San Diego Coconut Trees

[SouthernCATropicals]

6 minutes ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Gonna need clear and crisp still photos of the bug in question to get an idea of what it is.. Casually, looks too small to be SPW.  Don't see a snout or other distinctive markings that might indicate it was a weevil ..SPW, Yucca, or Agave.. 

Thank you I really appreciate it! I noticed it didn’t have the snout, but I thought maybe it could’ve been maybe like a gender thing etc. regardless, this specific one is extremely dead haha 

There’s like three huge dead canary date palms circling my place so I’m keeping an eye out 

[Silas_Sancona]

6 minutes ago, SouthernCATropicals said:

Thank you I really appreciate it! I noticed it didn’t have the snout, but I thought maybe it could’ve been maybe like a gender thing etc. regardless, this specific one is extremely dead haha 

There’s like three huge dead canary date palms circling my place so I’m keeping an eye out 

 

Since the signs are there ( the dead Canaries near by ) Definitely doesn't hurt to keep an eye out for them ..I myself  would consider setting up a trap or two,  ...just in case / to monitor for their presence so you can get a jump on them before they become a problem.. 

Regarding the other two SPW look-alike Weevil sps. that occur out there, as far as i'm aware, neither bother palms.
 

Cactus Weevil is another one you might see occasionally.  It too - as far as i'm aware, is host- specific / isn't interested in palms..


Btw, Coconuts are looking good..

[Floridaman43]

Love following the updates on this post! I moved from San Diego to Florida a few years ago and sent my dad back home with a sprouted coconut that he has been growing with success in the north county area. 

 

I also like how you’ve gotten a bunch different colored coconuts. I filled my yard with multiple yellows(my favorite), tons of green Malayans and a golden Malayan. Last one I’m trying to acquire is a dark orange coconut. 
Keep posting updates, cheers!

[SouthernCATropicals]

15 hours ago, Floridaman43 said:

Love following the updates on this post! I moved from San Diego to Florida a few years ago and sent my dad back home with a sprouted coconut that he has been growing with success in the north county area. 

Thank you and that’s great to hear! 
 

15 hours ago, Floridaman43 said:

I also like how you’ve gotten a bunch different colored coconuts.

I didn’t know there were different colors and varieties when I started but I’m happy I got different types if I was only left with that first coconut I would think coconuts grow slow here but I’m super happy I have a coconut that grows like a papaya too.

[SouthernCATropicals]

September 29, 2024

 

The newest leaf on this one is so large and also shaped differently. It also doesn’t bend in the wind or droop like the previous ones do. 

 

Compare with an older frond, see how it used to come out horizontally and less slanted upward?

 

Next spring I’ll clean up this space and make it beautiful maybe like a beachy look

It’s really hard to show the true size of this cocopalm because of the awkwardness of the angles I have to take with the halfbaked greenhouse but it really looks large and towering over me now 

 

[SouthernCATropicals]

October 18, 2024 update 

My oldest coconut is now 1 year and 2 months, it grows quite slow. This is the coconut that is specifically from Hawaii and the rest are from Florida I believe. 

 

This coconut seems to be the winner of the front yard so far.

 

Another front yard coco, this one is more reddish . See how it curves toward the sun? 

 

This is a very new coconut. It is very yellow and I can tell this is a winner in the short 2 weeks I’ve had it, the pretty new leaf shot out from nowhere and stem has tripled. Now that I’ve had 9 coconuts I can tell the winners and this is one of them, I expect great things from this one. 
 

This one was the ugly duckling but now it looks normal, it is still the slowest of all my coconuts by a lot but now I think it is stabilized so to speak. 

This coconut is looking more pinnate and getting taller. In fact it is stressing me out bc I don’t have the will to carve another whole in my poor greenhouse. I will but 😓

 

I can’t really show the size bc of all the things in the way but you can see how thick the trunk is, I can’t even get my 2 hands around it together. I have tried to cover the holes in the greenhouse to allow the temperature to build up during the day, as the coconut must appreciate it. It gets battered by the wind now that it is pretty high up so I hope it doesn’t get ugly after storms in early spring. Anyways im always happy to check this one out bc it grows so fast  

[SouthernCATropicals]

October 27, 2024 update

It has been pretty warm lately, but I’m starting to only water them once a day now as the days get shorter and nights cooler. Most night lows are around 58-62f now. 
 

