Trachycarpus in full sun?

[Swolte]

Recently had a discussion with someone who claimed Trachies might be OK in Texas full sun if you ensure they keep watered. What do you think? Any examples of folks who managed to grow them in full sun? 

[jwitt]

That is exactly right but you will get disagreement from others. It is a water issue. The Paisano hotel in Marfa, is a perfect example. 

The watered lawn and probably the most intense sun in Texas and trachies do great. 

Edited March 31, 2024 by jwitt

[jwitt]

[fr8train]

My princeps, takil, and wagnerianus all burn in the full sun. I see plenty of fortunei planted around that look fine though. Here's one down the street from here.

I wonder if I'd just let my palms burn off their old leaves if the new ones pushed out in summer would be ok?

Edited March 31, 2024 by fr8train

[Chester B]

Those ones in Marfa look decent, too bad we can't see the overall photo.  But I wonder if they get afternoon shade from the building.  They certainly do have the full sun fronds, that being shorter, stiffer, less space between the leaf segments and short petioles.

@fr8train coming from the PNW that Trachy you posted is a pretty scraggly and skinny looking specimen in comparison to what I am accustomed to seeing.  I'm sure others from the PNW would agree. 

I have found three Trachys in my neighborhood and they look ok.  Nice dark green leaves but skinny and don't hold on to as many fronds as what I am used to seeing.  They are all in front yards with some shade and irrigation.

I brought a bunch of my Oregon seed grown Trachys with me to experiment.  I have clay soil and get areas of standing water after a good rainfall.  Little to no shade right now though.  I have about 15 regular fortunei, 6 nainital, a latisectus and a princeps.  The parent palms of the nainital were exceptionally thick trunked and the fortunei came from what I would call typical specimens.  I gave one of the fortunei away this week to a gardener who lives near Hobby airport so it will be interesting to compare. 

Video of a fantastic specimen in the Mississippi neighborhood in Portland.

 

[Chester B]

I was thinking about this further and one of the things that many of us have thought/theorized is that Trachys like/need a night time cool down.  In the PNW even days where we would get to 100F the nighttime lows would be in the 60s.   And in July and August night time lows can still be in the 50's.  I'm no expert on Marfa weather but it is in the desert so there will be a big swing between day and night.   This also may be a factor to why the ones you have shown look better than any Trachy I've seen in Texas so far.

[jwitt]

6 minutes ago, Chester B said:

I was thinking about this further and one of the things that many of us have thought/theorized is that Trachys like/need a night time cool down.  In the PNW even days where we would get to 100F the nighttime lows would be in the 60s.   And in July and August night time lows can still be in the 50's.  I'm no expert on Marfa weather but it is in the desert so there will be a big swing between day and night.   This also may be a factor to why the ones you have shown look better than any Trachy I've seen in Texas so far.

Trachies suffer in the Texas periods of drought.  If they are irrigated like a lawn with sprinklers, they handle the full sun better.   Just like Marfa.

Oh, that sun in Marfa is 20-30% stronger(more damaging) than SA.  So, pretty sure it's not the sun.  That Marfa sun is hotter, shines more often than most other places in Texas. Shut that water off(or lessen)in Marfa, they would sunburn. 

My own personal Trachy in NM full sun is the same.  Water wise, it thinks it is in a wet North Carolina. 

Oh and the cooler nighttimes lows kind of throws out the Carolinas, Louisiana, etc...another reason, I believe it is a water issue, or at least a changing(drought) issue. 

Lawns do not exist in Marfa(or here) without near daily irrigation.  Lessen that irrigation, they burn. 

[jwitt]

Even south, reflected sun.

11 years ago.

[jwitt]

My NM full sun Trachy last week

[jwitt]

This is what my Trachy saw last July if it had been shaded.  

Most heat waves Texas involve droughts.....

Edited March 31, 2024 by jwitt

[Marco67]

 

Trachyarpus seems to look better in cooler climates compared to hotter climates. Trunks are much thicker, and they have a fuller crown. 

In Europe most of them are grown in nurseries in Spain and Italy. Perhaps the quality is also better than the ones grown in some other places.

Frontgarden.

 

Backgarden

 

[jwitt]

Seem fine in North Carolina with irrigation and Louisiana full sun. 

Edited March 31, 2024 by jwitt

[jwitt]

But yet in  drier North Texas, non irrigated grow skinny trunks. Post Armageddon....just for trunk comparison 

[Allen]

Grand Bay, AL.  Water, Water for Texas

 

[jwitt]

Heck of a dry spell in a "wet" part of Texas.  

Uncommon?

[palmnut-fry]

That pathetic pic at end cracked me up🤩! Yes, DFW area is about as far north as you can grow most trunked tree palms but luckily many survived much better shape than these pathetic ones!

I would say about 2 outta 3 tall palms perished the last few gawd awful winters, at least the ones I knew. 

[MarcusH]

From my observations is here in San Antonio Texas a lot of Windmill palms look more ratty than good. Thin trunks and not many fronds . They will do better in colder climates but if you give them plenty of water during hot dry summers I think they do just fine. I've seen some decent looking one in the downtown area but they also get a lot of shade.