Texas Palms

[Robert Cade Ross]

That’s what he sent me last year I text him yesterday no response yet if he happens to have more seeds I’ll let you know.

[Xenon]

The place in west Houston today 

My Cyphophoenix elegans and Archontophoenix cunninghamiana are both going through delayed chill damage with deformed leaves/partially dead spears. The Euterpe edulis (pictured) and Archontophoenix alexandrae are unaffected (go figure)

The Lytocaryum hoehnei has spear pulled multiple times after winter but never seems phased. Pushes out like nothing happened.

I'm also convinced Chuniophoenix nana is superior to Rhapis in zone 9. It grows faster and is also suckering/can return from ground level. I have one that has been unprotected for years and has seen below 20F a few times. Prettier too I think. My Lanonia dasyantha is also suckering but doesn't grow as fast. I also have a (protected) Licuala fordiana that grows like a weed with the bud still at ground level (maybe for a loooong time?) but I'm too scared to test these two. 

[amh]

6 hours ago, Robert Cade Ross said:

That’s what he sent me last year I text him yesterday no response yet if he happens to have more seeds I’ll let you know.

Thanks.

I put out a seeds wanted thread, but I have only received interest from scammers.

[Atlanta Area Palm Guy]

4 hours ago, Xenon said:

The place in west Houston today 

My Cyphophoenix elegans and Archontophoenix cunninghamiana are both going through delayed chill damage with deformed leaves/partially dead spears. The Euterpe edulis (pictured) and Archontophoenix alexandrae are unaffected (go figure)

The Lytocaryum hoehnei has spear pulled multiple times after winter but never seems phased. Pushes out like nothing happened.

I'm also convinced Chuniophoenix nana is superior to Rhapis in zone 9. It grows faster and is also suckering/can return from ground level. I have one that has been unprotected for years and has seen below 20F a few times. Prettier too I think. My Lanonia dasyantha is also suckering but doesn't grow as fast. I also have a (protected) Licuala fordiana that grows like a weed with the bud still at ground level (maybe for a loooong time?) but I'm too scared to test these two. 

You can definitely get a tropical looking garden going in the Houston area.

[Robert Cade Ross]

Dacty suckers replacing mama in Webster lol 

[Chester B]

Bismarckia at Enchanted Forest. Today I learned they cut all the fronds off and protect with a Teepee structure.  It’s looking kinda rough but the Sabal mexicana all look great. 

[Robert Cade Ross]

Was driving don’t kill me lol but two of three visible trunking queens planted in 2022 are recovering once again in Friendswood 

[OC2Texaspalmlvr]

Well it was a sad day yesterday, had finally dug up my Sabal Causiarum. It had spear pulled the last couple freezes but always grew out of it. This winter the newest fronds had gotten fried during a mediocre cold snap maybe 25° which i thought was odd. Then a month went by no spear pull but then we had our crazy freeze. This palm is definitely in the coldest spot in my whole yard with absolutely zero protection. Still never thought it would be a problem =/ so this spring it finally spear pulled. I did my usual hydrogen peroxide then copper fungicide. Lots of fizzing so I still had hope. Marked the remaining fronds to see if there was any growth and nothing in a month. So I busted out my sawzall and went to cutting. Palm looking really sad and a major disappointment. Gave it another month to do something,  which it didn't. After digging it up I kinda feel like maybe I planted it too low. After all this rain lately it was in a bowl of soup. So possibly when we get our winter rain this palm really had to fight off some root rot. Im thinking of replacing it with a Sabal Lisa. 

T J 

[Chester B]

@OC2Texaspalmlvr major bummer. It looked like it was getting a good size to it. 

[OC2Texaspalmlvr]

14 minutes ago, Chester B said:

@OC2Texaspalmlvr major bummer. It looked like it was getting a good size to it. 

It was but seemed to be a wimpy version cause this palm should be bulletproof for us. 

T J 

[Fusca]

41 minutes ago, OC2Texaspalmlvr said:

It was but seemed to be a wimpy version cause this palm should be bulletproof for us. 

T J 

Agree - should be.  I think you might have planted it too deep also - that's another cause for spear-pull.  Sorry to hear about that.  My underwater version of Sabal uresana (in a swampy area due to an underground water leak) was dug out and moved shortly before our flood in March.  So far it looks exactly the same as it did in February - zero change - but the jury's still out as to whether it survives.

[Meangreen94z]

Pearland update, pictures from last weekend. Low temperature of 17°F recorded in the area, last January. Protection and initial snowpack helped protect. No known losses.

Medemia argun

Beccarriophoenix alfredii

Copernicia alba 

King Palm grown from seed.

Chamadorea radicalis and Sabal causiarum. 