A palmtalk member helped me ID the coconut types for anyone wondering. The first coconut in the corner directly below is most likely a Niu Hiwa mix and all the rest are a Maypan mixes.

 

Here is this one, it gets sun all day but only on the tops leaves and the soil doesn’t get any sun. I think it is established enough to not care. (1.25 years old)

 

These 2 started to pinnate, which is exciting.(Both 6 months old)

 

This one I might replace the jackfruit tree in the greenhouse with. The jackfruit is struggling with the heat there and this one is a winner, and yellow. (Had it for 1 month, unknown age)

 

Maybe in a few years we might get a new leaf on this one 🙏🏻 (1 year old)

 

This one is finally starting to look good. (10 months old)

 

Now that this coconut is fully growing outside the greenhouse I have haphazardly sealed off the greenhouse so it is very toasty again. It has put out a new frond at a rate of 1 each month so I hope to keep it at that pace throughout winter (1 year old)

[SouthernCATropicals]

11/11/2024

I have question. I want to have the floor around these 2 coconuts be beach sand and larger lava rock. If I put maybe like 2 inches of beach sand on top of the soil around the coconuts would that suffocate them?
 

They already have a hefty layer of mulch chicken poop, garden scraps, bark etc. What they’re planted in is 80% homedepot soil 20% native clay. So it is very unimpacted, it gives very easily if you step near them, but I don’t.

[SouthernCATropicals]

11/18/2024 update

 

It’s been an unusually cold November, days and nights have been as cold as the coldest part of the year. Lows 49-51 It’s also been windy and I’ve noticed the slight cold damage on the some of the leaves that appears during winter. I think all the damage I see on the coconuts always seems to come from the wind because the ones that experience no wind have zero damage (aside from the yellow coconuts that are always unhappy during winter). The coconuts have slowed down in growth quite a bit especially as we get into the darkest part of the year which is dramatized by the fact I’m surrounded by tall buildings so they get few hours of sun. 
 

This coconut hasn’t grown at all since it stopped getting overhead sun, which has been a while. 

 

these coconuts have slowed down but still growing

 

this guy is being very dramatic like all the yellow ones are but still growing quick 

this one continues to be a shame 

 

this one is growing the fastest now and looks perfect without the tiniest bit of damage.

 

this one has slowed down quite a bit but still growing

[SouthernCATropicals]

12/16/2024

 

The cocos aren’t very active as it is a very dark time of the year, I’ll update more maybe in February when the sun is out for longer and they speed up.  Here are some pics of my favorite coco taken today 

 

 

 

 

 

[SouthernCATropicals]

February 7, 2025 update

A lot has happened since my last update. The 3 coconuts in the front have slowly disintegrated since like late November. The two coconuts in the very back really didn’t like the Santa Ana winds event in mid January. It was really nice and near 80 during the day but 45 at night a few nights and they instantly had their older leaves fry. The weakest coconut also died at some point but if you look closely it has the tiniest bit of green still ☠️ This winter I think was quite nice and warm and especially dry so it really shows how sensitive these coconuts are to temps below 50 at night. HOWEVER my biggest coco is growing rapidly again which is exciting. I compare photos of the newest fronds and they’re gaining an inch a week in length. 
 

I botched this transplant.. but this coconut was never impressive so the it is better that this spot is taken by an avocado 🥑 the roots were really deep and strong, which was surprising for how little the plant is. 

 

These two have no excuse, they’re in a good spot and just have slowly deteriorated. They don’t seem to be able to follow synthesize in cooler temperatures at all. I can’t even remember when I last saw them growing. They look to be alive for now so we will see what happens with them. 

 

Good riddance to this one. 

This guys in a pot so I can move him all around so he isn’t so exposed, but he has really not grown in quite a while.

 

 

This guy was a huge surprise that he just like defoliate one night when it hit 45. That was strange bc last year it hit 41 and in Florida they always hit these low temps so I don’t know what the issue is. I think a big part of it might be the cold nights right before hot winter days and maybe the roots are too cold to photosynthesis and so the hot sun just burns the leaves. It was 45-47 as a low and 77-81 as a high for quite a few days like a dessert. Anyways it looks to be healthy still, although the black fronds are unnerving. 

 

This one at the same time the other one in that greenhouse lost all of its older fronds it did the same, it just has so many more fronds it is less noticeable. The trunk has gotten really fat and the taller and it seems to have resumed growing again. 
 

