Pindo, Mule or Alfredii for front yard?

[sonoranfans]

this  thread has alfredii's and pics through time for growth rate.

 

[SCVpalmenthusiast]

3 hours ago, aztropic said:

Hopefully, that palm was not recently planted into the box. This species is one of those with very sensitive root systems that hates disturbance. With a tree that big,I'd guess the nursery will be doing the planting. Make sure they provide you a guarantee of survivability with the planting.👍

 

aztropic 

Mesa, Arizona 

The nursery is about 75 miles away. They don’t plant in my area. Im having my gardener/landscaper plant it. I can ask them if it’s recently been planted in the box. I will ask about guarantees. But I doubt they will since they’re only delivering. Im gonna have the guys follow what AI suggests for planting. 

[SCVpalmenthusiast]

3 hours ago, sonoranfans said:

this  thread has alfredii's and pics through time for growth rate.

 

Yours is absolutely stunning. How many years has it been in ground? And what size was it when you planted? Are you in FL?

[sonoranfans]

12 hours ago, SCVpalmenthusiast said:

Yours is absolutely stunning. How many years has it been in ground? And what size was it when you planted? Are you in FL?

I planted it as a 3 gallon size in 2011, the pics are from pre hurricane Milton so early 2024.  If you plant to stay in  your house, I'd go with a smaller palm than a 36" box.  Alfrediis grow pretty well and my hypothesis is root development will be faster and ultimately more extensive on a young palm with good soil modification than an older one.  A 25 gallon size would be as big as I would go.   I wold dig a hole for a 36" box and plant the 25 gallon in it with soil ammendments based on what your soil is composed of.  I have watched 15 gallon palms outgrow 24" box palms after the install in AZ, they were queens but I had 3 of each and invariably the 15 gallons were bigger and more lush after 7 years.  When you said your climate wasn't really a full on desert, I thought it might be near ideal for alfredii which likes sun, heat, and consistent water intervals.  I do know they grow in protected areas(from western sun) in arizona but they are not really a happy 110F desert palm.  But riverside is quite a bit cooler than arizona, at least 10 degrees.  The pics do not do the palm justice, its a beast.   I have (3), more sun led to notably bigger palm and faster growth.  You should be able to save a lot on a 25 gallon vs a 36" box.  One of the things I have learned in 25 years of growing palms is that getting the big size palm is nice for the first few years, but in many cases, it would have been better to save the money and get a little smaller palm since after 5-7 years there is no difference or the (initially) smaller one looks better.  In some plants rooting hormones are most dominant at an early age, not sure about palms but what I have seen is consistent with better growth after 5 years from palms that were planted a little bit smaller than the "big" size.  Exceptions to that rule are in the really slow growing species.  We have lots of butias here in florida, they look better neglected in my area, and they like cool weather as they look a lot better in north florida or in winter here.  Alfrediis like heat but they want to get their water to hold a full crown.   This is why I say modify your soil to breathe well and hold water.   I have sandy soil with half (water holding) clay at 2' under the surface, so I added plenty of top mulch every other year.  My place is 40 miles south of Tampa florida within 15-17 miles of the gulf as the crow flies (just south of the skyway bridge).

[96720]

I’m late to the discussion but in my opinion there is one choice that is a royal hands down!!!! My royals in Phoenix love heat grow fast trim themselves what’s not to like???

[96720]

Picture of a mule and also a coconut queen which is a little harder to find!!

[SCVpalmenthusiast]

45 minutes ago, 96720 said:

I’m late to the discussion but in my opinion there is one choice that is a royal hands down!!!! My royals in Phoenix love heat grow fast trim themselves what’s not to like???

Where are you located FL? Im in So Cal, I think its iffy in my area. But I might buy a smaller one.

Edit: just saw Pheonix. Wow thats a beautiful garden. You really layered it well with color and palms. Im so conflicted about Royals surviving here. If they thrive in a true desert, surely they can survive a semi-arid Mediterranean climate.

