wagnerianus, rimmed with frost. Photo by D. O'Grady of York

Editorial Autumn 1996 Edition, issue 24

Macrozamia reidlei in Two Views Dr Maria Jutta Teege & Barry Shelton Two articles for the price of one, on an interesting Australian Cycad which many of us know as an easy house .

I Was In Hawaii, But My Palms Were Here Robert Lackner A follow up to Robert's popular and well researched 'Palms in Austria' . Here Robert picks up where he left off with a second practical guide to growing palms in a cool climate.

Roma '96 Tony King Tony's write-up of our summer meeting in Rome. 'City of Palms'. If you weren't there, you'll wish you had been.

Trachycarpus on Parade Martin Gibbons A timely summary of this popular genus which will hopefully remove the confusion which surrounds it. A comprehensive listing of all 8 species, with notes on each.

The Exotic Year Marco Tiefel A month by month guide to how Marco grows his palms and protects them during the colder months.

Letters

Editorial

Martin Gibbons, c/o The Palm Centre

Late November and early December - probably the most depressing time of the year, especially this year when winter seems to have arrived so early. It's raining, cold and miserable, and, worse, we know the weather will not improve much for 4 or 5 months. Personally I like to spend as much time as I can out of the country, and this year has been a good one for travelling. There was our wonderful European Palm Society meeting in Rome in September, very well attended, and much enjoyed by all. Tony King tells the story later in this issue. Soon after that I had a couple of weeks in Sri Lanka with my girlfriend. Not a palmy trip this one more a sun-and-sand-and-sea kind of holiday really - though of course the odd palm did creep into my field of vision.

Toby's and my main trip this year was to South America. We flew to Rio and bought a jeep, then drove 10,000 kms (6000 miles) through Brazil, into Argentina, up into Bolivia, back to Argentina, then through Paraguay to Brazil again and back to Rio where we sold the jeep and flew home.

Lest this should sound just so easy and just so much fun, I should report that much of it was not fun. Brazil is such an expensive country, we could only afford to buy a rather clapped-out jeep with which we - perhaps predictably - experienced all manner of problems. On day 2 a front wheel bearing shattered in a most dramatic and dangerous fashion. Repairs cost several hundred dollars and, worse, 3 days of twiddling our thumbs waiting for spares to arrive from Rio. Next, we were sailing through the wonderful Argentinian countryside when we blew a head gasket. More hundreds of dollars and more wasted days - 5 in all - waiting for a replacement to arrive from Buenos Aires. Then, a few days later, we noticed water dripping from underneath the jeep and realized that the radiator had sprung a leak. More repairs, though happily only half a day.

In addition to problems with the jeep, we had enormous paperwork problems every time we crossed a border. And we crossed lots. You see, it's rather unusual to do what we did, and the various customs officers were not used to seeing a Brazilian registered jeep driven by European tourists, and they were absolutely at a loss to know what papers we should be carrying. At virtually every border, we were initially told, 'You cannot leave/enter our country because you don't have the right papers'. We found this alarming the first time we heard it, and simply amusing the last. In every case we were delayed (from 2 hours to 24 hours) while whispered conversations were held and senior customs officers were consulted. And every time we were allowed in/out after it was realized that in fact we did have the proper papers.

OK, OK, I hear you say, what about the palms? Well, thex were of course quite wonderful, spectacular even, the main difficulty being that they are so spread out, we might see one population or species in the early morning and the next ones we wanted to see were 400kms away and we wouldn't get to them until the evening. We saw all S species of Trithrinax, one of my favourite genera, and high on our hit list'. Everyone knows that the~' are rather unfriendly. but some of the species have thick interlaced spines half a metre long! 'We saw several species of Butia, Parajubaea torallvi, and the recently described Parajtibaea sunkha. these two both in Bolivia. Now THATS an interesting country, half of it extremely mountainous, the other half absolutely flat. Nice people, beautiful scenery, special palms.

We also saw several species of Syagrus (not my favourite genus), and different Attaleas including A. humilis which doesn't grow a trunk and whose bunclses of golf-ball sized frtiit simply lay on the ground at the base of the tree, begging to be collected. The most common palm we saw was undoubtedly Copernicia alba. You can drive for hours (we did) and see nothing else. Many were growing in pastures inundated with water, which was lapping around their trunks, indicating their tolerance of over-watering in cultivation. In the city of Sucre we saw telegraph poles made from their trunks.

The prize for the most spectacular palm we saw would have to go to Trithrinax campestris. Those who went to the EPS meeting in either France or Rome will remeniber - sometimes painfully - these amazing palms with their blue leaves as stiff as sheet metal, and their truisks covered with a network of sharp spines. We saw them growing in some numbers and many were in fruit, unfortunately all green, so not worth collecting.

lt is a bit of shock to come back from all that to England in November, dark, miserable and wet, but next spring promises some exciting events to look forward to: Richard Darlow's Cornwall Get-together and a chance to explore all those south-west gardens that are mentioned so often in Chamaerops. Also in spring I will be leading a tour group of about 12 people to north-east to see the different palms there. Both these events are advertised later in this issue.

The other item that is advertised is the EPS lapel badge which I hope all members will want to buy and wear. lt is the best way to recognize other EPS members whether you are in Singapore Botanic Gardens or shopping at your local supermarket.

Enjoy this issue, and roll on spring! M.G.

Macrozamia reidlei in Two Views

Two articles for the price of one, on an interesting Australian Cycad which many of us know as an easy house plant.

Dr. Maria Jutta Teege & Barry Shelton

Photo: Big specimen at Forestdale Lake (Photo by Barry Shelton)

By coincidence, we had two articles on Macrozamia reidlei in and around Perth, Western Australia, submitted at the same time, one from Germany and the other from Perth itself. Combining them into one article seemed the sensible thing to do. The first is by our regular contributor, Dr. Maria-Jutta Teege

Though their common name is Zamia Palm' they are of course, not real palms. They belong to the Cycads plant group and as such are closely related to the conifers. Usually, Zamia Palms' do not even develop a stem above the 2round, but their bunch of regularly pinnate fronds looks like the beautiful crown of a feather palm. Thus came the popular term 'palm'. In the history of the earth, cycads are very old. Much older than palms. While the first fossil records of palms date from the mid-cretaceous age about 100 million years ago, the earliest fossils of cycadophytes come from the Triassic period, some 225 million years ago. These early cycads were contemporaries of ferns, tree-ferns and horsetails, and of gingko, early conifers and seedferns, but no angiosperms (including palms) had vet developed.

