The Needle palm Fairy showed up today

[Chester B]

I got these beautiful 3 gallon needle palms delivered today.  Just because I'm in zone 9B doesn't mean I don't appreciate these palms.  Big needles can add that real jungle effect to any garden and I have some wet spots so these should love it.  The bonus is they'll be a care free palm any time some cold weather comes my way.

These came from Mail Order Natives out of Florida.  They were very reasonably priced and shipping was quite affordable considering the weight of the two packages.  It looks like they can get 4 per package so it might've been cheaper if I did it that way.  Definitely recommend them as I have purchased from them in the past.  They have saved me years of growing these out from seed.  Can't wait to get them in the ground.

  

[Allen]

Nice palms there.  Looks like you are collecting some good palms for a great start

Edited February 12 by Allen

[Leelanau Palms]

I hope the NPF shows up at my place this spring.  What are the other palms in the pic?

Edited February 12 by Leelanau Palms

[Chester B]

30 minutes ago, Allen said:

Nice palms there.  Looks like you are collecting some good palms for a great start

I have to expect that they'll grow at a reasonable pace here, based on what I've seen from others in the SE.  Nothing wrong with cold hardy palms.  I'm close to being done with acquiring new palms.  I've started on other plants as well.

 

15 minutes ago, Leelanau Palms said:

I hope the NPF shows up at my place this spring.  What are the other palms in the pic?

Some mules from @Scott W and a HD $20 queen.

[ChicagoPalma]

Looks like the trachy and butia palm fairy is coming to me soon in may, hopefully sooner. Yeah I gotta agree they really do give a jungle look when larger.

[Colin1110082]

3 hours ago, Chester B said:

I got these beautiful 3 gallon needle palms delivered today.  Just because I'm in zone 9B doesn't mean I don't appreciate these palms.  Big needles can add that real jungle effect to any garden and I have some wet spots so these should love it.  The bonus is they'll be a care free palm any time some cold weather comes my way.

These came from Mail Order Natives out of Florida.  They were very reasonably priced and shipping was quite affordable considering the weight of the two packages.  It looks like they can get 4 per package so it might've been cheaper if I did it that way.  Definitely recommend them as I have purchased from them in the past.  They have saved me years of growing these out from seed.  Can't wait to get them in the ground.

  

Yeah I saw them online I wish I bought one before they sold out, I contacted the owner and they said they will restock by May I believe. Nice palms I love the needle 

[Manalto]

On 2/12/2024 at 5:09 PM, Chester B said:

I got these beautiful 3 gallon needle palms delivered today.  Just because I'm in zone 9B doesn't mean I don't appreciate these palms.  Big needles can add that real jungle effect to any garden and I have some wet spots so these should love it.  The bonus is they'll be a care free palm any time some cold weather comes my way.

These came from Mail Order Natives out of Florida.  

  

 

 

Well done! A properly-grown needle is a thing of beauty, with its dark, glossy foliage and silver undersides. I hope to see photos when they're in the ground (and then in the future, as they grow). 

Years ago, (before the internet) I spent some time on the phone, trying to locate a Rhapidophyllum seedling to try growing at my place in Connecticut. One seller quipped, "It will be a nice palm for your grandchildren to enjoy in their old age." So, your point is well taken about getting plants that have had a head start, even though growth in Florida won't be nearly so glacial as it would up north. (That one died, probably from poor winter drainage.)

You're right to give a plug to MON when they send such good-looking plant material.

Edited February 14 by Manalto

[mnorell]

When I lived in Natchez, Mississippi, I ordered a group of needles, just as you have, from Mail Order Natives. I planted them in a row alongside our driveway, under a row of sheltering Prunus caroliniana (cherry-laurel or laurel cherry). This was a perfect environment for them, and they actually grew quite steadily and much more quickly than I had anticipated. The lessons I learned about this species: they look 1000% better in rather dense shade; and they should NEVER be pruned (as many do) into some sort of "trunked" palm a la Chamaerops humilis. This will absolutely destroy the beauty of this palm. Their foliage must be allowed to drape completely to the ground...one must treat it more or less like Rhapis excelsa (a very close relative, by the way), and give it room. These are basically 6' x 6' palms and will attain that size within a few years from these bagged specimens you just purchased. If you're making a fence-row/hedge with yours, I would advise you plant them about 5' o.c. and make sure you have three feet of space on either side so they can attain their full 6' of width without you feeling the need to "shear them up" in case you can't walk around them any longer. They also grew very well in the rich Mississippi soil (it is a Loess soil in Natchez, but also has a lot of rich humus). In their natural habitat from central Mississippi eastward, they grow on humus atop limestone. From my experience, the limestone is definitely not a requirement, but they LOVE that rich humus and lots of that wonderful warm southern rain and humidity.

I am trying to incorporate some of these out here in my landscape in the Palm Springs area, because I actually miss them...unfortunately Mail Order Natives will not ship to California...and I am wary of buying from others because this palm has some variabilities in leaflet-width, etc., depending on the mother populations. I feel that the form sold by Mail Order Natives is probably the most "lush" I have ever encountered. Their form has nice wide leaflets, quite deep green and glossy. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed mine! 