 

Anyways we’re a good way through February and the days are getting much longer so I think the next update will be more positive (atleast about this large coconut). I’m trying to cover the hole in the roof of the greenhouse so keep the rain out. It is supposed to be our first real rain next week.

Regardless of what these coconut are saying I for one have found this winter lovely, warm and DRY haha

also look at these other palms I have 

Pritchardia Hidibrandii

 
 

eurterpe Edulis 

does anyone know what this palms fruit taste like specifically? 

[SouthernCATropicals]

February 18, 2025 update

I finally have good new to report. The coconut is growing extremely fast again. The days have gotten longer and the weather as far as I can see looks hot and sunny. 
 

After my last post, it started to warm up and almost all the fronds died off so I cut them off and now the 4 newest fronts are shooting out faster than ever. I fertilized it as well. I think it’s safe to say it made it through the winter, and I’ll be planning how I can better take care of it next winter. I water it every single day, and fertilize it a lot. One thing I do wonder is if the Santa Ana event caused it to lose most of its fronds, out of happiness or out of stress. A lot of subtropical plants like to drop their previous seasons leaves when the temperatures change I’ve seen.
 

Unless something interesting happens I probably won’t give an update until it’s glorious with a full crown  maybe in May or April. 
 

[SouthernCATropicals]

March 24, 2025 update (when pictures taken)

I cant remember if I mentioned it but I removed all the coconuts in the front. They weren’t looking great and I wanted the space. 
 

This coconut in the back has been growing fast as ever maybe like an inch a day on all the newer fronds.
 

It was a very nice warm dry winter and i managed to keep the rain away from the clay soil in the back. So that structure is coming down soon. I have discovered nothing works better to keep animals away than thorny garden scraps. I don’t know if the picture captures it but it has gotten so wide and thick. Almost all of the fronds from late January died off and have been replaced. I still wonder if it was the sudden heat of the day that provoked this, or the cold from the night that provoked it. Or both maybe?  It was like 80f  and 45f at night more or less. Anyways it will be much more established and robust next year. This Coconut made me realize how big they are and how small my yard is haha. I really though I could fit 9 coconuts lol
 

[kylecawazafla]

Nice work! I have a coconut in El Centro, CA, that is looks like one of the ones you removed in the front with just one upward pointing frond. It is about 3 feet tall. I hope it recovers and pushes fronds out this summer, but I do not live in El Centro, CA full time, and planted it at my work which is under construction, and they frequently shut off the water when I am away which leads to the deaths of many of the palms I've planted Are you getting your coconuts from Hawaii? The ones from Florida are much less cool tolerant than the ones from Hawaii. 

[SouthernCATropicals]

44 minutes ago, kylecawazafla said:

Nice work! I have a coconut in El Centro, CA, that is looks like one of the ones you removed in the front with just one upward pointing frond. It is about 3 feet tall. I hope it recovers and pushes fronds out this summer

Thank you!

 

If I were you, I would cover it in some kind of fungicide and insecticide bc all kinds of rot seems to happen on all the dead fronds during winter. When I pulled those two front yard ones out, they were very much alive on the newest fronds, but there was all kinds of rot happening deeper inside that I could only see once I dissected them. So I think as long as there isn’t any active fungus or bugs attacking the newest growth, it should be fine. I covered the two pictured above in fungicide and  constantly deep cleaning bugs off them. The smaller one next to the big one in the back wasn’t looking good but it pulled through it seem it now has 2 new fronds since January when it was left with one busted up one back then.

 

51 minutes ago, kylecawazafla said:

Are you getting your coconuts from Hawaii? The ones from Florida are much less cool tolerant than the ones from Hawaii. 

They’re all from Florida except the very first one that was originally on that corner spot. So these all seem to be maypan coconut palms now. 
 

I don’t have concrete proof, but I have a feeling that the biggest factor that affects these Florida coconuts I have is the fact that the one that took the winter the best was the one that was the most massive with the most largest expansive root system. I was digging a hole like 10 feet away from it and i hit huge coconut  root. This is pretty impressive considering it’s a year and a half old and not even a year in the ground. 
 

I obviously don’t have any more space for any more experiments but if I was going to redo it, I would keep a coconut protected until it has a pretty established strong root system. I think I just got lucky with that bigger one who was able to develop so fast in one warm season. 