The cycads and their companions lived and thrived in a mostly warm and wet climate for about 125 million years during the Triassic and Jurassic ages as the dominant land vegetation. But in the following period, the cretaceous, exciting changes in climate and continent building began. This was the dawn of the angiosperm and palms were among the earliest of them. The older flora had difficulty in competing with the new arrivals. Cycads could only survive in warm climates, and the subject of this article, Macrozamia reidlei, is indeed perfectly adapted to the dry open forests of south west Australia, to where it is endemic. Other cycad species live in the tropical north and east of the continent, some in New South Wales, and one is isolated in central Australia. Other species are spread throughout the tropical world. In and around Perth, Western Australias capital city, you can find plenty of Zamia Palms' which endure seven month's drought every year, togeiher with numerous bushfires. Your first view of them may be in King's Park, a wide area of native bush, close to the city centre with a rim of lawns and areas of gardens. If you are lucky you may come across a female plant having shed bright red seeds from one of its huge cones. All cycads are dioecious (sexes on separate ) and the females don't produce fruits - as the angiosperms do - but only seeds. The fleshy red layer around the hard seed does not originate from a carpel but is part of the seed itself. Although they are said to be poisonous, the seeds have been used by the aboriginal people - after suitable preparation for thousands of years. Many indigenous animals feed on this outer red layer, which contains no poison, and leave the kernel alone, thus assisting with seed distribution.

In open eucalypt woodlands, Zamia Palms' are fascinating and eye-catching, growing where conditions are too harsh for palms. The stiff, hard leaves of Macrozamia can withstand hot sun for months and even after a bushfire the plants soon regenerate from below ground. In low nutrient, sandy soils close to the ocean coast, these beautiful plants present a somewhat tropical sight amidst an austere heath vegetation, and they don't suffer from the salt-laden winds.

The most impressive appearance howex er is of a Zamia Palm' with a mighty trunk. In Stokes National Park near the southern ocean west of Esperiance, we saw an individual with a stem about 2m high, and remarkably thick. This plant must be very old as cycads grow extremely slowly. Its stout figure could be seen as a symbol for the whole group, which provided companions for the earliest dinosaurs.

The second article is by Barry Shelton, 8 Fleetwood Road, Lynwood, Western Australia 6147

Here in Perth, Western Australia, we have a warm, sunny climate and palms are a very common feature of parks and gardens, but unfortunately we have no native palms in the surrounding bush. The nearest native palm is livistona alfredii, the Millstream Palm, locally common in the Pilbara region about 1300 kms north of Perth, but rather difficult to grow here.

We are however extremely fortunate in having native cycads in and around our city in vast numbers. How many species this involves is a matter of some debate. Predominantly, or perhaps entirely, they are Macrozamia reidlei which has stiff, slightly arching grey-green leaves rising in a V-shape from the rachis. The vast majority are trunkless and when trunks are seen they seldom exceed OSm and almost never exceed Im. The plants are extremely common in native bush around Perth, mostly in forest but also often in much more open country. Perth has many areas of natural bush in and around the suburbs and M. reidlei grows in many of them, including the famous King's Park. lt is also common in suburban gardens, probably most having been left there when the land was cleared. Lynette Stewart in her splendid book, 'A Guide to Palms & Cycads of the World' describes M. reidlei as 'rare'. Whilst I know that the meaning of the word in botanical circles may not be quite the same as in common usage, I can only assume that she never visited Western Australia when preparing the book. There are hundreds of thousands of these cycads both in and around Perth and when you consider that they grow over 400 km to the south across a large area of the south west of our state, plus over 100 kms inland from Perth, the total number must be huge.

To the north of the city for a distance of some 250 kms the cycads eventually develop sizeable trunks, up to 5m tall. David Jones in his excellent book, 'Cycads of the World', is confident that these are separate species naming them as Macrozamia sp. 'Enneabba'. Most of the local cycad enthusiasts are convinced that these are merely M. reidiei with trunks. Whilst on a family bushwalk around Forestdale lake to the south of Perth we found 3 magnificent specimens, one with a trunk of around 2m, the others with around 1.5m Several other specimens there seem to have leaves and cones which are longer than usual. The leaves of the ordinary M. reidlei display considerable variety. Whilst most are grey-green, some are a very bright green and very glossy. This may be due to their habitat. Some plants have leaves that are blue-green and very twisted; I was told that this was due to some sort of deficiency, certainly they usually appear to be in poor condition. Then I discovered some with these leaves that were growing vigorously and were in good condition, having concluded that they must be a separate variety, I then found some plants that had both sorts of leaves at the same time, so I'm mystified by it all.

M. reidlei is extremely hardy; over most of its habitat temperatures range from -2°C to 46°C, sometimes with no rain at all for months during the hottest times of the year. They survive this by storing water in their large caudexes or underground trunks. They can also survive the frequent, ferocious bush fires. They appear to be burnt to a blackened stump, but soon burst forth with a new set of leaves.

I don't know exactly where in Europe they would grow outdoors. In more northerly latitudes, the combination of cold and damp would probably be too much for them, but they are very common along the south coast of W. A. where the summer is much cooler and where rain falls throughout the year.

Something I have learnt from M. reidlei, and I think it applies to most cycads is that one should be very wary of giving them up for dead. A few years back I was offered a couple of them for free if I removed them from a back garden. The larger of them turned out to have leaves of more than 2m so I immediately gave up on that one. I would have needed a crane and a truck. The smaller one was a rather pathetic thing with just 2 scraggy looking leaves less than a metre long. lt turned out to have a very large caudex and by the time I'd finally dug it out I could barely carry it to the car. I planted it in an ideal spot, plenty of sun and not too much water, and for a year, nothing happened at all. Then one leaf died suddenly, then 6 months later the other leaf died. I was not pleased and decided that I was not going to try with another one. Then after nearly a year with no leaves at all, over the space of 2 or 3 weeks it produced seven lovely new leaves. That was a couple of years ago and although nothing has happened since, I still live in hope of a few more leaves some time before I'm shuffled off to the old folks' home.

