PalmsNorth.com

W and I took a road trip to Myrtle Beach, SC. This state just LOVES there Sabal palmettos and Butia capitata! Those two palms are the ONLY ones they plant. (Aside from Cycads, and a few Trachys here and there). Everyones cars had a sticker of the Sabal palmetto, the state flag has one, our hotel was called "Palmetto Shores" lol. Anyways, on to the pictures...

View from the hotel room




It's amazing how many OVER PRUNED palms I saw.

This is how they're SUPPOSED to look, nice and full. Sabal palmetto's are one of my favorite palms (Aside from Trachys, of course )



I love the criss-cross of the trunk.


I guess February is the time to throw seeds

One tough palm to tolerate the sand and salt! Obviously these are the "best looking" overall.









And I'm not even finished uploading. Like I said they seem to only plant Sabal palmetto, so that's the only pictures I really have. However there was a row of Trachys and some other types, I still have to upload them though.

Andy

Always enjoy the MB pics. There are some Trachys around, they don't do very well there (too warm for them?)... And some Butia, Washingtonia too. Also there is a mini putt in N. MB that has some large Phoenix!

Cheers!

ahhhhh...thanks for those pics.
Feel warmer just viewing them.

Re overpruning palms, have heard that hotels and municipalities prefer to prune way above the "recommended 9 o'clock --> 3 o'clock" positions before browned fronds crash to the pavement below. Liability.

Re pic #2, pretty quiet at the hotel.
Wasn't that spring break?
Or did you take the photo at 6 a.m.?

Barb

Nice shots! I'm surprised they don't grow more Trachys there since they should hold up better in the super cold blasts down there.

Paul, I'm assuming you've been to Myrtle Beach or know someone who's been? The only Trachys I saw were at "Broadway at the Beach", and they looked awesome if you ask me. I would think they would grow great down there? Maybe I'm wrong, but my Trachy seems to love the heat.

Barb-No problem, but...it wasn't that warm... Infact, the first day was downright chilly! With the sea breeze, we had sweaters/coats on. It was like a "crisp" fall day is how I describe it. It did gradually warm up, and by Wednesday (we spent a week) we were sweating. One thing I immediately noticed is that it's alot more humid down there, even when it was chilly. It makes sense about the pruning, but I feel bad for those poor palms, if you look closely they've trimmed all the healthy green growth down at the bottom.

It wasn't quite 6am, maybe 7:30 or 8. Not quite spring break, we just went this past February, so it wasn't "dead" but it wasn't packed like in the summer either, which I liked. I think everything comes back to life March 1st.

Tim-I was a little surprised that there wasn't more Trachys and cold hardy stuff, I didn't think Sabal palmettos were very hardy? I've heard of the cold blasts coming down and killing all the palms! I don't believe they're native that far north, so I figured they're kind of taking a risk planting all of these...Then again, everything was throwing seeds and growing great, so I guess they're fine!

Andy

Margaritaville is an awesome restaurant. That last picture is one of the biggest palm tree's I've ever seen upclose in my life. My uncle told me this is a big palm, but Florida's palms are bigger. (He's goes several times a year, I've been one or twice that I can actually remember it)
Andy

Great photos, Andy, thanks.
Trachies are so uniquely hairy.
Looks good to see them mixed with other palms.
Oh, and the water squirting out of the skull's eyeballs, LOL.

Q: in the first pic you're in, Andy, the bottom of the trachy has a bunch of exposed roots.
I read years ago they're called "adventitious roots".

Anybody know if soil should be heaped up over those roots (without piling soil higher on the trunk fiber).?
Is it just erosion that causes that?

That last pic with you and the big full sabal is awesome. I also like the palms with the big yuccas, yuccas add a nice tropical look as an understory.

I hate too see palm trimmed up to high.

Andy,
thanks for the photos!
I too love anything Sabal. Hope to get to the palmetto state someday.
--Erik

Nice pics! It's always great to see some of the Myrtle Beach Sabals.

Barb- I have no idea, I did have to climb a small hill to get up to the palm. I know I've seen more pictures of Palms with those same exposed roots, so maybe it's OK? I'll have to do more research on that. I know the big Maples and Oaks around here have huge exposed roots at the bottom that you are not supposed to cover with soil or mulch. Big problem around here, (everyone heaps on huge mounds of mulch around the bottom of the trees).

90% of the trees in my city have been cut down because of the Asian Longhorned Beetle anyway.

Thanks for all the comments from everyone! It was a pretty awesome trip, aside from the 18 hrs in the car

Andy

Great shots of the native palms in Myrtle beach S.C. I always liked S. palmetto. Maybe one day


John

Yeah, we can grow palms down here when we want to.

Cretan date palm getting ready to flower.





A couple Washies.



Chamaedorea radicalis



Chamaedorea microspadix





Oh, we grow some damn good citrus as well.

Laaz, good to see you again.
And those photos, wow.

The Phoenix are even spearing their own flower spathes

Erik will drool seeing his fav Chamaedoreas.

The Washies and citrus in your yard are fabulous.
Wouldn't even guess there ever was a big winter freeze (2 yrs ago?)
I recall a snow palm photo

The big dogs still protecting your yard?
Barb

Nice palms! Thanks for sharing something different, other than Sabals. Awesome pictures.

Have you had any problems with frost or snow? I think I also recall a huge freeze coming down and killing all the palms.

Hey Barb. been very busy. Athena my best Rott came down with bone cancer two years ago & I had to have her put to sleep in April 2010. Just about killed me. Only good thing that came out of it is that I got one of her grand daughters. Meet Cerra.





When I got the little shit.



Palmettos are pretty much bullet proof here, and frost will do nothing to harm them. We may get a dusting of snow every ten years or so, but it is gone within a few hours. Myrtle Beach is two hours up the coast & does get quite a bit colder than we do. We have never had a freeze that killed the Palmettos... Palmettos survive all the way up into Virgina beach.

Oh, Laaz so sorry about Athena.
Daughter's dog died two nights ago, albeit a car, not cancer.
the awful heart-ache.

Wonderful pics....Cerra's GORGEOUS!!!!
Look at the hint of waviness in her fur, she's a 120 pound baby, all muscle.

So cute when she was tiny...
Thank you for the pics.

Hope all your citrus made it through that brutal cold a few years ago.
Barb

Just a big baby.



Citrus is all doing great, I'm going to have to start selling it.

Cute baby! How old? About..1 ish? Good luck on the Citrus and thanks for the pictures! Nice camera & nice shots.

Andy

Yes he just turned 1.

Great pics.

Cerra's THE protector for that child.
Wonderful!

Two Q's on citrus.
What's the correct N P K ratio for fertilizer?
I was given a 5-foot Grapefruit tree 2 years ago and haven't a clue how to treat it.
Acid pH? or alkaline soil mix?

Thanks.
Barb

Barb citrus uptake at 5-1-3. Ph would depend on the rootstock, a good start is in the range of 6 - 6.5.

Good to know, thanks!

Nice shots of MB!

I was down there about a month ago to visit some family. Could not resist hitting a nursey and bringing back some gems. Next time I may have to keep driving and visit Laaz.

Anytime.

Laaz wrote:Anytime.

Careful what you wish for.

Will do. Thanks.

great pics everyone!!!!!!