Texas Palms

[Ben G.]

Happy Veterans Day weekend to everyone! I took advantage of the warm weather yesterday to swim with my kids for what will almost certainly be the last time this year. I hope you all had a great weekend as well. 

Stay warm as this front rolls through.

[MarcusH]

I just picked up my 3rd Butia Oderata that I'm going to plant sometime in February next year.  This became one of my favorite cold hardy pinnate palm. I see lots of them along the Gulf Coast and in a way smaller number here in San Antonio.  They do great in my area. They love the Houston black clay soil. 

[Ben G.]

3 hours ago, MarcusH said:

I just picked up my 3rd Butia Oderata that I'm going to plant sometime in February next year.  This became one of my favorite cold hardy pinnate palm. I see lots of them along the Gulf Coast and in a way smaller number here in San Antonio.  They do great in my area. They love the Houston black clay soil. 

Looks like a nice one Marcus. I hope it grows quickly for you.

[MarcusH]

1 hour ago, Ben G. said:

Looks like a nice one Marcus. I hope it grows quickly for you.

 They do grow quite a few fronds each year. They get that shrub look within 5 years .  Like with most other palms you put in the ground,  after 3 years in the ground they really take off.  That has been my experience so far.

[MarcusH]

5 hours ago, Durabella said:

Great purchase. I hope the frost won't damage it.

They're doing great in my hardiness zone.  They can survive single digits temperatures for a brief time.  I went to Pensacola a few weeks back and none of the Butias looked damaged after lows of 13f last winter.  

I'll plant mine in February after the last frost. 

[Fusca]

4 hours ago, Durabella said:

Then you're very lucky! Good luck with the planting!

Welcome to Palmtalk Zutnof!  He's lucky that his soil is acidic enough for Butia to be happy.  There are parts of San Antonio, Texas where Butia struggle because of alkaline soils.  There are very few planted in my area of Texas for this reason.  I am also lucky that mine is doing well! ☺️ 

[MarcusH]

On 11/12/2025 at 8:22 AM, Fusca said:

Welcome to Palmtalk Zutnof!  He's lucky that his soil is acidic enough for Butia to be happy.  There are parts of San Antonio, Texas where Butia struggle because of alkaline soils.  There are very few planted in my area of Texas for this reason.  I am also lucky that mine is doing well! ☺️ 

I live here on the NE side of SA and apparently the Butias in my region ( Houston black clay ) they thrive and look pretty healthy.  My two Butias grow like Champs. 

[Ben G.]

Just a handful of local pics from yesterday.

Nice robusta at the San Antonio Zoo:

A little coconut still hanging in there in December, also at the zoo.

I liked this pair of S. mexicana on the river at The Pearl. I thought the people in the shot help demonstrate the scale.

At my own house this morning, I caught a tenant living in my Washingtonia.

This Washingtonia continues to grow at a rapid pace. Here it was when planted late in May of 2024:

In October 2024:

May 2025:

And today:

 

[MarcusH]

25 minutes ago, Ben G. said:

Just a handful of local pics from yesterday.

Nice robusta at the San Antonio Zoo:

A little coconut still hanging in there in December, also at the zoo.

I liked this pair of S. mexicana on the river at The Pearl. I thought the people in the shot help demonstrate the scale.

At my own house this morning, I caught a tenant living in my Washingtonia.

This Washingtonia continues to grow at a rapid pace. Here it was when planted late in May of 2024:

In October 2024:

May 2025:

And today:

 

Your Filifera is really taking off this year. It likes the location where its at. They do best in full sun , the more the better.  

[MarcusH]

While you @Ben G. were at the zoo I went shopping with my wife at La Cantera . Lots of common palms but one stood out . Serenaoa repens. That blueish color is definitely an eye catcher to me.

[jwitt]

Leaning bricks!!!!

A good sign!

[Ben G.]

50 minutes ago, MarcusH said:

Your Filifera is really taking off this year. It likes the location where its at. They do best in full sun , the more the better.  

You are correct about the sun. It gets sun from sunrise until the last hour or so of daylight. In a year or two it will be tall enough to catch even that last little bit of light each day.

 

[Ben G.]

49 minutes ago, MarcusH said:

While you @Ben G. were at the zoo I went shopping with my wife at La Cantera . Lots of common palms but one stood out . Serenaoa repens. That blueish color is definitely an eye catcher to me.

Nice photos Marcus. Serenoa is an interesting find. I see a fair bit of Sabal minor used in similar landscape conditions around here, but Serenoa is an equally good choice. (Though it is definitely the less common choice)

Are there any phoenix palms at La Cantera? I thought I remembered that there were, but I have only been there once.

There are a couple of dactylifera at the zoo. Both look good, but I didn't get to them until after dark this time (we were there around dusk for the lights) The larger of the two has a really big crown now. I also noticed the mules at the Japanese Tea Gardens, but also only passed them after dark. 

[Ben G.]

54 minutes ago, jwitt said:

Leaning bricks!!!!

A good sign!

It is pushing those bricks out pretty badly. I have really only left them to protect the trunk from the weed trimmer. It is big enough now though that the leaf bases would be plenty of protection.

[MarcusH]

21 hours ago, Ben G. said:

Nice photos Marcus. Serenoa is an interesting find. I see a fair bit of Sabal minor used in similar landscape conditions around here, but Serenoa is an equally good choice. (Though it is definitely the less common choice)

Are there any phoenix palms at La Cantera? I thought I remembered that there were, but I have only been there once.

There are a couple of dactylifera at the zoo. Both look good, but I didn't get to them until after dark this time (we were there around dusk for the lights) The larger of the two has a really big crown now. I also noticed the mules at the Japanese Tea Gardens, but also only passed them after dark. 

I think ( thinking isn't knowing ) the Dactyliferas you're talking about are located at the 1604 frontage road at one of "The Rim" entrances.  They planted a row of tall ones.