Edited Wednesday at 08:02 PM by SCVpalmenthusiast
Edit

[SCVpalmenthusiast]

3 hours ago, sonoranfans said:

I planted it as a 3 gallon size in 2011, the pics are from pre hurricane Milton so early 2024.  If you plant to stay in  your house, I'd go with a smaller palm than a 36" box.  Alfrediis grow pretty well and my hypothesis is root development will be faster and ultimately more extensive on a young palm with good soil modification than an older one.  A 25 gallon size would be as big as I would go.   I wold dig a hole for a 36" box and plant the 25 gallon in it with soil ammendments based on what your soil is composed of.  I have watched 15 gallon palms outgrow 24" box palms after the install in AZ, they were queens but I had 3 of each and invariably the 15 gallons were bigger and more lush after 7 years.  When you said your climate wasn't really a full on desert, I thought it might be near ideal for alfredii which likes sun, heat, and consistent water intervals.  I do know they grow in protected areas(from western sun) in arizona but they are not really a happy 110F desert palm.  But riverside is quite a bit cooler than arizona, at least 10 degrees.  The pics do not do the palm justice, its a beast.   I have (3), more sun led to notably bigger palm and faster growth.  You should be able to save a lot on a 25 gallon vs a 36" box.  One of the things I have learned in 25 years of growing palms is that getting the big size palm is nice for the first few years, but in many cases, it would have been better to save the money and get a little smaller palm since after 5-7 years there is no difference or the (initially) smaller one looks better.  In some plants rooting hormones are most dominant at an early age, not sure about palms but what I have seen is consistent with better growth after 5 years from palms that were planted a little bit smaller than the "big" size.  Exceptions to that rule are in the really slow growing species.  We have lots of butias here in florida, they look better neglected in my area, and they like cool weather as they look a lot better in north florida or in winter here.  Alfrediis like heat but they want to get their water to hold a full crown.   This is why I say modify your soil to breathe well and hold water.   I have sandy soil with half (water holding) clay at 2' under the surface, so I added plenty of top mulch every other year.  My place is 40 miles south of Tampa florida within 15-17 miles of the gulf as the crow flies (just south of the skyway bridge).

Yea from my research I think im in the ideal climate. Riverside is about 35-40 miles as the crow flies to the coast. Valencia is 25-30 miles as the crow flies from the coast. It’s definitely a lot cooler than Arizona, and unlike the true desert it has a green season where the hills turn green and the wild flowers bloom. I believe to be considered a true desert you have to average less than 10 inches of rain a year. We average about 15, but we get 25-30 inches in wet years. Our true desert areas like palm springs still stay under 10 inches.

The beccariopheonix alfredii native climate from my understanding was in full sun, high wind and seasonal fire. Antsirabe in Madagascar where they’re from has a wet season from November to March and dry season from May to October. Virtually identical to ours. Im getting this from AI so anyone feel free to correct me if im wrong.

If you replaced the alfredii’s with California fan palms, it would look just like So Cal in the summer with golden hills and a few evergreen shrubs. Our palms grow naturally in creeks just like this one.

[Silas_Sancona]

11 minutes ago, SCVpalmenthusiast said:

unlike the true desert it has a green season where the hills turn green and the wild flowers bloom. 

Our section of the " desert " / AZ  at least,   has two " green " seasons..  One in winter,  esp. north and west of PHX   ..the other,  in summer ( South and east of here ). 

Mojave would be a " true " desert   ..in the " receives primarily winter rainfall "  sense  ..Though that may be changing a little ( Some areas have seen a little more summer rainfall than one might expect at times over the last couple decades ). 



Sounds like your avrg rainfall is about equal to Tucson ( 12" ) ...and areas of AZ closer to the AZ / MEX  border nearby ( Sonoita = 15" - 20" / Patagonia = 17" - 22" ) and up in the mountains,  both north /east of PHX,  and south /east of Tucson.. 

..And up in San Jose,  strangely enough.  ( Yearly avrg up there runs between 13" on the valley floor,  to about 25" on the valley - facing slopes of the Santa Cruz Mtns. )

During a good year,  Tucson can get up to 14" of rain   ..Just during the summer. 



As far as Madagascar's rainy season is concerned,  keep in mind,  seasons are reversed so,  their wet season occurs during their  ...Summer / warm season. 

 

[SeanK]

1 hour ago, 96720 said:

I’m late to the discussion but in my opinion there is one choice that is a royal hands down!!!! My royals in Phoenix love heat grow fast trim themselves what’s not to like???

What is your monthly water bill?

[SCVpalmenthusiast]

8 minutes ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Our section of the " desert " / AZ  at least,   has two " green " seasons..  One in winter,  esp. north and west of PHX   ..the other,  in summer ( South and east of here ). 

