I would like to plant some palm trees at my place in northern baja. What kind have you had success with?
I'm thinking Queen palms. Does anyone know a good(cheap) place to buy them?oxxo - 9-4-2006 at 04:03 PM
It depends on where in northern Baja you want to plant them.
Queen Palms (Syagrus romanzoffiana) do not do well in areas with hot dry summers like Tecate, Mexicali, and San Felipe. They will survive but their
fronds will sunburn and look brown for at least 4 to 6 months a year. However, they do fine all year in the cool summer areas along the Pacific Coast
of Baja all the way up to Tijuana.
Other possible selections for anywhere in northern Baja are the Mexican Fan Palm (Washingtonia robusta) and California Fan Palm (Washingtonia
filifera). Both of these look good all year.
I have seen all of these palms sold at various nurseries in northern Baja. They usually sell them by the foot of height. As I recall, the Mexican
Fan Palms in San Felipe were around $10 to $15 USD per foot including delivery. This is about a quarter of what they would cost in California or
Arizona.
[Edited on 9-5-2006 by oxxo]
[Edited on 9-5-2006 by oxxo]fishbuck - 9-4-2006 at 05:15 PM
Okay, I guess I should have been more specific. My place is in San Quintin so pacific coast species is what I'm looking for. I've noticed a palm
nursury near TJ. Has anyone ever bought from them?4baja - 9-5-2006 at 06:44 AM
im buying mine in tecate south of town, lots of nurserys there. allso easy ride to san miguel on south.DanO - 9-5-2006 at 11:04 AM
Try the vivero right next to the highway near Cantamar (you need to get off the toll road at Cantamar and then take the free road over the hill to get
to it. Lots of cool stuff and the guy is very knowledgeable.Taco de Baja - 9-5-2006 at 01:06 PM
Any of the date palms would probably do well, as they are suited to desert environments
Phoenix dactylifera - the true date palm.
Phoenix canariensis - Canary Island Date Palm. These get huge.
Phoenix sylvester - Toddy Palm is very similar to the Canary Island Palm in size and appearance.
Phoenix roebelenii - Pygmy Date Palm are small and slow growing with usually a max height of 8 feet.
Phoenix reclinata - Senegal Date Palm. Usually grows in a group, and is one of my favorite date palms.
Some of my other favorite palms are the Triangle Palm (Neodyspis spp.). the Jelly palm (Butia capitata ) and the Mexican Blue palm
(Brahea armata ) ? Or any of the others in the Brahea genus. However, most Braheas are a very slow growers, and large
specimens would be quite expensive. All these can be grown along the coast in So Cal, but I do not know about coastal Baja, worth looking into
though.....
[Edited on 9-5-2006 by Taco de Baja]oxxo - 9-5-2006 at 01:27 PM
>Phoenix dactylifera - the true date palm.
Does not do well in high humidity areas, such as along the Pacific coast. Good for hot inland areas. The hotter the summer, the better the date
production. Subject to a lot of diseases.
>Phoenix canariensis - Canary Island Date Palm. These get >huge.
Hard to find in Mexican nurseries. Slow growing, therefore very expensive.
>\Phoenix sylvester - Toddy Palm is very similar to the >Canary Island Palm in size and appearance.
Hard to find in mexican nurseries.
>Phoenix roebelenii - Pygmy Date Palm are small and slow >growing with usually a max height of 8 feet.
Good selection for very small palm. Subject to sunburn in hot summer areas. Same general climatic preferences as Queen palms. Mine grow about 2
feet a year, but I baby them.
>Phoenix reclinata - Senegal Date Palm. Usually grows in a >group, and is one of my favorite date palms.
Beautiful palm. Does best in tropical climates (higher humidity)
>Some of my other favorite palms are the Triangle Palm (Neodyspis spp.). the Jelly palm (Butia capitata ) and the Mexican Blue palm (Brahea armata
) ? Or any of the others in the Brahea genus.
Can be difficult to find in Mexican nurseries and they are expensive.
>All these can be grown along the coast in So Cal,
Well yes and no. You can get almost anything to grow along the coast in SoCal. But some of these just don't do well (thrive) in that area.
Another possibility is the Coconut Palm (Cocos nucifera), but they do best in the tropical regions of Los Cabos.Cincodemayo - 9-5-2006 at 01:39 PM
Fishbuck...
Here is more info on palms plus cold hardiness charts that you will ever need..plus links to anything and everything about palms and cycads.
I am sold on em. I will plant more to protect our home. They withstood the battering and helped defend homes in the flood.
In my opinion, they are all GOOD!
[Edited on 9-5-2006 by Sharksbaja]
Oxxo, Palm trees
Steve in Oro Valley - 9-6-2006 at 11:47 AM
Oxxo, I know of a FEMSA convenience store chain in Mexico known as OXXO. Any connection to you?
A great palm for Baja California and Sonora and Arizona/California is the Brahea brandegeeii (elegans is a synonym) sometimes called the San Jose
Hesper Palm common to the mountains of Cape Region above CSL.
But it has recently been documented in the Sierra de San Francisco (Cave Paintings- pinturas ruspestres area north of San Ignacio, BCS) and can be
found near Guaymas, Sonora and scattered in the foothils of Sonora to within about 70 miles of the Arizona border SE of Magdalena. This palm is more
green usually in its southern range and can be quite blue in its northern lattitudes...
Another nice greenish palm from the Magdalena Palm Canyon (Sonora)and other parts of Mexico that can do well as a patio ornamental is the Brahea
nitida - no teeth on the petioles-
nitida is called baviso by some old time campesinos in Sonora.
