Palms
A little information on Texas Sabals One palm native to the Rio Grande Valley is the Texas Sabal. Seen in many brush lines and native brush in the valley, this palm has a stockier trunk than the Florida’s cabbage palms. The leaf margins (boots) tend to remain on the trunk for many years, giving it…
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Today was our first opportunity to get out in the fields and get a good look at the damage last weeks arctic blast did to our fields. Even though the three rows pictured above are all Date palms, one is canarensis and the other two are roebellini. Clearly, roebellini is more cold sensitive. They are…
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It looks like our temperatures could dip below freezing for 3 – 5 hours early Saturday morning. With temperatures at 30 – 32 degrees for just a few hours, we shouldn’t see much plant damage – only our tender tropicals will be effected. Just this week, I noticed new growth on firebush shrubs that…
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We see Washingtonia palms all over south Texas. It is by far our most common palm tree. Washingtonia filibusta are cold hardy, water wise, and look awesome! Even untrimmed, the girth of this Washingtonia palm is pretty darn impressive. TYPES OF WASHINGTONIAS I can’t tell you how many times I have heard people refer to…
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Just because someone has a lift truck and a saw does not make him a tree trimmer. The best way to protect your palms against this kind of hatchet job is with a little knowledge of your own. When it comes to trimming palm trees, my basic rules are: 1. Only trim brown fronds…
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Texas Sabal is the one palm native to the Rio Grande Valley. Twenty years ago, the last large native stand was in Brownsville but they are making a come-back. Large specimens can be seen in many of the brushlines and native brush. It looks similar to Florida’s cabbage palm but with a stockier…
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I have never considered adding a pindo palm to my landscape because of the heavy clay that I live (and garden) in. But Alvin’s latest “freeze fix” has me reconsidering. One of Alvin’s friends, who had suffered suffered freeze damage a few years ago, asked about some cold-hardy alternatives. He said PINDO – and she…
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Transplanting Texas Sabal palms can be tricky. But, it’s well worth the effort. Why bother? Texas Sabals or Sabal mexicana are the only large palm that is native to Texas. In addition to being beautiful, Texas Sabals are a benefit to nature. These are two great reasons to include Texas Sabal palms in your landscape. …
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At the end of our long summer, you may be considering having your palm trees trimmed. Whenever we see brown on our plants, we tend to want to remove it. Before you hire a palm tree trimmer, there are a few things homeowners and property managers should understand about palms. Trimming Can Protect your Palms…
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If you are looking for an accent palm, you should take a look at Cliff Date Palms (aka Phoenix rupicola). The leaves are bright green and lay flat along the stem, giving it a very graceful look. I think Cliff Dates look great standing sentry at the ends of a planting – or as a…
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