Mojave would be a " true " desert   ..in the " receives primarily winter rainfall "  sense  ..Though that may be changing a little ( Some areas have seen a little more summer rainfall than one might expect at times over the last couple decades ). 



Sounds like your avrg rainfall is about equal to Tucson ( 12" ) ...and areas of AZ closer to the AZ / MEX  border nearby ( Sonoita = 15" - 20" / Patagonia = 17" - 22" ) and up in the mountains,  both north /east of PHX,  and south /east of Tucson.. 

..And up in San Jose,  strangely enough.  ( Yearly avrg up there runs between 13" on the valley floor,  to about 25" on the valley - facing slopes of the Santa Cruz Mtns. )

During a good year,  Tucson can get up to 14" of rain   ..Just during the summer. 



As far as Madagascar's rainy season is concerned,  keep in mind,  seasons are reversed so,  their wet season occurs during their  ...Summer / warm season. 

 

Good information, I didn’t know that about Arizona. My brother lived in Phoenix for many years and my niece was born there. I know some areas are mountainous forests like flagstaff. I would say most of so cal could be considered a desert to many. How it’s differentiated here is rainfall and flora. Desert regions have Joshua trees creosote bush, that don’t grow natively in non desert regions. Non-desert areas have Chapparral and Coastal Sage Scrub. Contrary to popular belief, the beach cities in California have the same flora as the inland valleys. They just have a more temperate climate in the winter. It is fascinating to research the many climates in California. Northern California has rain forests, but also semi-arid dry climates like Stockton.

I didn’t know that about Madagascar having opposite rainy seasons. Thanks for the correction. Whats your experience with Royals? Do you think they would compliment a Alfredii?

[Silas_Sancona]

9 minutes ago, SCVpalmenthusiast said:

Good information, I didn’t know that about Arizona. My brother lived in Phoenix for many years and my niece was born there. I know some areas are mountainous forests like flagstaff. I would say most of so cal could be considered a desert to many. How it’s differentiated here is rainfall and flora. Desert regions have Joshua trees creosote bush, that don’t grow natively in non desert regions. Non-desert areas have Chapparral and Coastal Sage Scrub. Contrary to popular belief, the beach cities in California have the same flora as the inland valleys. They just have a more temperate climate in the winter. It is fascinating to research the many climates in California. Northern California has rain forests, but also semi-arid dry climates like Stockton.

I didn’t know that about Madagascar having opposite rainy seasons. Thanks for the correction. Whats your experience with Royals? Do you think they would compliment a Alfredii?

If folks here growing them can get away w/ growing Royals,  surviving there should be pretty easy,  as long as you provide enough water ( ..which should be a touch easier there since your summers aren't as brutal as ours can be. )  Definitely a nice complement to an alfredii.. 

Passing through S.C. numerous times,  i myself would classify the area ..and anywhere south of -roughly- Ventura,  as an " intermediate "  mix between really dry / overall warm Mediterranean and desert,  leaning " definitely more desert " as you head further inland and further south.   Getting out on trails and taking a deep dive into the Flora / animals encountered, you can see obvious connections between both eco- regions in what you'll observe,  esp as you move inland from the immediate coast..

While lumped in with " general " Chaparral,  the Sage -dominated section of that habitat type that dominates the landscape in S. Cal is considered semi arid / subtropical,  rather than a " true " med - dominant Chaparral type.  ..Arid in the sense that it gets less winter rainfall compared to Chaparral habitat located further north,   subtropical in the sense that many of the dominant plants found in that plant community are frost sensitive and arose in Baja / AZ and mainland Mexico before diversifying as they spread out from places of origin.

Look around enough and you'll find various Cacti and " desert -y " plant genus things like Nolina /  Agave and Yucca ..Not Just Y. brevifolia (  Joshua trees ) either tucked within all the sage / Sumac, etc " typical " plants you'd expect to see in that habitat type  there.  When slightly wetter,  Ocotillo was another desert -associated plant that could be found in w/ that area's chaparral sub- type,  up to about your area, closer to the coast, than they do presently as well.   Creosote can be encountered in everything from the hyper -arid deserts near palm springs / areas right next to the north end of the Gulf of CA, to much wetter areas in Mexico, and TX,  and has recently shown up near Bakersfield,  and east of Reno, NV.  All areas it occurs could be considered arid,  but not all are considered " desert " 

We even have remnant chaparral habitat in mid elevation parts of the state w/ numerous plant sps / near relative species  that occur both in S.Cal and here. 