Livistona australis

Chamaerops humilis var. argentea 

Chamadorea radicalis 

Sabal causiarum 

1of 2 Bismarckia

Beaucarnea recurvata

Kentiopsis oliviformis 

Hyphaene petersiana

Livistona decora

Phoenix sylvestris

Ravenea rivularis

King palm 

Queen palm

Livistona nitida

Copernicia alba

Butia

Sabal uresana

Sabal uresana

Mule palm

Parajubaea torallyi x Butia 

[Robert Cade Ross]

Galveston yesterday;) 

last few pics is a fruiting avocado 🙈

[Xenon]

Seawolf Park in Galveston 

[Chester B]

Has this palm been discussed before? Sabal mauritiformis?

 

 

I have a couple of those pink hibiscus, they are pretty hardy, but I didn't realize they get that wide.

 

[amh]

Part of this weeks palms to plant. I'll be planting an elderberry, 2 Washingtonias and a few loquats and Mexican buckeyes as well.

[Xenon]

One of my queens died (I'll take 2/3 😝) so naturally I replaced it with an atemoya seedling and a Livistona decora seedling.

 

It's also hard to argue against a 12 buck majesty. If you look closer to the ground there's another majesty that survived the 19F and snow unprotected (1 of 2). The darn things seem more bud hardy and rot resistant than young queens 😆

[Robert Cade Ross]

2 hours ago, Chester B said:

Has this palm been discussed before? Sabal mauritiformis?

 

 

I have a couple of those pink hibiscus, they are pretty hardy, but I didn't realize they get that wide.

 

The sabal I’ve posted a few times I have no idea who planted it or exactly when but it’s been growing here since 2021 and luckily survived. 

[Robert Cade Ross]

1 hour ago, Xenon said:

One of my queens died (I'll take 2/3 😝) so naturally I replaced it with an atemoya seedling and a Livistona decora seedling.

 

It's also hard to argue against a 12 buck majesty. If you look closer to the ground there's another majesty that survived the 19F and snow unprotected (1 of 2). The darn things seem more bud hardy and rot resistant than young queens 😆

lol I ripped out a straggler queen for a silk floss 😝😝

[Xenon]

Out front this morning 

Sabal causiarum 

Saba guatemalensis 

Bismarckia

 

[Robert Cade Ross]

18 hours ago, Xenon said:

One of my queens died (I'll take 2/3 😝) so naturally I replaced it with an atemoya seedling and a Livistona decora seedling.

 

It's also hard to argue against a 12 buck majesty. If you look closer to the ground there's another majesty that survived the 19F and snow unprotected (1 of 2). The darn things seem more bud hardy and rot resistant than young queens 😆

Maybe you get lucky and get yours to this size 🤣 

[Meangreen94z]

On 6/3/2025 at 5:16 PM, Robert Cade Ross said:

lol I ripped out a straggler queen for a silk floss

On 6/3/2025 at 5:16 PM, Robert Cade Ross said:

lol I ripped out a straggler queen for a silk floss 😝😝

[Meangreen94z]

^^You know you can dig more than one hole? lol. Things can eventually look good grouped together 

[SeanK]

The causiarum will need a bigger "bed".

[Xenon]

19 minutes ago, SeanK said:

The causiarum will need a bigger "bed".

Oh for sure, bricks are just to keep the weed eater away 

[Robert Cade Ross]

3 hours ago, Meangreen94z said:

^^You know you can dig more than one hole? lol. Things can eventually look good grouped together 

Next spring I’m planning on removing all the grass between the palms and trees:) 

 

the queen was technically lifeless for 3+ months lol 

[Chester B]

11 hours ago, Robert Cade Ross said:

Next spring I’m planning on removing all the grass between the palms and trees:) 

 

the queen was technically lifeless for 3+ months lol 

My queen was the same.  I wasn't willing to wait, so I removed it even though it was technically alive.

I put in some very large gardens this year.  The hardest part of any garden is dealing with the grass.  You should sheet mulch, I do and it works.

[Ben G.]

30 minutes ago, Chester B said:

My queen was the same.  I wasn't willing to wait, so I removed it even though it was technically alive.

I put in some very large gardens this year.  The hardest part of any garden is dealing with the grass.  You should sheet mulch, I do and it works.

You've done great work! I watched your updates on YouTube and you have done a ton of work in a pretty short timeframe. 

[Chester B]

2 hours ago, Ben G. said:

You've done great work! I watched your updates on YouTube and you have done a ton of work in a pretty short timeframe. 

Thanks!  It's not been so easy and I'm pretty happy its done.  When I look around even I'm surprised how much I have been able to accomplish in 1 year.  Now I can make the many small incremental improvements over time that really add up.

[MarcusH]

On 6/5/2025 at 1:38 PM, Chester B said:

Thanks!  It's not been so easy and I'm pretty happy its done.  When I look around even I'm surprised how much I have been able to accomplish in 1 year.  Now I can make the many small incremental improvements over time that really add up.

