Why is there no list of nurseries?

[SCVpalmenthusiast]

Im new to the palm world. It would be very helpful if there were a list of nurseries that carried more exotic palms with prices and whether they ship. 

Everytime I have asked where to get palms, its almost like a taboo question. Like you have to know a guy, that knows a guy. Personally, im more comfortable purchasing from a nursery that has an established business rather than someone that is a private collector. 

There’s no resources guide either, like palmpedia has a helpful guide on what grows where. That would be very helpful to have on this forum. Why not team up with Palmpedia?

[Scott W]

Probably because there aren't many nurseries that grow and specialize in rare palms.

Here's one such that posted in the For Sale section....

 

[Silas_Sancona]

35 minutes ago, Scott W said:

Probably because there aren't many nurseries that grow and specialize in rare palms.

Here's one such that posted in the For Sale section....

 

^ Second This.. 

I'd also add that who grows " the good stuff.. " will vary by location and... in some cases,  they only ship smaller things..  In other cases, take X or Y palm specialty nursery in FL.  they may not be able to ship plants to say California. 

Nursery business is always in flux too,  so a list made today, might not be accurate in 5 or 10 years.  In the .....12+ years i've been here, i've seen that change -A -LOT in a pretty short amount of time. 

Best bet at finding stuff   ..Palms, or pretty much anything else..  is:   ..and has always been... 

* Doing your homework / research.. 

* Making connections while attending local or regional plant sales,  and looking beyond what nurseries might exist in your back yard for what plant /plants you might desire,  ...that might not be available in your immediate area.  

* If you can't find something, somewhere local,  it's time for a road trip.  

* If the only option out there is starting off w/ something smaller than you'd have envisioned,  ..or from seed..   that's life..  Pull the trigger and be patient,  ..or move on.. 




* As far as " what grows where " info?  Go visit some local Botanical Gardens..    You're next door to 2 of the best in the area ..Huntington and L.A. Arboretum     ...and close enough to several other notable gardens  ..Lotusland,  Fullerton,  South Coast, ...in Palos Verdes,   ...BOTH zoo locations in San Diego ..and Balboa Park,    ....and San Diego Botanical ( Formally Quail Botanical )  ( No doubt i'm probably missing others ) 

Absolute no shortage of places to see a variety of palms to look over ..most of which should work in your location. 

** As always , if you ask,  i'm sure there are plenty of S. Cal members who would happily welcome a visit. 

As i'm sure you might have noted over on Palmpedia,  a former member put together a pretty good list of palms that work in CA..  Yes, it has been several years and there are likely other palms that could be added but,  it is the starting point anyone in CA should begin their palm - related journey from. 


*** In the end,  esp. if in pursuit of -anything- that might be rare in your particular area,  sometimes,  you have to simply roll the dice / be the  person who proved it could grow there.  


 

[SCVpalmenthusiast]

On 3/24/2026 at 2:12 PM, Scott W said:

Probably because there aren't many nurseries that grow and specialize in rare palms.

Here's one such that posted in the For Sale section....

 

I found a place in Riverside, he shipped it to me for a fee. It would be nice to have such list for different areas. For example, California exotic palm nurseries, north and south, then Florida, then Hawaii. I guess exotic will depend on region. Maybe in the midwest a windmill palm might be considered exotic. 

This could be a thread that users contribute too, these kinds of lists exist on Reddit. I don’t see why it doesn’t here. If things change they can be edited. 

[SCVpalmenthusiast]

On 3/24/2026 at 3:21 PM, Silas_Sancona said:

^ Second This.. 

I'd also add that who grows " the good stuff.. " will vary by location and... in some cases,  they only ship smaller things..  In other cases, take X or Y palm specialty nursery in FL.  they may not be able to ship plants to say California. 

Nursery business is always in flux too,  so a list made today, might not be accurate in 5 or 10 years.  In the .....12+ years i've been here, i've seen that change -A -LOT in a pretty short amount of time. 