[Chester B]

@mnorell thank you for the info.  I have bought needle palms from them in the past but I grew them in Oregon so 1 year old seedlings took about 6 years to get a little larger than the ones I ordered.  As far as pruning/trimming I had one decent sized needle about 5' tall and 6' wide and I can't remember ever taking a frond off that palm, I like their natural appearance.  There was a winery by me that had a large needle that had been pruned to reveal the trunk and it took me a minute to realize what I was looking at.  It was ugly and awkward looking, a real shame.

As far as my new needles I have a couple of challenges.  The first is the lack of shade.  I have literally have none, as my house faces south and I have no trees and very few in the neighbors yards.  The second is the soil is this terrible clay, that once it dries its like concrete.  I will amend generously but I know that my Oregon needles didn't seem to be bothered by clay so hopefully that's the case here.  The shade will come in time from the trunking palms that will be around them.  I'm not using them in a row or anything but will scatter them throughout the landscape, and I was planning on giving them lots of room to grow.  I'm hoping that they will exceed the 6' mark like photos I have seen of really large ones.

[SeanK]

Beautiful. Very nice size. If I had more room, I'd order a couple. They COMPLETELY fill an 8-ft circle, so don't crowd them.

[mnorell]

2 hours ago, Chester B said:

@mnorell thank you for the info.  I have bought needle palms from them in the past but I grew them in Oregon so 1 year old seedlings took about 6 years to get a little larger than the ones I ordered.  As far as pruning/trimming I had one decent sized needle about 5' tall and 6' wide and I can't remember ever taking a frond off that palm, I like their natural appearance.  There was a winery by me that had a large needle that had been pruned to reveal the trunk and it took me a minute to realize what I was looking at.  It was ugly and awkward looking, a real shame.

As far as my new needles I have a couple of challenges.  The first is the lack of shade.  I have literally have none, as my house faces south and I have no trees and very few in the neighbors yards.  The second is the soil is this terrible clay, that once it dries its like concrete.  I will amend generously but I know that my Oregon needles didn't seem to be bothered by clay so hopefully that's the case here.  The shade will come in time from the trunking palms that will be around them.  I'm not using them in a row or anything but will scatter them throughout the landscape, and I was planning on giving them lots of room to grow.  I'm hoping that they will exceed the 6' mark like photos I have seen of really large ones.

Houston is a far cry from Portland...and you will rue every day you wasted not planting canopy for the sweltering heat that is about to descend on you. I would HIGHLY suggest you play Johnny Appleseed with several Southern Live Oaks around your property (if your lot is big enough) to provide structure and protection for your landscape. They grow quite fast out of a five or 15 gallon and are simply awesome trees. And most anything grows beautifully under their boughs...they will survive the next Palmageddon, will likely stay solid as a rock through the next big hurricane, will give you a nice microclimate to increase the palette of plants you can enjoy...while beautifying your home, your neighborhood, and literally increasing the value of your home. Live Oaks add $$$ to the market value of your home in the Deep South (and almost anywhere they grow, for that matter). And the idea will hopefully rub off on your neighbors as well.

[Leelanau Palms]

Finally got a picture of what the Needle Palm Fairy brought me. (Well, actually Mail Order Natives via UPS)  I potted them up and, after bath time on a sunny early spring day, finally took a family portrait (including a big brother in the back that the Fairy brought last summer): 

[redbeard917]

On 2/14/2024 at 11:14 AM, Manalto said:

Well done! A properly-grown needle is a thing of beauty, with its dark, glossy foliage and silver undersides. I hope to see photos when they're in the ground (and then in the future, as they grow). 

Years ago, (before the internet) I spent some time on the phone, trying to locate a Rhapidophyllum seedling to try growing at my place in Connecticut. One seller quipped, "It will be a nice palm for your grandchildren to enjoy in their old age." So, your point is well taken about getting plants that have had a head start, even though growth in Florida won't be nearly so glacial as it would up north. (That one died, probably from poor winter drainage.)

You're right to give a plug to MON when they send such good-looking plant material.

Agreed, they are truly beautiful palms. I saw a forested hillside covered with them in the understory in Torreya State Park, it was so dark green and lush and tropical-looking I thought I was in southeast Asia for a moment. I also agree with others who say shade is best, but I can report that they are tough enough to adapt to a full sun position, because I've done it at my home. They do get quite large eventually.

[PaPalmTrees]

On 2/12/2024 at 6:09 PM, Chester B said:

I got these beautiful 3 gallon needle palms delivered today.  Just because I'm in zone 9B doesn't mean I don't appreciate these palms.  Big needles can add that real jungle effect to any garden and I have some wet spots so these should love it.  The bonus is they'll be a care free palm any time some cold weather comes my way.

These came from Mail Order Natives out of Florida.  They were very reasonably priced and shipping was quite affordable considering the weight of the two packages.  It looks like they can get 4 per package so it might've been cheaper if I did it that way.  Definitely recommend them as I have purchased from them in the past.  They have saved me years of growing these out from seed.  Can't wait to get them in the ground.

  

Where did you buy those palms. they are beautiful

[Leelanau Palms]

41 minutes ago, PaPalmTrees said:

Where did you buy those palms. they are beautiful

Mail Order Natives.