Anyway, we're very lucky to live amongst M. reidlei. Of around 180 species of cycad in the world there can be very few to be found in large numbers and there can be very few cities in the world that have a common native cycad. Come to think of it though, Sydney does, this is Macrozamia communis, a particularly beautiful species. It, too, grows well in Perth but is not widely available.

I Was In Hawaii, But My Palms Were Here

A follow up to Robert's popular and well researched 'Palms in Austria' . Here Robert picks up where he left off with a second practical guide to growing palms in a cool climate.

Robert Lackner, 2405 Bad Deutch Altenburg, Feldstrasse 48, Austria

Photos: Happy survivors. Top: Jubaea. Bottom: T. wagnerianus

Writing my last article (issue 21) in mid January I yearned for a warm February and thought the worst of winter were over. How wrong I was with my assumption ! What seemed to be just a cold winter turned out to be this century's longest. Whereas Austria's western provinces experienced a fairly mild winter the eastern sections especially were hit badly. True, the temperatures did not reach the extremes of 1985 but on average the mean winter temperatures were comparable. Also the amount of snow was out of the ordinary. The first snow that winter already occurred on November 3rd - a bit of a surprise after a very warm October with up to 27°C and sunshine throughout the whole month. The last snowfall hit us on April 7th with 10 inches of snow and -3°C !! In between we had about 100 days with frost, 50 days during which the highs also remained below freezing. The longest consecutive frost period lasted 34 days. All in all we had about 50 (!!) days with snowfall and sometimes the snowdrifts reached staggering depths of between 2 and 4 meters. This is incredible for a dry area. You just had to mention the word snow and everyone was looking daggers at you. Apart from that after a S month winter most people scowled at every single snowflake. In my garden I measured the following extremes:

December 29th: -17°C

December 30th: -14°C

January 4th: -15°C

January 30th: -17°C

January 31st: -19°C

February 6th: -13°C

February 7th: -14°C

February 9th: -15°C

Luckily I could escape to Hawaii and California in late winter and perhaps also my palms would have liked to uproot, enter the aircraft instead of me and leave me back in good old Austria with all the spruces, firs and birches as a well-deserved punishment for growing palms in this country. As though this were not enough, spring was just mediocre, summer rather cool (but still warmer than an average London summer or, say, equally as warm as an average summer in Germany's Rhine valley) . September was the coldest on record (since 1881) and until September, precipitation was also well above normal. Not even the oldest people could recall such a bad year and unless the rest of the year breaks this routine it will be one of the coldest this century around here. Only October has been very sunny and quite mild and now in early November spring seems to have come back with 20°C in the shade. This weekend (November 2nd/3rd) I had breakfast outside wearing no more than shorts. I felt like I was in southern Italy sitting there by the palms swaying in the gentle breeze at a quite unusual time of year, and the forecast promises further warm days. The whole year is somehow messed up and those few days don't make up for the rest of the year.

But despite all these burdens this year has brought many interesting facts. Most unprotected Trachycarpus defoliated this winter but refoliated quickly and I didn't lose a single unprotected not even a 12 inch tall specimen. However two Trachys protected by means of blankets wrapped around them succumbed. They did not freeze to death as you might guess (the fans were only partly damaged) but rotted in the centre. Obviously too much moisture accumulated inside the blanket. This pointed out clearly what we all know, namely how important it is to keep palms dry in winter. Surprisingly the unprotected palms didn't rot though they were exposed to moisture, snow and frost for S months. My largest Trachycarpus is now about 4 meters high with a trunk height of 2 meters. This is a female plant and produces fruits every year. lt is the only Trachycarpus planted in a sheltered position near the house and also the only one that receives protection by means of a temporary frame erected around it. No additional heat is added to it and despite that it suffered not even minimal damage this winter. As I'm quite often in northern Italy I frequently have a chat with local gardeners. Even in northern Italy it can become pretty chilly and in Udine, for example, they provide shelter for their smaller specimens of Trachycarpus by means of a very simple method. "Solo legare" I was often told was their secret of protecting the palms during icey cold periods. When the temperature drops below -15°C they wrap all the leaves extremely tightly together so that the outer fans provide shelter for the palm's centre. To the innocent palm lover fettering the palm's fans to a cylinder of approximately 15 to 20 cm (6-8") seems like maltreatment. Curiously if performed professionally the leaves won't be damaged by and large, and additionally this method is very easily attachable and effective. lt prevents water from getting into the palm heart, the leaves from being bent during heavy snowfalls and protects the palm from winter. No material but a strong cord is necessary. Nonetheless it is important to remove this shelter in mild periods. The coming winter I'll protect all my Trachy as described here, even though a temporarily erected cold frame is probably the best protection, but hardly feasible unless you house only a few small palms.

Udine's lows are on an average considerably milder than ours, but minimum temperatures of -10°C occur in many years. So you can imagine my surprise when I discovered in the midst of winter a 2 meter specimen of Phoenix canariensis and a 6 meter, multi- trunked Phoenix dactylifera. Despite daily highs around freezing in early March both plants looked just wonderful and received no more protection than having their leaves tied up together. However I did discover that these trees were planted after 1985's record freeze when -22°C occurred in this region. lt is a great pity that we have so few members from northern Italy; their knowledge about exotic plants in cool climates would be useful to us all.

Perhaps the biggest surprise for me last winter was that my two unprotected Fatsia japonica sailed through the winter just looking fabulous and are flowering now in early November. I didn't expect these plants to survive a winter like this not to mention that they were not even damaged. But since then I have seeii another two large and unprotected Fatsia in my area growing outside. The owner of one of these was just too lazy to carry them in and out every winter and therefore planted them in the ground. Now they measure about 120cm (4 feet). Fellow palmist Michael Scherhaufer (also from eastern Austria) recently showed me a specimen happily growing outside in Vienna. lt has already reached an astounding height of some 2.5m (8 feet), a width of about 1.5m and was flowering freely in late October. Obviously (in common with so many other exotics) Fatsia is a lot tougher than literature indicates; most books consider it hardy to only -12°C.

Also Cupressus sempervirens and Aucuba japonica were doing just great. The Italian Cypresses grow in a very exposed place and do not receive any protection at all. Nevertheless they had no problems with this year's deep freeze and thrive vigorously. This year I saw many Aucubas planted out in an alpine valley which is certainly far colder than our region. If you live in a region too cold for any palms why not try these plants ? Cypresses especially add a Mediterranean feeling of warmth to every garden. Unprotected Araucana araucana (Monkey Puzzle Tree) in our area were also not harmed and hence I conclude they are also quite suitable for rather cold areas. Only the youngest plants will need protection during severe winter days.

