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PALM TREES, CYCADS & TROPICAL PLANTS FOR SALE - SHORT VERSION

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FRIDAY, 13 SEPTEMBER, 2024

FAN PALMS
THEY ALL JUST LOOK LIKE MEXICAN FAN PALMS

CORRECT?
I DON'T THINK SO.

All photos here are of fan palms. They were taken in the wild, in botanical gardens or at the nursery. But, all are of fan palms of one species or another. I've not labeled them because I'm presenting them as a group. From a structure point of view, a fan palm is a palm where all the segments (or leaflets) radiate from one central area. These can form a whole circle of leaflets, a half circle, or less. Compare this to a pinnate palm where leaflets come off a central leaf stalk. I.e., leaflets protrude laterally from a central stem, typically to either side.

Over the years I have heard people say hundreds of time things like "I don't like fan palms; they all look like Mexican Fans". Or, "Fan palms look like "desert palms". Or, "Fan palms are so boring; I like normal palms". If you were like me and had studied palms for almost forty years, what would you say to such comments? I usually just say something like "I understand" and show them typical pinnate palms. But, I am aware that nothing could be further from the truth.

There are such exotic fan palms of all types, shapes, sizes, color and textures. I've tried to demonstrate their varied appearance here. Fan palms comes from all corners of the world. Some are large trees, others tiny. Some species are for shade only. Some have silver undersides. And, others are almost white in color.

And, fan palms add a different look and dimension to the garden. A garden composed of only pinnate palms like King Palms is quite boring. One has to mix fans into a garden to add diversity and interest. I hope you can see with these photos how you could do this.
















'

RECYCLE YOUR USED PLASTIC CONTAINERS

AND OLD CARDBOARD BOXES / NEWSPAPERS

ECOLOGICAL AND HELPS OUR NURSERY
DISCOUNT ON PURCHASES OR NURSERY CREDIT ON CONTAINERS

I'd like to remind plant enthusiasts to recycle their plastic containers. We will take them and give you a credit toward any purchase at the nursery - when you drop them off or issue a credit toward a future purchase. Or, if you just don't know what to do with them and are conservative minded, drop them off at our nursery location. We'll put them to good use. We've been doing this for decades and think it's the right thing to do for the environment. We are especially looking for larger pots, 5g and bigger. We accept any pot sizes, bands to large containers or boxes. We especially seek the larger containers.

So, don't give them to the garbage man for your local landfill. Nursery pots are "forever" and don't dissolve in the landfills. So, recycle them! The fourth photo below shows all containers from a band to a 24 inch box, left to right. If we are closed, just leave them in front of our gates with your name and phone number.

And, if they are sitting around waiting to go in the trash, drop off you used and soon to be discarded cardboard boxes and newspapers. We load customer purchases into them and thus they are recycled from a usage standpoint. We also recycle old newspapers. Donating these means we purchase less new paper for packing plant and this is conservational.

Thank you for doing this. It's the right thing to do.

5 gallon	15 gallon	25 gallon
All containers in a row

BECCARIOPHOENIX ALFREDII
THE MADAGASCAR PLATEAU COCONUT PALM

RARE AND HIGHLY SOUGHT AFTER - EASY TO GROW
FULL COASTAL SUN - RE-CURVED GREEN LEAVES

TEN DAY SPECIAL 25 GALLON SIZE

This species of exotic palm is from the island of Madagascar. It is the third of three Beccariophoenix species described from this palm-loaded country. It is so sought after because some feel that it's the prettiest species of the three. And, because it may possess the best cold hardiness. I've documented other Beccariophoenix species tolerating temperatures below 25 degrees at our nursery. So, this species may survive in areas like San Francisco, Phoenix and Houston. It grows to a height of about thirty feet and does not have a crown shaft. Leaves are long and minimally curved. The crown of leaves are densely placed - so it offers privacy and screening of neighbors. Growth rate is medium in most areas and along the coast it likes sun. This species is hard to find. We are offering 25 gallon plants on a ten day Special but only have a couple available. This size is shown in the first six photos below. We also have 5 gallon available.

Shown here are our 25 gallon sized plants that are very nicely sized for their containers. Also shown are lots of photos of mature plants.

REGULAR PRICE THESE LARGE 25 GALLON $795
TEN DAY SPECIAL THESE LARGE 25 GALLON $625

WALLICHIA DISTICHA
FISHTAIL APPEARING SINGLE TRUNK PALM THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND

ALL LEAVES IN ONE PLANE
A VERY INTERESTING AND PECULIAR PALM
TEN DAY SPECIAL LIMITED NUMBER 15 GALLON

This unusual palm that has all of its leaves in a single plane. That is to say from the front, it is a fairly large, "Caryota-appearing" palm tree. But, looking from the side, it is narrow and you can hardly see it. The dictionary definition of "distichous" is: "Arranged in two vertical rows on opposite sides of an axis: distichous leaves. " In this case, the trunk of the palm is the axis.

This species is native to the Himalaya Mountains in Asia, spreading from northern India across to northern Thailand. There it grows at altitudes of up to 4000 feet. Because of it's heritage and as you might guess, it does have some cold hardiness and can easily be grown in many areas of Southern California. It tolerates temperatures down to about the mid to upper twenties F. It prefers full sun. Mature height is about 30 feet. Usually this species is single trunk, but in the wild suckering specimens are found. This is not to confuse it with another suckering species, Wallichia densiflora, which is always a clustering species.

Wallichia could be confused with Arenga and Caryota, both of which are also from the same part of the world. All have leaflets that have jagged or toothed apical ends as shown here. All also go through a flowering process that begins at the upper trunk and works its way down the trunk over time. And, all have stems that die after suckering. When there is only one stem (as with this species), the tree will die after it flowers. Seeds of Wallichia disticha are very small as shown here. The back sides of Wallichia and Arenga leaflets are silver whereas Caryotas are green on the back side. This helps in identifying the genus. Trunks of Wallichia disticha are also covered with dense brown fibers as shown here.

We have very limited numbers of this species for sale. I'm showing a 15 gallon plant as some mature trees. For someone who likes different species, this one is for you. But, I doubt you'll find it elsewhere.

TEN DAY SPECIAL 15 GALLON SIZE $265

DICTYOSPERMA ALBUM VAR RUBRUM
PRINCESS PALM, HURRICANE PALM

MEDIUM HEIGHT - CROWN SHAFT – THIN TRUNK
TEN DAY SPECIAL 15 GALLON SIZE

This is a somewhat rare, collector type of palm that would be attractive in almost any coastal or near-coastal garden. Native to the Mascarene Islands, this thin trunked, crown shafted palm gets to a height of about 25 feet. This variety is called "rubrum" because of the red color that is present on the stems and on juvenile leaflets. One photo shows this below. The leaves are green, arching and without any spines. Growth rate is medium. This is a coastal sun or part day sun species with a cold tolerance in the upper twenties F. I've had one in my garden for years in San Diego.

REGULAR PRICE 15 GALLON $245
TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS SIZE $220

Just mention this Blog Special when ordering to get this price.

DYPSIS BARONII
IDEAL RARE SUCKERING MADAGASCAR PALM

MEDIUM SIZED MATURE – TOLERATES SOME COASTAL SUN
TEN DAY SPECIAL 15 GALLON WITH DIVIDING TRUNK

Over the years and having grown between fifty and one hundred different species of Dypsis, I can say that Dypsis baronii is one of the best species of Dypsis for Southern California. It is a reliably performing plant and quite beautiful. Palm enthusiasts get real excited about the variety of color seen in the stem, crown shaft and new petioles. The color in these plant parts varies from red to yellow to powder white. Eventually, most plants give a silver green trunk with a light colored crown shaft as shown here. Trunks are several inches thick, leaves are about five to six feet long and overall heights peak out under twenty feet. Right on the coast this species can be grown in full sun although strong filtered light or part day sun is ok too. Cold tolerance is into the mid and perhaps low 20's F. Growth rate is slow to medium. Although there are single trunk specimens around, most will sucker. Expect a mature height of about twenty feet or a bit more.

The 15 gallon shown below has a “splitting trunk”. It's hard to see on the photos below. Sometimes you will see this as opposed to basal suckers. It is dividing into two trunks above the ground. Not all will do this. It’ll tolerate partial sun or full sun along the coast

REGULAR PRICE 15 GALLON $245
TEN DAY SPECIAL 15 GALLON $220

COCCOTHRINAX CRINITA
THE OLD MAN PALM

MEDIUM SIZED TROPICAL SUN PALM
PLANTS AVAILABLE WITH A FOOT OR TWO OF HAIRY TRUNK
TEN DAY SPECIAL 15 GALLON SIZE

The palm species shown here is Coccothrinax crinita. It is native to Cuba. It gets the name “Old Man Palm” because the trunk is totally covered by long tan hairs that hang down like a beard. For anyone who has grown one of the Old Man Palms, the one thing you’ll agree on is how slow they are. The squat 15 gallon plant shown here typically take about ten to twelve years to produce this size. Seedlings take about 4 years to produce a fan leaf. One suffers through “blades of grass” for four years before palmate leaves appear. The plants below are older in that their showing a foot or two of their hairy trunks. These are near impossible to find and always expensive this size. This is a dwarf species, unlikely to get over ten feet. It loves sun and heat and is cold hardy somewhere between the mid to low 20's F. And, by the way, those fibers/hairs covering the trunk are its hallmark. We only have a handful of this size. Estimated age is ten to fifteen yeasrs. If we run out, we can get a few more by Special Order.

REGULAR PRICE THESE OLD & LARGE 15 GALLON $450
TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS SIZE 15 GALLON $350

DYPSIS PLUMOSA
THIN TRUNK PALM FROM MADAGASCAR

FLUFFY LEAVES – SILVER CROWN SHAFT
TOLERATES SUN ALONG TH COAST
TEN DAY SPECIAL NICE 15 GALLON PLANT

This single trunk, crown shafted pinnate palm comes from Madagascar. It is a medium size palm with a narrow trunk and plumose leaves. Trunk diameter is four to six inches. The trunk color is silver-green and it has prominent rings. Leaflets are narrow and green in color. The ends of the leaves curve downwards. We have been growing this species for over two decades and found it to be a reliable grower. When young the trunk is much thinner but fattens up with age. It is quite cold tolerant, down into the mid to low 20's F. It's growth rate is good. It likes full sun in most areas. We are offering very tall 15 gallon plants on sale. The plant shown below is about 12 feet tall – twice the height of most comparable 15g plants. We do have some singles & multiples which tend to be shorter. As you can see, they are very tall and too big to ship by UPS.

REGULAR PRICE 15 GALLON THIS SIZE $265
TEN DAY SPECIAL 15 GALLON $235

LIVISTONA SPECIES
THESE ARE FAN PALMS - MANY WITH GOOD COLD TOLERANCE

UNKNOW SPECIES BEING OFFERED
TEN DAY SPECIAL 5 GALLON SIZE

Livstona is a genus of fan palms with a broad distribution of many species. Of the approximate 25 species, endemic locations spread from Africa to Asia, Australia and some South Pacific Islands. The majority of species have green leaves, medium to tall stature and armed leaf stems. Recently we got some plants that were identified by the grower as Livistona lanuginosa. But, we are not sure this is the true species from our experience. Therefore, we are just calling them "Livistona species". We have several for sale in the 5 gallon size. They have deeply divided green leaves with orange-brown spines on the petiole. Leaflets are have one inch wide segments at this time as shown below. Seeds came from a mother tree which is about 20 feet tall. The mother tree has survived temperatures to the low 20's F. As the palms for sale are, as of yet, without a definite identification, I'm showing several mature Livistona below to give the reader an idea of what these palms may look like in the future. The 7th photo, by Darrell Occonor is of L. laniginosa in the wild. The last photo is Livistona nitida by Mike Crisp. Note: Compare this to the Livistona laniginosa from another seed batch - see below.

TEN DAY SPECIAL 5 GALLON SIZE AS SHOWN $100

ARCHONTOPHOENIX "TERACARPA"
THE BEST KING PALM EVER!

SO, WHAT IS IT?
ARE THEY EVER ON SALE?
YES, 10 DAY SPECIAL 5G SIZE - SINGLES OR MULTIPLES

Archontophoenix teracarpa is a fictitious name given to an unknown species/type of King Palm that I have in my garden and no one can identify. I've been collecting seeds from it for quite a few years and offering it for sale. Everyone who gets one agrees - "It's the best King Palm ever!" It got the name from the Latin "Large body", which it has. After trying to identify the species over many years and with no success, we coined the name "Archontophoenix teracarpa". The closest species to it would be A. maxima but it's not the same. So, what are the differences that makes teracarpa more ideal?

It is faster growing
It gets taller than the regular King Palm
It tolerates full sun better
It doesn't brown tip in full sun along the coast
It has a blueish crown shaft
It has a super thick trunk

REGULAR PRICE 5 GALLON $135
TEN DAY SPECIAL SALE PRICE 5 GALLON $115

Remember: mention this Special to get your discount when you purchase! This size can be mail ordered.

CYPHOPHOENIX ELEGANS
THE ELEGANT PALM

MEDIUM SIZE – THIN TRUNK – CROWN SHAFTED
TEN DAY SPECIAL 5 GALLON SIZE

This species is from New Caledonia in the northern part of the island. It is of similar height to C. nucele and has the same trunk diameter. The crown shaft on C. elegans is slightly more swollen than that of C. nucele. The crown shaft is also more of a green color, but can show silver. The leaflets are thinner and, as you can see, the leaves curve downward as opposed to the stiff, upright leaves of nucele. Another important difference between the two is that the leaves of C. elegans are keeled whereas the leaves of nucele are more flat. Of note, on both species the bare petiole (stem with no leaves) is very short. This helps you identify this genus.

Shown here are our 5 gallon sized plants that I photographed recently. Also shown are photos of mature plants. This species should be started in filtered light and be allowed to grow into some sun if you live along the coast. Inland full sun is too harsh for this species. Cold hardiness is into the mid-twenties F.

REGULAR PRICE 5 GALLON $155
TEN DAY SPECIAL 5 GALLON $135

Remember to mention this Special to get this price. Limited numbers available. The 5g size is shown in the first six photos.

TRITHRINAX ACANTHACOMA
AKA TRITHIRNAX BRASILIENSIS
SPINY TRUNK - MEDIUM HEIGHT FAN PALM

EASILY TOLERATES TEMPERATURES INTO THE TEENS F.
TEN DAY SPECIAL 5G SIZE

This single trunk tropical fan palm is noted mostly for its spiny trunk. The spines are long, randomly directed and almost needle sized. It is native to South America and gets to a height of about twenty feet. It likes full sun and is cold hardy into the mid-teens F. Unlike Trithrinax campestris, the leaflet tips on this species are not sharp nor pointed. It is a medium rate grower. These plants are easy to ship.

REGULAR PRICE 5 GALLON $135
TEN DAY SPECIAL 5 GALLON $115

Remember: Mention this Special when you purchase. The 5 gallon on sale are shown in the first four pictures below.

