New Palm Addition. I just could not help myself! (pics inside)

13 years ago

So I visited a local nursery here in Northern VA that usually has LARGE windmills, pindos, even queens, foxtails, and christmas palms, as well as some large bizmarkias, king sagos, spanis dagger yuccas, yucca rostratas....etc.. ranging from 1 gallon, on up to 15-20 feet tall.

For a few years now I had been wanting a larger Roebelenii, one with at least a few feet of trunk, and one that was a single trunk in a pot. Those are not so easy to find around here, and when you do find them, they are usually several hundred dollars. Of course they being a nursery were selling those as well, but all of them at 3 trunks to a pot, and ranged in size from a 1 gallon, on up to about 9 feet tall with about 5-7 feet of trunk. Those were around 200 dollars or so. So I did some digging and low and behold at the very back of the large cluster of Pigmy Date Palms was a single trunked 7 and 1/2 foot one. One plant, in a 10-15 gallon pot. I figured it was going to be very expensive. Well, I found the price tag, and it was 150.00 even. I was pretty surprised at how inexpensive it was, and well, I decided it had to come home with me. Good thing we have a jeep, and it was a beautiful day and we had the top off. I saw ones this size at the beach (Rehoboth Beach, DE) and they were priced at about 350-400 bucks.

So, I have to think I got a pretty darn good price considering the size.

Oh and the other nice thing is that...

It is about to BLOOM!

I have to say, I LOVE IT!!!!! A pain to get in and out, but I do have room for it inside in full sun large sunny windows during winter, which is where my smaller one also thrived last winter.

Here it is:

Hope you enjoyed the photos! Thanks for looking!

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Comments (18)

jaynboro
13 years ago
very nice. looks great. nice place to sit and have a cold one!
tropicalzone7
13 years ago
Its a beauty. Mine is probably a little smaller than that and I got it for 70 dollars. For some reason they arent too expensive (Despite there slow growth). I think Im going to have to repot mine because its in a really small pot. I definitely dont want to lose it!

Good luck and enjoy your new beautiful palm!!
-Alex
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Thank you Mutant for your quick response, the confirmation on the ID of my Nepenthes and your compliment on the condition of the plant. Means a lot to me coming from you. I hold you and Petiolaris in high esteem. I use RO water from the Watermill Express. I researched different companies first. I had the water checked at my LFS (local fish store) lol, and have used it for water changes in tropical fish tanks. I met one of the technicians as he was servicing the system and got the "tour" inside the mill. Just amazing. Today I called the office to check on the possibility of copper in the water. I was told absolutely not. Here is the web site for the company if you or anyone else is interested. http://www.watermillexpress.com/ I have looked the plant over with a magnifying glass and not found any pests on it, doesn't mean I didn't miss something, but it's not infested. In November 2007 it's leaves were starting to grow in a twisted fashion. I figured either mealybugs or aphids and used Ortho Systemic Insecticide. That took care of the problem. Haven't used anything on it since except daily water misting. No other plants with bug problems that I know of. Perhaps I should spray it now sort of as a rule out or prophylactic measure. Haven't repotted it since last August, no foliar feeding since it started growing pitchers last year. Lighting is the same. I read somewhere that florescent tubes can lose some of the necessary spectrum and should be changed every year. Those could be changed, it has been almost a year. It gets plenty of food, everyone wants to feed it, lol. Even a neighbor was catching bugs and bringing them over. In March one pitcher got indigestion from to much food to often. I have cut back on the food allowed and now have to check to make sure a pitcher has fluid in it before dropping something in. Pretty much since last fall it has just sat where it is, grown a lot, digesting it's insects and getting watered. That's what is so puzzling about the lids on the pitchers. I haven't made any changes with it's care. I was hoping to figure this out before making any changes like repotting and hanging it. Thank you again for your input and the compliment. Your opinion is always appreciated. I'm not quite so worried about it but still puzzled. Nycti
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Before you kill yourself, you can come over and put me out of my misery. I thought I had Lyme, but that test came back negative. Whatever I have, has made it almost impossible to walk for the last six weeks, so I haven't been out in the garden much. When I have been out, I've been shocked at how much has been eaten. I didn't mind a few nibbles now and then, but this is wholesale carnage in certain areas. This is after I almost ran over a very young fawn with the garden tractor this spring and made it run off, hopefully for good. (this is for the people who worry about mowing chipmunks) A fence is definitely in our future, but I really don't see how to only enclose the garden in a manner that doesn't look like a fortress. I'm also not sure I've really got enough room between my gardens and my neighbor's property.
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Very nice tree! I too am working on a version of arctictropical's box. I've wintered a trachy with foam, but a smaller tree that is no longer with us (didn't die because of the cold though). I'm starting early on my winter plan. I am switching out trachys in the yard soon, and the larger one I am putting in it's place is nearly as large as they one you have. Mine will be a frame made from 2x2s (1.5 inch by 1.5 inch pine) not 2x4s. Foam board insulation, plastic, caulk. One or two CFL bulbs, maybe a thermostat. The box will only be 2 feet by 2 feet square, and 8 feet tall. The fronds will be tied up (loosely/gently) so it fits in the narrow space. Box will be made in two halves, so it will be easy to put on/take off. It won't be heavy at all this way. No tractor needed, just a step ladder. The only part I am still figuring out is an easy way to join the two halves of the box, and have them seal well. I want to be able to remove the top half easily, and re-seal it easily, so I can periodically check on the tree. So they will not be glued/caulked together. Some kind of gasket/rubber seal and clamp method. Maybe 4 or more C-clamps.
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There are a few different products like hardyboard and correct deck(also azek trim board) that are made of recycled plastic and treated wood pulp,they are used for siding and also for decks the deck material,it never needs to be painted or stained and would basically last "forever",(they are waterproof)any hardware store that sells wood and drywall should have it,these materials are a little more than wood and you need to use screws instead of nails,but you probably use screws anyway.
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NoVaPlantGuy_Z7b_8a
Original Author
13 years ago
Thanks guys! Sitting under it and having a cold one is EXACTLY what I am doing right now! =o) At least we can pretend were "TROPICAL" here for about 8 months out of the year. =o)
statenislandpalm7a
13 years ago
Nice one. At my local botanical garden they have a 30 foot one
Loveplants2 8b Virginia Beach, Virginia
13 years ago
Artictropical,

