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Palm trees - "Cabbage" palmetto trees - does your southern city have them? (ATTN: Atlanta/Columbia/Birmingham)


Tennesseestorm

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Hey guys! Thanks for the update on your plants and the pix. T-storm, I'd say as of right now based on your Mexican Fan Palm picture that it looks like it would come back from this past freeze. However if you have some more rough ones this winter, who knows. I'm w/Wmatt on the fact that you should NOT cut back any of the dead fronds to help protect it from future freezes. I know it's hard to do b/c first thing after I have some freeze damage that I want to do is to cut them back. Often I do, but in my climate it's much less of a risk. Mulch the roots extra good and protect the crown in future freezes. Good Job.

I'll second that it's Pampas Grass. While I don't have any, my parents at the beach have tons of it. I like the looks of it, but man I hate cutting it back. It's mean as hell w/it's razor sharp leaves. After helping cut it back, I often look like I've been in fight. :) While Wmatt spells the name correctly PAMPAS GRASS, you T-storm type it the way most people in my area pronounce it POMPOUS GRASS. I actually think the later is a better name b/c it just makes me laugh. I do understand though why it is really called Pampas. Wmatt, to you find in the COLA area that people also call it POMPOUS GRASS?

Hey Wmatt, when you listed the fragile plants in your area in order, I'm just curious why you listed Sago's below Mexican Fans? Has it been your experience that they are less cold-hardy than Mex. Fans? Here in Tally we lost all but our most protected Mex. Fans in that big freeze of '85 that you both spoke about. We did not however lose many of our Sago's. In my neighborhood there are several Sago's that are single trunked that rise up 6 to 8 feet high. Those were definitely here before the big '85 freeze. It's been my experience to have slight damage to my Mex. Fans but not at all to my Sago's (which I never cover) in big freezes.

Neither of you have needle palms? They seem to be even more cold-hardy than Windmills although I would agree they aren't as pretty or dramatic as many other palms.

Anyway good to hear from you guys about the palms. Keep up the good work.

P.S. on Edit: Wmatt what does that sign say in your yard or the neighbor's yard? Looks like TEA.....

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LOL. So its "Pampas" and not "Pompas"? I did not even realize I was mispelling it. :)

You mentioned my Mexican Fan palm coming back, but its actually my Washingtonia Robusta that is looking glum. The Mexican Fan palm still looks perfect. I also have a Sabal Birmingham, but its small. I hope it grows more this year.

I have not really had a desire for a needle palm, because they grow so slowly. I may eventually get one though.

Hey guys! Thanks for the update on your plants and the pix. T-storm, I'd say as of right now based on your Mexican Fan Palm picture that it looks like it would come back from this past freeze. However if you have some more rough ones this winter, who knows. I'm w/Wmatt on the fact that you should NOT cut back any of the dead fronds to help protect it from future freezes. I know it's hard to do b/c first thing after I have some freeze damage that I want to do is to cut them back. Often I do, but in my climate it's much less of a risk. Mulch the roots extra good and protect the crown in future freezes. Good Job.

I'll second that it's Pampas Grass. While I don't have any, my parents at the beach have tons of it. I like the looks of it, but man I hate cutting it back. It's mean as hell w/it's razor sharp leaves. After helping cut it back, I often look like I've been in fight. :) While Wmatt spells the name correctly PAMPAS GRASS, you T-storm type it the way most people in my area pronounce it POMPOUS GRASS. I actually think the later is a better name b/c it just makes me laugh. I do understand though why it is really called Pampas. Wmatt, to you find in the COLA area that people also call it POMPOUS GRASS?

Hey Wmatt, when you listed the fragile plants in your area in order, I'm just curious why you listed Sago's below Mexican Fans? Has it been your experience that they are less cold-hardy than Mex. Fans? Here in Tally we lost all but our most protected Mex. Fans in that big freeze of '85 that you both spoke about. We did not however lose many of our Sago's. In my neighborhood there are several Sago's that are single trunked that rise up 6 to 8 feet high. Those were definitely here before the big '85 freeze. It's been my experience to have slight damage to my Mex. Fans but not at all to my Sago's (which I never cover) in big freezes.

Neither of you have needle palms? They seem to be even more cold-hardy than Windmills although I would agree they aren't as pretty or dramatic as many other palms.

Anyway good to hear from you guys about the palms. Keep up the good work.