CHAMAEROPS CERIFERA
NATIVE TO MOROCCO
THE SEMI-DWARF "BLUE MED FAN"

FULL HOT SUN - EXTREMELY COLD HARDY
TEN DAY SPECIAL ONE GALLON JUVENILE PLANTS

This interesting palm is a suckering blue fan palm is native to Morocco. It's actually quite amazing that it took a long time for taxonomists to realize that it was a species and had it's own unique characteristics. It's definitely a deep blue color but also it never gets as large as Chamaereops humilus. The problem was that there were also native short clones of the later. Chamaerops cerifera is one of the most cold hardy species for those of you in super cold areas. I've had reports of it going down to 13 degrees F. Mature height is about six feet or so. Color is blue in hot sun. This species does sucker. Most importantly, with age and full sun, they will have blue leaves. The plants on special here are one gallon plants. They'd be easy to ship for mail order customers. On occasion we do offer larger sizes.

REGULAR PRICE 1 GALLON $70
TEN DAY SPECIAL 1 GALLON $60

Remember: Mention this Special for your discount.

TRACHYCARPUS FORTUNEI
THE WINDMILL PALM
ONE OF THE MOST COLD HARDY PALMS

ONE GALLON SIZE ON TEN DAY SPECIAL

Trachyarpus fortunei is the most commonly available and commonly grown of the Windmill Palms. It is of Chinese origin . It is referred to as the Chinese Windmill Palm, the Windmill Palm, or the Chusan Palm. Note how the term "Windmill Palm" can refer to this particular species or to the genus as a whole. It is not uncommon to see it growing in colder areas of the United States, southern Europe, the Mediterranean and southern portions of Australia and Africa. Cold tolerance is between five and ten degrees F.

Most specimens in many decades get to a height of 25 to 35 feet. The actual trunk diameter is typically six to ten inches. The leaves are typically about three feet in diameter and have variable division of the segments. Leaves are green on the upper side and below, but it is not uncommon for one can see a bit of blue discoloration to the underside of the leaf. Distal leaf segments can flex downward toward the ground. Shown here is our very shippable sized one gallon plants which we’re putting on Special.

REGULAR PRICE ONE GALLON $65
TEN DAY SPECIAL THESE ONE GALLON $50

ARCHONTOPHOENIX MAXIMA
LARGEST OF THE KING PALMS

GREEN LEAVES – STATELY TRUNK AND CROWN
TEN DAY SPECIAL BAND SIZED SEEDLINGS

By popular demand I have put this great palm on special. This is the largest of the King Palm family. It got its name "maxima" by the flower size, but most have found it to be an aggressive grower, have a larger trunk and get taller than the other species of King Palms. It does have silver on the underside of the leaves. The crown shaft is sort of a yellow, sometimes blue color. It is a quick growing pinnate palm native to Australia. It's rare to see them available and also hard to find good photos of this species. The plants I'm putting on special are the band sized seedlings. This species tolerates full coastal sun and is cold hardy into the mid-twenties F. Another interesting thing is that sometimes occurs is that they'll throw a new pink-red leaf.

REGULAR PRICE BAND SIZED SEEDLINGS $60
TEN DAY SPECIAL THESE BAND SIZED SEEDLINGS $50

The mature specimen photo is by Luke Nancarrow AU.

KENTIOPSIS PYRIFORMIS
SUPER RARE SINGLE TRUNK PINNATE PALM

NATIVE TO NEW CALEDONIA
THIN TRUNK - VERY ELEGANT
SPECIAL - VERY NICE BAND SIZE PLANTS

This is a single trunk, crown shafted pinnate palm native to New Caledonia. Many feel it's the prettiest species of this genus. It gets to a height of about 40 feet or more and has a thin trunk. Leaves are upright, green and arched. They are keeled and green in color. The crown shaft is a copper color, covered with a white wax. It can be grown in some sun, depending on where you live. It's probably best to start it in bright filtered light and let it work its way into overhead sun. Growth rate is good, comparable or faster than K. oliviformis. Cold tolerance is down to about a freeze.

This is an extremely difficult species to find for sale nowadays. I only have an excellent selection of large band sized plants. This is an extremely rare species and we rarely have them for sale.

REGULAR PRICE BAND SIZE $65
TEN DAY SPECIAL BAND SIZE $57.50

Photos of large plant below by TS at RPS.

ENCEPHALARTOS KISAMBO
EXOTIC CENTRAL AFRICAN CYCAD

LONG GREEN UPRIGHT LEAVES
TEN DAY SPECIAL ON 2 GALLON SIZE

Encephalartos kisambo is a fast growing species native to Kenya where it grows at elevations of 3000 feet. It is a medium sized mature plant with trunks to eight feet. Leaves are green to soapy green in color, stand erect and are six to ten feet long. Leaflets are 1.5 inches wide, pungently tipped at the end, and spiny along the margins. This is a fast growing species that can tolerate our coastal sun. Far inland locations should use part day sun. Cold tolerance is into the mid-twenties, perhaps a bit lower. We had no leaf damage at the nursery in 2007 with lows of 25 degrees F. Shown here are very nice 2 gallon plants we have on a ten day reduced price – see first six photos below. These juveniles are about six years old and carrying about five leaves. Also shown are other larger sizes we have but note we have many sizes in between the sale plant and the monster specimens below.

REGULAR PRICE 2 GALLON SIZE $165
TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS SIZE $135
Just mention this Blog special. These are simple to ship by mail order.

ENCEPHALARTOS ARENARIUS - BLUE & GREEN VARIETIES
RARE SOUTH AFRICAN CYCAD

MEDIUM SIZE MATURE - LIKES COASTAL SUN
STUNNING SPINY LEAVES - BLUE OR GREEN OR IN-BETWEEN
TEN DAY SPECIAL SMALLER 5 GALLON SIZE

Encephalartos arenarius is from the coastal dunes and forest close to Alexandria in the Eastern Cape. This species is small to medium in mature size. Leaf length can range from one to two meters (i.e. three to six feet approximately) depending on cultivar and exposure to sun. Like many of the Encephalartos from the Eastern Cape, this species is variable in color, size and leaf type. E. arenarius can range in color from a dull green to a powdery white color (bearing a likeness to E. horridus). The plants of this species are both blue and green forms, but this plant below is the blue type - especially when in full sun. To get this color it will want full sun or an ample amount of sun. It prefers a well draining soil. Speed of growth of this cycad is good.

The size we’re putting on special are younger 5 gallon with caudexes of about one to one & a half inches. They can continue growing in these pots for about three years. This batch should have blue-green leaves.

REGULAR PRICE THIS SIZE 5 GALLON $195
TEN DAY SPECIAL PRICE THESE 5 GALLON $175

Remember to mention this Blog Special for your discount when you order.

SUPER UNUSUAL ENCEPHALARTOS HYBRID
F2 HYBRID WITH E. WOODII POLLEN

ENCEPHALARTOS (E. NATALENSIS X E. WOODII) X (ENCEPHALARTOS HORRIDUS X E. WOODII)
TEN DAY SPECIAL CITRUS POT SIZE

This should prove to be one of the most interesting hybrid Encephalartos available on the market. It is an F2 hybrid. These were done from domestic plants in Southern California. The hybridizer took pollen from the E. horridus x woodii to pollinate a receptive female of E. natalensis x woodii. As most know, E. woodii is extinct in the wild and only male plants are known to exist. E. horridus x woodii (Encephalartos "horwood") is one of the most sought after hybrids around. I've shown multiple photos of the plants on Special as well as close up photos of the leaves of both parents. Caudex size is about 2 inches.

REGULAR PRICE THESE CITRUS POT AS DESCRIBED $295
TEN DAY SPECIAL CITRUS POTS THIS HYBRID $265

I have limited numbers available. Easy to mail order.

ENCEPHALARTOS LEHMANNII
RARE BLUE SOUTH AFRICAN CYCAD FOR FULL COASTAL SUN

A FAVORITE AMONG CYCAD ENTHUSIASTS
TEN DAY SPECIAL CITRUS POT SIZE WITH 2-3 INCH CADUEX

This is a popular blue cycad from the Eastern Cape area of South Africa. I say “popular” because some people don't like spines and prickles. The leaflets of this species are narrow with only a point at the end. They are nothing as gnarly as E. horridus. The leaves and crown are very neat and uniform. The nearest species to this one is Encephalartos princeps. Trunks of E. lehmannii can get to five feet, but one with two to three feet of trunk is very old. Leaves average about four feet long and are strongly curled. Sometimes they'll almost do a 180 or more degree re-curve. Leaf color is intensely blue like E. horridus. But, you'll only see this color with full, hot sun. In shade or inside a greenhouse they are often green because they are not getting full sun and have lots of humidity. Cold hardiness is about 21 to 22 degrees F. In the desert only give it a few hours sun.

Shown below and on sale are our citrus pot sized plants with caudexes of 2 to 3 inches. These are easy to mail order. Limited numbers available.

REGULAR PRICE CITRUS POT SIZE WITH CAUDEX 2 TO 3 INCHES $395
TEN DAY SPECIAL CITRUS POT SIZE WITH CAUDEX 2 TO 3 INCHES $310

ENCEPHALARTOS LONGIFOLIUS – BLUE FORM
MEDIUM TO LARGE RARE SOUTH AFRICAN CYCAD

BLUE STACKED LEAFLETS - MINIMAL IF ANY SPINES
TEN DAY SPECIAL 15 GALLON PLANT

This rare South African cycad is also from the Eastern Cape region of South Africa. It is a good sized cycad with leaf color variable from dark green to brilliant blue. The plant on Special should be a nice blue form. Trunks of this species can reach a height of twelve feet or more. Leaf lengths are four to six feet with stacking leaflets and minimal if any spines when mature. Leaves are often curled downward toward their ends. It loves full sun along the coast but in desert areas would want a few hours of sun. Cold tolerance is about 22 degrees F. The 15 gallon plant on special has a caudex of 5 inches. It is shown below. It could be mail ordered in a large box. Below I'm also showing a few garden specimens of this species.

REGULAR PRICE THIS ACTUAL 15 GALLON, CAUDEX 5 INCHES $750
TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS ACTUAL 15G CYCAD $665

Remember to mention this Blog Only Special at the time of purchase to get this price!

BEAUCARNIA RECURVATA
THE PONYTAIL PALM - THE ELEPHANT FOOT PALM
MEDIUM HEIGHT - SWOLLEN BASE

LIKES FULL HOT SUN
TEN DAY SPECIAL OVERSIZED 5 GALLON

The ponytail palm is native to Mexico. It is known for it's large and wise base. I've seen photos of a small Jeep parked on the base. Basal width can reach up to six feet across. The trunk, above this base is much thinner. Leaves are thin, somewhat flexible but have a sharp edge that can cut you. They do well in containers or in the ground. Some have grown them indoors if there's very bright light. Cold tolerance is into the low twenties or below. They want full, hot sun. The 5 gallon on sale are oversized with 4 to 5 inch thick bases with an age of five to six years. This size is shown in the first 3 photos below. But, we also have larger sizes available. This size is is easy to mail order. Garden photos below by Wikipedia & Floridata websites.

REGULAR PRICE 5 GALLON $95
TEN DAY SPECIAL 5 GALLON $75

AUSTRALIAN TREE FERN
CYATHEA COOPERI

FAST GROWING, CAN GET TALLER
TEN DAY SPECIAL VERY LARGE 15 GALLON SIZE

The Australian Tree Fern in native to several areas on the eastern side of Australia. It is a faster growing tree fern that can get to a height of over forty feet. The two photos from my garden in San Diego show potential height. I have several with twenty-five feet of trunk. I'm about 8 miles from the ocean and they take my sun fairly well. Trunks can get up to twelve inches thick although most are more thin. This species is a bigger alternative to the Tasmanian Tree Fern and has a thicker trunk and longer leaves. This species tolerates coastal sun or part day sun. It is cold hardy into the upper twenties or lower. We're putting very tall 15 gallon on sale. This size is shown in the first six photos. These plants are more like a boxed size specimen tree. The 8th photo below is by Plantlust Website and the last picture is by TS at RPS.

REGULAR PRICE THESE TALL 15 GALLON $235
TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS SIZE 15 GALLON $200

VARIEGATED SHELL GINGER
NICE 5G SIZE READY FOR THE GARDEN

HANGING WHITE FLOWERS
TEN DAY SPECIAL 5 GALLON SIZE

This is a super popular variety of ginger that blossoms in the summer. Blossoms are white with yellow and red throats. Mature height of these plants is six to seven feet. The leaves are prominently variegated with lighter green and yellow. Blossoms are long lived but not fragrant. Blossoms occur during the summer. I think they do best in part day sun although right on the coast folks grow them in full sun. Cold tolerance is one of the better for ginger, probably the mid-twenties F. The last photo shows our 15g size of the green form of this species which is not on sale right now.

REGULAR PRICE 5G SIZE $95
TEN DAY SPECIAL $75

Just mention this Blog Special to get your discount.

AECHMEA BLANCHETIANA
LARGER TYPE OF COLORFUL BROMELIAD

TOLERATES FULL SUN - FAIRLY COLD HARDY
DIFFICULT TO LOCATE - LEAF COLOR YELLOW, GREEN, RED OR ORANGE
SPECIAL ON RED & ORANGE ADE COLORED 5 GALLON SIZE

This is a great Bromeliad for Southern California - or for many areas in the country where severe cold is not seen. Native to eastern Brazil, they get heights of three to four feet and tolerate full sun easily here along our coast. Cold hardiness is into the mid to upper twenties F. I prefer the colorful forms although green is also seen. The problem is that they are hard to find. All the ones we sell come from private gardens. As they sucker and multiply, garden enthusiasts sometimes find they are getting too large. So, we buy them from these folks. They are rarely if ever available through commercial lines. The ones on Special are the yellow and a lighter red variety. In the sun the yellow pick up some orange color and are called “orange ade”. These are a fantastic full sun companion plant. The 5 gallon are good size and we’re putting both colors on sale. Remember that this species of large Bromeliad are never cheap. The last two garden photos are of the "orange ade" variety.

REGULAR PRICE NICE SIZE 5 GALLON $125
TEN DAY SPECIAL BOTH COLORS 5 GALLON $95

WEDNESDAY, 11 SEPTEMBER, 2024

ROYSTONEA REGIA
THE CUBAN ROYAL PALM

BEING GROWN BY MANY IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
PICTURES SHOWING THIS SPECIES

This pinnate New World species is another favorite of mine. When I started with palms about forty years ago, enthusiasts frowned when I mentioned this species and said "unfortunately, Phil, you can't grow the Royal Palm here". Well, I didn't buy that and instead had optimism over it's possibly doing well here. And, exactly the latter has proven to be the case. If you can grow a King Palm, there's a good chance you can grow a Royal Palm. In our coastal locality it's almost as slam-dunk to grow. But, in Northern California it might be riskier.