Last summer I came across huge plants of Magnolia grandiflora in Vienna. These were big trees with thick trunks. According to the owner he lost some smaller plants of these in previous years but those which established are now about 20 years old and have even endured 1985's record freeze with -26°C at his location. They lost all their foliage but pulled through, he told me. I never considered it possible that Magnolia grandiflora could cope with such temperatures. Last winter they suffered no damage at all. The Magnolia in my garden lost about 70% of its foliage this winter but had no problems to survive and added a lot of new leaves in rapid succession. I was really enchanted with two rather large trees of Albizia julibrissin I discovered in July. Though they are not protected they don't seem to suffer any harm in winter.

Of my palms Rhapidophyllum hystrix seems to be the only American ultra-hardy capable of sustaining exceptionally cold and long winters like this. Even this year my two large clumps produced 3 new fans per stem, both plants were flowering and the female plant carries a lot of fruits, which even seem to ripen. On the other hand a lightly sheltered Serenoa repens and a unprotected Sabal minor did not withstand the winter's freak conditions. Apparently Sabal minor tolerates very low temperatures but not for such long periods. However with these two species it seems to be important where they originate from and therefore I'll continue my experiments, especially with Sabal. Nannorrhops ritchiana is still a dubious proportion. The silverblue form is undoubtedly not hardy enough to withstand our worst winters. Even the last plant in our area, which belonged to a friend of mine, succumbed in late winter. My green Nanny survived the winter outside but defoliated completely. This caused a curious effect, because it is now regrowing two growing points. But this winter showed clearly that it makes no sense to grow any small palms outside. Therefore I dug up my green Nanny in summer and brought it inside to raise it to a reasonable size before I plant it out again. At least the result was that Nannorrhops can survive even as a small plant quite severe winter weather, but I'm still not quite sure if large plants can avoid defoliation at temperatures close to -20°C in areas with high humidity in winter. Hopefully it will turn out that somewhat larger plants will not lose their fans, if not it can't be considered garden-worthy because it is regrowing too slowly to become a beautiful plant within a year again. The largest (green) Nanny I have at the moment measures now 50 cm and I'll not plant out this one before it has reached 70 to 80 cm in height.

Answering a letter in the Letters Page (issue 23) our Editor stated that Trachycarpus takil is likely to be somewhat hardier than its popular and widespread cousin, the Chusan palm. This seems to be true as even some seedlings I have endured very low temperatures. Astoundingly Trachycarpus nanus seems to be even hardier than T. takil although in habitat T. takil has according to information from Tobias Spanner to cope with lower temperatures than the Yunnan dwarf palm. Is this due to the fact that T. nanus is a dxvarf palm and that freezes just above the ground surface occur more often than in 2m height ? As I gained this experience just from one plant I considered it to be just a freak of nature, luck or whatever, but Tobias told me he received information from a palmist in the States giving hints that there is more to it than meets the eye. This plants man left T.takil and T. nanus outside during a severe freeze. Whereas the takils suffered some damage the nanus fared better. Nonetheless this is just a first hint and more facts have to be gathered, particularly as the T.nanus habitat is rather dry. Jon Kenahan's article about his experiences with Brahea armata was exceedingly enjoyable to me and I have been equally surprised about the speed of growth of my Mexican Blue Palm. In early June 1995 I purchased a good-sized 120 cm (4ft) specimen in southern France. The summer 95 was very warm and dry and the Brahea added another new leaf every two weeks during the warmest months. Even during this summer it grew S fans. Next spring I want to plant it permanently in the ground though I'll have to protect it very well in bad winters. Additionally I have some other ambitious plans. This year I want to leave a 120cm (4 ft) Washingtonia filifera and a 2 foot Chamaerops humilis to the elements though the Washingtonia of course not entirely. This Petticoat Palm will be protected by means of tied together fans in the Udine manner, straw and a frame erected around it. I really don't expect it to keep its fans but hopefully the centre spear. If it does it is certainly worth experimenting with as it is fairly cheap, easily obtainable and extremely fast growing thus building a whole new crown during a growing season. All my pot grown palms including Washintonia filifera, Phoenix canariensis and Brahea armata have experienced -6°C and snowfall outside a couple of times and none of them suffered any harm. Hence I consider it possible that a Washingtonia can survive average winters around here though in a winter like the last it'll probably be at its frost-wit's end unless it can be heated during the coldest periods. Depending on the result of the coming winter I want to plant out large plants of Butia capitata (2 in), Chamaerops humilis (1,5 m) and some smaller specimen of Phoenix canariensis (1 m) and Trachycarpus martianus (50 cm) . Perhaps these palms will be joined by a Sabal uresana (4 feet), which I want to buy soon. According to information from the south east of the States S. uresana seedlings fared much better during severe freezes than S. palmetto of the same size. But probably I'll raise it in the greenhouse for the first few years. All these palms will be sheltered by means of a large canopy, which will be well insulated against cold.

In my last article I reported about Yucca gloriosa growing in our area. Knowing what I know now these plants aren't Yucca gloriosa but are just sold as such in most parts of Europe and are even described as these in most books. That truly is a problem with any plant but a very big one with Yuccas. - The gardeners are spouting botanical Latin but unfortunately the wrong names and unless you're well informed you have to believe it. Actually these plants seem to be Yucca X floribunda also a trunk forming species but less impressive than real Yucca gloriosa. Luckily I found this summer in Italy the real stuff (Yucca gloriosa), because I've never seen them for sale anywhere before. I'll plant them out next year and hope they'll be equally tolerant as their misnamed relatives.

Another mistake crept into my last article. Of course 12°C is Meran's mean annual temperature, not the mean winter temperature. Probably a deliberate mistake of our Editor's scanner software. No big thing, I just wanted to prevent anybody from moving to this location due to falsified meteorological data.

I hope this information will help all society members living in not so favoured areas and I'd be delighted if some of you contact me personally and send me a brief letter or ring me up sometime. Some members from Austria and Germany already did this and hopefully I'll receive also letters from other countries. Have a mild winter folks!

Ciao.

Roma '96

Tony's write-up of our summer meeting in Rome. 'City of Palms'. If you weren't there, you'll wish you had been.

