti we cannot grow at all. The only thing I didn't like was some of the Washingtonia in people's private yards which were a bit ratty. This species is not one of my favorite palms and were I in charge they would immediately be replaced with something better, like a Jubaea or Brahea or something even more exotic like a Rhopalostylis.  Also I would add a few Stipa in between some of the succulents to simulate the native habitat.

It would be poor form to quote reply such a photo-dense post. So I saved and reposted a photo, which was the final pic of a grouping. What is the palm ID? Thanks.

[UK_Palms]

21 hours ago, redbeard917 said:

Looks great. That is indeed fast growth. Many of those palms, especially the Ph. canariensis, look better than they would here in sunny North Florida. And the columnar cacti we cannot grow at all. The only thing I didn't like was some of the Washingtonia in people's private yards which were a bit ratty. This species is not one of my favorite palms and were I in charge they would immediately be replaced with something better, like a Jubaea or Brahea or something even more exotic like a Rhopalostylis.  Also I would add a few Stipa in between some of the succulents to simulate the native habitat.

It would be poor form to quote reply such a photo-dense post. So I saved and reposted a photo, which was the final pic of a grouping. What is the palm ID? Thanks.

 

I think the palm(s) you quoted above are 'Kentia' (Howea Forsteriana).

With Washingtonia they never look that good in coastal areas due to wind. Certainly not at higher latitudes where it is also cooler and less sunny too i.e. the UK. They grow perfectly happily in places like Cornwall and the Isle of Wight, but they often look tatty as you say. Certainly right near the coastline anyway. This is far less of an issue in London, Essex, Kent etc where it is less windy and warmer/sunnier in summer. Also smaller Washingtonia in general tend to look more tatty over here, before bulking up and really improving as they mature.

For example check out those Ventnor Botanic Garden Washies when they were much younger, sometime around 2008 I think...

 

Compared to how they look now...

 

Regarding the CIDP growth rates... you can see approximately 24-25 years worth of growth on those two big CIDP's in Ventnor. The first photo was taken sometime around 1999 I think, when they were recently planted and tiny still. The Trachycarpus next to them were planted much bigger than the CIDP's back then.

 

The Google street view image shown after is from back in 2009 (the last time it was updated) showing a decade or so of growth since they were planted (1999-2009). Certainly nothing spectacular at that point.

 

However it is the speed of growth from the 2009 street view image to the one I took more recently in 2023. So around 14 years apart. The CIDP's have just exploded in size, completely outgrowing the Trachy's and absorbing them almost. Likely in part due to more favourable summers and winters over here in the past decade or so.

Edited March 4, 2024 by UK_Palms