There are multiple species of Roystonea. The most common and sought after species is the Cuban Royal, Roystonea regia. Natives to Florida are chagrined with the fact that "Roystonea elata" was determined not be a unique Royal Palm native to Florida but rather at most a variety of Roystonea regia. Compared to the South American Royal Palm, Roystonea regia's leaves hang down past (lower than) the midway point of the crown. Roystonea oleracea's leaves stop at the "half moon" point and don't hang down near the trunk.

Royal Palms love heat and sun. Cold tolerance is about 25 degrees F. They are fast growers. We have a pretty good supply available. I hope you like the photos I'm showing here. Note how the base of the Royal Palm basal trunk is quite swollen and fat. On up the trunk there is variable swelling present. One picture here shows a really massive base on the Royal alhtough there is variability in the trunk diameter - tree to tree.

Of note, we always have an assortment of sizes available. Through an associate we can offer large trunked out specimens up to 20 feet tall.

ENCEPHALARTOS MANIKENSIS
MEDIUM TO LARGE CENTRAL AFRICAN CYCAD

STOUT TRUNK, TOTALLY GREEN LEAVES
TOLERATES COASTAL FULL SUN
QUICK GROWING AND FAIRLY PROBLEM FREE CYCAD

This species from Zimbabwe, Africa, has always been a bit of a confusion because this area has several similar species and identifying them taxonomically was difficult. For this reason, a few decades ago, plants were considered to be in the "Manikensis Complex". Other put into this group later became species such as E. gratus, E. chimanimaniensis, concinus, bandula, etc. Encephalartos manikensis is a medium sized cycad. Trunks can get up to three or even five feet tall. Clustering does occur. Leaves are green and about six feet long, leaflets one inch wide. Leaves are held upright at about a 45 degree angle.

As it is a Central African cycad, one will find that it does better with humidity than some of the South African species and is not quite as cold hardy. For this reason, it does quite well in the SE areas of the U.S. where cold is not an issue. It will tolerate a freeze and can usually take temperatures down into the mid-twenties. At our nursery, plants has easily withstood temperatures of 25 degrees F. without any problems. Sun exposure is another issue that you must consider. Along the coast, full sun is tolerated well. In inland locations, consider part day sun. In desert areas, filtered light would be best. I'm showing here a whole assortment of plants, from boxed specimens to seedlings. Also shown is a garden specimen. We have a good supply of this species in all sizes for sale.

CHAMBEYRONIA MACROCARPA
THE FLAME THROWER PALM
NEW RED EMERGING LEAF

DARK GREEN CROWN SHAFT
TEN DAY SPECIAL 15 GALLON SIZE

What good fortune is it that New Caledonia can claim to be the home of all Chambeyronia. Included is this species, C. macrocarpa. It is a slow growing, pinnate, crown shafted palm that gets to a height of about 30 feet. It has a dark green to green-black crown shaft. Compare this to C. hookeri above with it's yellow crown shaft. Leaves are wide, thick and leathery to the touch. With good culture, maybe you can get three new leaves a year. About one in twenty plants fail to throw a new red leaf - rather, it remains green. This is just bad luck and there's no way to predict which will do this. Shown here are 15 gallon plants we're putting on sale. We do have larger and smaller sizes available. Coastal sun is tolerated although strong filtered light is ok for most areas. This is a great garden palm.

REGULAR PRICE 15 GALLON $245
TEN DAY SPECIAL 15 GALLON $215

Just mention this special when you buy. I thank TS at RPS for usage of his photo below.

PHOENIX RUPICOLA
THE CLIFF DATE PALM

MEDIUM SIZE -THINNER TRUNK THAN CANARY
FAIRLY COLD HARDY
TEN DAY SPECIAL 15 GALLON SIZE

I don't know if you've looked for this species, but the Cliff Date Palm is not so easy to find. It is native to India and is about half the size of the Canary Island Palm in terms of trunk diameter and mature height. Also, the crown is much smaller. It is an armed species and has other characteristics of Phoenix like the induplicate leaflets (water held "in" - V shaped ). But, many think this is the prettiest of all the Date Palms. It typically gets fifteen to twenty-five feet tall. The leaves are very pretty and green. The crown is not overly large. Leaves curve downwards. Growth rate is medium, it tolerates full sun and is cold hardy into the mid-twenties or lower. Shown here are our 15 gallon size which we are putting on sale.

REGULAR PRICE 15 GALLON $235
TEN DAY SPECIAL 15 GALLON $210

Remember to mention this Special for this discount. The isolated palm in the last row is from Balboa Park, San Diego.

BRAHEA NITIDA
NEAR COMPLETELY CIRCULAR FLAT GREEN LEAF
NATIVE TO MEXICO

CAN TOLERATE LESS THAN FULL SUN
TEN DAY SPECIAL 15G PLANTS

This interesting fan palm is native to Mexico, where it lives in the western portion of the country in mountainous areas. Its distribution extends down into Guatemala. It attains a height of thirty feet with a stout trunk of one foot diameter. The most attractive thing about this palm are its circular leaves, with only partial division of the segments. This is particularly apparent when it is grown in filtered light. In sun, the leaves are less flat and more divided. When grown in shade, sometimes this species reminds me of a "Licuala-looking" palm in its leaf appearance.

Cold hardiness is at least into the mid-twenties F. It may in fact be more cold hardy. The leaves are a shiny green with a white discoloration on the underside of the leaves. The petioles are essentially un-armed. From time to time we have this species available. Shown here are nice 15g which I'm putting on sale. At the nursery, this plant was in part sun only. Note the 360 degrees presence of the leaflets and the dark green color when grown in filtered light. There is no armor on the leaf stems. Also notice that there is not as lot of division of the leaflets giving an almost solid fan leaf appearance. The plant in the garden below shows more circular, flat near entire leaves. Compare this to the habitat photo, which was taken by a friend of mine, Justen Dobbs, in habitat and in full sun. The leaves in full sun are more divided and not as tropical appearing. Be aware we are almost sold out of this species.

REGULAR PRICE 15G $255
TEN DAY SPECIAL 15G $230

ROYSTONEA REGIA
THE CUBAN ROYAL PALM

LOVES SUN AND HEAT
PLANTS ON SPECIAL SIX FEET TALL
TEN DAY SPECIAL 5 GALLON SIZE

FOR SPECIES DESCRIPTION, SEE ABOVE TODAY'S LEAD POST

REGULAR PRICE LARGE 5G $145
TEN DAY SPECIAL 5 GALLON $125

Remember to mention this Blog Special to get this price when you purchase. Note: All the garden photos below were taken in Southern California. Yes, they grow easily in many areas here.

DYPSIS SAINTELUCEI
SINGLE TRUNK - WHITE CROWN SHAFT
NATIVE TO MADAGASCAR

HIGHLY SOUGHT AFTER - MEDIUM SIZE MATURE
TEN DAY SPECIAL ON FIVE GALLON WITH MULTIPLE PLANTS

This single trunk palm in native to forest regions in southern Madagascar. It is known for its powdery white crown shaft. Mature it is a medium sized palm with a rather thin trunk and height of about twenty feet. It is being grown well in Southern California. I’ve heard from some that it's one of the better Dypsis to grow here. Leaves are arranged in a tristichous pattern and are plumose (fluffy). It tolerates sun or part sun. The exact cold hardiness is not well established but probably about 25 degrees F. Mature height is 15 to 20 feet. The five gallon on Special are multiples with two to three palms per pot. These would be easy to ship.

REGULAR PRICE FIVE GALLON $135
TEN DAY SPECIAL THESE FIVE GALLON MULTIPLES $110

You must mention this Internet-only special when purchasing to get this price. Limited supplies available. The 7th photo is c/o TS at RPS.

TRITHRINAX ACANTHACOMA
AKA TRITHIRNAX BRASILIENSIS
SPINY TRUNK - MEDIUM HEIGHT FAN PALM

EASILY TOLERATES INTO THE TEENS F.
TEN DAY SPECIAL 5G SIZE

This single trunk tropical fan palm is noted mostly for its spiny trunk. The spines are long, randomly directed and almost needle sized. It is native to South America and gets to a height of about twenty feet. It likes full sun and is cold hardy into the mid-teens F. Unlike Trithrinax campestris, the leaflet tips on this species are not sharp nor pointed. It is a medium rate grower. These plants are easy to ship.

REGULAR PRICE 5 GALLON $135
TEN DAY SPECIAL 5 GALLON $115

Remember: Mention this Special when you purchase. The 5 gallon on sale are shown in the first four pictures below.

RHOPALOSTYLIS SAPIDA
THE SHAVING BRUSH OR FEATHER DUSTER PALM

ROBUST GROWER - SWOLLEN CROWN SHAFT
TEN DAY SPECIAL 5G SIZE

The Shaving Brush Palm is super popular here in Southern California and is native to New Zealand. It is fairly rare and sometimes difficult to find. This is suprising as it's so beautiful and can be grown by many. It is cold hardy down to the low 20's F. and perhaps even into the upper teens F. Along the coast it can tolerate full sun or part sun. Inland areas should give it a few hours of sun - best is morning sun. The trunk is medium sized and mature height is about 25 feet. Leaves are green and upright. The crown shaft is green or lime green and swollen. Shown below in he first five photos are our 5 gallon size followed by a 15 gallon. We have an assortment of sizes available.

REGULAR PRICE 5 GALLON $145
TEN DAY SPECIAL 5 GALLON $125

Remember: Mention this Special when purchasing.

KENTIOPSIS PYRIFORMIS
SUPER RARE SINGLE TRUNK PINNATE PALM

NATIVE TO NEW CALEDONIA
THIN TRUNK - VERY ELEGANT
TEN DAY SPECIAL 5 GALLON SIZE

This is a single trunk, crown shafted pinnate palm native to New Caledonia. Many feel it's the prettiest species of this genus. It gets to a height of about 40 feet or more and has a thin trunk. Leaves are upright, green and arched. They are keeled and green in color. The crown shaft is a copper color, covered with a white wax. It can be grown in some sun, depending on where you live. It's probably best to start it in bright filtered light and let it work its way into overhead sun. Growth rate is good, comparable or faster than K. oliviformis. Cold tolerance is down to about a freeze. This is an extremely difficult species to find for sale nowadays. I have a limited number of 5 gallon plants we’re putting on special. Notice the newly emerging red leaf – most commonly seen in New Caledonia palm species. This is an extremely rare species and we rarely have them for sale.

REGULAR PRICE 5 GALLON $145
TEN DAY SPECIAL 5 GALLON $125

Photo of garden plant by TS at RPS.

COCCOTHRINAX BARBADENSIS
MEDIUM SIZED, NARROW TRUNK

VERY "CUTE PALM" WITH GREEN OR SILVER GREEN LEAVES
TEN DAY SPECIAL NICE 2 GALLON

We at the nursery are very proud that we offer a good selection of these interesting New World fan palms. Coccothrinax are native to the Caribbean region. This species, C. baradensis, gets to heights of about 30 feet in many decades. Leaf color is green to silver-green and trunks are typically six inches thick or a bit more. This species loves full hot sun and is cold tolerant into the mid-twenties F. Many are growing it with good success. In pots, all Coccothrinax are painfully slow. Our plants are grown from seed which we germinate. After a 6 month wait, one gets one small green strap leaf. It takes 2 to 3 more years to get a fan-type leaf. Thus, it's taken us about six years to produce the 2g plants you see here. We do have other sizes for sale and multiple other species of this genus. In the ground they are much faster.

REGULAR PRICE 2G $80
TEN DASY SPECIAL 2 GALLON $70

Remember: Mention this Special when you purchase to get this discount.

DYPSIS PRESTONIANA
SINGLE TRUNK, BEAUTIFUL
A REAL WINNER!

SUPER RARE MADAGASCAR PALM
TEN DAY SPECIAL BAND SIZE

Discovered by John Dransfield and named after a U.K. executive of Macdonald's Hamburgers (who funded the expedition to Madagascar), this single trunk palm is new to the market, super rare and quite attractive. It has orange-brown leaf bases at the point of trunk attachment, plumose leaves and gets to a height of about 25 to 30 feet. It is single trunked with a medium thickness and prominent rings. It takes full sun in coastal areas and, once established, is a good growing palm. Shown here are our band sized seedlings. On occasion we have larger sizes for sale. These are easy to ship. Growers tell us that this species takes temperatures into the mid-20's F. I know of several enthusiasts who live in cool areas and now have fruiting specimens of this species. It is an excellent grower.

REGULAR PRICE BAND SIZE $65
TEN DAY SPECIAL BAND SIZE $55

Remember: Mention this Blog Special for this price. Easy to mail order. Habitat photo c/o TS at RPS.

ENCEPHALARTOS LONGIFOLIUS – BLUE FORM
MEDIUM TO LARGE RARE SOUTH AFRICAN CYCAD

BLUE STACKED LEAFLETS - MINIMAL IF ANY SPINES
TEN DAY SPECIAL CITRUS POT SIZE WITH CAUDEX 3 INCHES

This rare South African cycad is also from the Eastern Cape region of South Africa. It is a good sized cycad with leaf color variable from dark green to brilliant blue. The plants on Special should be a nice blue form. Trunks of this species can reach a height of twelve feet or more. Leaf lengths are four to six feet with stacking leaflets and minimal if any spines when mature. Leaves are often curled downward toward their ends. It loves full sun along the coast but in desert areas would want a few hours of sun. Cold tolerance is about 22 degrees F. The citrus pot size on sale came from blue parents and will become more blue out of the greenhouse and in full sun. This size is easy to mail order. BTW, this actual plant shown below is definitely not the green form. You can see the leaves are gray colored and, outdoors in the sun should be blue over time. The garden photos below show a blue plant,, a green plant and something in between.

REGULAR PRICE CITRUS POT WITH 3 INCH CAUDEX $450
TEN DAY SPECIAL CITRUS POT SIZE 3 INCH CAUDEX $325

Remember to mention this Blog Only Special at the time of purchase to get this price! Easy to mail order, weather permitting.

LEPIDOZAMIA PEROFFSKYANA
A "USER FRIENDLY" LARGE CYCAD

GREEN LEAVES – NO SPINES
MEDIUM SIZED MATURE
TEN DAY SPECIAL 15 GALLON AS SHOWN

I enjoy talking about this species because it is one of my favorites. It is a large species over time. I say 'user friendly" because this is one of the few species that has absolutely no spines; none of the leaflets, none one the stems. A leaf brushing across your face feels no more intense than brushing past a Maiden Hair Fern. We have a huge selection of this species. I am going to show you an assortment of plants. Below are a few of the main characteristics of this species:

*Large species with trunks slowly getting to over ten feet
*Leaf length typically six to eight feet, sometimes bigger.
*Trunk diameter to 18 inches
*Smooth petiole with no spines
*Great for strong filtered light or full sun along the coast
*Large interesting cones
*Leaflets soft and glossy green in color
*New leaves emerge upward, older leaves lay more horizontal
*Easy to grow

I've found that even customers who say "I only like palms, not cycads" tend to love this species.
The plant on special is in a 15 gallon pot with a caudex of 7.5 inches. Age is 7 to 8 years from germination. It is shown in the first five photos below. It’ll be instantly ready for the garden after a bit of sun acclimation. It could be shipped. I am also showing a few monster specimens we have at the Nursery.

