Mystery Palm

Ok, I have to admit that I'm stumped on this palm. I bought it as a very small plant probably 4 years ago from home depot, and it was labeled something like "tropical." I've seen some of these growing in South Florida and in my visit to Hawaii this weekend, but I'm really stumped as to what exactly it is. I usually take it in the house when temps start dropping into the middle 20s.

Anyone willing to take a stab at this?

The Mexican fan palm in the back yard is growing like gangbusters. I've left a few of the slightly cold damaged leaves on it from this past winter, but I'm lopping them off this weekend. Prediction, it will be taller than my garage by the end of the summer, which will present some unique challenges with my cold protection strategies this winter.

Got Milk?

I’m batting 1,000 at my attempts to germinate coconuts (in the fairness of full disclosure, the stat. sounds more impressive than it is: I’m 2 for 2) but this next attempt is with a twist. It seems that the two coconuts I secreted back from Hawaii this past winter are now dry inside. No splashes, slurps, or sloshes. Sans milk.

So I might be putting my 100% germination record to the test when I try and hatch these two nuts later this Spring. The plan is to follow the tried and true method: Soak them for a month and then plant them half emerged in a dirt/sand combo stew, resting on a reliable pair of heating cables. And then waiting, for months, to see if anything stirs.

Will the lack of milk in the diet leave these nuts germinationally challenged? Inquiring minds would like to know....

Palmicide in Ocean City

Being that today is the first day of Spring, I thought I would take the opportunity to ruminate about something that I've witnessed every year at the local beach: Palmicide.

What I'm talking about is the massive annual importation of Coconut Palms to add a taste of the tropics to the resort community of Ocean City, Maryland. Now being a major palm fan, I must say that it's nice seeing these majestic trees dot the resort every year. And these aren't small trees, they're 15-20 year old, established palms that have likely been grown in deep South Florida. However, it does leave me feeling a tad bit sad knowing that they'll be dead as a doornail after the first hard freeze. Hundreds of them, looking like ragged match sticks for the rest of the winter until the new batch arrives in late April.

It's not like the Ocean City administrators could be thinking that they'll take a gamble and see if they strike it lucky and the palms might survive a winter or two before a really cold spell arrives. I've lived in Florida and can tell you that Coconut Palms can't even survive a winter in Orlando. Ocean City? What, are they smoking the palm fronds?

My main point here - and I guess this is one of my soapboxes (I'm a man with many) - is that a little research would tip them off to palm trees that would perhaps have A CHANCE of surviving a winter there. Ocean City, Maryland is in USDA zone 7B, meaning Sabal Palmettos would have a fighting chance (there are some very well established plants about 150 miles down the road in Virginia Beach), as would Windmill Palms, European Fan Palms, or even some nice S. Minors. But Coconut Palms?

Ok. I feel better now.