P.S. on Edit: Wmatt what does that sign say in your yard or the neighbor's yard? Looks like TEA.....

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Hey T-storm, to straighten out a little confusion I hope....of your two winter palms pix above, your first pix w/the damage is a Washingtonia robusta and is sometimes called a Mexican Fan Palm. The second shot of the not damaged palm appears to be a Trachycarpus fortunei often called a Windmill Palm. Does that help?

Needle palms grow in the wild here in thickly wooded areas. Mine was growing slow, but two summers ago I increased the amount of palm fertilizer I was giving them and that really seemed to help them grow faster. Still not lightening speed but pretty good. Definitely if your palms survive the winter T-storm, hit them good w/palm food come spring.

Wmatt.....you got any citrus growing?

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You are right! My bad.... I have no idea what I was thinking- I think the holidays has warped my brain. :D. I know them like the back of my hand... oh well. :)

Yes- its the Windmill palm that is still doing perfectly and the Washingtonia Robusta (Mexican Fan palm) that is the ill one. I had forgot about it often being referred to as that. Thanks for mentioning that, or I would have probably never realized. <_<

Where do you get palm food? At any greenhouse, or somewhere like Lowes or Home Depot? The Robusta is iffy, we will have to wait and see how that one does, but I think that the Windmill will be OK. I have read that it is hardy down to 12

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Hey guys! Thanks for the update on your plants and the pix. T-storm, I'd say as of right now based on your Mexican Fan Palm picture that it looks like it would come back from this past freeze. However if you have some more rough ones this winter, who knows. I'm w/Wmatt on the fact that you should NOT cut back any of the dead fronds to help protect it from future freezes. I know it's hard to do b/c first thing after I have some freeze damage that I want to do is to cut them back. Often I do, but in my climate it's much less of a risk. Mulch the roots extra good and protect the crown in future freezes. Good Job.

I'll second that it's Pampas Grass. While I don't have any, my parents at the beach have tons of it. I like the looks of it, but man I hate cutting it back. It's mean as hell w/it's razor sharp leaves. After helping cut it back, I often look like I've been in fight. :) While Wmatt spells the name correctly PAMPAS GRASS, you T-storm type it the way most people in my area pronounce it POMPOUS GRASS. I actually think the later is a better name b/c it just makes me laugh. I do understand though why it is really called Pampas. Wmatt, to you find in the COLA area that people also call it POMPOUS GRASS?

Hey Wmatt, when you listed the fragile plants in your area in order, I'm just curious why you listed Sago's below Mexican Fans? Has it been your experience that they are less cold-hardy than Mex. Fans? Here in Tally we lost all but our most protected Mex. Fans in that big freeze of '85 that you both spoke about. We did not however lose many of our Sago's. In my neighborhood there are several Sago's that are single trunked that rise up 6 to 8 feet high. Those were definitely here before the big '85 freeze. It's been my experience to have slight damage to my Mex. Fans but not at all to my Sago's (which I never cover) in big freezes.

Neither of you have needle palms? They seem to be even more cold-hardy than Windmills although I would agree they aren't as pretty or dramatic as many other palms.

Anyway good to hear from you guys about the palms. Keep up the good work.

P.S. on Edit: Wmatt what does that sign say in your yard or the neighbor's yard? Looks like TEA.....

Poonther, I will try to answer all of the questions. The way I've always pronounced the grass is the way I've always pronounced the plains of Argentina - like "pompous". Pampas is the spelling, but I believe the correct pronunciation is like "pompous", lol. The Sagos in my back yard always have alot of browning in the winter, but they were all small when I got them. They are also very slow growing so they don't come back very quickly in the spring. I haven't had any die, though. I don't have any needle palms, I just don't find them to be terribly attractive. What I would really love to have is a Canary Island Date Palm - it is my absolute favorite, but I think it is very unlikely that one could survive in this cold (relatively) a climate. I think they are beautiful trees, though.

The neighbors sign says "Teague", that is their last name. Why they have a sign in their yard with their name on it is beyond me, though. I don't speak to them much; they aren't my favorite neighbors.

Hey T-storm, to straighten out a little confusion I hope....of your two winter palms pix above, your first pix w/the damage is a Washingtonia robusta and is sometimes called a Mexican Fan Palm. The second shot of the not damaged palm appears to be a Trachycarpus fortunei often called a Windmill Palm. Does that help?

