Wow! This is awesome! I never expected this to be such a long thread on the name that plant forum. It's great. This is good information to know. Yeah, I pretty much dont buy anything from Lowe's or Wal-Mart if I dont feel like I'm getting a deal. The plant that started this thread (Moses in a Blanket) was on clearance for $2.00. I bought two of them. Most of the other stuff I get in the fall and winter because they're Palms and Tropicals. That stuff is dirt cheap then. Another thing I just hate is when they put a Majesty or any other palm that would be $10.00 from Oct-March in a large pot and charge $70.00 to the unsuspecting "brown thumb". Then a month later I come back and get one for 10 bucks. Lowe's has had A $40 Bird of Paradise thats all torn up and brown since June. I wont even go back to pick up that mess. I get all my bananas and stuff like that from a tiny little place called Spring Rise Horticulture Center here in south central PA. They have the same size Bird of Paradise (about 6ft tall) for $20 and it looks great. She has never charged me more than $22 for anything. The banana tree on the right in the above picture was $19.99. The dwarf banana tree on the porch was $22. The largest on the left with all the pups she gave me for free because I bought the other two there and she was just going to throw it away. My whole point is if you're going to the big box stores go in the fall/winter or just find you're own special little place. Lowe's, Wal-Mart, K-Mart etc. are designed to get you there not make you happy.

I'm not from Texas, but am interested in finding out which palms you discover growing in northern Texas. Keep us updated.

I know this is a rather old thread, but I ran across it online and I just had to join in, Here are mine; Orange Crownshaft Palm/Areca Vestaria. This is hands down my favorite. The orange one. The maroon form is pretty, but I love orange. King Palm/Archontophoenix. They are all beautiful, but my very favorite is Pupurea. I also love purple. Date Palm/Phoenix Dactylifera. Pretty and delicous! Too bad they don't really fruit here in South Florida :( Pygmy Date Palm/Phoenix Roebelinii Cat Palm/Chamaedorea Cataractarum. I like it because in addition to it's beautiful, graceful, iconic palmate fronds, it stays compact and bushy. And it's easy to find! Sabal Palmetto Saw Palmetto/Serenoa Repens. Another nice,bushy palm, I especially love the blue forms. Dwarf Palmetto/Sabal Minor Mediterranean Fan Palm/Chamaerops Humilis Jelly Palm/Butia Capitata Areca Palm/Dypsis Lutescens. I actually don't like how they look when they are trunked. I think they are far more attractive when they are clumped and bushy. Gorgeous fronds. Bismarck Palm/Bismarckia Noblis And, last but not least, the Coconut/Cocos Nucifera. The iconic, archetypal, symbol of the tropics. And delicious! And useful too!

There are few erroneous assumptions in your understanding of care regarding your coconut. Firstly, they require FULL, DIRECT SUN most of the day. You CANNOT give a coconut too much sun in the UK (not possible). Secondly, when you water just about any palm, you should drench it thoroughly then let the surface dry before rewatering. Coconuts require high temperatures year round. Certainly, in the growing season, a daily average temp of 85-90 F and a min. average temp of 70-75 F. Some growers in some parts of the States can keep them happy in the growing season by putting them outside but need to protect in the winter as well. Overwintering is the main problem here but can be achieved (especially is the plant has spent a decent amount of time being outside). I try to keep mine out for about half the year and in the winter have it (Dwarf Malayan variety) in a southern exposure. I was going to ask if you had any spot in your home that is sun drenched for most of the day then I remembered that we're talking about the UK. As mild as the gardening zones sound by US standards, the problem is the number of overcast days! Sorry I could not be more optimistic. (High illumination grow lights as supplemental might help, in addition to a humidifier.