PalmsNorth.com

Well I think the heat has set in and the rain has dried up for awhile. Everybody knows how rough winter was, and in spite of this most of my things made it.

Obligatory shot of the deck...trachies took it on the chin this winter

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Too bad they're inedible...

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Sabal minors

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This is Miscanthus "first knight". I hope it's winter hardy here. It's really tropical looking. I promise I don't have a bunch of crap junking my yard up lol. My tractors hydro charge pump popped it's seal and I'm waiting on the part so I can put the fender pan back on.

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Shade lovin Aucuba japonica. Sorry it's washed out. I love these guys. Look like a croton.

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Hedychium varieties. Dr Moy and coronarium. Blazed thru hell winter without even a mulch cover. Now, will they bloom? That remains to be seen. I really want hedychium "Tahitian Flame". It's a sport of Dr Moy with more variegation.

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Alpinia zerembet
Yup it's hardy, too. This one had a mulch cover.

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Sabal louisiana
It's got two seed stalks!

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Kris,
Incredible that Sabals look sooooo much better than Trachies after winter.

Barb

That miscanthus reminds me of a phormium..can't get the latter through winter so tell me how it fairs and I might try one

Sabal "Lou" looks fantastic! Glad you got it. Every palm left behind on the old farm is dead.

Thanks Barb. The sabals : plain minor, Birm, and Lou look tops. The brazoria got nailed. It kept two fronds and it's spear. It will probably decline and croak. The sabals are leaf hardier I think. They had less protection than the trachies. I need to update with my med fans. The difference between green and blue is astounding.

Mike, I googled "Miscanthus first knight" and got nothing! My wife told me that was the name. It's probably a pennisetum! Cool annual if so, but I hope it's hardy. Look into Crinum 'Sangria' or Eucomis 'oakhurst' if you want a hardy Phormium "faker".

Eric, glad you have it to me! Hate that the others didn't make it.

Kris,
we have an open house in the morning in case you know anyone who wants a palm (or horse) friendly place: http://tulsa.craigslist.org/reo/4518063086.html

Nice plants....where did the heat arrive?

I'll put the feelers out, Eric.

Thanks Jim, the heat finally hit and stayed with us. It's been unusually (compared to last three years) rainy and cool up until now. It was a welcome change because western OK had exceptional drought. I swear my sabals grew 4 inches this week. I look forward to watching your castor beans grow this year!

Thought you were in OK...

Thanks...I wish they(Castor plants) would grow-lol

It got cool right as they started to move...getting warm/hot now
so they should blastoff-3 years of drought here...amazing what even normal
rainfall will do-I really had forgotten what it does for the plants,esp after 3years
of dry soil & burned roots from fertilizing plants and having the soil be so dry
around them that the banana plants would really only grow after a rainfall of over 1"-
those were rare.

Wow! Those bananas look like they've been growing for years straight. I can almost feel the humidity in those photos!

Speaking of which, do the Basjoo's have any purpose? I know they're mostly fiber and big seeds, but is there any other use other than decoration?

Skutch, thanks. Maybe the fibers are useful for something? Theyre very strong when dried. They are just decorative for me. You are right about the humidity you can slice it with a knife. The bananas enjoy it. I think I've had these basjoos for 5 or 6 years. They're in big raised beds so I have to cut a few out every year.