Trachys that look as good a lot of other varieties of palms imho .

[WSimpson]

My Trachys look really nice , and I think can compete with other varieties as far as beauty is concerned . Some palms obviously are so damn cool that my Trachys  can't compete with  those cool beautiful palms , but considering everything ,  like climate ,  I think mine are  respectable when put up against a lot of palm varieties in more southern locations  .

What do you think ?

Will

 

 

 

[Ben G.]

Yours are particularly nice trachycarpus. They seem very well suited to your climate.

[peachy]

They are lovely healthy palms, well done. I live in the subtropics and spent many years trying to find one.  Apart from senseless palm snobbery, people also said they don't survive in a warm wet climate. I planted a tiny one 4 years ago and now it is over the eaves on the house. Leaves nearly all the way down the trunk and it is just gorgeous. Not many people even know what it is !

Peachy

[Zone7Bpalmguy]

@WSimpson They look great and anything east of the Appalachians (warm end) zone 7B and warmer, they do great. Beautiful!

[NC-Key-Bar]

Some of the best looking Trachys are in NC. 
I saw some at lake Gaston that looked especially healthy.  Also at ne NC Zoo!
 

 

[jwitt]

@WSimpsonI can think of 2 descriptive words for your trachies..........

BITCHIN

and

BAD@SS

[Manalto]

It helps that your surrounding plantings are also beautiful and provide a setting that makes them feel harmonious, and not just stuck there.

Your timing couldn't be better, too. I was looking for inspiration for what to do with the Trachy I picked up at Lowe's this morning on the clearance rack for $25.

I don't know if this is a good deal or not but it's one of the few remaining palms I don't have that are reasonably reliable in zone 8B.

I read an article years ago by a garden writer (I think it might be Alan Lacey) entitled something like "In Praise of the Ordinary" that talked about how a healthy plant properly situated in the landscape is the equal or even superior of any rare specimen. It resonated and has stuck with me for decades now. Thanks for sharing your fine example of this.

[Las Palmas Norte]

Plant that palm NOW !!! Nearly all roots and very little soil in that pot.

[Manalto]

1 hour ago, Las Palmas Norte said:

Plant that palm NOW !!! Nearly all roots and very little soil in that pot.

I just came in from doing some garden work, including...

...to find your gentle recommendation.

The photo was deceptive. There was plenty of soil in the pot - but a potted palm was not my desire.

[palmofmyhand]

I definitely agree, that’s why I planted a bunch of them in the backyard this year. Someone who lives up the street has a beautiful pair of them in their front yard that look just as nice as yours, I think the bigger they are the better they look. The really skinny ones don’t look quite as nice as bigger trunked ones.

[SeanK]

4 hours ago, Manalto said:

It helps that your surrounding plantings are also beautiful and provide a setting that makes them feel harmonious, and not just stuck there.

Your timing couldn't be better, too. I was looking for inspiration for what to do with the Trachy I picked up at Lowe's this morning on the clearance rack for $25.

I don't know if this is a good deal or not but it's one of the few remaining palms I don't have that are reasonably reliable in zone 8B.

I read an article years ago by a garden writer (I think it might be Alan Lacey) entitled something like "In Praise of the Ordinary" that talked about how a healthy plant properly situated in the landscape is the equal or even superior of any rare specimen. It resonated and has stuck with me for decades now. Thanks for sharing your fine example of this.

I don't find Trachycarpus particularly attractive. However, as you say, the surrounding plantings are important. Trachycarpus and Sabal are the only reliable trunking palms where I live. This forces me to carefully choose the broad-leaf evergreens that I plant.

[Las Palmas Norte]

4 hours ago, Manalto said:

I just came in from doing some garden work, including...

...to find your gentle recommendation.

The photo was deceptive. There was plenty of soil in the pot - but a potted palm was not my desire.

It looks right at home there.

[Las Palmas Norte]

A few Trachycarpus wagnerianus pics I took some years ago now, most likely in excess of 15 years ago.