Tony King, 34 Keats Avenue, Romford, Essex, UK

(Photos by John Churcher and Tony King)

The last days of August and beginning of September saw the long awaited arrival of the third EPS 'get- together', on this occasion in the wonderful city of Rome. On or just before the 29th August, 54 members and their families from 11 countries checked into the excellent Turner Hotel, just by the ancient city wall of central Rome, which was to be our base for the next 4 days of scheduled activities. For many of us it provided an ideal opportunity to renew old friendships and of course forge fresh ones.

As in any event of this size and complexity, much hard work had gone on 'behind the scenes' over many months prior to our arrival. A carefully arranged and tempting programme of events had been put together by our 'host' in Rome, member Dario Peso who came to be a real 'Mr Fix-it' for which everything we asked of him 'was no problem'! Thank you again Dario!

Our first full day Bright and early the next morning we assembled in front of the hotel for the coach that was to take us to our three gardens chosen for the day. These were all located in Rome itself and the first, the Villa Sciara, saw the coach winding through the spectacular heart of Rome, taking us across the river Tiber and providing a mini sightseeing tour in itself.

Villa Sciara is a large garden, perched on a hillside overlooking Rome. We were met by Paola Lanzara who provided some history of the garden and led a tour of the main planted area. Dario was on hand to translate Paola's commentary. The villa itself is currently being renovated and belongs to the German academy, indeed it appeared to require much restoration work. Although the site has been occupied since Roman times, given its prominent command overlooking central Rome, the original villa and wall-s that surround the garden were constructed around 1600 by Prince Barbarini. An enemy of the Pope at that time, large defensive walls were constructed around the entire property.

From 1902 the property came under the ownership of a wealthy family from Philadelphia in the USA who, during the 1920's and 30's spent a considerable sum on 'creating an English/Italian' style garden. 10 species of palm were introduced from nurseries on the Italian Riviera, along with a range of conifers and shrubs, even a topiary garden was created. During the second world war the property was somewhat neglected, in fact the gardeners that remained 'finished off the last of the peacocks that previously enjoyed the freedom of the garden, the only peacocks around today are topiary ones.

Despite its 'neglected charm' the garden is home to large old specimen plants, many of which are palms. Principal amongst these are two fruiting Jubaeas providing a good opportunity to collect some seed, many Butia capitata, showing the variability that can be seen in the appearance of these palms, and large Wasitingtonias. A good introduction to the gardens of this city.

Back on board the coach we headed to the Piazza Cavour in the heart of Rome making a brief stop en route to pay homage to a large Livistona chinensis that Dario had noticed that day growing in the front garden of a house! The Piazza is surrounded by busy roads, (ALL roads in Rome are busy!), but provides a quiet place to sit and have lunch or a welc ome drink. I should add that the weather during our stay was great with warm, sunny days and lovely summer evenings, perfect for garden visits. The palms in the Piazza were carefully placed to a pattern and again were large and well established specimens. Especially notable were the tall Brahea armata carrying their long Infructescences, quite spectacular, as well as a number of Phoenix, again showing great xariability in appearance.

From here we again boarded the coach for our final destination and picnic lunch, the Villa Torlonia. Again, a large villa in urgent need of repair but the substantial grounds at least providing welcome service as a public park. Whilst enjoying our lunch on the steps of the villa we were joined by a newly wedded couple who had arrived to have their wedding photos taken in the garden... certainly a very picturesque place but I guess they hadn't counted on the EPS getting there first!

Again a property with a long history, the Villa's most famous occupant must surely have been Mussolini, who would have seen the garden in its better days. Elsewhere on the property, which has numerous disused out- buildings, stands what remains of a once great conservatory. Lt must have been a truly spectacular sight when fully glazed. Amazingly we could determine high up and back amongst the ruins, the foliage of a large cycad, probably Encephalartos horridus . . . how long has it survived on just rainwater?!

Notable plants in this garden are many large clumps of Chamaerops humilis, several individuals of which had fallen, only to continue to grow in the manner of large Serenoa repens! A group photo in fact was taken with us all sitting along such a trunk! Numerous and sizeable Sabals also grew here as did at least one large Brahea edulis which was carrying ripe fruit. Again, numerous Phoenix palms, especially around the entrance where they accompanied an Egyptian obelisk, making an incredible sight. Most were in fruit and each trees' fruits varied in colour encompassing all shades of red, orange and yellow.

The day drew to a close and luckily the hotel was but a short distance down the road, so we could prepare for...

Day two

The 31st, and an early start for the nursery of Tor San Lorenzo, south of Rome and apparently the largest in Europe. Normally open only to trade customers we were treated to a tour of this enormous nursery and a chance to select purchases from palms, cycads, cacti and succulents and much, much more.

We left here after a few hours for a %course lunch at a special restaurant, before taking a short walk down to Dario's house. Here we were treated to a tour of his wonderful garden, enjoying drinks and snacks in the warm afternoon sunshine and for those with the energy, a splash in the pool! The garden proved the ideal place for everybody to mingle and relax, enjoying the plants, conversation and Dario and his family's warm hospitality. Dario has been adding many plants to his garden and has a great collection, not just of unusual palms, but superb shrubs and trees a number of which carry great fruit. He explained just how wonderful the many citrus trees look in winter, with ripening fruits, the blue sky and the backdrop of Rome, just picture it!

Pride amongst the flowers during our visit though were the Frangipani's, which, being Darin's favourite were grown in pots in many places about the garden. . . . a marvellous scent. lt was a pity to leave but we had arranged that evening to borrow a slide projector and both myself and Martin and Toby, presented two illustrated talks back at the hotel. My own covered the cycads I encountered in South Africa while Martin's and Toby's featured their expedition to South America.

Sunday 1st September...

Eagerly awaited, the morning sunshine saw us head back into central Rome for the famous Botanic Garden. Normally closed at this time of year we were lucky to have arranged a special opening just for us. We were met again by Paola who provided some background to this very long established garden.