REGULAR PRICE THIS ACTUAL 15 GALLON $750
TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS ACTUAL 15 GALLON $600

LEPIDOZAMIA PEROFFSKYANA
A "USER FRIENDLY" LARGE GREEN CYCAD

TEN DAY SPECIAL BAND SIZE

SEE DESCRIPTION ABOVE

REGULAR PRICE BAND SIZE $65
TEN DAY SPECIAL BAND SIZE $55

CYCAS PETRAEA
SUPER RARE GREEN CYCAD FROM THAILAND
FOR SOMEONE WHO WANTS A CYCAD NO ONE ELSE HAS

TWENTY YEAR OLD SPECIMEN WITH VASE SHAPED TRUNK
AS FAR AS WE KNOW, A SPECIMEN LIKE THIS AVAILABLE NOWHERE ELSE
TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS ACTUAL CYCAD

This is an unusual Cycas species from colder parts of northern Thailand. In locality, freezes are experienced and it's reported this species will even tolerate snow. Cycas petraea can get trunks over 15 feet tall in dozens of decades. More typically, domestic plant trunks are under three feet tall. Leaves are flat and green and about four to six feet long. Crowns consist of dozens of leaves. The bases of the trunks have a peculiar swelling to them as seen here. They can form a classical "water vase trunk" which is fat and swollen and then gets thinner above. Culturally, this species likes nice draining soil, temperatures above a freeze and part day or filtered sun. As an interior cycad, this would be one to try. This is probably one of the coolest Cycas species around. The plant on special is in a 7 gallon pot and is about 20 years old from seed. The caudex has the classic “vase” shape, is 9 inches wide at the base and 11 to 12 inches tall. As you can see it’s holding a nice set of softer green leaves. We’re putting this plant on a Ten Day Special. This is an old, near impossible species to find, especially with this size & age. It can be mail ordered.

REGULAR PRICE THIS ACTUAL PLANT $2100
TEN DAY SPECIAL PRICE THIS ACTUAL PLANT $1825

The cycad on special is shown in the first six photos. The 8th photo is by Amazon.de website, the 9th by the late Ken Hill.

CYCAS REVOLUTA - THE SAGO PALM
MOST POPULAR CYCAD IN THE WORLD

MEDIUM THICK TRUNK - GREEN LEAVES
EASY TO GROW IN MOST AREAS - TOLERATES FULL COASTAL SUN
TEN DAY SPECIAL GOOD SIZED 2 GALLON PLANTS

Cycas revoluta, the common "Sago Palm", is native to areas of Japan and China. It is an extremely easy to grow cycad that requires little maintenance. It is also slow growing with fifty year old specimens attaining a trunk height of five feet or a bit more. Leaves are green as shown below, typically five feet long on older plants and have barbs on the stems. Leaflets are "revolute" - cupped on the underside. Stems can be twelve to sixteen feet thick in decades. Male and female cones are quite different, as with all species of this genus. Male cones look like a corn cob without the kernels. Females are a scrambled clump of "tan leaflets" without any emerging structure. You need both sexes to get viable seeds. I'd estimate that there are well over a million plants of this species in gardens worldwide. It tolerates full sun in coastal areas but not in desert climates (where it needs sun protection). Cold tolerance is perhaps as low as 16 degrees F - certainly into the high teens. It can also be grown as a houseplant when smaller and is ideal for a patio plant.

Below you will see large 2 gallon plants that we're putting on Special. They have an average of four inch caudexes and can easily be mail ordered.

REGULAR PRICE 2 GALLON SIZE WITH 4 INCH CAUDEXES $120
TEN DAY SPECIAL THESE 2 GALLON AS DESCRIBED $95

ENCEPHALARTOS ARENARIUS - BLUE VARIETY
RARE SOUTH AFRICAN CYCAD

MEDIUM SIZE MATURE - LIKES COASTAL SUN
STUNNING BLUE LEAVES
TEN DAY SPECIAL NICE 5 GALLON PLANTS

Encephalartos arenarius is from the coastal dunes and forest close to Alexandria in the Eastern Cape. This species is small to medium in mature size. Leaf length can range from one to two meters (i.e. three to six feet approximately) depending on cultivar and exposure to sun. Like many of the Encephalartos from the Eastern Cape, this species is variable in color, size and leaf type. E. arenarius can range in color from a dull green to a powdery white color (bearing a likeness to E. horridus).

The plants we are putting on special are the blue type. To get this color they will want full sun or an ample amount of sun. It prefers a well draining soil. Speed of growth of this cycad is good. You could expect to have a nice garden sized plant from these 5 gallon plants in about five to seven years. Caudex size of the plants on sale is approximately 2 inches. They all have six to seven leaves or more and are four to five years old. These are showing a bit of their blue color already at this stage and not in sun – so you’ll get blue. Easy to mail order. I’m also showing a garden plant and several larger nursery plants.

REGULAR PRICE THESE FIVE GALLON $300
TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS SIZE 5 GALLON $245

Remember to mention this Blog Special for your discount when you order. This size is easy to mail order.

BIRDS NEST ANTHURIUM
ANTHURIUM HOOKERI
THE PERFECT COMPANION PLANT

NEVER OVER ABOUT SIX FEET TALL
LEATHERY, DARK GREEN LEAVES
TEN DAY SPECIAL 5 GALLON PLANTS

Enthusiast are always looking for attractive companion plants that don't get too big. Shown here is what's called the "Birds Nest" Anthurium. Most of these plants are felt to either be the species Anthurium hookeri or a hybrid of it. They are good for filtered light situations and rarely get over six feet tall. The leaves are long, wide and very thick to the touch. Their leaf surface is wavy. We’re offering our 5 gallon size on a Ten Day Special. This is the size most people buy. Cold hardiness is into the mid-twenties F. Flowers are red, as are the tiny seeds. These plants are real winners. These can be mail ordered.

REGULAR PRICE 5G THIS SPECIES $95
TEN DAY SPECIAL 5 GALLON $80

The last photo is c/o Wikipedia.

PINSTRIPE GINGER
DWARF GINGER WITH WHITE ON GREEN STRIPED LEAVES

NEVER OVER ABOUT FOUR FEET TALL
PARTIAL SUN OR FILTERED LIGHT
TEN DAY SPECIAL 15 GALLON SIZE

This attractive companion plant has become very popular with our customers. This is because it has striking variegation on the leaves and never gets too tall. And, it does quite well in filtered light where other thing gingers can struggle. Mature height is about four feet. Cold tolerance is into the upper twenties. If it suffers from winter burn, the following spring it usually bounces back. Blossoms are yellow and white (see photo) and not overly large. We are putting the 15g on sale.

REGULAR PRICE 15 GALLON $195
TEN DAY SPECIAL 15 GALLON $175

Just mention this special when you buy

SPANISH MOSS
TILLANDSIA USNEOIDES

HANGS FROM TREES, FENCES & POLES
TAKES LITTLE WATER - TYPE OF BROMELIAD
TEN DAY SPECIAL

Spanish Moss is actually a small, wispy type of Bromeliad - a flowering type of plant. The natural habitat for this plant ranges from the southern U.S. down through Mexico into Central and South America. It is even found in Australia. It is an epiphytic plant that hangs onto almost anything it can find. It loves to hang from tree branches or trunks. It requires very little water and will grow without any applied fertilizer. We are selling small clumps we've attached to wood. Or, we can ship them without the wood. You can hang them anywhere you want. Just spray them once in a while with water. These clumps are easy to ship.

REGULAR PRICE $50
TEN DAY SPECIAL $40
Mention this special for your Discount.

MUSA ZEBRINA
AKA MUSA ACUMINATA ZERBRINA
A NON-FRUITING ORNAMENTAL BANANA

TOP OF LEAF - RED BLOTCHES ON GREEN
BOTTOM OF LEAF - MAROON
TEN DAY SPECIAL FIVE GALLON PLANTS

The plants I'm showing here are a non-edible fruiting type of ornamental Banana known as Musa zebrina in the Musa acuminata group. The name “sumatrana” is sometimes used as a reference. Like most Bananas, it does sucker. This species is used for its ornamental value – either in the garden (where it gets six to eight feet tall) or in a container (where it gets to 3 to 5 feet tall). It has light green leaves with attractive purple splotches and maroon underside. See photos below. It does produce purple fruit but these are not edible because of fiber or seeds. It'd want full sun outdoors (along the coast) and should be cold tolerant well into the mid-twenties F. Some are also growing it as an indoor plant. We're putting our five gallon plants on sale. See photos below.

REGULAR PRICE 5 GALLON $95
TEN DAY SPECIAL 5 GALLON $75

These can be mail ordered. The first six photos show our 5 gallon size.

MONDAY, 9 SEPTEMBER, 2024

CARYOTA MITIS
NICE INTERIOR QUALITY 5G PLANTS

FOR THE HOME, OFFICE, PATIO OR GARDEN
LIKE FILTERED LIGHT
LIMITED NUMBERS

Caytoa mitis is a suckering type of Fishtail Palm from Asia. In habitat, plants can get up to twenty or twenty five feet. In our locality they tend to be shorter. They do sucker forming a clump of stems. Trunk diameter is typically about four inches. Leaves are bi-pinnate, branching. Leaflets are as shown below. The plants shown here are imported from Hawaii and perfect for a business office, hotel lobby or bank. Or, for your living room. They like filtered light outdoors and are cold hardy to the mid to lower 20's F. Shown are our 5g size. We also have exterior grade 15g for sale (not shown here). These 5g plants are five to six feet tall in their pots. They are not difficult to mail order via UPS. If we run out of this size, we can usually obtain more to sell.

BLACK ROSE
AEONIUM ARBOREUM
BLACK-RED COMPANION PLANT

SMALL AND EASY TO GROW
AND, JUST FOR FUN - SHOWING OTHER COLORS

Country or area of origin: Canary Islands
Mature height: In ground, typically 2 to 3 feet
Sun Requirements: Sun in coastal areas
Cold Tolerance: To mid-20's F.
Water Requirements: Water conserving
Rate of Growth: Fast growing in ground
Sizes Available: 1g, 2g and 5g - varies
Regular Prices: 1 gallon size as shown $35 - $40
Size shown: 1 gallon
Comments: This dwarf succulent is best known for it's almost black leaves. It loves sun and is easy to grow. Over time plants will have forking trunks with tons of leaves. It's easy color for the garden without getting too big. The first six photos show a one gallon planted in the ground in front of our nursery about 18 months ago. Note that it's in flower now, showing a super yellow color. These plants can be shipped. Our availability varies, but we try to always have this black variety in stock. We also have green and several variegated forms as well. I'm showing other colors of this species in the bottom row.

CHAMBEYRONIA MACROCARPA
THE FLAME THROWER PALM
NEW RED EMERGING LEAF

DARK GREEN CROWN SHAFT
TEN DAY SPECIAL 15 GALLON SIZE

What good fortune is it that New Caledonia can claim to be the home of all Chambeyronia. Included is this species, C. macrocarpa. It is a slow growing, pinnate, crown shafted palm that gets to a height of about 30 feet. It has a dark green to green-black crown shaft. Compare this to C. hookeri above with it's yellow crown shaft. Leaves are wide, thick and leathery to the touch. With good culture, maybe you can get three new leaves a year. About one in twenty plants fail to throw a new red leaf - rather, it remains green. This is just bad luck and there's no way to predict which will do this. Shown here are 15 gallon plants we're putting on sale. We do have larger and smaller sizes available. Coastal sun is tolerated although strong filtered light is ok for most areas. This is a great garden palm.

REGULAR PRICE 15 GALLON $245
TEN DAY SPECIAL 15 GALLON $225

Just mention this special when you buy. I thank TS at RPS for usage of his photo below.

ARCHONTOPHOENIX PURPUREA
THE PURPLE CROWN SHAFT KING PALM

VERY BEAUTIFUL - GOOD GROWER
TEN DAY SPECIAL 15 GALLON MULTIPLES

The native home of Archontophoenix purpurea is the Mt. Lewis mountain range in Queensland, Australia. This species is known for the purple color to the crown shaft. It is found at an elevation up to 4000 feet. Mature height is quoted to be over fifty feet, but in habitat and culture I didn't see one this tall. Cold hardiness is about 25 degrees F. It takes full coastal sun. The degree of purple in the crown shaft is variable but never "lollipop" purple. The underside of the leaves is silver and there is ramenta hairs only on this side. On younger plants the leaf bases and leaf stem tend to have a yellow color.

I'm showing our 15 gallon multiples which we're putting on sale (first 6 photos below). These are very good sized palms for their containers. Shown is a double but we also should have some tripples (three plants per container). Also available are large 5g and 1g sizes.

REGULAR PRICE 15 GALLON MULTIPLES $245
TEN DAY SPECIAL 15 GALLON MULTIPLES $220

Remember to mention this Blog Only Special when you purchase to get this discount. The first garden photo is of a double. The last garden photo shows the crown shaft color quite well.

REGULAR PRICE 15G $255
TEN DAY SPECIAL 15G $230

TRITHRINAX ACANTHICOMA
AKA TRITHRINAX BRASILIENSIS

SPINY TRUNK - MEDIUM SIZE FAN PALM
EASILY TOLERATES INTO THE TEENS F.
TEN DAY SPECIAL 15G SIZE

This single trunk tropical fan palm is noted mostly for its spiny trunk. The spines are long, randomly directed and almost needle sized. It is native to South America and gets to a height of about twenty feet. It likes full sun and is cold hardy into the mid-teens F. Unlike Trithrinax campestris, the leaflet tips on this species are not sharp nor pointed. It is a medium rate grower. Also, when fruiting the fruit is a golden yellow color.

REGULAR PRICE 15 GALLON $235
TEN DAY SPECIAL 15 GALLON SIZE $210

Remember: The 15 gallon on sale are shown in the first five pictures below. The fifth photo shows a close up of the trunk of an older garden plant.

HEDYSCEPE CANTERBURYANA
FROM LORD HOWE ISLAND

SILVER CROWN SHAFT - SILVER TRUNK
UMBRELLA SHAPED CROWN OF LEAVES
ONE OF PRETTIEST PALM TREES AROUND
TEN DAY SPECIAL 15 GALLON SIZE

We have available some nice 15g plants of Hedyscepe canterburyana. This single trunk palm has a silver crown shaft, silver trunk (in shade) with prominent rings. It is native to medium elevations in the mountains of Lord Howea Island (home of the Kentia Palm). It is single trunk. Mature height is about 20 feet. They fruit here and seeds are large and red in color. Along our coast here it takes full sun but also does well in part day sun or strong filtered light. Trunks are beefier in sun. Cold tolerance is about 25 degrees. When folks see this plant in person, most agree it is one of the most desirable palms around. We are putting our 15g size on special - shown in first six photos. This size is about seven years old. Yes, they are slow growing! We only have a few left this size.

REGULAR PRICE 15G $255
TEN DAY SPECIAL 15 GALLON $225

Remember: Mention this Special for this discount.