Best bet at finding stuff   ..Palms, or pretty much anything else..  is:   ..and has always been... 

* Doing your homework / research.. 

* Making connections while attending local or regional plant sales,  and looking beyond what nurseries might exist in your back yard for what plant /plants you might desire,  ...that might not be available in your immediate area.  

* If you can't find something, somewhere local,  it's time for a road trip.  

* If the only option out there is starting off w/ something smaller than you'd have envisioned,  ..or from seed..   that's life..  Pull the trigger and be patient,  ..or move on.. 




* As far as " what grows where " info?  Go visit some local Botanical Gardens..    You're next door to 2 of the best in the area ..Huntington and L.A. Arboretum     ...and close enough to several other notable gardens  ..Lotusland,  Fullerton,  South Coast, ...in Palos Verdes,   ...BOTH zoo locations in San Diego ..and Balboa Park,    ....and San Diego Botanical ( Formally Quail Botanical )  ( No doubt i'm probably missing others ) 

Absolute no shortage of places to see a variety of palms to look over ..most of which should work in your location. 

** As always , if you ask,  i'm sure there are plenty of S. Cal members who would happily welcome a visit. 

As i'm sure you might have noted over on Palmpedia,  a former member put together a pretty good list of palms that work in CA..  Yes, it has been several years and there are likely other palms that could be added but,  it is the starting point anyone in CA should begin their palm - related journey from. 


*** In the end,  esp. if in pursuit of -anything- that might be rare in your particular area,  sometimes,  you have to simply roll the dice / be the  person who proved it could grow there.  


 

Palmpedia is an excellent source. That’s the kind of thing that should be pinned here. What works where with user input. It can get muddled, but at least someone who’s new to the game can get a consensus. Even in a thread I created. Some users advised against a Roystonia, but then more users came out and said they work, just need water. This forum could be just as good as palmpedia. 

[Silas_Sancona]

1 hour ago, SCVpalmenthusiast said:

Palmpedia is an excellent source. That’s the kind of thing that should be pinned here. What works where with user input. It can get muddled, but at least someone who’s new to the game can get a consensus. Even in a thread I created. Some users advised against a Roystonia, but then more users came out and said they work, just need water. This forum could be just as good as palmpedia. 

**My thoughts only **  After ..over a decade..  of participating here, and utilizing info from palmpedia as  ..one of many..  cross reference sources,  informational wealth gained from the Forum is actually far more valuable than what additional insight i might gain from palmpedia, or any other such guide.

Regardless, 

🤔 I thought the forum and palmpedia were linked  ..somewhere.. within the overall IPS site already..

Best way to achieve personal level consensus in such a situation?  go for some rides / visit gardens and other places where more unique palms / other plants might be planted.. 

As mentioned elsewhere,  have done this countless times  / do this often  myself to solve these kinds of  " yay / nay " discussions. 

Sentences and pretty pictures on a page in a book / in an often generalized, online reference guide may have value worth the effort,  but will only get you so far. 


 

[PalmatierMeg]

Research, research, research. Do your own and don't depend solely on pleas for others to do it for you. There are 1,000s of homegrown nurseries out there and most last only a short time before going out of business and floating away into cyberspace. PalmTalk can't keep track of them and nobody here wants them to. Find out what you want to purchase and look for it diligently until you find it - bear in mind that many species are virtually unobtainable anywhere. Also, a good idea to research whether a palm species can survive in your climate before you toss money at it. Steep learning curves but worth the effort if you love palms as much as many members here do. People that don't float off into cyberspace never to be heard from again. Another reason for PT not to post lists of defunct nurseries. Watch the SALE Forum and you will soon learn who the sellers are: PT/IPS members. All others should be considered suspect until they prove to you otherwise.

[SeanK]

I believe everyone here has faced the same dilemma at one time or another. I recommend joining your local IPS affiliate. Attend a couple meetings. Ask the question from people with your same interest.