Those pics are amazing! Maui (and all of Hawaii) is so beautiful. I agree, I love those bismarkias and I really like the contrast between the large ti plants and the Bismarkias. That water looks great and the whale pic is really cool! Looks like a great time of the year to be in HawaiI! Thanks for sharing! -Alex

My soil is broken down sandstone with clay elements. The location of this palm is fortunate to be near where the rabbit hutch used to be (R.I.P. Bun-Bun). The rabbit had a positive effect on the soil. Otherwise, there is regular irrigation -- brief but regular -- and I fertilize during warm weather months with whatever is available, but at least once or twice with a palm-specific fertilizer to be sure it gets the micro-nutrients. This palm is on the north side of the fence, not much direct sun, but bright light. My lowest recorded winter temperatures are 31F, and that's extreme, burnt the leaf tips a bit, but no serious damage. This winter I had one night as low as 36F, much more normal winter with lows hovering above 40F most of the time. I am 1/2 mile from the ocean, get lots of fog, feels somewhat like New Caledonia where the palm originates. A hot summer day here is 85F after the morning fog burns off, but with humidity, heat is not a problem for this palm. I should think Louisiana would be a great home for this palm, providing you don't suffer hard winter freezes. I like these palms so much I planted three more elsewhere in the garden. Well, one is a hookeri, hoping for an even redder emergent leaf. Best of luck with your chambeys!

Thank you Z. :-) You are correct about the greenhouse, I have been thinking about the next one I want to build. The problem is, I want to move also. So, I have to either move first, or build twice. Dont want to do that. I have a cool idea that I want to try. I am going to be doing some experimentation this winter and see what happens. Fun Fun Fun Andy...I will post more pictures when my IP fixes the ftp. Sometime today the email crashed and it most be tied into the ftp area. That might also be why some people dont see pictures. It will be fixed soon. The top picture is the Spindle palm, not the bottle palm. I have some small bottle palms that I received today. They are a nice size. I now have my Hyophorbe collection complete.

I did Stan! I had one in Chowchilla at my previous place. This was out in the countryside so it was exposed to a lot of cold wind and frost in the winter (with overhead protection). Unfortunately after I moved, that palm was dug up and moved to a different spot in the yard. I drove by the other day and the majesty palm is barely hanging on with two spindly, green fronds. It was a beautiful palm with a bulging trunk that almost made it look like a spindle palm. I'll be trying some here in Fresno perhaps in the springtime after winter has come and gone. I've seen several Bismarkias in Bakersfield. Bakersfield is just over Tejon pass from the Los Angeles basin and I've noticed that nurseries there tend to carry more of the exotic palms - perhaps because they have more access to deliveries from palm growers in LA, Orange, Ventura and San Diego counties. I've been meaning to make a trip to Golden Gate Palms in Richmond to see if they carry any 5 gallon Bismarks. You wouldn't happen to know would you? Did you have a Howea forsteriana that was getting to a nice big size? I think I remember seeing posts about it a while back.