Brahea armata new growth

[Barrie]

Dispite cool rainy weather 45f - 50f, my Brahea armata has managed to begin opening a new frond. I am impressed with this palms ability to shrug off cold weather and not be damaged. It's planted in very good drainage as our natural soil is rocky and sandy. It pushes about 4 or 5 new fonds per year and hey maybe 6 this year with an early start.

Cheers, Barrie.

[Wes North Van]

I too am impressed with this palm, however I do provide overhead protection and I wrap it with a comforter during our coldest nights. Mine is smaller than yours Barrie and this is just it's second winter. Mine pushed out three fronds last year but it is partly shaded. Like you my soil is sandy and rocky. I hope this is a long term palm for us here in southern BC. I still have overhead protection on mine. I will take the cover off at the end of this month when all chances of frost are over. I am probably babing it too much but I do not want to loose it.

[Barrie]

Well maybe but hey, that's hard earned money spent on palms you often find hard to replace. All I've ever done is push dry burlap down into the growth spear for more insulation only during the coldest weather, removing it once the weather breaks. Wes I got this one as a 15 gallon size about 3 years ago roughly. It didn't like the transplant and lost about half of the lower leaves without any new growth this first year. Once settling in, it's been fine ever since. Brahea species are tempermental at transplant from container to ground, and cutting the roots can prove fatal during a palm move.

Cheers, Barrie.

[Wes North Van]

Barrie,
I had read that about thier root system so I was very careful not to disturb them when I put it in the ground. The first year I put it in it grew three fronds almost immediately, so I obvoiusly planted correctly.
Again this palm has really impressed me and the colour of it is amazing. Mine is a real baby blue colour.
Now I want to try brahea edulis.
Barrie do you have one of these?

[Barrie]

Yes I do have a 15 gallon Brahea edulis that's fairly large. It's ready to be planted this spring. I've had it for several years and never could quite get around to setting it in. I guess I think too much about where it should go in the garden. I had a few of these and one went to Brian in Tofino and another to a local enthusiast in the Cilaire district of Departure Bay. One other perhaps but I don't recall. I remember Rudy had one of these in patio planter about 8 years ago. I wonder if he ever planted that Brahea edulis?
As a side note; yes I was very careful planting that B. armata but it suffered from transplant shock the first year.

Cheers, Barrie.

[Wes North Van]

I don't believe Rudi ever did plant it. I think he might of raffled it off at one of the PNWPEPS meetings. Maple Leaf Nurseries had brought in quite a few and they sold out very quickly. I wonder how they are all doing.

[Barrie]

For your viewing pleasure ... Nice examples of Brahea armata and secondly, Brahea edulis.
Cheers, Barrie.