Desert Trachycarpus

Paul Ont · Post by **Paul Ont** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 8:15 am

This post is just a question. Why does anyone living in the desert plant Trachycarpus fortunei? I did not see one example that looked halfway decent the entire time I was there! I know that trachycarpus are not a particularly attractive or tropical looking palm, but all the Trachys in the desert had a leaf area of perhaps 1/2 that of the palms I've seen in England or BC. Is it a lack of nutrients? Lack of water? Too much heat?
Anyway, I wish my camera hadn't died as I would have loved to post a pic of just how pathetic looking these Trachys were beside majestic Washy's and Phoenix in Las Vegas! Even Chamerhops, which pales in comparison to Trachys on the west coast, dwarfed these terrible looking palms.
Don;t get me wrong, I wish I could grow a Trachy outdoors year round, but after seeing so many poor examples, I must say that it is probably the worst choice for a desert environment!

Okanagan desert-palms · Wed Oct 15, 2008 2:23 pm

The desert heat will do more damage because you can`t control temperatures as you can nutrients and watering. Living here in the dry hot desert of the Okanagan valley growing planted full sun T.fortunei. I get more growth in the spring and late summer and fall seasons than in the summer. In the summer here we regularly reach 100 f 38c and above not quite the 110 f of Vegas. I definitely see them suffer through the heat with some frond burn. IMO this would only be even worse in Vegas.

John

Arctic Palm · Post by **Arctic Palm** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 4:53 pm

I was just in las vegas...there are several trachys planted all the way up the strip...I got to examine one up close infront of the belagio and it looked ragged and burned...these trees were between 6 and 10 feet tall and planted under huge canary island palms. From what I saw all over Vegas, the trachs were not doing well anywhere. I saw one about 25 feet tall and the fans were all shot.
My own trachys seem to better with cooler weather. Like now...highs in the 50s and 60s. They are not a desert palm.

Post by **Jay-Admin** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 6:18 pm

There are some nice ones on Fremont street in LV. But they are under the big viva vision canopy so they don't get direct sun.

Paul Ont · Post by **Paul Ont** » Thu Oct 16, 2008 7:53 am

Does anyone have a pic? I really wanted to get one showing how poor they looked next to Washys and Phoenix. . .
Anyway, my conclusion is that if you live in the low desert, pick a different palm species!

Barrie · Post by **Barrie** » Thu Oct 16, 2008 8:47 am

As pointed out, Trachycarpus are well out of their range in desert regions. At least in the BC interior there's periodic relief from the heat. In the southern desert areas low humidity and relentless heat for months on end takes it's toll on them.

Cheers, Barrie.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Thu Oct 16, 2008 9:48 am

Yup, ditto.

My 32 year old potted (garbage can) Trachy looked awful out in the Okanagan's heat and wind.
Almost every fan broken in half by the wind.
Light green fronds which immediately improved with an epsom salt soak, but the daily watering helped the most.
The roots of potted palms, covered by a flimsy plastic pot, just don't stay cool enough out in the blazing heat every day.

Moved it to the patio where it gets only morning sun, and it immediately perked up.

Spring and Fall is when it looks best; every October it really pushes spears.

Barb.