HEDYSCEPE CANTERBURYANA
FROM LORD HOWE ISLAND

SILVER CROWN SHAFT - SILVER TRUNK
UMBRELLA SHAPED CROWN OF LEAVES
ONE OF PRETTIEST PALM TREES AROUND
TEN DAY SPECIAL 5 GALLON SIZE

FOR DESCRIPTION, SEE ABOVE

REGULAR PRICE 5 GALLON $145
TEN DAY SPECIAL 5 GALLON $120

The 5 gallon size is shown in the first six photos. The 7th photo is a 15g.

RHOPALOSTYLIS SAPIDA
THE SHAVING BRUSH OR FEATHER DUSTER PALM

ROBUST GROWER - SWOLLEN CROWN SHAFT
TEN DAY SPECIAL 5G SIZE

The Shaving Brush Palm is super popular here in Southern California and is native to New Zealand. It is fairly rare and sometimes difficult to find. This is surprising as it's so beautiful and can be grown by many. It is cold hardy down to the low 20's F. and perhaps even into the upper teens F. Along the coast it can tolerate full sun or part sun. Inland areas should give it a few hours of sun - best is morning sun. The trunk is medium sized and mature height is about 25 feet. Leaves are green and upright. The crown shaft is green or lime green and swollen. Shown below in he first five photos are our 5 gallon size followed by a 15 gallon. We have an assortment of sizes available.

REGULAR PRICE 5 GALLON $145
TEN DAY SPECIAL 5 GALLON $125

Remember: Mention this Special when purchasing.

PHOENIX RUPICOLA
THE CLIFF DATE PALM

MEDIUM SIZE - THINNER TRUNK & STATURE THAN CANARY PALM
FAIRLY COLD HARDY - TOLERATES FULL SUN
TEN DAY SPECIAL 5 GALLON SIZE

I don't know if you've looked for this species, but the Cliff Date Palm is not so easy to find. It is native to India and is about half the size of the Canary Island Palm in terms of trunk diameter and mature height. Also, the crown is much smaller. It is an armed species and has other characteristics of Phoenix like the induplicate leaflets (water held "in" - V shaped ). Growth rate is medium, it tolerates full sun and is cold hardy into the mid-twenties or lower. Shown here is a 5g plant which we are putting on sale. We also have a limited number of 15g (quite nice) available. The 5g size are easy to ship.

REGULAR PRICE 5G $115
TEN DAY SPECIAL 5G $90

Easy to ship. But, remember to mention this Special for this discount.

ARCHONTOPHOENIX BEATRICAE
AN UNUSUAL TYPE OF KING PALM

SILVER BACKS TO THE LEAFLETS – GREEN CROWN SHAFT
TEN DAY SPECIAL BAND SIZE

Common Name(s):  Alexandra King Palm, Alexandra Palm, the Alex Palm
Native Locality:  Northern and Central Queensland, Australia, both along the coast and inland
Overall Height:  70 to 80 feet in habitat but usually up to 40 feet in domestic gardens in sun
Trunk Diameter:  12 inches, sometimes swollen at the bottom. Young trunks brown, older gray
Leaf Length:  6 to 10 feet
Leaflets:  Color dark to grass green, silver on the underside
Crown Shaft Color:  Olive green, sometimes a bit brown mixed in. Slight bulge at bottom occasionally
Presence of Ramenta:  Absent
Flower Color:  White or near white
Seed Size:  1/2 inch
Other Comments:  This species holds a nice large crown of leaves with a tall, gray colored straight trunk. There is a possible sub-species, that I will discuss below

REGULAR PRICE BAND SIZE $60
TEN DAY SPECIAL BAND SIZDE $50

Remember: mention this Special to get your discount when you purchase. The last photo shows a naturalized colony of this species on the Big Island, the Island of Hawaii.

CHAMAEDOREA GEONOMIFORMIS
SINGLE TRUNK, DWARF UNDERSTORY PALM

PREFERS FILTERED LIGHT – NEVER TALL
SIMPLE UNDIVIDED LEAVES
TEN DAY SPECIAL BAND SIZED PLANTS

This species has a native distribution that spreads from Southern Mexico down throughout Central America. There are some minor differences in plants from the various areas. Chamaedorea geonomiformis is single trunk and has a simple, bifed leaf as shown here. It's mature height ranges from two feet up to about five feet tall. When trying to identify this species, particularly look at the leaf size, shape, length and width. You'll note that the leaves of this species are longer than they are wide. Compare this to C. ernesti-agusti below that has very wide leaflets. Leaf color is green. Vertical growth is slow. We only have a few of these for sale. I'd estimate cold hardiness into the upper teens perhaps but most assuredly to the mid-twenties. These plants were grown from seeds from Don Hodel’s personal plants. This species does not like direct sun.

Also, be aware that this is a rare and desirable species and seldom seen for sale. We're putting our band size on sale. Very easy to mail order, weather permitting.

REGULAR PRICE BAND SIZE $70
TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS SIZE $60

Remember to mention this Blog Only Special at the time of purchase. This size can be mail ordered.

CHAMAEDOREA TENELLA
DWARF SINGLE TRUNK

UNDERSTORY SUPER RARE MINIATURE PALM
SIMPLE LEAVES - NEVER OVER A FEW FEET TALL
TEN DAY SPECIAL BAND SIZE

This dwarf understory palm species has entire, small leaves, a very thin trunk the size of a pencil and a mature height never over two to three feet. It comes from high elevation mountainous areas of Mexico. It's extremely rare and hard to find. The seedlings we're offering this year came from domestic plants in San Diego County. They are about a year old. We got these in last year and about ten sold out quickly. I rarely have them for sale. They need a filtered light environment and should be cold hardy at least into the mid-twenties F. I can mail order these. Limited numbers available!

REGULAR PRICE BAND SIZE $75
TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS SIZE $65

Remember: Mention this Blog Only Special when you purchase. These can be mail ordered - weather permitting.

ENCEPHALARTOS PAUCIDENTATUS
MEDIUM TO LARGE RARE SOUTH AFRICAN CYCAD

UPRIGHT GREEN LEAVES
TEN DAY SPECIAL BAND SIZE SEEDLINGS

This cycad is native to Swaziland, northern South Africa. It is known as one of the most attractive of all the green cycads. It does great in Southern California but is rare and hard to find. New leaves tend to be upright. Most pronounced is the "frost" appearance of leaves as shown below. This is from small hairs on the leaflets. It makes a medium to large mature specimen. Mature size can be over fifteen feet with 6 to 10 foot green leaves. Leaflets are armed. Along the coast it’ll take full sun. Far inland I’d recommend limited sun. Cold tolerance is down to the low 20’s F.

REGULAR PRICE BAND SIZE THIS SPECIES $85
TEN DAY SPECIAL BAND SIZE $75

Below I'm showing photos of a large specimen at the nursery

ENCEPHALARTOS NUBIMONTANUS
SUPER RARE BLUE SOUTH AFRICAN CYCAD

MEDIUM SIZE MATURE - TOLERATES COASTAL SUN
TEN DAY SPECIAL CITRUS POT SIZED PLANT WITH 2 INCH CAUDEX

This extemely rare blue cycad is endemic to the Limpopo province, South Africa. The species is almost gone in the wild, populations are small and scattered. It is among the species located in the Transvaal region of South Africa, and is highly sought after. This is a small to medium sized species. Leaf length can range between one to two meters, and stems can reach a height of two and a half to three meters with ancient plants. Leaf color is blue to blue-grey. The leaflets and petioles are mildly armed and can be almost completely unarmed in some cases. Compared to the similar E. lehmannii, the princeps leaflets face into the central leaf crown whereas lehmannii face upwards toward the sky. This cycad is a small to medium sized species. Leaf length can range between one to two meters, and stems can reach a height of two and a half to three meters with ancient plants. In coastal and inland areas, this plant prefers full sun, but can tolerate partial sun. For desert areas, I could recommend partial sun or filtered light. We are offering our citrus pot sized plants with 2 inch caudexes on special. They have caudexes of 2 inches. The last row of photos shows mature plants of this species. These plants can easily be shipped. We may also have older and larger plants available. Finally, I want to emphasizxe that this is an extremely rare and sought after species.

REGULAR PRICE CITRUS POT SIZED PLANTS WITH 2 INCH CAUDEX $600
TEN DAY SPECIAL CITRUS POT WITH 2 INCH CAUDEX $375

ENCEPHALARTOS MUNCHII
A RARE CENTRAL AFRICAN CYCAD

BLUE – GREEN SPINY LEAFLETS
SUPER DIFFICULT TO FIND
TEN DAY SPECIAL 5 GALLON WITH 2.5 INCH CAUDEX

Native to Mozambique, this small to medium sized cycad grows in scrub forest among rocks and boulders. It is distinguished by its blue to blue-green color and by having leaflets that are prominently spiny. In my experience, leaf color is sometimes very blue, other times blue-green. You'll sometimes hear the description as "soapy green" to describe the leaves. Overall, the leaf color is variable. Trunk size is usually under three feet. Upright leaves are about four feet long or less. Leaves are keeled and leaflets are lanceolate and spiny. This species likes full sun and is cold tolerant into the low 20's F. We are putting 5 gallon sized plants with caudexes of 2.5 inches. We also have some in 5g and citrus pot in 3 to 4 inches. Most will have either blue or blue green leaves. (from blue parents) but need age and sun to show the blue. These are easy to mail order, weather permitting.

REGULAR PRICE 5 GALLON WITH 2.5 INCH CAUDEX $425
TEN DAY SPECIAL 5 GALLON WITH CAUDEX 2.5 INCHES $300

Remember that we do have larger plants available, even for mail order.

ENCEPHALARTOS ARENARIUS – THE GREEN VARIETY
RARE SOUTH AFRICAN CYCAD

MEDIUM SIZE MATURE - LIKES COASTAL SUN
STUNNING SPINY LEAVES - GREEN WITH POSSIBLE HINTS OF BLUE
TEN DAY SPECIAL NICE 15 GALLON PLANT

Encephalartos arenarius is from the coastal dunes and forest close to Alexandria in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. This species is medium in mature size. Leaf length can range from one to two meters (i.e. three to six feet approximately) depending on cultivar and exposure to sun. With an older mature specimen you'll often find three to five feet of trunk and and overall height of six to ten feet. Like many of the Encephalartos from the Eastern Cape, this species is variable in color, size and leaf type. E. arenarius can range in color from a dull green to a powdery white color (bearing a likeness to E. horridus). The plants of this species are both blue and green forms, but this plant below most likely the green variety. In sun, it may show some blue color. It prefers a well draining soil. Speed of growth of this cycad is good. The plant shown here is in a 15 gallon container. Caudex size is 3.5 inches. This plant can be mail ordered if needed. If this plant sells, we do have other 15g of similar size at the same End of Summer Sale discount.

REGULAR PRICE THIS SIZE 15 GALLON $575
TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS ACTUAL PLANT $525

ENSETE VENTICOSUM "MAURELII"
THE RED BANANA

LARGE SINGLE TRUNK TROPICAL PLANT
RED COLOR TO FOLIAGE
TEN DAY SPECIAL ONE AND FIFTEEN GALLON GALLON SIZES

On sale are nice one gallon plants of the Red Banana, Ensete ventricosum mauerlii. This is a quick growing tropical plant that can get to ten to fifteen feet tall and grows in full coastal sun. Leaves are green with prominent red to both the dorsal and ventral sides. Trunks are at least 18 inches thick and leaves are fleshy and soft - typical of bananas and Ensete. It does not be edible fruit. Cold hardiness is down to about a freeze. Colder weather damages the leaves in winter. This is a fast growing plant but typically only lives for 5 to 7 years before flowering and dying. The garden photos are first by container crazy CT website followed by Linda Cochran. We're putting our nice 15g on Special as well as juvenile 1 gallon (first and second row of photos). The 1 gallon should be easy to mail order as well as the 5g size which we also have. You'll note that the larger 15g plants show the red leaves a lot more.

REGULAR PRICE FIFTEEN GALLON $195
TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS SIZE $175

REGULAR PRICE 1 GALLON $50
TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS SIZE $40

DAYLIRION WHEELERI
THE DESERT SPOON

NATIVE TO NORTHERN MEXICO AND BORDER AREAS IN THE U.S.
LOVES HEAT, BLUE COLOR, WATER CONSERVING
TEN DAY SPECIAL OLD 15G SIZE

This blue succulent type plant is a sister plant to the popular Dasylirion longissiumum, the Mexican Grass Plant. It loves heat, sun and is water conserving. It is also very slow growing. The 15g we're putting on special are well over ten years old - see first five photos below. It is an evergreen dwarf plant that never gets over about five feet tall. The trunk is moderately thick and below the blue-green foliage. The leaves are about an inch wide and are armed with barbs. Cold tolerance is into the upper twenties F. This is not an easy plant to locate.

REGULAR PRICE OLD 15G PLANTS $250
TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS SIZE/AGE $200

Remember to mention this Special at the time of purchase.

STRELITZIA NICOLAI
THE GIANT BIRD OF PARADISE

LOTS OF PEOPLE LOVE THIS PLANT
WE DON'T, BUT WE STILL SUPPLY THEM
TEN DAY SPECIAL 15 GALLON SIZE

The Giant Bird of Paradise is a large clumping, banana-like tree that can get to a height of 25 feet, suckers and has green six foot leaves and a tough woody trunk. It tends to sucker aggressively and spreads rapidly. As you may realize, it requires a lot of maintenance. Unkempt, this plant looks shabby with old leaves and debris. And, it is super invasive. It can lift foundations of houses or tilt a deck. Yet, people like it and seek this plant out. I think this is because it's readily available and people like "banana leaves". We try to talk them out of it. It is native to Eastern Africa and a few surrounding islands. I'm showing you a nice looking garden specimen below but guarantee you if I showed you many others, you'd be overwhelmed and decide on something else.
Regardless, many people insist on this species so we do offer them. Showing 15 gallon plants below.

TEN DAY SPECIAL 15 GALLON PLANTS $125

THE SNOWBUSH PLANT
BREYNIA DISTICHA

UNUSUAL GARDEN COMPANION PLANT
SMALLER GREEN, WHITE & PINK BUSH
TEN DAY SPECIAL 1 & 5 GALLON SIZES

This sought after smaller bush is native to Asia in various tropical islands. Contrary to the name, it does not survive if you live in an area where it snows. Rather, it looks like a green bush with snow on it. Leaves are green with white accents. With age you also get a flush of pink. Leaves are very small. Mature height it 3 to 4 feet. This species wants full or part day sun. Cold tolerance is a bit below a freeze. This is a very attractive companion plant where one wants an addition of white foliage – perhaps to contrast other colors. I am putting our 1g and 5g on Special. Both are nicely sizes and both can be mail ordered. The one gallon are shown in the first group of photos - the 5g in the second. We have good numbers available but seldom offer them on sale.

