I love tropical plants, especially palm trees

[Jerry in NC]

He everyone,

First I want to say thanks to Ann for making this website. She is one of the neatest people I've met.

I love tropical looking plants that aren't terribly high mainenence.
I would love to expand my palm tree (outdoors) collection if possible. I have researched several palm sites and found that several palms cane actually live in zone 7b. (ie. Trachycarpus...different species, Butia capitatas....which I dearly want more of, Washingtonia filifera, and some others). I also love passifloras, heliconias, anything that says tropical....

I'm new to the site, so I don't even know if I'm doing this right. If not, I'm sure Ann will show me the way.

If your are lucky enough to have excess palms in your area and they are needing moved, please contact me for I'd love to give them a good home.

Thanks so much,
Jerry

[Ann B.]

Jerry,

I am so glad you know a lot about palms, because I know very little in that area.

I have a plant that I believe is a type of umbrella palm similar to the ones you see in water gardens. It has roots that spread like rhizomes.

Every winter, it turns brown, and I cut it back. In the spring it pops up again. It is located in a corner of the house that catches a lot of rain water, but this plant seems to also do okay in drought conditions. I have some in pots with no soil that I haven't planted yet. I thought they would die without water or soil, but they continued to sprout. Some didn't make it, but I am amazed, considering their location that some did.

The plant is a division from my grandmothers. The base of it is about 3 feet by 5 feet and spreading. I removed some that grew in an area that I wanted to plant something else. That is how some ended up bare root in pots.

I will try to post a picture of it today, and maybe you are someone else can identify it for me.

Thanks,

Ann

[Ann B.]

The bricks on the column are oversized 9 1/4", so the size of the leaves my not looked that big, but I measured, and they are 26" from tip to tip, and the stems are over 6' tall. I couldn't get the whole thing in view. The sun wouldn't cooperate.

http://www.landspro.com/page950.htm

[jimtx]

Hey Jerry,

Welcome .... I grew up in the valley of Texas and our house was surrounded by Palm trees ... It was my job to keep the fonds trimmed and it was not my favorite job. If I still had some .... would send them to u with my blessing but would have been a little hard .. they were full grown and we would have needed a very long truck.

One word of caution ..... I agree with u about Ann but if we keep telling her that ..... she will probably quit speaking to us "mere mortals".

Really glad to see u and Bob check in ... my wife and I are new to gardening and I am the computer nut in the family ... I get to do all of the email on this board ... and nice to have more men.

Take care and hope u check in often.


Jim

[Ann B.]

Gee, how wonderful it is to meet men who like to garden! My husband's idea of gardening is new power tools. You know the kind, like weed eaters, that destroy your newly planted bushes.

If it doesn't have an engine, then my husband has absolutely no interest.

For Mother's Day, I only asked that he help me in the garden for my present, but he didn't feel well, and I was lucky that he dug up part of the umbrella palm. And that was it, never transplanted any, never helped me weed or plant any of my propagated plants.

Oh, well. He has had the last two days off, but instead of helping in my garden, he decided to clean up the salvaged brick from the face of our fireplace (termite damage) to use as a base for his new grill I bought him (on sale).

This is life for me! Needless to say, I am thrilled when I meet a male that is interested in gardening...

[Kathy in GA]

Hi Jerry,
Welcome to the forum!
Ann that is such a pretty Palm! Thanks for sharing your pictures with us.
We have Palmetto bushes on our property. They are more Fan shaped than the picture of Ann's. Ann's plams probably provide dates and food as well. not real sure don't know alot about plams myself.

The Palmetto bushes provide the fruit Dates and the exquisit (heart of palm) used in salads, and gourmet cooking.

I've devide a hous palm I've had for years, and planted three of them outside. After getting used to the new Degrees of sun and heat they are doing better. They are becoming beautiful once again!

Tropicals are great, and this is my first year ever getting into them besides the palms! I've found that there are many, many tropicals I'd love to have!
I surely don't have much tropical stuff to trade right now, but as my garden grows, I'm sure I will in the future!
If you are interested in these just let me know.
Welcome, and Enjoy!
Kathy in Ga.

