" I am a palm collector, but I only collect palms that can grow locally."

That must be quite a lot of them! You are in a frost free climate after all. Not warm enough coconuts, to be sure, but I'd guess there must be at least 40-50 species of palms that will thrive there? Whether you can obtain that many, is another matter.

Sure you can always plant things close together, palms are pretty tough (other than to extreme cold) an I would think can hold its own vs. the root system of a typical tree. Would love a picture of the red blossoms you allude to. I can imagine various species of Metrosideros would grow well there. Do any freycinetias grow there? Oh well, I better stop...I could ask questions for hours about what grows in Macaronesia. I'm actually debating about going to one or maybe two of the island groups, but hadn't really decided yet on the details. (and need to get passport renewed) The Canaries and Madeira were more likely, but I hadn't really looked into the details yet.

Thank you. I think this tree could be Metrosideros (excelsa?), although I have never heard this name. Also freycinetias is something new to me, never seen here, not even at the local small botanical gardens. Regarding palms, I have not counted yet how many different species I grow here, but coconuts would not survive here long term, except I have Mountain coconut palm which does fine here. Also, surprisingly one Areca catechu is growing although very slow growth, such as 5 ft. to 6 ft. in 9 years. Keep on asking as I want to find out more interesting species that we can plant here.

Can you grow Washingtonia filifera there?

Better be careful planting a palm next to a big tree. Big tree might give it a big hug...

If "there" you mean coastal Maryland where I am, no. I am at the northern tip of the Chesapeake Bay. No palms here. Halfway down, in Solomons Island, MD, (a town, not an actual island, so "in" is the preposition used) was perhaps the longest surviving northern Trachycarpus on the east coast of the US. It barely survived the very cold winter of 1994. Surely the northern most to do so. At any rate, it's no longer there. https://cazort.net/photos/palm-umces-maryland There were pictures of it later, looking a little bigger. Perhaps it was injured by the 2013-2015 'polar vortex' winters and got removed.

At the southern tip of the Bay, around Virginia Beach and Norfolk, there are currently *thousands* of Trachys. Though that was not always the case: 30 years ago they were very rare. Few would have survived 1985, the coldest winter of the past 125 years, when all of southeastern VA went below 0F. Butias are also becoming commonly planted in VA Beach.

Northernmost mature Washingtonia filiferas are probably along the south coast of North Carolina, and the only really old ones would be south of Charleston. (they grow fast, of course) I myself spotted one in Estill, SC which was relatively far inland. Charleston has a few Phoenix, too, which is as far north as those are seen.

Do Borassus palms grow in the Azores?

Bengz: Superb photo of a hug! I'll go for it and plant Latania l. in there.

Davidrt: Very interesting indeed. Where I live in the Atlantic ocean is 38+ degrees North from equator and it is zone 11b to 12a. It is the same as Maryland or northern DC or Indianapolis. Yet it is deep in the ocean and has got Gulf Stream nearby.

You should be able to grow Trachycarpus and some other northern palms since you are SE from DC and I saw Trachy in downtown DC some 12 years ago next to a space museum.

I saw a lot of CIDP and Washingtonia robustas in Myrtle Beach, SC and I think also Wilmington, NC.

There are W. robustas or W. filibustas growing inside Columbia, SC and in Barnwell, SC but my W. robustas and CIDP died after 3 years on a cold winter of 2012 I think in a small town in Orangeburg county, SC.

Borassus, no idea, I am not familiar of this genus. I have not seen it growing here on this island.

I can tell Satakentia liukiuensis all died when I tried to grow them here in zone 11B/12A. Some other tropicals too.

" since you are SE from DC "

I'm actually due NE of DC. Trachys would survive mild winters here, but not the cold ones.

I guess although you don't have frosts, the winters are a little chilly for Borassus, as would be the case with coconuts. They grow as far north as Melbourne, Florida, apparenetly. https://www.palmtalk.org/forum/topic/52298-anyone-growing-borassus-flabellifer-outdoors-in-the-us/

"Satakentia liukiuensis all died" that's a little surprising...it comes from the southernmost islands of Japan, which are presumably similar or only slightly warmer than Taipai, Taiwan. Your winters are only a little cooler. It might be more related to lower average temperatures through the growing season...your summers are cooler, obviously. (which might be why a number of tropical palms aren't happy there, including the Borassus!)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taipei#Climate

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ponta_Delgada#Climate

Apparently there's a Borassus in Tenerife.

Their summers are hardly what Americans would consider hot, but definitely a notch warmer than yours!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palmetum_of_Santa_Cruz_de_Tenerife

Melbourne, Florida is not a good place to live.

Azores climate has 8 to 9 months of chilly weather with lots of winds and rain and temperatures ranging from +10C to 18C max. (sometimes down to +8C or +9C and a record low of +7,7C which is 45F. Additionally my place is 140 m in elevation. Palms who do not like extended cool periods do not grow here. Satakentia is probably the one as well and it may not like dry spells or too much wind or rain or too cool.

I do grow Bismarckia in my yard, which grow without problems, although as most palms, much slower growing, although Washingtonias grow at normal speed, except W. filifera is much slower. One Bismarckia, planted in a concrete planter with semi open bottom on a shallow soil with rock underneath was toppled by winds.

When u have a chance would love some pictures of palms around your garden and elsewhere in the Azores, a big Bismarkia underplanted with hydrangeas and tree ferns could look really cool!!!