 

[WSimpson]

29 minutes ago, Las Palmas Norte said:

A few Trachycarpus wagnerianus pics I took some years ago now, most likely in excess of 15 years ago.

 

Nice stiffer forms . I need to get a Waggy .

Will

[Zone7Bpalmguy]

@Las Palmas Norte I generally do not like the look of waggie palms but that last pic looks pretty nice! I guess, for me, it's the openness nature of the crown. It doesn't look right. Once again, simply my opinion, that doesn't mean much.

[SeanK]

5 hours ago, Las Palmas Norte said:

A few Trachycarpus wagnerianus pics I took some years ago now, most likely in excess of 15 years ago.

 

Last one is amazing. I've never seen one with more than a dozen fronds.

[Manalto]

A local landscaper whose judgment I trust without reservation says to grow them in some shade around here. I think it deepens the color and causes them to stretch a bit, resulting in a larger, more graceful frond. To me, the trachy's liability is its scraggy-looking trunk. Planting a cluster or grove of plants of varying heights may soften that feature.  Taller underplanting can also help to hide the trunks.

[mnorell]

Trachycarpus is a very nice genus and T. fortunei is unfairly looked down upon, IMHO. In the Deep South (well north of Miami, that is!) they grow quickly and have excellent appearance. I would make the suggestion, however, that you plant a grove of them fairly close together. When i lived in Mississippi I became aware of a rather large grove of these that a talented nursery manager and designer had installed at her house, and the effect was amazing. When planted in this way, shading each other and creating a significant canopy, they have an extremely tropical appearance (especially with their trunks stripped). I planted a group of five or so of them in varying heights up against our house to shield the western sun and the result was quite nice. It doesn't hurt that they are fast-growing when they get going in that climate.

[Las Palmas Norte]

13 hours ago, SeanK said:

Last one is amazing. I've never seen one with more than a dozen fronds.

Here in the PNW, these grow with full crowns as seen in my pics. This of course is if they're properly cared for and watered during the summer drought.

 

17 hours ago, Zone7Bpalmguy said:

... Once again, simply my opinion, that doesn't mean much.

Don't sell yourself short. Informed decisions and opinions are yours for reasons that hold value with yourself. Sentiments can change.

[Atlanta Area Palm Guy]

On 6/13/2025 at 7:43 PM, WSimpson said:

My Trachys look really nice , and I think can compete with other varieties as far as beauty is concerned . Some palms obviously are so damn cool that my Trachys  can't compete with  those cool beautiful palms , but considering everything ,  like climate ,  I think mine are  respectable when put up against a lot of palm varieties in more southern locations  .

What do you think ?

Will

 

 

 

Yes, those are very healthy.  They are comparable to certain forms of European Fan Palm/Mediterranean Fan Palm.  Other than that, the Trachy is it's own class of palm.  Pretty hard to mistake them for any form of Sabal variety, if you have any experience.

[KPoff]

On 6/13/2025 at 6:43 PM, WSimpson said:

My Trachys look really nice , and I think can compete with other varieties as far as beauty is concerned . Some palms obviously are so damn cool that my Trachys  can't compete with  those cool beautiful palms , but considering everything ,  like climate ,  I think mine are  respectable when put up against a lot of palm varieties in more southern locations  .

What do you think ?

Will

 

 

 

@WSimpson I agree they look amazing. Yours look very healthy and happy. They are one of my favorites, cold hardy or otherwise. 

[Cape Garrett]

On 6/13/2025 at 7:43 PM, WSimpson said:

My Trachys look really nice , and I think can compete with other varieties as far as beauty is concerned . Some palms obviously are so damn cool that my Trachys  can't compete with  those cool beautiful palms , but considering everything ,  like climate ,  I think mine are  respectable when put up against a lot of palm varieties in more southern locations  .

What do you think ?

Will

 

 

 

These look fantastic!

[Las Palmas Norte]

I was planning to plant this Windmill in the spring. July 24th today and I finally got it in. It's the drought season and digging was fairly easy. This one is local seed grown by me. The leaflets are deeply divided and seem to stay together in pairs, at least at this early stage of development. 3' overall height.