[kylecawazafla]

The ones from Florida are most likely Malay Dwarf which are not as cool tolerant as the Pacific Tall varieties that come from Hawaii. Only through anecdotes, the coconuts that are thriving in Phoenix, AZ and La Quinta, CA both came from tourists who brought them back from Hawaii, and am unsure where the other ones came from. I have tried multiple coconuts in El Centro, CA, however they usually die in the summer when I am out of town and the person who says they're watering them doesn't. I had two that were thriving after two winters here...  It's frustrating not having a garden and not really "living" anywhere .

[SouthernCATropicals]

10 hours ago, kylecawazafla said:

The ones from Florida are most likely Malay Dwarf which are not as cool tolerant as the Pacific Tall varieties that come from Hawaii. Only through anecdotes, the coconuts that are thriving in Phoenix, AZ and La Quinta, CA both came from tourists who brought them back from Hawaii

Makes sense. There is also the fact that some specimen are just genetically unique. Between my Florida coconuts they all have their own growth rates and heat needs to actively grow. If anything from these last few years I’ve realized there’s a 2 types of “cool weather” coconut issues.

1) they seem to stop growing if these don’t reach somewhere in the ballpark of 70f (w sun) 

2) and they show signs of damage below exactly 50f

these two items don’t seem mutually exclusive either from what I’ve seen. I’ve seen my coconuts show damage then grow the following warm day.

 

10 hours ago, kylecawazafla said:

I have tried multiple coconuts in El Centro, CA, however they usually die in the summer when I am out of town and the person who says they're watering them doesn't. I had two that were thriving after two winters here...  It's frustrating not having a garden and not really "living" anywhere .

Yeah that is rough, I feel like they need a lot of personalized care, I water and clean it every single day. So many bugs want to make it their home, fungus grows in the coco coir hair and it seems to be very fertilizer hungry.

[SouthernCATropicals]

April 11, 2025 update

Here’s some photos, growing very fast.  

[SouthernCATropicals]

April 24, 2025

Up potted this yellow coconut. Unlike the last yellow one I will not be giving it away. His roots were getting root bound and busting out the pot. He’s growing very fast, almost the same size as the smaller green coco planted in the greenhouse besides being much younger. I have no spot for him but I will keep it forever even if only in really large pots 
 

[rizla023]

You may have already answered but where did you get your different specimens? I have tried coconuts twice now but this is making me want to try again? @SouthernCATropicals

[SouthernCATropicals]

1 hour ago, rizla023 said:

You may have already answered but where did you get your different specimens?@SouthernCATropicals

I get them from Amazon as sprouts. This one I specifically got from this link  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08GHR556X?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title

 

Even though it is dramatically yellow, it was just sold as a “coconut”. So all my coconuts are from Florida sellers on Amazon. 
 

1 hour ago, rizla023 said:

I have tried coconuts twice now but this is making me want to try again? @SouthernCATropicals

You should! They all behave differently so every try could lead to something different. I think the biggest factor might be growth rate bc the slow ones don’t go into the colder months with a strong established root system or jump to action as fast as it warms up. The biggest coconut looks unrecognizable from just January 

[SeanK]

7 hours ago, SouthernCATropicals said:

April 24, 2025

Up potted this yellow coconut. Unlike the last yellow one I will not be giving it away. His roots were getting root bound and busting out the pot. He’s growing very fast, almost the same size as the smaller green coco planted in the greenhouse besides being much younger. I have no spot for him but I will keep it forever even if only in really large pots 
 

Why do you bury the nut?

Whenever I see them sprout naturally, half is always exposed.

[bubba]

First time I have seen this moving experiment! Your hard work combined with your climate is making Cocos nucifera happen in San Diego.

Most of the growers edge pushing have been around LA or the desert. It seems that the desert region, particularly throughout the Palm Springs area, has the best climate to establish Cocos nucifera as a true thriving specimen. The La Quinta coconut is prima facie evidence! That stated, I have always wondered why there is not more activity in the beneficent climate of San Diego.
 

I believe Kyle is spot on about the difficulties you may encounter with the Florida grown varieties. The Pacific Tall seems to be the variety that has encountered success (Newport, La Quinta). It must have more cool tolerance and not require the "heat" that Cocos nucifera receives in S. Fl. By heat I mean the Koeppen requirements of median temperature of 64.8 degrees Fahrenheit in the coldest month of the year. While that is not an absolute (see Orlando, Tampa, Brownsville), the use of the Pacific Tall variety may make your hard work solution not as necessary. Kudos and congratulations on your diligence as you establish Cocos nucifera in San Diego.

[SouthernCATropicals]

4 hours ago, SeanK said:

Why do you bury the nut?