TEN DAY SPECIAL 1 GALLON $35

TEN DAY SPECIAL 5 GALLON $65

MUSA ZEBRINA
AKA MUSA ACUMINATA ZERBRINA
A NON-FRUITING ORNAMENTAL BANANA

TOP OF LEAF - RED BLOTCHES ON GREEN
BOTTOM OF LEAF - MAROON
TEN DAY SPECIAL FIVE GALLON PLANTS

REGULAR PRICE 5 GALLON $95
TEN DAY SPECIAL 5 GALLON $75

These can be mail ordered. The first six photos show our 5 gallon size.

EPIDENDRON ORCHID
ASSORTED BLOSSOM COLORS

REEDSTEM TYPE TERRESTRIAL ORCHID
HARD TO FIND COLORS - PINK, PURPLE & OTHER COLORS
TEN DAY SPECIAL FIVE GALLON SIZE

The family of Epidendron Orchids are loaded with species/varieties of lots of different colors. These include pink, purple, orange, red, white and yellow. We have an assortment of blossom colors in one to five gallon pots. Shown is a 5 gallon with pink flowers. All sizes and colors are on sale. All are easy to grow. These plants have reed-like stems, most of which will blossom in summer. Leaves are thick and small and plants can be divided in the future to easily add to other areas of the garden. They'll take coastal full sun or strong filtered light. Some sun is needed for flowering. You can plant these right in the soil. They are cold tolerant into the mid-twenties F. BTW, other than the orange blossoming type, call the other colors are difficult to find. You’ll love them in your garden or in a pot. Once again, we'd give a discount on any size or color of these. Shown is a 5 gallon pink and the blossom of a purple.

REGULAR PRICE THESE FIVE GALLON $145
TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS SIZE $125

The pink 5g are in the first two rows of photos. The last row is of smaller purple, 1 gallon size.

FRIDAY, 6 SEPTEMBER, 2024

CYPHOPHOENIX NUCELE
RARE, ELEGANT, THIN TRUNK PALM

UPRIGHT LEAVES
FROM NEW CALEDONIA

Shown here is a gorgeous example of one of the more beautiful of the New Caledonian palms. Cyphophoenix nucele is from Lifou Island, gets to a height of twenty-five to thirty feet and takes strong filtered light or part day sun in most coastal areas. It has a thin trunk with lots of silver color. Leaves tend to but upright as opposed to C. elegans where the leaves are more arched. The last three pictures are from the late Mardi Darian's garden in Vista, CA. You'll notice how healthy it looks in strong filtered light. The nursery plant shown is a 15g but we also have 5g plants (although supply is super limited and they may sell out). I'd estimate the cold tolerance into the mid to upper twenties F. Very limited numbers are available. This plant can be shipped or delivered if needed. It was grown from seed and is about eight years old.

ALOCASIA SPECIES
ELEPHANT EAR PLANTS
FOUR TYPES SHOWN HERE
LUSH, EXOTIC, QUICK TROPICAL LOOK AT A FEW SPECIES

Alocasia are a type of suckering tropical plant that many know as the "Elephant Ear Plant". Most that one will see commercially are hybrids that have no native home. With this said, natural species are typically found in the Old World and Asia. The main differences between these plants are the overall height, the size of the leaves, the aggressiveness of growth, coloring and cold tolerance. I am showing you here four hybrid varieties, each with their own charm. Figure that they are not for full sun unless you are told otherwise. But, the first variety can take full coastal sun.

1. Row 1 and 2: Alocaia "Cal - Odora", a dwarf species. It rarely gets over five feet and has leaves that are typically under 12 inches wide. Leaf color is green. People like this one b/c of its dwarf size.
2. Row 3: Alocasia Calidora, a bigger species that will form significant trunks and has a larger leaf. Color is green. Leaves can get three feet long.
3. Row 4: Alocasia portoro, an attractive hybrid with an arrowhead shaped leaf and prominent leaf veins. It can get to about six feet or a bit more.
4. Row 5: Alocasia species "black stem", a super attractive and charming species with black stems, silver to the back of the leaves and a medium height to five feet. But, it's not as cold hardy as those above.

We presently have all of these available with some in limited numbers. Also, from time, we get very exotic natural species that tend to be smaller and are quite stunning.

BISMARCKIA NOBILIS
BLUE SINGLE TRUNK FAN PALM FROM MADAGASCAR

A DEFINITE STATEMENT PALM
TEN DAY SPECIAL 15 GALLON SIZE

For several decades we've been growing this stunning blue fan palm from Madagascar. These are the blue form. This palm species loves sun, heat and is cold hardy to the low 20’s F. It doesn’t like the grower to fool with or cut its roots. These cannot be transplanted once established in the garden. They get a husky trunk and probably about 35 - 40 feet tall in many decades. The fan leaf is intensely blue, especially with full hot sun. This is a very attractive palm and should be given room in the garden to show it off. Many people in desert locations have found they can grow it. Cold tolerance is about 25 degrees F. Shown below are our 15 gallon plants. This species is a real “show-stopper”. Literally people driving by will stop to look at one in your front yard and ask: “Hey Man, what is that blue palm tree?”

REGULAR PRICE 15 GALLON $235
TEN DAY SPECIAL 15 GALLON $210

Mail order possible but it'd take a very large box.

CHAMAEDOREA WOODSONIANA
TALL, THICK TRUNK, BEAUTIFUL GREEN PINNATE PALM

DOES BEST IN SHADE – STUNNINGLY BEAUTIFUL
TEN DAY SPECIAL 15 GALLON SIZE

This is a very large, single trunk species that is native to a long range, spanning from Mexico into the northern parts of South America. It is very sought after by enthusiasts and is known as one of the tallest of all Chamaedoreas - reaching heights of possibly over forty feet. The trunk has a prominent crownshaft and is four inches thick or more. It's leaves are four to five feet long with a prominent petiole. Leaf color is a deep green and, in cross section, the leaves are slightly keeled. In Southern California, this species prefers shade or a bit of sun. It has been said that this species cannot take a freeze. More recent reports suggest this species can tolerate temperatures into the upper 20's F. It is known to be growing in the San Francisco Bay area. It is a quick grower and sometimes the base of the trunk is swollen. Shown is our 15g size on sale. We have limited numbers available. Note: 5 gallon also on Sale - see post below.

REGULAR PRICE 15 GALLON $255
TEN DAY SPECIAL 15 GALLON SIZE $225

Note: We only have a few available and they’ll be gone soon.

PRESTOEA MONTANA
AKA PRESTOEA ACUMINATA VAR. MONTANA

RARE PINNATE PALM FROM PUERTO RICO
TEN DAY SPECIAL 15G SIZE

Prestoea is a genus that is very closely related to another palm genus, Euterpe. It is found in the Caribbean, Central and South America. Essentially all Euterpe are crown shafted palms. Many of the Prestoea are not. There are also distinctions between the flowers of these two genera. Also, many of the Prestoea are suckering. But, there is one that is single trunk. This is Prestoea montana, native to mountainous areas of Puerto Rico. I've always known of this species as not having a crown shaft. But, I've seen photos (including ones from native habitats) where a crown shaft is seen.

The hallmarks of this species are its wide and very shiny green leaves, its somewhat slender trunk and its overall beautiful appearance. Plant heights can reach forty feet or more. This species should be grown in part day sun or filtered light. It likes rich soil and ample moisture. I'd estimate its cold tolerance is down to about a freeze or a bit less. It is not a species for a beginner to try. We're putting the 15g plants on special. Note that this species has historically been known as "Prestoea montana" but in more recent years has been considered a variety of P. acuminata.

REGULAR PRICE 15G $245
TEN DAY SPECIAL 15 GALLON SIZE $225

Remember: Mention this Special for this price!

CHAMAEDOREA BENZIEI
RARE SINGLE TRUNK CHAMAEDOREA
LIKE C. RADICALIS ON STEROIDS!

NEAR IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND
15 GALLON SIZE NOW AVAILABLE AND ON 10 DAY SPECIAL

I have not shown this species that often because it's rarely available and very difficult to find - either plants or seeds. It is native to Mexico at high elevations near Chiapas. It is a single trunk, understory palm that has sort of a thick trunk up to 1.5 or 2 inches. The flowers are reminiscent of Chamaedorea radicalis as they shoot high into the foliage. Its overall appearance is also similar to the trunking radicalis but with bigger leaves, wider leaflets and a thicker trunk. It gets up to about 10 to 15 feet. It grows in filtered light and seems to be cold hardy into the mid-twenties at least. Right on the coastline, some have grown it in full sun. We have a limited number of 15 gallons available (first six photos) that we're putting on Special. These can be mail ordered but would require a large box to ship. Please appreciate that this is a super rare species and is seldom offered for sale.

REGULAR PRICE 15G $245
TEN DAY SPECIAL 15G $225

Remember: Mention this Special for your discount.

RHOPALOSTYLIS CHEESEMANII
BEAUTIFUL GREEN CROWN SHAFTED PALM

TOLERATES A FAIR AMOUNT OF COASTAL SUN
TEN DAY SPECIAL 5 GALLON SIZE

Rhopalostylis cheesemanii is from Roul Island in the Kermadecs. It reportedly has darker brown tomentum on the crown shaft and petioles compared to R. baueri and the fruits are larger in size. But, the most remarkable thing is that some enthusiasts have noticed is that it is a more aggressive grower in Southern California. It is a green leafed, single trunk pinnate palm with a crown shaft. Opposed to R. baueri, it has been known to do quite well in full sun right along the coast. One of our staff, Rusty, swears by this species and thinks it's far superior to other Rhopalostylis. In his yard it has grown at a phenomenal rate. The pictures here show the darker petioles compared to R. sapida. I have limited photos of larger garden plants. Be aware that many people feel this should be considered a sub-variety of Rhopalostylis baueri. Growth rate of this species is medium at best. It is a stunning palm when mature. The 5 gallon size can be shipped.

REGULAR PRICE 5 GALLON $135
TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS SIZE $115

The 8th photo below is by Cloudforest.com website.

DYPSIS BARONII
IDEAL RARE SUCKERING MADAGASCAR PALM

MEDIUM SIZED MATURE – TOLERATES SOME COASTAL SUN
TEN DAY SPECIAL NICE 5 GALLON PLANTS
Over the years and having grown between fifty and one hundred different species of Dypsis, I can say that Dypsis baronii is one of the best species of Dypsis for Southern California. It is a reliably performing plant and quite beautiful. Palm enthusiasts get real excited about the variety of color seen in the stem, crown shaft and new petioles. The color in these plant parts varies from red to yellow to powder white. Eventually, most plants give a silver green trunk with a light colored crown shaft as shown here. Trunks are several inches thick, leaves are about five to six feet long and overall heights peak out under twenty feet. Right on the coast this species can be grown in full sun although strong filtered light or part day sun is ok too. Cold tolerance is into the mid and perhaps low 20's F. Growth rate is slow to medium.

Availability on this species is variable. Right now we have 5g sizes available. They are already suckering and the size as shown. These can be mail ordered if needed. Limited supply. The garden photos were taken in the San Diego area.

REGULAR PRICE 5 GALLON $145
TEN DAY SPECIAL 5 GALLON $120

GAUSSIA GOMEZ-POMPAE
BIGGER AND TALLER THAN GAUSSIA MAYA

PINNATE LEAVES, NO CROWN SHAFT
VERY RARE - NEW TO CULTIVATION
TEN DAY SPECIAL 5 GALLON SIZED PLANTS

This is a fairly recently described single trunk pinnate palm is from southern Mexico. There it lives among rugged outcroppings in mountainous areas. Little is known about its domestic culture. It gets to heights of over 30 feet with an 8 to 10 inch thick trunk. It has a clean trunk and no crown shaft. Leaves are green and fairly straight. The mature photos below were taken in Miami, Florida where it seems to be doing fine. I would anticipate that it wont' take temperatures much below a freeze. But, if you can grow G. maya, I'd suspect you can grow this species. These plants are a first for the market and the first batch of this species we've ever offered.

REGULAR PRICE 5 GALLON $135
DAY SPECIAL 5 GALLON $115

TRACHYCARPUS FORTUNEI
THE WINDMILL PALM
ONE OF THE MOST COLD HARDY PALMS

5 GALLON ON TEN DAY SPECIAL

Most specimens in many decades get to a height of 25 to 35 feet. The actual trunk diameter is typically six to ten inches. The leaves are typically about three feet in diameter and have variable division of the segments. Leaves are green on the upper side and below, but it is not uncommon for one can see a bit of blue discoloration to the underside of the leaf. Distal leaf segments can flex downward toward the ground. Shown here is our 5 gallon size on Special (first five photos). They aren’t super big so we’re selling them at a great price.

REGULAR PRICE 5 GALLON $95
TEN DAY SPECIAL THESE 5 GALLON $75

Remember to mention this Special when you purchase. Note – Easy to mail order.

BURRETIOKENTIA HAPALA
A GREAT NEW CALEDONIAN PALM FOR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

SUPER ATTRACTIVE CROWN SHAFTED PALM
TEN DAY SPECIAL FIVE GALLON SIZE

Among palm enthusiasts, almost any species from New Caledonia is sought after. This species falls into that group. It is a crown shafted palm with a rather thin trunk of about eight inches that gets to a height of approximately 25 to 30 feet. It has an intriguing brown color to the stems and crown shaft area. It does not have the stripes you'd see with the Burretiokentia vieilllardii. Cold tolerance is about 25 degrees F, or perhaps a bit less. So, it's comparable to a King Palm. If you can grow a King, you can grow this species. One of the keys to culture is not letting the ground it's in go dry. This species, like Chambeyronia, responds to water. Shown below is the five gallon size that I'm putting on special. I'd recommend morning sun, a few hours of mid-day sun, or bright filtered light. It's a great species to grow.

REGULAR PRICE 5 GALLON SIZE $145
TEN DAY SPECIAL 5 GALLON $120

Remember: Mention this Special for you discount.

BURRETIOKENTIA HAPALA
A GREAT NEW CALEDONIAN PALM FOR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
TEN DAY SPECIAL BAND SIZE

FOR SPECIES DESCRIPTION, SEE ABOVE

REGULAR PRICE BAND SIZE $60
TEN DAY SPECIAL BAND SIZE $52.50

CHAMAEDOREA COSTARICANA
ONE OF THE BEST BAMBOO PALMS

SUCKERING UNDERSTORY PALM - MEDIUM HEIGHT
EASY TO GROW - A GREAT INTERIOR PALM
TEN DAY SPECIAL LARGE BAND SIZE SEEDLINGS

This suckering palm species is native to Mexico and Central America. It is one of about four types of "Bamboo Palms" and is probably either the best or in a stiff competition with Chamaedorea hooperiana. This species gets to a mature height of twelve to sixteen feet, has strong 1 inch to 1.5 inch diameer trunks which are green in color with prominent rings, and about three to four foot long leaves. It is an upright grower and does clump. It doesn't run. It takes filtered light or morning sun along the coast. I've even heard of some growing it in full sun although I'd not recommend it. It is a good growing species. Cold hardiness is into the lower 20's F.