Brahea armata (the large blue palm, sometimes called ROCK PALM) is extremely tough and well suited to arid desert conditions with some ground water .
It is better plant local palms especially Baja Peninsula material, imho...
Steve in Oro Valley
[Edited on 9-6-2006 by Steve in Oro Valley]Cincodemayo - 9-6-2006 at 11:49 AM
This isn't Steve from Three Arch Bay in Laguna is it?
Brahea dulcis
Cincodemayo - 9-6-2006 at 11:56 AM
Brahea dulcis is known as the rock palm...
looks like armata but different.Taco de Baja - 9-6-2006 at 12:06 PM
Quote:
Originally posted by Cincodemayo
This isn't Steve from Three Arch Bay in Laguna is it?
Hmmm another Steve who grew up up in TAB. The Steve I know now lives in Oregon and did not go to Baja this year .
TAB, what a great place to grow up in.Steve in Oro Valley - 9-6-2006 at 12:14 PM
Cinco de Mayo:
No... This is Steve in Oro Valley about 10 mi north of downtown Tucson.
By the way, It is interesting that man-made improvements are devastated by hurricanes or war events (ie: Lebanon) but often the only thing left
afterwards familiar and recognizable are palms..
Notice that California and Mexican Palms are the favorite palm of Beirut, Bagdad and other mediterranean locations.
The Mexican Fan palm (Washingtonia robusta) was originally from the Guaymas, Sonora area and the orginal huge groves were replaced by development....
They're all gone! The Mexican fan palms that are growing in Guaymas yards and along the streets today were nursery grown just like the millions
worldwide!
Steve in Oro Valley
[Edited on 9-6-2006 by Steve in Oro Valley]Cincodemayo - 9-6-2006 at 12:24 PM
Steve...Washingtonias are the most prolific things on earth! I've seen them germinate in Palm Springs with NO water in sidewalks....I took a mature
inforescence with 15,000 seed, ONE of 20 off a filifera and germinated 20 full flats that looked like grass! Amazing what palms will do. I collected
seed from a Pritchardia in Maui last year and now have about 500- 2 inch seedlings not to mention about 20,000 Trachycarpus seedlings coming up here
in the Pacific Northwest. The Trachs are about the only sure fire cold hardy palm up here besides Sabal, Chamerops, Rapidophyllum, and Washingtonia.Cincodemayo - 9-6-2006 at 12:26 PM
Taco...When there were swells we'd go down to TAB and get some killer bodysurfing waves by the arch. Ahhhh those were the days. Just as good in
Lagunita by Blue Lagoon too.jerry - 9-6-2006 at 12:28 PM
since i have a lot of ppl on here that know about palm
question; has anyone ever made wine or liquer from dates?? any recepesCincodemayo - 9-6-2006 at 12:35 PM
Jerry....Haven't heard of wine but definitely jelly preserves from Butia capitata. I used to collect seed from Butias at Huntington Gardens in San
Marino....very mature ones planted in the teens from Henry Huntington. Just a magnificent palm collection almost a hundred years old and being a
member of the Palm Society you could get in before opening to the public and collect with no people around...That was an awesome time. If anyone has
the opportunity to go there they have an incredible cycad collection also.Cincodemayo - 9-6-2006 at 12:37 PM
There are bunches of them planted just off the 5 freeway in San Diego in the Mission Bay area....they look like giant pineapples...extremely slow
growing and expect them to seed in about 50 years or so!
[Edited on 9-6-2006 by Cincodemayo]oxxo - 9-6-2006 at 02:39 PM
>Originally posted by Steve in Oro Valley
Oxxo, I know of a FEMSA convenience store chain in Mexico known as OXXO. Any connection to you?
No, no connection, I just like the name and the logo graphics. As soon as I can figure out how to do avitars, I will download a picture of the OXXO
sign for my avitar. Wife and I call the stores "hugs and kisses." I was going to name the boat OXXO but wife said no way!
>It is better plant local palms especially Baja Peninsula material, imho...
The Brahea palms and most of the native palms you cite are difficult to find in a typical Mexican viviero (nursery) That is why I was only
recommending those that can be found easily.
[Edited on 9-6-2006 by oxxo]Mexitron - 9-16-2006 at 08:45 PM
oxxo--Actually, the Blue Palms, Brahea armata, are growing in some canyons right behind you in San Quintin--drive up Socorro, not more than about five
miles in from the ocean. The Blue palm is an amazingly tough and adaptable tree--I've seen them growing at around 5,000 feet in the Sierra Juarez and
other southerly ranges--they take snow and cold to around 20 degrees or less. Go check them out in person and grab some seed for a true backyard
native palm. And given water and fertilizer they're not so slow growing.
Who's asking about Steve from Three Arch Bay? Would you have been there in the 70's, early 80's? yep, them were the days.Mexitron - 9-16-2006 at 08:50 PM
soulpatch--check out Rancho Soledad Nursery in Ranch Santa Fe--lots of unique palms that will grow in San Diego:
Thanks to everyone for all the great replies. I'm suppose to plant 10 palms on each lot. I have 2 lots so I'm going to need lots of palms.
I realized right away that I don't know much about palms or house building. But I guess that's all part of the adventure!
[Edited on 9-17-2006 by fishbuck]elgatoloco - 9-17-2006 at 11:28 PM
Soulpatch
We have spent the last few months working on the landscape plan for our home in the San Diego area. We visited MANY different places. We ended up
buying most of our palms here:
If nothing else I suggest you invest the time to go to their location. The owner, Phil Bergman, has an incredible amount of knowledge (30+ years in
the field) and a whole lot of palms to show you including some very rare and interesting things.
.