There are some fantastic specimens of coconut, royal, triangle, teddy bear, and bismark (among others) in Palm Bay--but they are generally the exception and not the rule. I think that the ones we see doing well are those that have achieved a good mature size before freezes--they've toughened up. It amazed me to drive through Palm Bay and see those "shouldn't-be" palms...some Arecas would be frozen others just fine...

If I saw them for 10$ in pots with soil,I would have bought them all and planted a row of them. The one time they were for sale I saw was a 5 gal,at $100. Looked great. Deep green and shiny. Having a gopher problem makes me pass on expensive plants. I grew a Rhapsis for years on my porch,planted it out ..and it wasn't long before they got that too. Its a few canes with tiny fronds now.

Marine, good luck with your coco. Here's my suggestion though. Do whatever you can to keep the coco alive, but have a plan b. On the IPS form I learned of a remarkable palm, the Beccariophoenix alfredii. This palm was discovered in I think 2005, and is a close relative of Beccariophoenix madagascariensis. The no windows form of Beccariophoenix madagascariensis is super cold hardy, but slow growing and the windows form isn't cold hardy, but grows fast. The alfredii is as cold hardy as the no windows, and grows as fast as the windows, the perfect coconut-like palm. Pictures just don't give this palm justice, I saw one at a local palm arboretum and I thought it was just a coconut until I read the tag, that convinced me to buy one. Once it is a few years old, only experts will be able to tell the difference. I've got an alfredii in a 5 gallon pot until it outgrows it, and after that it'll go into the ground. It was $8 and worth every penny. I urge you to get one of these palms, you'll be really, really glad you did in a few years. Get a 1 gallon (larger are hard to come by because it's so new) and plant it into a 5 gallon pot, and once it outgrows this pot plant it where it's final destination will be. With only the care of any other palm you'll have a palm that only an expert will know it's not a coconut. Keith

Okay I think I goofed. I was at the beach when he dropped these palms off on my doorstep with a note. They weren't labeled as to which was which. The large 7 gal palm looks like a fan type and already has well defined leaves. I had thought at first it was the Mule Palm, now I think its the Pritchardia. The photos of the Pritchardia on the Jungle Music website look like this palm. The other palm is in a one gallon, has long thin (but as yet undivided) "baby leaves". I think this one must be the Mule Palm. Its quite small. I think I mixed them up!