Below I'm showing in the first six photos our starter plants in band size. But, they are not small. Most are 18 to 24 inches tall. Some have started to sucker. We do have larger sizes available. The bands would be easy to mail order. BTW, this species is fairly difficult to find. The 8th photo is c/o TS at RPS.

REGULAR PRICE BAND SIZE $65
TEN DAY SPECIAL BAND SIZE $55

CHAMAEDOREA GLAUCIFOLIA
SUPER SIMILAR TO C. PLUMOSA

TAKES A FAIR AMOUNT OF SUN – SINGLE STEM, THIN TRUNK
TEN DAY SPECIAL BAND SIZED MULTIPLES

From time to time I discuss this interesting single trunk Chamaedorea. It is very similar to Chamaedorea plumosa - except: The plumosa has a more plumose leaf and takes a little more sun. But, the glaucifolia has the silver powder on the leaf stems and crown shaft as shown here. This is quite attractive and typically very prominent. Otherwise, you would mistake the two. And, it too, can tolerate near full coastal sun. They are fast growing and get to a mature height of about 14 feet. They look their best when planted in colonies of three to five plants. The seedlings on sale are multiples, usually three per pot. It is a durable species and seem exempt from fungal problems that can plague C. plumosa. Cold hardiness is about 25 degrees F.

REGULAR PRICE BAND SIZED MULTIPLES $60
TEN DAY SPECIAL THESE SEEDLINGS $50

DYPSIS ARENARUM
THE SAND PALM

SIMILAR TO DYPSIS LUTESCENS
BUT WHITE CROWN SHAFT
TEN DAY SPECIAL BAND SIZE

This thin trunked suckering palm is native to Madagascar where, in the northeastern area, it lives close to the sandy beaches. Thus the common name. It has green curved leaves with small leaflets. The tubular crown shaft is white and the thin trunk is ringed. It is distinguished from the Areca Palm by it's reddish petioles and blue-green leaflets. It typically forms a clump of four to five individual plants. It tolerates coastal sun and is cold hardy in the mid to upper 20's F. It is as rare species. We rarely have it for sale. Note, our band size are larger presently than shown below.

REGULAR PRICE BAND SIZE $65
TEN DAY SPECIAL BAND SIZE $57.50

ENCEPHALARTOS ALTENSTEINII
LARGER GREEN CYCAD FROM SO AFRICA

FULL CROWN OF LEAVES - HUSKY TRUNK
TEN DAY SPECIAL BAND SIZE SEEDLINGS

This is a medium to large green cycad from the Eastern Cape region of the Republic of South Africa. It was named after a Prussian statesman and is listed a a threatened cycad species. Mature height after many decades can reach up to over sixteen feet. Leaf length is six feet with trunk diameter of up to 18 to 24 inches. Leaflets have spines, especially when young. The base of the leaf stems are usually devoid of prickles or spines. Leaf color is a shiny green. Along the coast this species tolerates full sun or part day sun. It easily withstands a freeze and has an absolute cold tolerance down to about 22 degrees F. It can easily be grown on the patio if given adequate light. Desert areas should consider only a few hours of direct desert sun. It is best to give this species plenty of room in the garden. It makes a spectacular specimen plant. We are offering seedlings in the band size on special. These are easy to ship within the U.S.

REGULAR PRICE BAND SIZE $65
TEN DAY SPECIAL PRICE THESE BAND SIZED SEEDLING $55

DIOON MEROLAE
SLOW GROWING SMALL TO MEDIUM SIZED CYCAD

GRAY-GREEN LEAFLETS
TEN DAY SPECIAL OLDER BAND SIZED PLANTS

This is a slow growing New World cycad species that comes from Mexico. It is very attractive. One of the things that is particularly nice about this species is that the crown size is compact and not that large. For this reason, it fits into a small sunny location in the garden where no other plant would work. Its leaves are a silver-green in color (can be just green) and it holds many leaves. An extremely old plant might have a foot or two of trunk. In the wild there are specimens that are possibly a thousand years old with many meters of trunk, often leaning over toward the ground. But, from a practical point of view, it is a small plant. If you grow this species, you'll probably find that it will take fifty years or more to get three feet of trunk.

Cold hardiness is into the low 20's F. and it prefers full sun except for harsh desert climates. We offer many sizes of this species from seedlings up to trunked plants that are many decades old. For mail orders, the band size is easy to ship. These are not newly germinated seedlings but rather plants with an inch or more of caudex. Most germinated five years ago. If you want larger, we do have citrus pot, 15g and boxed sized plants. I hope that you like this cycad; it's one of my favorites. For upscale landscaping, nothing beats it.

TEN DAY SPECIAL OLDER BAND SIZED PLANS $85

BTW, if these don't sell out, all will be repotted into 5g pots shortly.

ENCEPHALARTOS MUNCHII
A RARE CENTRAL AFRICAN CYCAD

BLUE – GREEN SPINY LEAFLETS
SUPER DIFFICULT TO FIND
TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS ACTUAL 15 GALLON PLANT

Native to Mozambique, this small to medium sized cycad grows in scrub forest among rocks and boulders. It is distinguished by its blue to blue-green color and by having leaflets that are prominently spiny. In my experience, leaf color is sometimes very blue, other times blue-green. You'll sometimes hear the description as "soapy green" to describe the leaves. Overall, the leaf color is variable. Trunk size is usually under three feet. Upright leaves are about four feet long or less. Leaves are keeled and leaflets are lanceolate and spiny. This species likes full sun and is cold tolerant into the low 20's F. The first six pictures show a 15 gallon plant with a three to four inch caudex. We're putting this actual plant on sale. I suspect outdoors in sun (greenhouse grown so far) it'll show more of the blue color as the parents were blue.

REGULAR PRICE THIS ACTUAL 15 GALLON CYCAD $525
TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS ACTUAL CYCAD $450

CYCAS THOUARSII
MEDIUM SIZED - SOFT GREEN LEAVES
FAST GROWING, EXOTIC APPEARING

TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS ACTUAL VERY OLD CYCAD

The first six photos here show a plant I'm putting on special. It is an old cycad we've been growing for well over a decade. This is a very nice 15gallon plant with a caudex that is approximately 5 x 18 inches and probably an age of about 12 to 15 years. It came from a collection of container grown plant that were outdoors in Orange County, CA. Below the plant for sale are garden photos. This species is native to Madagascar, the eastern coast of Africa and the Comoro Islands. It is a fast growing species gets to a native height of sometimes twenty feet or more. Plants grown domestically are typically ten feet or a bit more in California. This species trunks are about eight to ten inches thick with leaves five to six feet long and soft to the touch. There is small armor on the leaf stem, but the leaflets have no spines. Leaf color is green to blue-green.

Along the coast this species tolerates full sun. Far inland areas should utilize filtered light or morning sun. Cold hardiness is into the low 20's F. We have a whole assortment of sizes available including nice 5g plants and larger. Shipping possible but it'd take a very tall box.

REGULAR PRICE THIS ACTUAL CYCAD $850
TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS ACTUAL CYCAD $750

Remember: Mention this special for this great price!

ENCEPHALARTOS LEHMANNII
BLUE SOUTH AFRICAN CYCAD FOR SUN

GOOD OFFERING OF 15 GALLON PLANTS
CAUDEXES 3.5 TO 6 INCHES
TEN DAY SPECIAL 15 GALLON E. LEHMANNII

This is a popular blue cycad from the Eastern Cape area of South Africa. I say “popular” because some people don't like spines and prickles. The leaflets of this species are narrow with only a point at the end. They are nothing as gnarly as E. horridus. The leaves and crown are very neat and uniform. The nearest species to this one is Encephalartos princeps. Trunks of E. lehmannii can get to five feet, but one with two to three feet of trunk is very old. Leaves average about four feet long and are strongly curled. Sometimes they'll almost do a 180 or more degree re-curve. Leaf color is intensely blue like E. horridus. But, you'll only see this color with full, hot sun. In shade or inside a greenhouse they are often green. Cold hardiness is about 21 to 22 degrees F. In the desert only give it a few hours sun. Next to Encephalartos horridus, this is the second most popular cycad we grow. Shown below is an assortment of 15 gallon plants of this species with caudexes of 3 to 5-6 inches. We have about a half dozen of them. All are sun ready. I am showing some of these 15g below. The sale price applies only to plants that are "ball" caudexes with no older vertical trunk.

REGULAR PRICE 15 GALLON THIS SPECIES $150 PER INCH CAUDEX DIAMETER

TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS SPECIES $130 PER INCH CAUDEX DIAMETER.

This size can possibly be mail ordered. This caudex size price applies to plants that do not have vertical trunk height.

ZAMIA FURFURACEA
THE CARDBOARD CYCAD
COMPACT GREEN DWARF CYCAD WITH NO SPINES

TEN DAY SPECIAL MATURE 30 YEAR OLD CYCAD

This popular dwarf cycad is from Mexico and rarely gets over four feet tall. Mature, thihs species typically reaches a height of three to four feet. Plants do cluster and form low profile clumps. Stems can get typically to about 12 inches although taller stems are seen in the wild. Leaves are almost always under 36 inches long with a plant height rarely over about five feet. Leaflets are wide, short and have no spines or armor. This is a very user-friendly plant. It tolerates full sun along the coast and needs filtered light in the desert. Cold hardiness is into the low 20's F, perhaps a bit lower.

We're offering here a mature specimen cycad with many heads of leaves. It has five or maybe six individual caudexes. Each caudex is an estimated 4 inches. It’s holding about 30 leaves.

REGULAR PRICE THIS MATURE CLUSTERING CYCAD $1095
TEN DAY SPECIAL THIS ACTUAL CYCAD $795

You must mention this Blog only special when purchasing to get this price. BTW, I'd estimate that this plant will be the size of the 8th photo below in several years.

PHLEBODIUM SPECIES
FURRY RHIZOMES THAT CRAWL

NORMALLY AN EPIPHYTIC PLANT IN THE WILD
TOLERATE COASTAL SUN OR FILTERED LIGHT
TEN DAY SPECIAL 10 GALLON SIZE

Phlebodium is a small genus of epiphytic ferns that are native to tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas. They, in the wild, live in trees. But, they can be grown in the ground or in containers. Most tolerate near total full sun along the coast and also filtered light. On the species we’re dealing with here, it gets to heights of about two to three feet and is rhizomatous in nature. Furry small feet crawl the ground and every foot or so launch an upright green leaf. It is not a difficult plant to contain in the garden. It easily tolerates temperatures into the mid-twenties F. Leaf color is green with a hint of blue, but not as prominent as the Blue Star Fern. It can be used as a ground cover.

REGULAR PRICE 10 GALLON $125
TEN DAY SPECIAL SALE PRICE THESE HUGE 10 GALLON $105

ALOCASIA SUMO
HYBRID ALOCASIA - EXOTIC WITH SOME COLD HARDINESS

MEDIUM SIZED, LUSH TROPICAL COMPANION PLANT
TEN DAY SPECIAL SALE ONE GALLON SIZE

Alocasia sumo is a hybrid species - a cross between A. portora and "purple cloak". The cold hardiness comes from the portora parentage. This is a medium sized hybrid with 3 to 4 foot long leaves that are diamond shaped with a purple hue to the underside of the leaves. Leaves are a lesser purple-green and point upwards. There are prominent veins on the leaves. Plant height should be about 6 to 8 feet. It is reported that this species is a "7b" zone species which means it should tolerate a freeze. Obviously, it'd look best in summer. We'd recommend filtered light or limited sun although some are having good results with full sun near the beach. The juvenile plants on sale are in one gallon pots. They are being grown in an un-heated greenhouse. They are ready to be repotted into a 5 gallon pot. Mail order possible, weather permitting.

REGULAR PRICE 1 GALLON $45
TEN DAY SPECIAL 1 GALLON $37.50

Note, that if you want larger, we have nice 5 gallons and large 15g. The 15tg size are shown below in the last two photos. I’d offer a special price on these sizes as well.

FARFUGIUM JAPONICUM "SHISHI BOTAN"
THE RUFFLED LIGULARIA

RUFFLED, FRILLY LEAVES
TEN DAY SPECIAL ONE GALLON PLANTS

Most of you are familiar with the regular Ligularia that we offer at this Blog. This rare variety on special today has ruffled, frilly leaves and is quite attractive. It gets to a height of 18 inches, takes sun or shade and has yellow daisy-like flowers in the late Fall. They are also an "indicator" plant and tell you when the garden is going dry. Watering these immediately corrects this. Compared to the standard Ligularia, the leaves are quite different with curly and frill leaf edges. These are easy to grow and easy to ship.

TEN DAY SPECIAL 1 GALLON $35

Note that we also have 5 gallon size available.

ASIAN GUAVA
FRUIT TREE GIVING LARGE FRUITS

MEDIUM SIZED MATURE TREE
TEN DAY SPECIAL 5 GALLON SIZE

The Asian Guava Tree - Psideium guajava - is a medium sized tree with green leaves and green edible fruit with pink centers. The fruit produced is quite large - known to weigh up to 2 pounds per fruit. So, one must prune the tree years so fruit is produced on stronger, more proximal branches. Expect a mature tree of about 15 feet at most. Asian Guava produce an amazing quantity of fruit. They'd like full sun and tolerate temperatures below a freeze. This is the first time I have offered these trees. Photo of the fruit is c/o Wikipedia.

TEN DAY SPECIAL 5 GALLON SIZE $65

BRAZILIAN RED CLOAK
MEGASKEPASMA ERYTHROCHLAMYS

MEDIUM SIZED BUSH / TREE WITH PROMINENT RED BLOSSOMS
NEAR IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND FOR SALE
ONLY A HANDFUL AVAILABLE
TEN DAY SPECIAL 1 & 1.5 GALLON SIZE

The Brazilian Red Cloak is super rare and hard to find. This is probably because most propagation is by cuttings only. And, you have to have a mother plant to do this. We obtained two mother plants about eight years ago and have established them here in Encinitas. We began propagating about a year or two ago. This is considered a "bush" but can reach heights of eight feet or more. It blooms red when the weather is more cool - November to April. The terminal leaves turn red and hide the small white blossoms within (thus the "cloak" in the name). The red colored photos are of our mother plants. These can be mail ordered but you have to be in at least a 9A environment to grow it. Cold tolerance is down to about a freeze. We only have a few for sale.

TEN DAY SPECIAL 1 & 1.5 GALLON $50

Note: Our one gallon size is on the right of the first two photos. The larger 5 gallon size has sold out. The last photo is c/o Gumtree.com website. The boxed tree is our Nursery tree which we use for propagation of this impossible to find species.