[jimtx]

Ann,

think we better keep an eye on Jerry and Kathy .... have always heard that the tropics (or is it tropicals) can cause the "natives" to act strangly ....

Can't remember all of it .... but something to do with howling at the moon and swinging from the palm trees.... will have to research this unusual behavior a little more.

Jim

[Ann B.]

You can all be so funny!

Unfortunately, Kathy, no dates or anything on this one, just very fine seeds which I have never tried to grow.

I think Jerry is right about what I have. Everyone in the neighborood loves it when it grows to it's full splender.

Jerry, I recently grew a Bird of Paradise from seed. I was so thrilled when I saw it rise up from the soil. Now, if I can just keep it happy!

[Kathy in GA]

We are trying desperatley hard to get the yard completley landscaped, ourselves before next spring.
We've dug up some of the palmetto bushes, and have tehm planted in large planters, until they get over their shock. These too are doing much better now. But did take a few months for them to finally show green again. They did not like being ripped from their home in the ground.

I will be planting them by our Bananna Tree garden, to give that tropical escape, look.
I'd like to have a small pond there too, but that will have to wait!

For right now everything we are doing is just (improvising) using the supplies and materials that we already have.


Kathy in Ga.

[Kathy in GA]

Hi there,

Firstly, Jimtx you are so funny! You know a full moon is a rising?!
So the howling begins. Then there was the thing you said about hanging from Palm trees too! Ummm... Monkeys right? Well ya' did good! Cause ya' reminded me of something.

With plams ya have monkeys, monkeys eat what? Banannas. Uuuh? I have Bananna Trees too! Hey Jerry! I had forgotten about them! I have Bananna Trees TOO!
Want to trade?

Good day Gentlemen! and Stay funny!
Kathy in Ga.

[Sally in NC]

Hi,
If you like tropicals......check out a NC nursery that carries unusual plants.....& some very impressive tropicals that they grow right here in NC in your zone.....www.plantdel.com
they have a terrific online catalog.......I have just received an order & they are really cool........
Sally in NC,

by the way, I am down in Marshville, neighbor!

[Ann B.]

Jerry,

You identified my grandmother's umbrella palm exactly!

I checked with the experts today, and you are absolutely correct on your identification of my grandmother's palm. It is not a true palm, but does resemble one. There are several Master Gardeners who want some of it. I took a sample to class today to show to one of the Master Gardners that I thought would enjoy some, and the teacher looked it up.

Wow, I am impressed! You really know those palms!

They have the Washington type Palms at Lowes at a reasonable price, but I don't think they would make the trip in the mail. I asked, and the nursery plant specialist was doubtful that I could send one bare root. And with the airline problems of the past week, it is even more doubtful.

Thanks, Jerry!

[Jerry in NC]

Hey everyone,

Guess you thought I had abandoned you all. Well, no some things got in the way and kept me off the computer for quite some time. Anyway, I'm still on the search for palms. I know I would probably have to wait until the spring to trade/or do any type of mailing of the palms for the plants would be too shocked by transplanting then getting a dose of cold weather on top of that. I'm sure that would spell disaster.

Anyway, if there is anyone looking for a home for unwanted cold hardy palms (you can go to www.gardenweb.com and look at my members page under Jerry_NC to see what types of palms I'm really interested in...if you're curious)...
I would be so very grateful for your help in obtaining them.

You know it's hard to have Costa Rica in a North Carolina backyard, but I like to push the agriculture zone map. (I'm in zone 7b...and have 5 palms living outside....some are 5 years old)

Well, go to go. Let me know if you have a method of help.
Thanks so very much to you all and to Ann.

Jerry

[Kathy in GA]

Hi Jerry,

Welcome back.

Stretching the zones...Ahhh. I do like to try and stretch the zones a little myself.
I think that anything can live give the the loving care that is needed to get them through the summer or winter.

I'll take a look at your wish list. But I don't really know that I have any palms that you'd be interested in.

I'll let you know if I do.

Happy Palms,
Kathy in Ga.
Oh I forgot or Happy Nanas too! Remember? I can't spell the Word Banannas? (sp?):D