Needle palms grow in the wild here in thickly wooded areas. Mine was growing slow, but two summers ago I increased the amount of palm fertilizer I was giving them and that really seemed to help them grow faster. Still not lightening speed but pretty good. Definitely if your palms survive the winter T-storm, hit them good w/palm food come spring.

Wmatt.....you got any citrus growing?

I don't have any citrus growing, I didn't think they would survive this far north and I think the fruit would make a mess. It would be fun to have a grapefruit tree, though. I love grapefruit. :)

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Panama City Beach, being in Florida is loaded with these palms. More varieties are just starting to come in, Pindos, sagos, and cabbages dominated, now washington/mexican and date palms are starting to come into the market with new nurseries. At my parents condo on the east end, I've planted a X-mas palm in Nov. 2005, it made it, barely, but is established and starting to recover. In July, I did a daring adventure, I bought a new coconut palm and a relatively young Royal Palm in Fort Lauderdale, and took them to PCB. A dry summer gave the Royal a tough time, but the coconut exploded quickly. I last saw them in Nov. so I have no idea how them things are doing. I'm trying to get variety going in this condo park, so cant hate for trying atleast.

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Can you guess (without right-clicking) how far north this photo was snapped?

point-pleasant-nj.jpg

i think i heard of when Jersey "planted" those coconut palms for just summer show these past few years. With your warmth this winter, hell those coulda been taken last week :rofl:

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Wow reednavy05 I admire your courage and determination in growing those two out of zone palms in PCB. The furthest north I've seen adult Coconut and Royal Palms in FL is along a St. Pete to Melbourne line. Both trees are salt tolerant so planting them near the beach should be OK. I've read that Royals can only survive short spells down to 28 degrees and Coconuts receive damage w/any frost or freeze. But hey w/this possible global warming, anything could happen. :) Keep us updated.

The date palms that richyb83 showed us from BR are Phoenix dactylifera. I see a few of those here in Tally and North FL along w/the Canary Island. The I-10 corridor here in the Southeast seems to be the northern limit of both of these palms.

Waccamatt I had asked you about citrus before. Here's a a local place that sells cold hardy citrus fruit. I'm surprised that so many varieties are cold tolerant down to 10 to 15 degrees. If you love grapefruit, I have one of their Flame grapefruit trees that this year gave me more than 100 g'fruits only after 5 years in the ground.

T-storm my palms are shivering looking at that snow. Nice pix!

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I'm surprised that so many (citrus) varieties are cold tolerant down to 10 to 15 degrees.

Satsumas and kumquats are grown fairly commonly around Mobile. My brother had a lemon tree and a grapefruit tree in his yard there, but unlike the satsumas and kumquats, those get frozen to the ground in the coldest years (but come back). I've heard of people growing oranges and calamondins, also, with the oranges doing about like the lemon and grapefruit, and the calamondin being closer to the kumquat.

In Tuscaloosa, I've had Thomasville citrangequat and Ichang lemon for a decade or so

& they're plenty hardy. They don't taste good like commercial citrus, but are ornamental.

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Wow reednavy05 I admire your courage and determination in growing those two out of zone palms in PCB. The furthest north I've seen adult Coconut and Royal Palms in FL is along a St. Pete to Melbourne line. Both trees are salt tolerant so planting them near the beach should be OK. I've read that Royals can only survive short spells down to 28 degrees and Coconuts receive damage w/any frost or freeze. But hey w/this possible global warming, anything could happen. :) Keep us updated.

well thanx. The place where I planted them is at my parents place on the tip of a peninsula adjacent to St. Andrews S.P. It's Venture Out Resort, the only property in Bay County that is both beach front and Lagoon front, it sits between Grand Lagoon and the Gulf, so it has its own micro-climate with warm water on both sides. I'll be able to check them out in the coming weeks though, I doubt the Royal Palm because of the drought this past fall.

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i think i heard of when Jersey "planted" those coconut palms for just summer show these past few years. With your warmth this winter, hell those coulda been taken last week :rofl:

I've seen some on the beach at Atlantic City which I'm sure are seasonal only. And I believe you might spot one or two in the Hamptons on Long Island placed by rich people who can afford to plant new ones every summer.

Richmond has some rather large palm trees on the deck of HAVANA 59 restaurant in Shockoe Bottom. I suppose they are removed in winter months.