A large collection of plants are maintained here, although like so many similar gardens, a little extra funding could go a long way! lt was possible to enjoy the arid garden, home to a good and varied collection of Agave, Yuccas and Dasylirion. Aquatic gardens with pools of Lotus and papyrus, beds of medicinal plants and a glasshouse home to more tropical vegetation. Of course the garden boasts a good collection of palms, including a mature 'leaning' Jubaea. . . more at home in the northern city of Pisa? A huge, snaked-trunked Nannorrhops, over two hundred years old and beginning to form a second head to the main trunk indicating a forthcoming flower spike is the main attraction to the palm garden. Almost certainly this is the largest 'Nanny' in the world, its recumbent main trunk bearing numerous 'scars' of past flowerings.

Here too are tall Trachycarpus, some with clean trunks and neat 'rounded' leaves though not thought to be T. martianus. A number of Brahea grow here also, notable amongst these being a stately B. dulcis, a magical species with perfect leaves and stunning colouration. Underused, perhaps because of their spiny nature, Trithrinax also grow here, superbly architectural species.

All in all a lovely garden to visit, a real 'must see'. The afternoon was free, but due to popular demand a coach tour of the city was arranged, with the versatile Dario providing useful commentary. . ..in English and Spanish! Those who wished were able to hop off the coach in the city for further exploration on foot.

Our final day, Monday, and an early start for the long drive down to Naples and the private garden of the university. We arrived mid-morning and were given a tour of the main plant collections. These are arranged by botanical groupings and included primitive conifers, cycads, a brilliant and atmospheric 'sunken' tree fern garden, rock garden for succulents, variegated plants and of course palms! Perhaps the widest selection of specimens here, from more palm families than seen in other gardens. Numerous Chamaedoreas for example.

Very well maintained and with all plants looking healthy, it was certainly a highlight of the trip for me and well worth the long motorway drive to see. Naples itself has a very mild climate and is more humid than Rome. lt owes this to its position on the bay and allows, for example, large clumps of Strelitzia nicolai to form which would otherwise be cut back to the ground by frost elsewhere. Although climatically fortunate, I did not really like the city which appeared in need of a good clean, and if such a thing is possible, it has busier roads than Rome!

Rather damp weather for our return trip to Rome, with a short break on our return to prepare for our farewell meal. A good restaurant near to our hotel had been booked providing a final chance for everybody to reflect upon the great few days we had just enjoyed and the new friends made, all assisted by copious quantities of wine and a potent Italian liqueur! Time also to accept the generous invitation from our Spanish friends to a meeting next year in sunny Spain in early autumn.

The meeting was indeed voted a great success by all who attended, offering friendship, great gardens and a superb city with so much to see. I was certainly disappointed to leave but did so with fond memories, thanks to all who attended... .Arrivederci Roma!

Trachycarpus on Parade

A timely summary of this popular genus which will hopefully remove the confusion which surrounds it. A comprehensive listing of all 8 species, with notes on each.

Martin Gibbons, c/o The Palm Centre

Photo: 4 are better than one: Multi-headed Trachy (Photos by Sammy Au, H.K.)

In the recent issue of 'Hardy Palm International', the journal of the Pacific Northwest Palm and Exotic Plant Society, there was an article about Trachycarpus which illustrates the confusion that - even now - abounds about this popular genus. I sat down to write a reply and guessed that our readers would likely be just as interested. So here it is. Im not sure If you can plagiarize your own work and hope that the Pacific North westerners will forgive me for going to press first.

Joe Herbert's article on Trachycarpus in the recent issue of HPI has prompted me to write a brief letter about the genus, and to list all the species with their correct names. This will form the basis of a more comprehensive article which will be submitted to 'Principes' in due course, but so often I see mistakes, and so many people are obviously confused about the different species I think it would be helpful to pre-empt that and let you'all have a preview.

As you know, Tobias Spanner of Munich, and I have carried out many field trips studying this genus in India, , China, Thailand and Burma and gained an enormous amount of knowledge about it. We have found three new species, one of which was published in 'Principes' and two more are in press. Here are what we see as the eight species of Trachycarpus.

There are two Trachycarpus seed shapes, which provide a natural division within the genus :

A. Those with Reniform (kidney-shaped) seeds

1. Trachycarpus fortunei. Easily recogmzed, widespread, popular and much loved species from China, but so widely cultivated there, it seems impossible to determine its precise origin, or to believe that there are any truly wild specimens left.

2. Trachycarpus takil. From a few locations in northern India, very rare now in the wild as most trees have been cut down for the fibre. Enormous confusion caused by a simple photograph of T. wagnerianus in James McCurrach's 1960 'Palms of the World' which was captioned T. takil. Confusion still reigns, especially in the USA. T. takil is very similar in appearance to T. fortunei, and only subtle differences separate them. lt seems that the difference is more geographical than physical, the populations are a very long way from China. Very rare in cultivation too. Sorry, but if you think you may have a T. takil in your garden, you almost certainly don't. I don't think any seeds have come out of India between 1887 when some were sent to Beccari in Florence (his description was based on one of the resulting plants) and a couple of years ago when Toby and I sent back a few thousand from Naini Tel where they are cultivated. Imagine our feelings when, after all our care and hard work, those we sold to a seed dealer were re-distributed as 'Trachycarpus takil/ wagnerianus'! Maddening! Almost certainly the most cold-hardy in the genus, and the fastest-growing. See Principes 37 (1) 1993.

3. Trachycarpus wagnerianus. Easily identified species with small, very stiff leaves. Grows as tall as T. fortunei, with as thick a trunk. There is some doubt as to whether it deserves its species status: the leaf shape is about the only difference between it and T. fortunei (there are some subtle floral differences, too), and it is not known in the wild. That does not mean it was never known in the wild, but there are no records. Just as hardy as T. fortunei, prettier, and considerably more resistant to wind, the curse of the Chusan Palm.

4. Trachycarpus nanus. Not much doubt about this species as it is the only one not to grow an above-ground trunk (or at most, just a few inches) . From Yunnan Province, China, and under great threat from goats there which eat not the plant, but the newly emerging inflorescences. Only recently introduced into cultivation, there are no mature plants anywhere in the world outside Yunnan See Principes 37 (2) 1993.

5. Trachycarpus 'oreophilus'. This is a new species from northern Thailand, yet to be scientifically described (in press). The wild trees grow on wet and windswept mountain ridges and thus have a somewhat untidy appearance. In cultivation and out of the wind, they should look fabulous. Recently into cultivation, a few hundred seeds have been distributed. See Chamaerops (9) 1993 and (17) 1995.

