Texas Palms

[Xenon]

Currently 87-88 degrees in Uptown Houston. Feels like a real scorcher. Rooftop pools and palms sound pretty enticing right now

[thyerr01]

Can barely tell we had a freeze. 

[Chester B]

I thought this was a good lineup to show the differences.  From left to right - theophrastii, dactylifera and sylvestris. 
 

I got within two feet of the Theo and it stuck me.  They are vicious  

 

[Ben G.]

After freezing rain and a low of about 20F, my butia spear pulled about three weeks after the deep freeze. I am disappointed it took so long to show any damage because I think it was pretty bad by the time I noticed it.

After a couple of weeks of treating it for fungus, I still didn't see any new growth. So, last weekend I trunk cut it. I cut it really low and it still didn't look like it had any live tissue. 

I dug it out because I figured it was dead, and I didn't want to sacrifice its prime spot near my pool for a wonky-looking stump for the amount of time it would take to look good if it did grow back.

I put it in a pot just in case I was wrong about it being dead though. Sure enough, a week later it is clearly growing:

I have already planted my 5 to 7 gallon sized mule palm in its place. It will need more protection, but perhaps it will establish faster:

All of this trouble with my butia is really frustrating since there are several butias within a mile of my home that look completely untouched. Mine had been in the ground more than 18 months, and it was finishing its second winter in the ground. So, it was apparently still too new to shake off freezing rain.

[Allen]

4 minutes ago, Ben G. said:

After freezing rain and a low of about 20F, my butia spear pulled about three weeks after the deep freeze. I am disappointed it took so long to show any damage because I think it was pretty bad by the time I noticed it.

After a couple of weeks of treating it for fungus, I still didn't see any new growth. So, last weekend I trunk cut it. I cut it really low and it still didn't look like it had any live tissue. 

I dug it out because I figured it was dead, and I didn't want to sacrifice its prime spot near my pool for a wonky-looking stump for the amount of time it would take to look good if it did grow back.

I put it in a pot just in case I was wrong about it being dead though. Sure enough, a week later it is clearly growing:

I have already planted my 5 to 7 gallon sized mule palm in its place. It will need more protection, but perhaps it will establish faster:

All of this trouble with my butia is really frustrating since there are several butias within a mile of my home that look completely untouched. Mine had been in the ground more than 18 months, and it was finishing its second winter in the ground. So, it was apparently still too new to shake off freezing rain.

I have seen many of these die in wet/cold especially being that young it is susceptible.  That ice did it in

[Meangreen94z]

A few more from Pearland. Everything palmwise survived. The Queens fronds look great for 22-24°F.

Bismarckia nobilis

Medemia argun

Butia , Copernicia alba, and Livistona nitida 

Phoenix theophrastii ‘Golkoy’

 

Copernicia alba #2

Butia x Parajubaea var. torallyi

Mule palm

Livistona decora

Ravenea rivularis and King palm 

Queen, seed supposedly sourced from a hardy parent.

Beaucarnea recurvata starting to form a thick caudex 

Acrocomia, possible totai

Sabal uresana 

Beccariophoenix alfredii

[Ben G.]

54 minutes ago, Meangreen94z said:

A few more from Pearland. Everything palmwise survived. The Queens fronds look great for 22-24°F.

Glad to see your majesty made it through.

[Chester B]

With some time I too have seen some damage.  One of my mules is starting to brown off and the newest spear looks bad.  
 

Another year and yet again I see damage on a needle palm. It ended up spear pulling. They are so finicky when young. I lost one the first summer and last winter 3/4 had damage.  I’ve seen damage on needle palms before yet somehow every Sabal minor I’ve ever had, at any size, in any weather condition have never been damaged.  After growing many of both of these species, in two totally different climates,  for over a decade, there is literally nothing to convince me that needle palms are the most cold hardy palm. Sabal minor is the GOAT.  

[SeanK]

6 hours ago, Chester B said:

With some time I too have seen some damage.  One of my mules is starting to brown off and the newest spear looks bad.  
 

Another year and yet again I see damage on a needle palm. It ended up spear pulling. They are so finicky when young. I lost one the first summer and last winter 3/4 had damage.  I’ve seen damage on needle palms before yet somehow every Sabal minor I’ve ever had, at any size, in any weather condition have never been damaged.  After growing many of both of these species, in two totally different climates,  for over a decade, there is literally nothing to convince me that needle palms are the most cold hardy palm. Sabal minor is the GOAT.  

My experience is the same here in Atlanta. I don't know if Rhapidophyllum wants to be dry in the winter or if it's an issue of seed source. S.minor seems bulletproof; sun-shade, wet-dry, it doesn't matter.

[jwitt]

If one were to take the lows that sabal minors have endured at the Denver zoo, multiple times at or below what the 1 time event in Knoxville, that a needle palm endured, sabal minors are the clear winner. 

End of story.

[Robert Cade Ross]

Out and about Brazoria county last two weeks . I noticed east Pearland was a cold spot this freeze and nuked the queens / cidps . Down in Manvel / Alvin they all look great.Queen palmy yard Manvel freshly planted palmetpigmy’s Alvin HW6 new palms two big queens planted last summer here in Manvel both have 90% green fronds Fresno / Arcola HW6 

[Chester B]

@Robert Cade Ross how come you haven't posted photos of that tall Butia at SCV Valve on FM646?

[Robert Cade Ross]

7 minutes ago, Chester B said:

@Robert Cade Ross how come you haven't posted photos of that tall Butia at SCV Valve on FM646?

lol tall butia are common around here . At least to me . I’ve passed these often the huge Spanish dagger next to them Is awesome.

[Xenon]

Encountered a bunch of big old-ish CIDP in Houston today that somehow have escaped lethal bronzing. MacGregor/Old Spanish Trail near UofH

 

 

[MarcusH]

The return of the Queen palm in San Antonio.  The outcome of this is clear. Won't see a bright future for those that made it through the last couple of winters. I decided to remove my Queen a few weeks back . Obviously it survived,  no spear pull , just ugly brown all over. Bought it last year in hope it would push out a few fronds but unfortunately , that hasn't been the case. It slowly grew one long spear. So I thought I would remove it because there's no point at looking at something that doesn't even look nice. The Queens at the Riveralk seem to do well and grow quite fast after being in the ground for 2.5 years.  I also took some pictures of a few Livistona Chinensis . 

Also new rows of Sabal Palmettos have been planted around downtown. Here's one of it. Best choice of palms in our area. 

Surprisingly the few Ravenea Rivularis have survived near the Riverwalk.  Seems to be a great microclimate for a lot of exotics.  

[Fusca]

On 3/3/2026 at 2:24 PM, MarcusH said:

I also took some pictures of a few Livistona Chinensis.  

If this is the palm I'm thinking of I believe that it's Livistona decora.  L. chinensis and australis typically have white to cream colored flowers.  If you can check out the fruits when they ripen this fall I'd expect them to be spherical in shape and shiny black.  If it is chinensis the fruits will be somewhat oblong and bluish colored.  I recently collected some decora fruits that ripened a couple of months ago.