One year of growth after planting: Washingtonia

[Ben G.]

I could have added this under the Texas Palms thread, but I thought this might make it easier to find for people to find.

If you have ever asked how fast will a newly planted Washingtonia grow in its first year, here are the results from my experience here in Texas:

Planted last year on June 1st

This year on February 1st after taking a bit of winter damage:

And tonight, just shy of it's one year mark in the ground:

With this filifera putting on this much growth in its first year, it kind of makes me wonder what a robusta could have done.

[Swolte]

Great growth! What's your formula? Do you fertilize? How much water!

[Chester B]

I actually think if you had a robusta it wouldn’t be any bigger. That’s some serious growth. 

[SeanK]

I'm curious how far east filifera can survive the winter. East of I35 rainfall starts to increase. East of I45 the winters are noticeably more wet. 

[jwitt]

10 minutes ago, SeanK said:

I'm curious how far east filifera can survive the winter. East of I35 rainfall starts to increase. East of I45 the winters are noticeably more wet. 

Louisiana dispels the rainfall argument.

Maybe soil?

[jwitt]

Wait til that trunk fattens up around year 4-8! Your palm is just getting started!

Nice growth!

[Ben G.]

1 hour ago, Swolte said:

Great growth! What's your formula? Do you fertilize? How much water!

You are assuming skill was involved in this my friend...I think this is luck more than skill. I gave it some very generic slow release fertilizer last year when I planted it, and I might have given it some more of the same back in March. I honestly can't remember.

I have tried to give it water at least once a week, when we haven't had rain. (i.e. most of the time)

Sun, water, plenty of heat. That's about it. I think this palm just has good genes.

[Ben G.]

44 minutes ago, SeanK said:

I'm curious how far east filifera can survive the winter. East of I35 rainfall starts to increase. East of I45 the winters are noticeably more wet. 

I would be curious to see more filiferas further east as well. This one had a few damaged fronds from 2 instances of lows around 22F to 24F, with just a little bit of ice/snow.

I wasn't too surprised, since it was it's first winter in ground. The damage didn't show until probably 4 weeks after the second cold event though.

 

[Ben G.]

I can't imagine how wide that trunk will be in a few years! 

Since I will be waiting at least 5 years before most of my other palms are very large, it's nice to have one that is giving quicker results.

[SailorBold]

Awesome!

[Chester B]

I see the odd fat Washingtonia around here but nothing compared to what I saw in Palm Springs. 
 

[MarcusH]

It all depends on growing conditions like sun/shade , how often you water , soil, fertilizer , pruning , genetics ,etc.  Filiferas are definitely slower. 

I have 4 in a ground where 2 were grown from seeds but were planted in different locations.  One gets full sun while the other gets shade to partial shade.  The one in shade grew barely in size and seems not to like the spot , for now.  The other one growing in full sun took off as soon as I planted it , even more since I added organic soil . All my palms get watered , 1 to 3 times a week depending on the weather and time of the year.  Deep soaking once a week.  

My Robusta compared to my Filiferas, grows much faster, also it seems to be that Filiferas concentrate on growing on trunk width first instead of growing vertical unlike Robustas growing vertically quicker and add width to the trunk as time goes by.  That's my observation since I grow both varieties. 

Here are some pictures. First two pictures shows my Filifera in the front of our house planted on April 14th, 2024  and May 22nd , 2025. 

Picture 3 and 4 shows my Robusta.  March 2022 and May 22nd. 

Remember the Filiferas at the backyard when you came over to visit me ? Those Filiferas have been in the ground for about 2.5 years.  They grow slower than the one in front even they get full sun and those purchased and not grown from seeds.  Why ? I'm not really sure .  

[SeanK]

12 hours ago, jwitt said:

Louisiana dispels the rainfall argument.

Maybe soil?

Ahh, yes. I recall someone posted photos from their yard near Monroe. I wonder how small they were when planted in the ground. 

[jwitt]

@MarcusH

"Those Filiferas have been in the ground for about 2.5 years.  They grow slower than the one in front even they get full sun and those purchased and not grown from seeds.  Why ? I'm not really sure . "

 

Roots, roots, Roots!!!