You've done an excellent job !!! I also want to add to @Ben G. comment that you also deal with way hotter and humid climate so let's give this gentleman some credit here. Now it's just a waiting process but even now , we can only imagine how beautiful this is going to be. Every day you get out to see your plants , you remember what it looked like before.  

[Swolte]

On 6/5/2025 at 1:38 PM, Chester B said:

Thanks!  It's not been so easy and I'm pretty happy its done.  When I look around even I'm surprised how much I have been able to accomplish in 1 year.  Now I can make the many small incremental improvements over time that really add up.

I never understood people paying to go to the gym if you have a large yard.
😛
Can't wait to see how it will all look! Some of your more mature areas already look stunning!

[Ben G.]

I was recently able to purchase a mule palm at a size that was reasonable without being so large as to make it a really bad investment if it dies in a hard winter. (Which can be a tough needle to thread sometimes.)

I don't have a bed made for it yet, and the heat is going to be tough until probably late October. So, I am going to keep it potted until next spring at least.

I needed to clear out this pot for my mule though, which means my fishtail went in the ground.

I sprouted this fishtail and a golden cane palm from seeds my daughter collected from the sand at an Orlando amusement park. I grew them because she wanted me to, but I have always known they would only be around until I was tired of hauling pots in and out of the garage in winter.

So, it will grow and look good until nature takes its course next winter. If someone from the RGV wants it, I will happily pull it out and give it to them in the autumn. 

[Robert Cade Ross]

5 hours ago, Ben G. said:

I was recently able to purchase a mule palm at a size that was reasonable without being so large as to make it a really bad investment if it dies in a hard winter. (Which can be a tough needle to thread sometimes.)

I don't have a bed made for it yet, and the heat is going to be tough until probably late October. So, I am going to keep it potted until next spring at least.

I needed to clear out this pot for my mule though, which means my fishtail went in the ground.

I sprouted this fishtail and a golden cane palm from seeds my daughter collected from the sand at an Orlando amusement park. I grew them because she wanted me to, but I have always known they would only be around until I was tired of hauling pots in and out of the garage in winter.

So, it will grow and look good until nature takes its course next winter. If someone from the RGV wants it, I will happily pull it out and give it to them in the autumn. 

Mule should be fine down to 9°F ? Or so …I’ll be happy if we can stay above 20° in Houston at this point lol 

[Ben G.]

4 hours ago, Robert Cade Ross said:

Mule should be fine down to 9°F ? Or so …I’ll be happy if we can stay above 20° in Houston at this point lol 

Here's hoping for many average to mild winters to come. My first winter in TX was average for my particular area (I know others weren't so lucky).

I hope my mule will be able to keep its fronds down into the 17F to 20F range.  Fingers crossed.

[KPoff]

On 6/1/2025 at 9:03 PM, OC2Texaspalmlvr said:

Well it was a sad day yesterday, had finally dug up my Sabal Causiarum. It had spear pulled the last couple freezes but always grew out of it. This winter the newest fronds had gotten fried during a mediocre cold snap maybe 25° which i thought was odd. Then a month went by no spear pull but then we had our crazy freeze. This palm is definitely in the coldest spot in my whole yard with absolutely zero protection. Still never thought it would be a problem =/ so this spring it finally spear pulled. I did my usual hydrogen peroxide then copper fungicide. Lots of fizzing so I still had hope. Marked the remaining fronds to see if there was any growth and nothing in a month. So I busted out my sawzall and went to cutting. Palm looking really sad and a major disappointment. Gave it another month to do something,  which it didn't. After digging it up I kinda feel like maybe I planted it too low. After all this rain lately it was in a bowl of soup. So possibly when we get our winter rain this palm really had to fight off some root rot. Im thinking of replacing it with a Sabal Lisa. 

T J 

@OC2Texaspalmlvr are those chamaerops right past it in the first picture? They look great!

[Robert Cade Ross]

Pigmy’s on life support in north west Houston. 
some of a handful of survivors I’ve come across around the Houston metro 

[Xenon]

2 minutes ago, Robert Cade Ross said:

Pigmy’s on life support in north west Houston. 
some of a handful of survivors I’ve come across around the Houston metro 

 

 

These seem to always recover if not killed outright. Leaf making machines too, should be nearly good as new by fall 

[Robert Cade Ross]

Ponytail Palm, Beaucarnea recurvata South padre 

[SeanK]

@Robert Cade Ross

A "mule" (Butiagrus), will be leaf hardy in the 17° to 21° F range depending on how far it leans towards either parent. Some growers say that the more Butia ones show purple on the petiole base, have a fatter trunk and take more cold. The more Syagrus-leaning palms have green petiole bases, thinner trunks, and show leaf damage in the low 20s°F.

In the Houston area, it might depend if someone lives NW or SE of downtown.

[Robert Cade Ross]

Pretty large 2021 foxtail survivor on south padre