At one time,  before the region dried out and the deserts expanded in coverage / acted like a wedge shoved between the " cooler " climate -type habitats across the region, ,  most of AZ looked like many areas of S.Cal do presently..  ..What you might see growing up in Sedona or Oak Flat now,  would have been the dominant vegetation type(s) seen around Phoenix and Tucson when the climate was cooler and more winter precip. dominated.

Assemblage of plants you see covering the low desert areas of AZ now have only occupied territory in this area for a few thousand years, with most of the iconic things we're known for originating in N.W.' rn Mexico. 

 Evolutionarily speaking,  the genus Saguaro arose somewhere down near the present day Sonora / Sinaloa state line,  before rapidly expanding north as the climate up this way became more hospitable for their survival.  Same thing w/ our native Parkinsonia,  Palo Verde species. 

In recent years, a few Sags.  have been found growing inside / near Joshua tree N.P.  ..and in a few other areas further north than their " assumed " current range.     Under a warmer climate scenario that includes x or y deg. westward expansion / general intensification of the Monsoon region,  their range may expand over a much greater area of the Mojave desert  ..essentially replacing Joshua trees  ...which will be in retreat as the " more moderate " conditions they prefer retreat from the region in many areas. 

..Anyway,  lots of interesting things to ingest / digest when it comes to this stuff..



Back to the palms,  ....As long as you have the space and can provide what they need,  why not give a royal a try..



Lastly,   ..I will say one thing about Santa Clarita  ..specifically the Valencia area / area near Magic Mtn and the 5.    Your streets are NARROW as heck, lol.. 

...Pulling in /out of a couple places in a rental car when passing through this past December made me sweat a little.   Kept thinking to myself   ..." Did they build these streets for dwarfs " 😂 

..Can't believe they're is  still  major construction going on along the 5,   just south of Valencia..

I remember seeing them tearing things up in that same area back in  ...2013. 


 

[SCVpalmenthusiast]

23 minutes ago, Silas_Sancona said:

If folks here growing them can get away w/ growing Royals,  surviving there should be pretty easy,  as long as you provide enough water ( ..which should be a touch easier there since your summers aren't as brutal as ours can be. )  Definitely a nice complement to an alfredii.. 

Passing through S.C. numerous times,  i myself would classify the area ..and anywhere south of -roughly- Ventura,  as an " intermediate "  mix between really dry / overall warm Mediterranean and desert,  leaning " definitely more desert " as you head further inland and further south.   Getting out on trails and taking a deep dive into the Flora / animals encountered, you can see obvious connections between both eco- regions in what you'll observe,  esp as you move inland from the immediate coast..

While lumped in with " general " Chaparral,  the Sage -dominated section of that habitat type that dominates the landscape in S. Cal is considered semi arid / subtropical,  rather than a " true " med - dominant Chaparral type.  ..Arid in the sense that it gets less winter rainfall compared to Chaparral habitat located further north,   subtropical in the sense that many of the dominant plants found in that plant community are frost sensitive and arose in Baja / AZ and mainland Mexico before diversifying as they spread out from places of origin.

Look around enough and you'll find various Cacti and " desert -y " plant genus things like Nolina /  Agave and Yucca ..Not Just Y. brevifolia (  Joshua trees ) either tucked within all the sage / Sumac, etc " typical " plants you'd expect to see in that habitat type  there.  When slightly wetter,  Ocotillo was another desert -associated plant that could be found in w/ that area's chaparral sub- type,  up to about your area, closer to the coast, than they do presently as well.   Creosote can be encountered in everything from the hyper -arid deserts near palm springs / areas right next to the north end of the Gulf of CA, to much wetter areas in Mexico, and TX,  and has recently shown up near Bakersfield,  and east of Reno, NV.  All areas it occurs could be considered arid,  but not all are considered " desert " 

We even have remnant chaparral habitat in mid elevation parts of the state w/ numerous plant sps / near relative species  that occur both in S.Cal and here. 

At one time,  before the region dried out and the deserts expanded in coverage / acted like a wedge shoved between the " cooler " climate -type habitats across the region, ,  most of AZ looked like many areas of S.Cal do presently..  ..What you might see growing up in Sedona or Oak Flat now,  would have been the dominant vegetation type(s) seen around Phoenix and Tucson when the climate was cooler and more winter precip. dominated.