[MarcusH]

4 minutes ago, jwitt said:

@MarcusH

"Those Filiferas have been in the ground for about 2.5 years.  They grow slower than the one in front even they get full sun and those purchased and not grown from seeds.  Why ? I'm not really sure . "

 

Roots, roots, Roots!!!

Hi Jim, give me some more details about the root growth.  Apparently you have a good theory I really like to know. 

[jwitt]

1 hour ago, MarcusH said:

Hi Jim, give me some more details about the root growth.  Apparently you have a good theory I really like to know. 

This is a filifera seedling before it broke ground laying on a 13" tile.  Also know their root ball is larger than the crown, and the crown is huge. 

Now, enter a pot.... And know, before that filifera seedling even broke ground, it has already outgrown a 5 gallon pot!

[jwitt]

@MarcusH

To continue......

Years of growth are lost by pot grown filifera as they spend years reestablishing proper root st.ructure.

Best to seed in place(if possible) or use a deep seedling/growing pot and plant in ground as real leaves form, 1-2 years. 

[jwitt]

@MarcusH

This takes multiple years to recover from. 

[MarcusH]

Thank you Jim, I always appreciate your feedback . This is a very good explanation all in detail.  So growing palms , fast growing ones in particular,  when they are very young like a seedling will have a faster growth rate . Makes all sense now. 

[JohnAndSancho]

4 hours ago, jwitt said:

@MarcusH

This takes multiple years to recover from. 

I really want to plant mine out but I'm worried about the swampy ground, cats that destroy everything, freak cold snaps, and like 30 other things. It's still in a very fancy fast food cup planter and just now pushing its first palmate frond. 

[jwitt]

1 hour ago, JohnAndSancho said:

I really want to plant mine out but I'm worried about the swampy ground, cats that destroy everything, freak cold snaps, and like 30 other things. It's still in a very fancy fast food cup planter and just now pushing its first palmate frond. 

For me, this is the point of time that has worked best for when planting from a container. 

They naturally grow in swamps. 

It will take off in your Texas climate now. 

Can't speak to the cats. 

And you guys are due for a normal or better winter. 

My thoughts. 

[jwitt]

1 hour ago, MarcusH said:

Thank you Jim, I always appreciate your feedback . This is a very good explanation all in detail.  So growing palms , fast growing ones in particular,  when they are very young like a seedling will have a faster growth rate . Makes all sense now. 

I can only speak to filifera. Filifera are all about roots. 

[JohnAndSancho]

18 minutes ago, jwitt said:

For me, this is the point of time that has worked best for when planting from a container. 

They naturally grow in swamps. 

It will take off in your Texas climate now. 

Can't speak to the cats. 

And you guys are due for a normal or better winter. 

My thoughts. 

I dunno why I thought these were desert plants. I'm in East Mississippi now, and the climate is pretty similar but it just feels way more humid here. Maybe because instead of a suburb, I'm in an actual forest now I guess. 

[jwitt]

1 hour ago, JohnAndSancho said:

I dunno why I thought these were desert plants. I'm in East Mississippi now, and the climate is pretty similar but it just feels way more humid here. Maybe because instead of a suburb, I'm in an actual forest now I guess. 

They like moist/wet alkaline soils. when actively growing . Sorry, thought you were in Texas. 

They grow naturally in swamps, which are located in the desert SW.  

Direct/full sun also from a seedling on. 

 

[JohnAndSancho]

3 minutes ago, jwitt said:

They like moist/wet alkaline soils. when actively growing . Sorry, thought you were in Texas. 

They grow naturally in swamps, which are located in the desert SW.  

Direct/full sun also from a seedling on. 

 

I was in Texas forever. Some uhhh really bad stuff happened that brought me here lol.

Anyway I had this in the bathroom window for a while and moved it into my Palm Condo™ with a big grow bulb and it's much happier there. I also sprouted a bunch from seed and had no idea just how fast they'd pop, and they got cooked in their baggie and turned into spaghetti. I potted them anyway and they didn't last long. 

[Ben G.]

