I try everywhere to get some foxtail palm seeds. Even a couple will do. I see you HAD some. Do you still, or will you later this year? My foxtails produce tiny dried up little seed pods that never mature to a seed. Don't know why. thanks for any reply. Sue

Planted a dozen of Lowes $10.00 foxtails about two months ago in Cape Coral. Digging into this hardpack ground is way too much trouble for my lazy butt. I found it simpler to stand them up on the grass and pack a couple of bags of soil around them. Adding cypress mulch around the soil locked everything in place. They're shooting up like weeds! TWO ADVANTAGES: 1) Perfect drainage, as long as you don't push the dirt above the root crown. 2) They start out in the landscape a foot taller than putting them in the ground. To date, they're all still alive, and each has produced an average of four new fronds. I discovered this method 2 years ago when I had to plant 250 areca palms (12" tall) around the yard perimeter for privacy, and was too lazy to dig 250 holes. The arecas are all about 10 feet tall now and none of them died. This also worked out for the larger palms in the yard, including coconuts, adonidias and canary island date palms. Neighbors questioned my sanity, telling me that I was killing all the trees. Now I'm amazed at all the new above-ground trees that are being planted in the neighborhood. If I could figure out a way to insert images into this reply, the photos would say it better than I can.

I got 1 of 5 to germinate. That one is doing well, but it took months. I figure the others aren't going to go. These were planted in containers, not baggies, outside. My approach to scarify is first to secure the seed in padded jaws of a small vise. The you can use box cutter to slice through or a wood rasp to abrade through the hard seed coat. Adding a teaspoon of potassium nitrate or soluble 20-20-20 to quart of soaking water can help. Keeping tropical palm seeds continuously moist and warm, like 90F+, seems to be a major factor in germination speed and rate.

Rate of growth is one factor to consider but also consider how robust the plant is--especially growing OUT of their natural hardiness zone in the North. Don't have too much experience with palms from seeds other than with Washys and Date palms. Have had great success with Canary from seed--less so with the "True Date". You might want to try Butias from seed. They are fast grower, cheap, common, cold-hardy and vigorous! Also, keep in mind the importance of providing tropical heat to hasten germination--it makes all the difference in the world even fir the more cold hardies.