Assemblage of plants you see covering the low desert areas of AZ now have only occupied territory in this area for a few thousand years, with most of the iconic things we're known for originating in N.W.' rn Mexico. 

 Evolutionarily speaking,  the genus Saguaro arose somewhere down near the present day Sonora / Sinaloa state line,  before rapidly expanding north as the climate up this way became more hospitable for their survival.  Same thing w/ our native Parkinsonia,  Palo Verde species. 

In recent years, a few Sags.  have been found growing inside / near Joshua tree N.P.  ..and in a few other areas further north than their " assumed " current range.     Under a warmer climate scenario that includes x or y deg. westward expansion / general intensification of the Monsoon region,  their range may expand over a much greater area of the Mojave desert  ..essentially replacing Joshua trees  ...which will be in retreat as the " more moderate " conditions they prefer retreat from the region in many areas. 

..Anyway,  lots of interesting things to ingest / digest when it comes to this stuff..



Back to the palms,  ....As long as you have the space and can provide what they need,  why not give a royal a try..



Lastly,   ..I will say one thing about Santa Clarita  ..specifically the Valencia area / area near Magic Mtn and the 5.    Your streets are NARROW as heck, lol.. 

...Pulling in /out of a couple places in a rental car when passing through this past December made me sweat a little.   Kept thinking to myself   ..." Did they build these streets for dwarfs " 😂 

..Can't believe they're is  still  major construction going on along the 5,   just south of Valencia..

I remember seeing them tearing things up in that same area back in  ...2013. 


 

There’s definitely an argument to be made that much of Southern California, is desert adjacent. I remember there was an article claiming LA is a desert and the journalist even did a thorough follow up defending her stance with university professors on biome and habitats. Most said technically it was not a desert, but shares many characteristics. 
 

My inlaws live on Edwards Air Force base in the real desert. Im fascinated by the flora. The desert has it own beauty that may not fall into the norms of what is considered a beautiful landscape. But when you experience a desert sunset, or see the beautiful poppy’s swaying in the wind. Its a rough, tough, yet beautiful landscape. Joshua tree national park would be equivalent to Hawaii for a cacti nut. So many varieties 

SCV is ever expanding as hoards of people move north for suburban life. It’s safe, clean and has good schools. LA after the pandemic got real bad. SCV feels secluded and still close enough. There’s a huge housing tract right behind magic mountain that spans all the way to the 126. 
 

Back to the palms. Im purchasing a small teddy bear palm. Anyone familiar? I plan on planting it on a north west facing wall. This area is always shaded by the house and retains moisture. I want an entryway palm. 

[96720]

I also have a teddy bear growing in Phoenix it should do fine in your area!!

[SCVpalmenthusiast]

4 hours ago, 96720 said:

I also have a teddy bear growing in Phoenix it should do fine in your area!!

Awesome 🫶 do you have it in shade? 

[96720]

Semi shade not dense shade like my Chambyronia!!

[RANN]

Hello! I am hoping to get some information regarding a few palms.  I was at Treeland recently and saw a sabal blackburniana. Is this palm worth planting in chandler? I believe in previous postings that Sabals do well in Phoenix? If so, is this the “type” that can be successful? Also, is there a Royal type (scientific name) that I should be on the hunt for? Any advice would be greatly appreciated! 

We have two 20 year old queens that have managed to stay alive and still look decent but we’ve lost some trees and I’d like to replace with palms. I will probably use a few queens as a temporary filler (if I can keep them alive on drips) to provide a privacy in the background, but would eventually like to have a focal palm that takes up the center space.

Thank you in advance! 

[96720]

Sabals do great in Phoenix!  Royals are good but hard to find! Mules would be a better replacement than queens!

[RANN]

Thank you for your quick response.  Is there a specific scientific species of the Sabal? Have you heard of the Sabal Blackburniana? I’m not versed on scientific names but know types make a big difference?

[96720]

That is a good one for our area I have probably 7 different sabals the only one I have problems with is mauitiiformis they say it likes more shade !!

[SCVpalmenthusiast]

2 hours ago, 96720 said:

Semi shade not dense shade like my Chambyronia!!

Do you have a thread with pictures of your garden? 

[aztropic]

1 hour ago, RANN said:

Hello! I am hoping to get some information regarding a few palms.  I was at Treeland recently and saw a sabal blackburniana. Is this palm worth planting in chandler? 