12 hours ago, MarcusH said:

It all depends on growing conditions like sun/shade , how often you water , soil, fertilizer , pruning , genetics ,etc.  Filiferas are definitely slower. 

I have 4 in a ground where 2 were grown from seeds but were planted in different locations.  One gets full sun while the other gets shade to partial shade.  The one in shade grew barely in size and seems not to like the spot , for now.  The other one growing in full sun took off as soon as I planted it , even more since I added organic soil . All my palms get watered , 1 to 3 times a week depending on the weather and time of the year.  Deep soaking once a week.  

My Robusta compared to my Filiferas, grows much faster, also it seems to be that Filiferas concentrate on growing on trunk width first instead of growing vertical unlike Robustas growing vertically quicker and add width to the trunk as time goes by.  That's my observation since I grow both varieties. 

Here are some pictures. First two pictures shows my Filifera in the front of our house planted on April 14th, 2024  and May 22nd , 2025. 

Picture 3 and 4 shows my Robusta.  March 2022 and May 22nd. 

Remember the Filiferas at the backyard when you came over to visit me ? Those Filiferas have been in the ground for about 2.5 years.  They grow slower than the one in front even they get full sun and those purchased and not grown from seeds.  Why ? I'm not really sure .  

Full sun probably does make a difference. Mine is definitely in full sun, and it is growing like your front yard filifera for sure.

I think that Washington is grown in the shade still look great though, even if they grow more slowly. 

I don't think I posted these palms before, but I like these shade grown washies:

I thought these were cool because they are certainly volunteers. This is a man-made water feature at a USO building near Brooke Army Medical Center. The landscaping is pretty neglected in recent years, but that means bird-sown palms now. 🙂

Assuming there is rubber pond liner under that gravel... I do wonder where all of the roots are anchored.

[jwitt]

@BenG

Those planted are about as natural a setting, like in the desert groves growing wild. 

Wet feet and all. 

They will grow above and thru the trees if allowed, reaching full sun. 

Nice!

Curious if that water is year round?

[Ben G.]

17 minutes ago, jwitt said:

@BenG

Those planted are about as natural a setting, like in the desert groves growing wild. 

Wet feet and all. 

They will grow above and thru the trees if allowed, reaching full sun. 

Nice!

Curious if that water is year round?

I haven't walked around that area during the winter, so I guess I can't say for sure. I would guess that the water is running year round. This building and all the surrounding grounds were funded with donations during the height of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is a place for wounded service members to rest and recuperate while being treated at the Army Hospital. It was clearly beautifully landscaped at one point. It is still a nice area, but it is weedy and overgrown now. The staff has told me that a lot of work on the grounds comes from volunteers nowadays.

All that to say, I can't see anyone at the USO building intentionally doing anything to protect palms that weren't planted on purpose...but I suppose it is possible that someone turns off the pump for the water feature if a hard freeze is predicted.

[Atlanta Area Palm Guy]

On 5/28/2025 at 9:48 PM, Ben G. said:

Full sun probably does make a difference. Mine is definitely in full sun, and it is growing like your front yard filifera for sure.

I think that Washington is grown in the shade still look great though, even if they grow more slowly. 

I don't think I posted these palms before, but I like these shade grown washies:

I thought these were cool because they are certainly volunteers. This is a man-made water feature at a USO building near Brooke Army Medical Center. The landscaping is pretty neglected in recent years, but that means bird-sown palms now. 🙂

Assuming there is rubber pond liner under that gravel... I do wonder where all of the roots are anchored.

That's a nice, little setup there.

[Atlanta Area Palm Guy]

On 5/28/2025 at 6:12 PM, jwitt said:

For me, this is the point of time that has worked best for when planting from a container. 

They naturally grow in swamps. 

It will take off in your Texas climate now. 

Can't speak to the cats. 

And you guys are due for a normal or better winter. 

My thoughts. 

Sounds like you're on top of things.

[jwitt]

3 hours ago, Atlanta Area Palm Guy said:

Sounds like you're on top of things.

Thank you. 

Just one species I take an abnormal taking to. 

Lots of misbeliefs and untruths out there on this palm that has been in cultivation for literally less than a century.!