Palms living on the edge

[Tracy]

Like it says BWARE.  This Washingtonia robusta is definitely living life on the edge.  

Anyone else want to share photos of lsms thriving on the edge?

[happypalms]

Definitely life in the fast lane, so fast the one on the left didn’t make it! 

[Brad52]

Pictures of any palm I have right now would meet the criteria due to our recent extreme dry spell.  Lost a few, several others on the edge, nearly lost my K elegans.

[Tracy]

3 hours ago, Brad52 said:

Pictures of any palm I have right now would meet the criteria due to our recent extreme dry spell.  Lost a few, several others on the edge, nearly lost my K elegans.

Very unfortunate.  I hope you get some rain for your palms soon Brad!

[Brad52]

Thanks, the rain came back last week so all survivors are now watered.

[Harry’s Palms]

I have several planted on my south facing slope but they have adapted quite well . One that really shows the adaptability of palms most is my Brahea Edulis . The others just grew straight up . Harry

‘Not really “ on the edge “ but this is the only one that conformed like this , kind of cool .

[happypalms]

10 hours ago, Brad52 said:

Pictures of any palm I have right now would meet the criteria due to our recent extreme dry spell.  Lost a few, several others on the edge, nearly lost my K elegans.

I had the same extreme dry hot weather. I lost nothing in the mini drought we had. Mind you though I was watering a lot! 

[Jonathan]

5 hours ago, Harry’s Palms said:

I have several planted on my south facing slope but they have adapted quite well . One that really shows the adaptability of palms most is my Brahea Edulis . The others just grew straight up . Harry

‘Not really “ on the edge “ but this is the only one that conformed like this , kind of cool .

That's a beauty Harry, love it!

[Jonathan]

15 hours ago, Tracy said:

Like it says BWARE.  This Washingtonia robusta is definitely living life on the edge.  

Anyone else want to share photos of lsms thriving on the edge?

Classic.

How does it get any water?

What a tough plant.

[Brad52]

13 hours ago, happypalms said:

I had the same extreme dry hot weather. I lost nothing in the mini drought we had. Mind you though I was watering a lot! 

Mine are growing in shallow mounds on solid lava and are dry 2 days after rain so extended dry with no soil moisture is just brutal.

[Tracy]

8 hours ago, Jonathan said:

How does it get any water?

What a tough plant.

Jonathan, that is a good question.  It gets rainwater as well as the rainwater runoff coming down from the back side of the building's paved area behind it.  Perhaps the pair of Washingtonia robustas have deep roots and tap into pooled runoff behind that retaining wall.  Average rainfall at that location, about 5 miles north of the border with Baja California, is just under 10" per year.  While these palms are not native to this side of the border, they clearly have established themselves and can survive with no human assistance.  The climate where it is growing at the edge of the South San Diego Bay and the Otay River is very mild except for the lack of rainfall.

[Jonathan]

6 hours ago, Tracy said:

Jonathan, that is a good question.  It gets rainwater as well as the rainwater runoff coming down from the back side of the building's paved area behind it.  Perhaps the pair of Washingtonia robustas have deep roots and tap into pooled runoff behind that retaining wall.  Average rainfall at that location, about 5 miles north of the border with Baja California, is just under 10" per year.  While these palms are not native to this side of the border, they clearly have established themselves and can survive with no human assistance.  The climate where it is growing at the edge of the South San Diego Bay and the Otay River is very mild except for the lack of rainfall.

Tracy - it speaks volumes about the difference between palms germinated in situ and planted out nursery grown stock. I've got several of each Washie species planted out many years ago in my dry crappy sand, in places where they never get watered. I assumed they'd grow happily being drought adapted, but they don't.

The filiferas haven't grown at all, the robustas slowly but steadily. Annual rainfall here is 300 -450mm, so 12-18 inches. There's a water table at 3m down but they don't seem to have found it. 

In the same conditions Parajubaea torallyi has grown 4m in half the time...go figure!