When you were at tree land, you may have noticed the central oasis display at the rear of the retail area of the nursery. Large examples of Sabal blackburniana and a Cuban royal (Roystonea regia) are planted in that area, and have been there over 25 years. The sabal would be a bomb proof planting in Chandler. The royal is doable, but should be sited with some protection from our summer afternoon sun to get established. Planted on the east side of a house, or with shade producing trees to the west, it will survive unless you get a freeze below 25F.

 

aztropic 

Mesa, Arizona 

[RANN]

Awesome, Thank you so much!!!

[Silas_Sancona]

3 hours ago, 96720 said:

Sabals do great in Phoenix!  Royals are good but hard to find! Mules would be a better replacement than queens!

Yepp,   Agree 100%...   Would insert " Much " between the " ... a better ..." portion of your statement. 

Regardless,  Yet to see a Mule that hasn't gotten through our summers w/out looking good.  

 

4 hours ago, RANN said:

Hello! I am hoping to get some information regarding a few palms.  I was at Treeland recently and saw a sabal blackburniana. Is this palm worth planting in chandler? I believe in previous postings that Sabals do well in Phoenix? If so, is this the “type” that can be successful? Also, is there a Royal type (scientific name) that I should be on the hunt for? Any advice would be greatly appreciated! 

We have two 20 year old queens that have managed to stay alive and still look decent but we’ve lost some trees and I’d like to replace with palms. I will probably use a few queens as a temporary filler (if I can keep them alive on drips) to provide a privacy in the background, but would eventually like to have a focal palm that takes up the center space.

Thank you in advance! 

 X 2 on Sabal sps doing well here..  Like Royals,  while they aren't as common as they could be locally,  there are some great examples planted in various neighborhoods near me ( Also in Chandler )  

S. blackburnia ( and other sps seen here ) aside,  harder to find but Sabal uresana  is probably the Sabal sp. best  adapted to our heat/ unpredictable rainfall patterns.  Blue < Highland > form is more distinct / eye catching than the green < coastal > form. 

If you have enough room,  you might also look over species in the Genus Brahea..  Most of them handle our conditions perfectly.  The opposite of a water hog once established after planting as well.  

[RANN]

Thank you all! If I’m understanding correctly, there is a blue or gray Sabal?😲 That would be stunning! I have a very nice Bismarck  between a mule and a Mexican fan and wish I had not planted them so close together ( that’s what happens when you don’t know what you’re doing☹️) but I love the contrast. Hopefully they will all begin to grow and stretch to various heights and it will look like I knew what I was doing!🤣

 

[Silas_Sancona]

1 hour ago, RANN said:

Thank you all! If I’m understanding correctly, there is a blue or gray Sabal?

 

Yes, that would be the Blue ( ranges from grayish green to blue -y / slivery hued actually ) " highland " form of Sabal uresana..

Here are some shots of specimens in a well known garden in Tucson..  Been a few years since i last looked them over so the size of them in the shots isn't current.

Some consider them slow but, if treated right once established, they pick up speed at a decent pace.  NO issues w/ our heat or cooler winter nights.  Green form is supposedly a bit more tender but,  as you can see below,  they're doing fine in Tucson ..which can be a bit cooler than we are during the winter ..and see a dusting to 2 or so inches of snow every so often.   

I myself are a sucker for the recurved fronds of this species.  Has that " almost a feather leaf -type palm / tropical but tough looking " look.  Fits in perfectly with a leafy / flowery tropical looking landscape,  or the tougher " desert look "  kind of landscape. 






Blue form on the left,  Green / coastal  form on the right..  Both do fine here.





..Brahea armata is another excellent for the area blue -toned palm option that doesn't get quite as massive as Bismarckia. 

Kind of slow to start off and better to start with smaller specimens vs. gambling with really big sized options, IMO ( roots can be a bit touchy when disturbed) but, treated right, they progress at a steady pace once established after planting.

REALLY nice,  blindingly blue specimen grown in the same garden as the Sabal uresana specimens..




Some other Brahea sps out there that work well here too include:  Brahea aculeata,  brandegeei,  calcarea,  dulcis,  ..and some others from both eastern and southern Mexico.  Rare and harder to find than B. armata,  but just as neat and worth any time you might spend tracking down,  if interesting enough to pursue. 

[RANN]

Awesome pictures! I love the color and overall look of them. I’m note-taking and creating a wish list.  This info. is wonderful. Thanks again!