And Virginia Beach has a goodly number of them scattered around. I'm an old man and can tell you that there were none anywhere in Virginia in my youth. You could see Spanish Moss in Seashore State Park and Dismal Swamp, but no palms that I recall.

And, of course, one can see them up north in Botanical Garden conservatories, such as the large glass enclosed one at Lewis Ginter gardens in Richmond.

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Wow reednavy05 I admire your courage and determination in growing those two out of zone palms in PCB. The furthest north I've seen adult Coconut and Royal Palms in FL is along a St. Pete to Melbourne line. Both trees are salt tolerant so planting them near the beach should be OK. I've read that Royals can only survive short spells down to 28 degrees and Coconuts receive damage w/any frost or freeze. But hey w/this possible global warming, anything could happen. :) Keep us updated.

The date palms that richyb83 showed us from BR are Phoenix dactylifera. I see a few of those here in Tally and North FL along w/the Canary Island. The I-10 corridor here in the Southeast seems to be the northern limit of both of these palms.

Waccamatt I had asked you about citrus before. Here's a a local place that sells cold hardy citrus fruit. I'm surprised that so many varieties are cold tolerant down to 10 to 15 degrees. If you love grapefruit, I have one of their Flame grapefruit trees that this year gave me more than 100 g'fruits only after 5 years in the ground.

T-storm my palms are shivering looking at that snow. Nice pix!

I would kill for a more cold-hardy variety of the Canary Island Date; the grapefruit tree sounds like a good idea, but it sounds like they would make a huge mess...do they?

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Hey DruidCity I definitely know about Satsumas and Kumquats being very cold tolerant. But the problem w/them especially Satsumas is their sour or tart taste. Kumquats are a little better and do make an excellent jelly or Kumquat bread. Here in Tally on one of our County owned greenways, there's a an old Satsuma grove that has turned wild. It very interesting to me to hike in this old grove especially when the trees are in bloom.

The beauty of this local citrus nursery and their citrus is that they graft sweet citrus on cold stock roots. My Flame grapefruits and Cara-Cara Oranges are just as sweet as any Navels or Ruby Reds you'd buy in the store. :) Since they are grafted on cold root stock, after the first two years I've never even had to cover them (of course I can't really do that now since they are ten feet high, eight feet wide) and never had cold damage to the leaves or tree. Since Mobile is in my same climate zone, maybe your bro should try something like this if he loves growing citrus.

Waccamatt you are thinking like a Northerner. :P The nice thing with citrus is that it usually never drops its fruit like apples, pears etc. Most citrus will remain ripe and in good condition until you pick them. Of course if a mega freeze is coming, you must pick all your fruit so it won't freeze. I like citrus much like I like palms b/c one.....have you ever smelled a citrus tree in full bloom? Also because the orange/yellow fruit is a welcome splash of color in the fall/winter and because they keep their shiny green leaves all year long. At my house, deciduous is a dirty word.

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Waccamatt you are thinking like a Northerner. :P The nice thing with citrus is that it usually never drops its fruit like apples, pears etc. Most citrus will remain ripe and in good condition until you pick them. Of course if a mega freeze is coming, you must pick all your fruit so it won't freeze. I like citrus much like I like palms b/c one.....have you ever smelled a citrus tree in full bloom? Also because the orange/yellow fruit is a welcome splash of color in the fall/winter and because they keep their shiny green leaves all year long. At my house, deciduous is a dirty word.

Well, Poonther, I AM a Northerner! I've been in Columbia since I was 8, but you don't lose it, especially when both of your parents were born and raised in NYC. I'll have to look into a grapefruit tree. Imagine walking outside to pick your breakfast, hmmmmmmmm.

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  • 1 month later...

I was wondering about your palms and all this cold weather T-storm. Thanks for the update. I would wait and see what the Washingtonia is going to do this summer before giving up on it. Glad to hear your Windmills came through the winter still green. Here in North FL we had 3 freezing nights from Feb. 16 to Feb. 19. We usually don't have that many in a row. I lost nothing or did not have any damage to any of my plants that I grow out of my zone.

Here we have past our likely last freeze date, so yesterday when it was 80 degrees I fertilized all my palms to "wake them up." I would fertilize all your palms including the Washintonia after the date of your last likely freeze, if you know when that is.

Keep us posted!

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