Whenever I see them sprout naturally, half is always exposed.

I hosed it down pretty good after the shot so the dirt has sunken down. It looks more normal now I just wanted to get dirt inside all the coconut crevices where roots are shooting out. I hose them pretty hard for pests so the dirt sinks down 

[SouthernCATropicals]

3 hours ago, bubba said:

First time I have seen this moving experiment! Your hard work combined with your climate is making Cocos nucifera happen in San Diego.

Thank you I really appreciate that! 😀

 

3 hours ago, bubba said:

It seems that the desert region, particularly throughout the Palm Springs area, has the best climate to establish Cocos nucifera as a true thriving specimen. The La Quinta coconut is prima facie evidence!

Those coconut are very interesting to me, I think it shows that 40’s temps don’t need to cause frond damage and they can adapt to it. my rare occasional 49-45 caused frond havoc. Like people have said, a really hot sunny winter day must really support them.

My climate is totally different from the desert, humidity is very high my spring and early summers are not hot at all. Usually around April is when the dessert surpasses the coast in terms of nighttime warmth. 
 

3 hours ago, bubba said:

Most of the growers edge pushing have been around LA or the desert. It seems that the desert region, particularly throughout the Palm Springs area, has the best climate to establish Cocos nucifera as a true thriving specimen. 

Yeah I agree, while coastal socal weather is very similar down the coastal there are small subtleties that I think very marginal plants might appreciate like the fact that winter storms are much more likely to miss us, varied coastal topography, and of course being a bit lower latitude.

 

3 hours ago, bubba said:

I believe Kyle is spot on about the difficulties you may encounter with the Florida grown varieties. The Pacific Tall seems to be the variety that has encountered success (Newport, La Quinta). It must have more cool tolerance and not require the "heat" that Cocos nucifera receives in S. Fl. By heat I mean the Koeppen requirements of median temperature of 64.8 degrees Fahrenheit in the coldest month of the year.

That makes sense, I would have tried harder to get those types 2 years ago had I known. In reference to what I do have I have seen a very large variability between the coconuts, like the biggest ones springing to action in February because of the increased daylight hours with otherwise the same temperatures as before. That one is exciting to me bc it seems to be much more tolerant of cooler conditions. 
 

My goal for the big one is that it will grow so big and strong over these next months that next years winter won’t cause any frond damage at all. I could babble on and on but after maybe 2 more years I think I will have much more insight, this will be the first warm season where my coconuts go into it very well established 

[SouthernCATropicals]

April 28, 2025

 

This one is still recovering from winter. It was never the fastest growing but I remember it being the most untouched by damage until all but 1 fronds died off.  It doesn’t look right because the dead fronds never grew out how they were supposed if you look back at the February posts.

Here is this one you can compare to the previous pics to see how fast it is shooting out new fronds. Planning how I can make this area rat/pest proof bc I don’t want it to come all this way and get killed by some creature haha 
 

[mlovecan]

 

Edited May 11 by mlovecan
oops. wrong thread.

[SouthernCATropicals]

May 11, 2025

I removed the really dead fronds on the bigger one all the way and I think I created the first little bit of trunk. It might have been premature? Not sure but but I hate seeing the bugs playing around on the dead fronds and coco coir husk. 
 

 

This is growing very slow but growing

Here is this yellow one.

[SouthernCATropicals]

May 30, 2025

 

Eventually I’m going to build a little fence around it with a doorway when I get the energy and time. I tried a lot of different things since they were babies but nowadays i give them a little fish emulsion once every 2 weeks and water every day.
 

Also, I was just thinking a lot of people have been wondering why it seems that coconuts always seem to die in the spring and not during winter. I think I figured out the reason why. I accidentally cut off a partially alive coconut frond and it has remained green for almost an entire month and a half completely detached from the plant. We assume because there are green fronds that the plant must be alive but clearly that isn’t an accurate measure. 🫨

the big coco with its newest fronds getting really long 

 

 

 

the potted yellow coco is growing quickly

 

this coconut is growing but not so fast, it has almost entirely grown out of the all the dead immature fronds that died in January. 
 

 

[SouthernCATropicals]

June 18, 2025

 

the yellow one is looking really nice, very colorful. It is the same size as the smaller green one that was planted inside the green house. It is a full year younger however. It also found its way to the bottom of its new pot after 2 months. I’ll probably keep it in a pot forever but might need to get a much bigger pot