6. Trachycarpus priaceps. New species from Yunnan, China, described in Principes April 1995. Distinctive because of the waxywhite backs to the leaves (see photo below). Not in cultivation anywhere, some seeds were erroneously distributed under this name earlier this year. Sorry, if you think you have it, you don't. When it does get into cultivation, it will be a winner! See Principes 39 (2) 1995 and Chamaerops (18) 1995.

B. Those with oval-and-grooved seeds (like a coffee bean)

7. Trachycarpus martianas (includes T. khasianus). From Nepal, and Meghalaya State, India. Probably also northern Burma but outof-bounds to foreigners until the wretched and despicable administration there falls . Cultivated in only a few botanic gardens (Huntington and Sydney for example) in the world, but locally very common in the wild, though largely inaccessible. Distinctive features are the (usually) bare trunk, the seed shape, and the even splits in the leaf blade. lt has quite a different look from T. fortunei yet frequently one sees photographs of a bare trunked T. fortunei captioned as this species. Thousands of seeds distributed over the last couple of years. See Chamaerops (19) 1995 and Principes 38 (2) 1994.

7. Trachycarpus 'sikkimensis'. We have to keep those inverted commas for a little while yet as this new species has not yet been scientifically described (in press) . Cultivated commonly in Kalimpong, West Bengal, India, and also growing wild there, it is a splendid palm with big, leathery leaves and a bare trunk. lt is very hardy to cold, fast-growing and will be just fabulous as an ornamental once it is more widely available. Prolific seeder, many thousands of seeds and seedlings have now been distributed around the world. (See Chamaerops (20) 1995).

That's the full complement. But what about the suckering species I hear you ask? In my opinion, it doesn't exist. lt is not uncommon for a Trachycarpus fortunei to appear to develop a side shoot but this is in fact the main growing point emerging from the side of the plant because the way up is blocked for some reason, invariably the result of some damage. Once this establishes itself, the original main stem will die back. If it is removed, the plant may well go on to produce another, but it is still the one and only growing point seeking a way out and up. A customer of mine removed 4 such as he wanted a single trunk! As soon as one was allowed to develop, the main stem died. Others that appear to be clustering are simply the result of several seeds being planted together. On every such specimen I have examined, including the type specimen of var. surculosa, all the trunks are the same age (a bit of a giveaway that) and invariably both sexes are represented, impossible with a truly clustering palm. However, I would be delighted to be proven wrong.

I have heard of several examples of forking Trachycarpus fortunei. Again this is likely to be caused by damage to the growing point. I recently received some photographs of a specimen in China with no less than four trunks!

I hope this will serve to clear up the confusion surrounding what is essentially a clearly defined and easily differentiated genus." The Exotic Year

A month by month guide to how Marco grows his palms and protects them during the colder months.

Marco Tiefel, Austrasse 1, 91126 Schwabach. Translated by William Hoag.

My first attempt at growing subtropical plants outside was with Yucca gloriosa, planted on the east side of the house in 1988. The biggest one is now 1,5 metres tall and has branched after flowering last year. In 1989 I planted an Araucana auracana (Monkey Puzzle Tree), which has since not suffered any damage. I did lose a small Araucana 40 cm tall, on the south side of the house, in April 1992, as a result of a late frost (-6°C) following a warm March and beginning of April. A similar frost, late in the year (-6°C, in March 1993) was nearly fatal for a potted Musa basjoo which was brou2ht out during a nenod of warm weather (+20°C) . Five out of seven solitary stems froze, and no shoots have emerged since. According to literature, the stem of Musa basjoo is hardy to -9°C. The last two stems never completely recovered and one of those perished last year. lt was a fortunate thing that I had two small ones in reserve, with which I was able to rebuild a good clump.

The first two palms, Trachycarpus fortunei, when bought in 1985 had trunks 30 cm in height, overall height 1 meter. Planted in containers, they produced only 1-2 leaves each year, trunk growth could hardly be registered. In 1990 I planted out a Trachycarpus on the southwest side of the house, which now produces 4-5 leaves each year. The second Trachy palm was brought out into the open but as a result of the cold 92/93 winter with temperatures down to -16°C and evident leaf damage, I brought it inside in the autumn to spend the winter in the basement, container-bound. The first Trachy suffered no leaf damage but the new growth had difficulties and the first leaves had an unusual, crippled appearance; but the point produced five leaves in the course of the year. lt thrived through the next two winters and in June 1995 the first flowering occurred and 11 leaves were produced; the trunk now is 70 cm in height, overall height of 2 meters.

In March 1995 I planted Yucca aloifolia 'variegata', which is already 2 meters tall and difficult to bring in and out of the house due to its prickly nature. Before Christmas 1995 we had three cold nights down to -13.5°C, but the Y. aloifolia did not suffer. The subtropical gardening year begins here around the 8th week of the year; the first plants to come out of the basement are T. fortunei, which were raised from south Tirolean seeds; then Chamaerops humilis, Butia capitata, Cordyline australis. The biggest specimen spends the winter in the basement on its side, as the stairwell and its 3,3 meters is not tall enough.

The next plants to come out are Choisya ternata, Fatsia japonica and variegata, Camelia japonica, Callistemon citrinus, Phormium tenax purpurea and variegata, and Nerium Oleander. The Neriums begin blossoming in mid-July and the flowering goes on until rainy September. In March the Canna indicas are set out to shoot in an unheated glassed-in balcony, more than a hundred plants in over 20 varieties. Cannas are the best medium-height complementary plants for a tropical framework in the garden. Small wild species like Canna limbata, 30 cm tall with small, yellow-red flowers and comparatively big seed pods begins to blossom in mid- June, the big-flowered types in mid-July. The wild form of Canna indica and its orange tubular flowers is not quite as spectacular, but reaches a height of 1,7 meters, even on the north side of the house. Big-flowered Cannas look quite nice under Musa basjoo. It's very interesting and rewarding to raise Cannas from self-collected seed, as the seedlings often show variation in size of leaf and plant as well as flower colour, and many bloom in the first year. I dig up the Cannas in the autumn with a generous amount of earth so damage to the rhizomes is minimal. They need some moisture throughout the winter. Earlier winters with no added moisture resulted in 30% loss.