WEDNESDAY, 4 SEPTEMBER, 2024

WASHINGTONIA FILIFERA
THE DESERT OR CALIFORNIA FAN PALM

COLD HARDY TO ABOUT 15 – 18 DEGREES
SUN AND HEAT TOLERANT – STOUT TRUNK
A FAVORITE FAN PALM FOR COLDER, DESERT TYPE CLIMATES

This is a single trunked fan palm from Baja, Mexico with extension of its distribution into Southern California. There are native stands of this species in Southern California desert areas. It has a very thick trunk. It resembles the Mexican Fan Palm (Washingtonia robusta), but has larger leaves, a more open crown, a much thicker trunk that seems to shed leaves more quickly and has more cold hardiness. It will tolerate temperatures into the mid-teens F. One of the reasons for enthusiasm about this species is its cold hardiness. In domestic gardens, seeds are often hybridized with robusta. Seeds from wild locations tend to be pure. This species is hard to locate. We occasionally have plants for sale but getting the “real thing” usually requires collection seeds from native habitats and growing them yourself. Seeds collected in domestic areas are very often a hybrid with W. robusta. We sometimes have plants available but usually not so. Shown below are some specimens. The last photo is interesting. It has a mature W. robusta to the left and what appears to be filifera to the right. I cannot guarantee that the plant to the right isn't a hybrid. In any case, not the more open crown and thicker trunk with the filifera. As the more common Mexican Fan Palm often suffers from cold damage in marginal areas, many feel eager to try the W. filifera in their area. Cold hardiness is probably into the mid-teens F. Obviously, it wants full sun. Growth rate is a slower than the robusta, but still fairly fast growing.

In the photos below I'm first showing a row of pictures of Washingtonia robusta followed by Washingtonia filifera. The sixth photos below is by Gary Monroe at the Anza Borrego Park in California. The eighth photo below is (to my eye) a W. robusta on the left and W. filifera on right. The main point to remember is the trunk size. W. robusta has a thinner, often leaning trunk at maturity compared to the W. filifera which are thicker and rarely lean. The last picture shows what appears to me to be a W. robusta on the left and filifera (or filifera hybrid) on the right.

Washingtonia robusta
Washingtonia robusta - not mature
Washingtonia robusta - old trees, some leaning

Washingtonia filifera
Washingtonia filifera, old domestic plant
Wild stand of W. filifera by Gary Monroe

Washingtonia filifera .
Washingtonia filifera
Possible W. robusta on left and W. filifera right

ZAMIA VAZQUEZII
AKA ZAMIA FISCHERI

VERY CUTE UNDERSTORY DWARF & FILTERED LIGHT CYCAD

This petite cycad seldom gets very tall and is native to Mexico. It has a small caudex, often subterranean, typically holds five to eight leaves, has serrated leaf margins and an overall height usually under three feet. It is rare to see an old plant with a cuadex more than twelve inches long. This species is an ideal choice for a small, filtered light area in the garden. Along the coast they can tolerate full sun. And, surprisingly, they make a wonderful house plant. They, like all cycads, like good draining soil. I've found that, on a cold winter, leaves may brown and the plant becomes deciduous. But, the following season, a new crop of leaves appear. They also make a very nice potted cycad. This species will sucker, so small colonies can develop in the garden. Shown here is a female plant in a citrus pot. Note the cone in the third picture. The fifth picture is a very old specimen in a pot. I'm showing an old picture (last photo) to show that you can get a full throw of leaves, even in a pot. We have a great supply of these for sale and can ship them anywhere within the U.S. I'd estimate cold tolerance to be in the mid-twenties F. Regarding light expsure, put it in filtered light (especiall far inland) or along the coast in a little morning or late day sun.

CHAMAEDOREA HOOPERIANA
BAMBOO PALM THAT IS TALL AND FULL

STRONG & LARGE 15 GALLON PLANTS - OVER 20 YEARS OLD
ALMOST SOLD OUT OF THESE INSTANT LANDSCAPE PALMS
TEN DAY SPECIAL THESE PLANTS

It's not that uncommon that I'll talk about various types of Bamboo Palms. Three decades ago this species (Chamaedorea hooperiana) would have probably been called a variety of Chamaedorea costaricana. But, in his book on Chamaedorea, Don Hodel described this species named after friend and palm enthusiast Louis Hooper. So, it now enjoys its own status as a species. And, it deserved species status because it is quite different than Chamaedorea costaricana. This species is native to high elevation rain forest in the Veracruz area of Mexico. It grows at up to 5000 feet elevation in habitat.

It reaches an overall height of twelve to fourteen feet. It is also quite wide at maturity with many canes. These canes will sometimes lean outwards, making the clump wider. Trunks are about one inch thick. Compared to Chamaedorea costaricana, this species is more full and wide. It's hard to "see through" this species whereas you'd have a better chance of seeing through a costaricana. Both are suckering types of Bamboo Palms. Also, the leaves of costaricana are shorter. Hooperiana leaves are four feet long or more.

Shown here is one of our ten or fifteen gallon plants. Some are almost 15 feet tall with multiple canes. This species likes good draining soil, adequate water, filtered light and is cold hardy to the low 20's F. It is an ideal patio plant and can be grown inside the home.

REGULAR PRICE HUGE 15 GALLON $595
TEN DAY SPECIAL THESE SIZES $485

BTW, these are not easy to find on the market. I'm showing you a large and old 15g plant at the nursery.

READ MORE ABOUT THE BAMBOO PALMS

RHOPALOSTYLIS HYBRID
SAPIDA X BAUERI

SHOWING HYBRID VIGOR - SHOULD BE A WINNER!
TEN DAY SPECIAL ON 15 GALLON SIZE

HOW THIS BLOG WORKS New plant arrivals, desirable species and requested plants included New species described every few days, most recent posts at top of thread Jump to older Blog Threads from links below. Blog discusses palm trees, cycads and tropical plants	LEARN ABOUT PALM TREES AND CYCADS Brief comments given below. We trim this thread frequently to maintain 30 day run. Information on sun requirements and cold tolerance given if available Pictures of mature specimens shown when possible In depth posts with lots of photos on some species
PRICING ON PLANTS SHOWN On some plants, pricing given with the post You can use quick link for all our prices: PALM PRICES OR CYCAD PRICES	SPECIALS AND SALES Specials below apply to drop in visits or mail orders. Photos are representative. All specials have a termination date and always expire when the current thread expires Ten Day Specials expire ten days after date of posting and are marked in red color. For any sale prices, you must mention all Blog Only Sale Prices when purchasing
DIRECTIONS TO NURSERY CLICK HERE for printable copy of DIRECTIONS 450 Ocean view Ave, Encinitas, CA 92024 Hours: M-Sat, 9AM to 4PM	CONTACT INFORMATION: Phone: 619 291 4605 Email: phil@junglemusic.net or click here FOR INSTANT EMAIL TO Phil
MAIL ORDERS Most orders sent in boxes with Fed Exp. No international shipping. Plants shipped in pots with soil. For larger plants use trucking services.	DELIVERIES (larger orders or larger plants) To almost anywhere within the continental U.S. Quite affordable. We deliver or we utilize independent trucking services on any size plants.

Washingtonia robusta	Washingtonia robusta - not mature	Washingtonia robusta - old trees, some leaning
Washingtonia filifera	Washingtonia filifera, old domestic plant	Wild stand of W. filifera by Gary Monroe
Washingtonia filifera	. Washingtonia filifera	Possible W. robusta on left and W. filifera right

PALM TREES, CYCADS & TROPICAL PLANTS FOR SALE - SHORT VERSION

NEW PLANT ARRIVALS & DISCOUNT PLANTS PALM TREE, CYCAD AND TROPICAL PLANT BLOG

FAN PALMS THEY ALL JUST LOOK LIKE MEXICAN FAN PALMS

RECYCLE YOUR USED PLASTIC CONTAINERS

AND OLD CARDBOARD BOXES / NEWSPAPERS

DYPSIS PLUMOSA THIN TRUNK PALM FROM MADAGASCAR

ARCHONTOPHOENIX "TERACARPA" THE BEST KING PALM EVER!

TRITHRINAX ACANTHACOMA AKA TRITHIRNAX BRASILIENSIS SPINY TRUNK - MEDIUM HEIGHT FAN PALM

KENTIOPSIS PYRIFORMIS SUPER RARE SINGLE TRUNK PINNATE PALM

ENCEPHALARTOS KISAMBO EXOTIC CENTRAL AFRICAN CYCAD

SUPER UNUSUAL ENCEPHALARTOS HYBRID F2 HYBRID WITH E. WOODII POLLEN

VARIEGATED SHELL GINGER NICE 5G SIZE READY FOR THE GARDEN

ROYSTONEA REGIA THE CUBAN ROYAL PALM

CHAMBEYRONIA MACROCARPA THE FLAME THROWER PALM NEW RED EMERGING LEAF

PHOENIX RUPICOLA THE CLIFF DATE PALM

TRITHRINAX ACANTHACOMA AKA TRITHIRNAX BRASILIENSIS SPINY TRUNK - MEDIUM HEIGHT FAN PALM

RHOPALOSTYLIS SAPIDA THE SHAVING BRUSH OR FEATHER DUSTER PALM

COCCOTHRINAX BARBADENSIS MEDIUM SIZED, NARROW TRUNK

VERY "CUTE PALM" WITH GREEN OR SILVER GREEN LEAVES TEN DAY SPECIAL NICE 2 GALLON

ENCEPHALARTOS ARENARIUS - BLUE VARIETY RARE SOUTH AFRICAN CYCAD

BIRDS NEST ANTHURIUM ANTHURIUM HOOKERI THE PERFECT COMPANION PLANT

SPANISH MOSS TILLANDSIA USNEOIDES

CHAMBEYRONIA MACROCARPA THE FLAME THROWER PALM NEW RED EMERGING LEAF

HEDYSCEPE CANTERBURYANA FROM LORD HOWE ISLAND

RHOPALOSTYLIS SAPIDA THE SHAVING BRUSH OR FEATHER DUSTER PALM

PHOENIX RUPICOLA THE CLIFF DATE PALM

CHAMAEDOREA GEONOMIFORMIS SINGLE TRUNK, DWARF UNDERSTORY PALM

CHAMAEDOREA TENELLA DWARF SINGLE TRUNK

ENCEPHALARTOS PAUCIDENTATUS MEDIUM TO LARGE RARE SOUTH AFRICAN CYCAD

ENSETE VENTICOSUM "MAURELII" THE RED BANANA

STRELITZIA NICOLAI THE GIANT BIRD OF PARADISE

EPIDENDRON ORCHID ASSORTED BLOSSOM COLORS

CYPHOPHOENIX NUCELE RARE, ELEGANT, THIN TRUNK PALM

PRESTOEA MONTANA AKA PRESTOEA ACUMINATA VAR. MONTANA

CHAMAEDOREA BENZIEI RARE SINGLE TRUNK CHAMAEDOREA LIKE C. RADICALIS ON STEROIDS!

TRACHYCARPUS FORTUNEI THE WINDMILL PALM ONE OF THE MOST COLD HARDY PALMS

BURRETIOKENTIA HAPALA A GREAT NEW CALEDONIAN PALM FOR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

DIOON MEROLAE SLOW GROWING SMALL TO MEDIUM SIZED CYCAD

ENCEPHALARTOS LEHMANNII BLUE SOUTH AFRICAN CYCAD FOR SUN

CHAMAEDOREA HOOPERIANA BAMBOO PALM THAT IS TALL AND FULL

RHOPALOSTYLIS HYBRID SAPIDA X BAUERI

NEW PLANT ARRIVALS & DISCOUNT PLANTS
PALM TREE, CYCAD AND TROPICAL PLANT BLOG

FAN PALMS
THEY ALL JUST LOOK LIKE MEXICAN FAN PALMS

DYPSIS PLUMOSA
THIN TRUNK PALM FROM MADAGASCAR

ARCHONTOPHOENIX "TERACARPA"
THE BEST KING PALM EVER!

TRITHRINAX ACANTHACOMA
AKA TRITHIRNAX BRASILIENSIS
SPINY TRUNK - MEDIUM HEIGHT FAN PALM

KENTIOPSIS PYRIFORMIS
SUPER RARE SINGLE TRUNK PINNATE PALM

ENCEPHALARTOS KISAMBO
EXOTIC CENTRAL AFRICAN CYCAD

SUPER UNUSUAL ENCEPHALARTOS HYBRID
F2 HYBRID WITH E. WOODII POLLEN

VARIEGATED SHELL GINGER
NICE 5G SIZE READY FOR THE GARDEN

ROYSTONEA REGIA
THE CUBAN ROYAL PALM

CHAMBEYRONIA MACROCARPA
THE FLAME THROWER PALM
NEW RED EMERGING LEAF

PHOENIX RUPICOLA
THE CLIFF DATE PALM

TRITHRINAX ACANTHACOMA
AKA TRITHIRNAX BRASILIENSIS
SPINY TRUNK - MEDIUM HEIGHT FAN PALM

RHOPALOSTYLIS SAPIDA
THE SHAVING BRUSH OR FEATHER DUSTER PALM

COCCOTHRINAX BARBADENSIS
MEDIUM SIZED, NARROW TRUNK

VERY "CUTE PALM" WITH GREEN OR SILVER GREEN LEAVES
TEN DAY SPECIAL NICE 2 GALLON

ENCEPHALARTOS ARENARIUS - BLUE VARIETY
RARE SOUTH AFRICAN CYCAD

BIRDS NEST ANTHURIUM
ANTHURIUM HOOKERI
THE PERFECT COMPANION PLANT

SPANISH MOSS
TILLANDSIA USNEOIDES

CHAMBEYRONIA MACROCARPA
THE FLAME THROWER PALM
NEW RED EMERGING LEAF

HEDYSCEPE CANTERBURYANA
FROM LORD HOWE ISLAND

RHOPALOSTYLIS SAPIDA
THE SHAVING BRUSH OR FEATHER DUSTER PALM

PHOENIX RUPICOLA
THE CLIFF DATE PALM

CHAMAEDOREA GEONOMIFORMIS
SINGLE TRUNK, DWARF UNDERSTORY PALM

CHAMAEDOREA TENELLA
DWARF SINGLE TRUNK

ENCEPHALARTOS PAUCIDENTATUS
MEDIUM TO LARGE RARE SOUTH AFRICAN CYCAD

ENSETE VENTICOSUM "MAURELII"
THE RED BANANA

STRELITZIA NICOLAI
THE GIANT BIRD OF PARADISE

EPIDENDRON ORCHID
ASSORTED BLOSSOM COLORS

CYPHOPHOENIX NUCELE
RARE, ELEGANT, THIN TRUNK PALM

PRESTOEA MONTANA
AKA PRESTOEA ACUMINATA VAR. MONTANA

CHAMAEDOREA BENZIEI
RARE SINGLE TRUNK CHAMAEDOREA
LIKE C. RADICALIS ON STEROIDS!

TRACHYCARPUS FORTUNEI
THE WINDMILL PALM
ONE OF THE MOST COLD HARDY PALMS

BURRETIOKENTIA HAPALA
A GREAT NEW CALEDONIAN PALM FOR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

DIOON MEROLAE
SLOW GROWING SMALL TO MEDIUM SIZED CYCAD

ENCEPHALARTOS LEHMANNII
BLUE SOUTH AFRICAN CYCAD FOR SUN

CHAMAEDOREA HOOPERIANA
BAMBOO PALM THAT IS TALL AND FULL

RHOPALOSTYLIS HYBRID
SAPIDA X BAUERI