WooHoo!!! What a find!!! I don't blame you...You had to bring that pretty thing home!!!

Absolutely gorgeous !!! I'd love to have one of those beauties!!!

Congratulations!!!!

Laura in VB
jimhardy
13 years ago
Looks nice Ken
Very cool set up-looks comfortable
wsg89
13 years ago
SWEET!
NoVaPlantGuy_Z7b_8a
Original Author
13 years ago
Thank you all! It aint much, but its my home, and its as close as I am going to get to what I want for a while. Some day.... =o)
protempsfish
13 years ago
Your neighbours must be envious. What a great find.
meyermike_1micha
13 years ago
God that is a beauty!!!!

Where do you grow it when winter comes? I would love to try growing a few in the warm months, then...Not sure what to do.

Do you bring them inside for the winter and how do you care for them inside.

I love it!!!! I want to buy one if it is practical for up here in Mass..

Mike
NoVaPlantGuy_Z7b_8a
Original Author
13 years ago
Being that I just got the BIG one, it will come in during the winter. Thank got we have 10 foot ceilings! My places has an EXTREMELY bright exposure during winter on the south end of it, and my other pigmy date thrived inside for a few months last winter. I do not really do anything special do it, just water it regularly. They do however get plenty of direct sun most of the winter through the winter. When I move it inside I next oct/nov I will post a photo of it in it's indoor home.

I dont have a large place, but I do have room enough for those. The biggest challenge for the big ones are space, and moving them in and out. Good thing is that you will only need to move then in and out twice a year. The large one, believe it or not I am able to lift the entire thing myself. It weighs about 85 pounds or so I would guess. It is HEAVY for sure, but not to the point where I can not lift it.

That reminds me, I need to go out and take a couple more photos of it because it is blooming like crazy. Ill post those pics here too.
tnwindmill
13 years ago
That tree is fantastic. One of my favorites, though I don't know how I could keep it alive. I had one last year that was much smaller in a pot. Moved it in for the winter, but it dried up and croaked. I don't have much experience with that species, but mine seemed extremely temperamental, so I don't really trust to get another in my zone. That what be perfect by my pool with a few lawn chairs under it.
NoVaPlantGuy_Z7b_8a
Original Author
13 years ago
Here are the photos of the blooms. These opened up on Saturday. There are still two more pods that should be opening in the next few days or so.
andyandy
13 years ago
Those are a couple of great looking Roebis. I'm hopeful i can get mine to bloom this summer. Mine has about three feet of trunk. I bought it from a local nursery in October of 2008. It must have arrived from Florida that summer becuase it was with a bunch of others and they all had seeded. I'll try and post a picture later.
NoVaPlantGuy_Z7b_8a
Original Author
13 years ago
Would love to see a photo of it andyandy! Anyone else that has these too... would love to see your photos of them. =o)
tropicalzone7
13 years ago
I wish mine had blooms! Ill post a pic of mine tommorrow. I had one last year but it died while indoors so now I have it in a smaller pot and Im going to keep it watered very well throughout the winter months. The one I have this year looks absolutely identical to the one I had last year and was also the same price so Im right where I left off. Im still thinking of potting it up into a larger pot but I think the pot I had my previous one in was WAY too large.

Good luck!
NoVaPlantGuy_Z7b_8a
Original Author
13 years ago
yay! More pics!

TZ7 my other, smaller, 3 trunked one that I have had for a year now did great indoors in the winter, except for a couple of bouts with spider mights, which I took care of.

I repotted that one to a larger pot right after I bought it, but only to a pot that was maybe 2-3 inches bigger than the pot it was almost busting out of. I think for these, smaller is probably better. From everything that I have seen, these do not mind being pot bound at all. I watered mine about once every 6-8 days during the winter, and do it about every 5 days during summer. I only let the water sit in the bottom try for a day tho. If it has not been taken back up, or evaporated, I pour it out. Usually though, I do not have to pour any out.
statenislandpalm7a
13 years ago
I killed a pygmy date palm indoors too. It just dried up. I have had great luck with my majesty palm indoors. i had it for 4 years. While indoors i water once a week and i fill up the dish underneath the palm too.
Outside i water daily. This is the first year it is starting to trunk (5th year). there is 2 inches already.

New Palm Addition. I just could not help myself! (pics inside)

Comments (18)

jaynboro

tropicalzone7

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New Palm Addition. I just could not help myself! (pics inside)

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