During the month of April nearly all plants are brought outside. The new flowering star of the last two years was lochooma cyaneum which, after a leafless winter, is brought outside with leaves and flowers, and they persist all through the summer and up until the plant comes inside again in November. Ficus carica has obviously enjoyed the hot summers of the last few years, and the plants produce edible fruit every year. Cold summers result in hollow figs and very little pulp. The plants have been outside for three years now and show no signs of damage. Over the pergola, the hardy Campsis radicans is a background attraction which flowers profusely in July and August. Passers-by walking by the east side of the front garden stop and admire the big Yucca gloriosa and the Araucaria. Later in the year they are accompanied by Musa basjoo, 2 branched Yucca elephantipes 2,8 meters tall and two big Cordyline australis.

In the second small front garden stand three Hibiscus syracus planted out in 1984, the prettiest sight is when one of them flowers in four different colours. Each year it has more; when I see a new variety I graft it onto my plants in March, out of ten grafting attempts two to three are successful.

Even the warmest summer comes to an end, and three basement rooms fill up in November and December with subtropical plants, stacked up and bundled. The plants left outside are protected with a thick mulch of leaves. When the night frosts dip below -10°C I spray water onto the Yuccas and Araucarias so that when the temperature falls at night the water freezes instantly and the cold does not directly affect the leaves. This does not work with Trachycarpus, it is enveloped in a rush-mat when temperatures stay low (3-4 days under -12°C). This protective mat makes a difference of four degrees celcius.

In the course of the years to come, I plan to try out Musa basjoo, Sabal minor, Nannorrhops ritchinana if it becomes available, Trachycarpus fortunei (is said to withstand -18°C in Hupei, China), to be planted out in the garden. I shall report to you on results, when I will have acquired new perceptions and knowledge on the hardiness of these plants.

Letters

Mad. Palms Sale

I was recently given a copy of the wonderful book 'Palms of Madagascar' by John Dransfield and Henk Beentje. Unfortunately, I already have it so wish to sell the duplicate. Brand new, cost £65, will accept £50/DM125/FF375. Additionally, I wish to sell 60 back copies of 'Principes', journal of the International Palm Society. In mint condition, they cover the years 1979-1993. I would accept £125/DM312,/FF950 for the collection. Please phone me on ++44 1392 467015 or write c/a the EPS.

Philippe Byrne

Chamaerops For Sale

I have a Chamaerops humilis in a 16 inch (40cm) pot. lt is about 4 feet (120cm) tall, with four side shoots as well as the main stem. No sensible offer refused!

Craig Snell, 49 Kilda Road, Highworth, Wilts

The Revoluition Continues...

Reading Jon Kenaghan's excellent article 'Viva Armata in Chamaerops 21 inspired me to take the plunge and plant my Brahea armata outside. This Mexican Blue palm had lived in its pot in my unheated conservatory for a couple of years but I felt it was old enough to go direct into the ground.

During a rare mild spell in early spring a position was found for the palm next to my drive. The site is a hot spot. seeing the sun for most of the day. The soil was improved with compost and shingle, the latter not needed so much due to east Anglia having only half the rainfall of parts of western Britain. Fortunately, this desert palm knows a thing or two about droughts. Protection from the north wind is provided by the garage, and the house itself shelters the palm from the east winds. My blue palm is a talking point with my neighbours who cannot believe their eyes. I can often be seen talking to them until I'm blue in the face! I also hope to plant out a specimen of Jubaea chilensis and Sabal minor later on. Hopefully these palms will settle in alongside my Butia capitata, Chamaerops, Phoenix canariensis, Rhapidophyllum and last but not least Trachycarpus fortunei and T. wagnerianus, xvhich all came through last winter unscathed. I hope this letter will encourage other readers to grow these palms outside and to report on the results to Chamaerops.

Robert Gooding, Ipswich, Suffolk

A Couple Of Questions

I have a couple of questions for Chamaerops. First, my two Phoenix roebelenii are coming into flower and I was wondering if the seed would be viable and are the sexes on separate plants. Secondly, I have a Chamaerops which is suckering quite well - can these suckers be taken off and rooted, and if so, what is the best method of doing it? Anne Curley, Woodsmoor, Stockport

Yes, Phoenix sexes are on separate plants; hopefully you have one of each. lt is quite possible to produce viable seeds ~f this is the case, as long as they are at the same stage of development. You can help Nature by shaking pollen from the male onto the female flowers. Do this every day for a week, and keep your fingers crossed. Propagating Chamaerops from suckers is theoretically possible (just read any gardening book - of course, they would know, haha!) however I know of nobody who has ever successfully done it. If there is anyone out there who has managed it, (or who has tried and failed) PLEASE write in and let me know. Let's find out Wthere's there is any truth in the theory.

M.G.

Putting Down Roots?

My interest in palms stems from my desire to create a garden that would go some way to reminding me of my native New Zealand. I came to England in 1986 on a working holiday; 10 years on, and more work than holiday, I am still here. I actually recall a fascination with palms beginning a couple of years prior to my departure from New Zealand. I was driving to a friends house when I saw two enormous palm trees in a front garden. I believe these would have been Phoenix canariensis, and were surely 50 to 60 feet tall.

I couldn't believe they could survive the Christchurch winter which, due to plenty of sunny clear days, had many quite severe night frosts. Our temperatures could fall to -5°C or less on occasion. On looking round the city I saw several smaller P. canariensis and numerous Trachycarpus palms.

Anyway, back to Doncaster where I now live. I have acquired several palms, mainly seedings: Butia, Nikau, Livistona chinensis, Sabal minor, all these are in their first or second years. they are all carefully looked after in a greenhouse. I also have three Trachys about 12" tall planted out in the front garden. these have all put on 3 to 4 leaves since March. I have two Washingtonias about 2 - 2 feet tall, which are in pots sunk into the ground, the same has been done to a 6ft Phoenix (I guess canariensis) which I bought from a regular nursery. lt has long slender leaves, seemingly a darker green than other P. canariensis I've seen. The Washingtonias have acquired two new leaves each since I put them in the garden, but the Phoenix appears stationary at this stage. All the palms in the garden experiences several late frosts and apart from some browning to the tips of the Washingtonia leaves, seem to have suffered no ill effects.

The village just outside Doncaster where I live seems to be milder than other parts of Yorkshire. the minimum temperature last winter in my south facing front garden was -7°C, though this fortunately occurred a couple of times. I missed out on the -14°C experienced by towns not far from here.

As well as palms I have several other tender plants in the garden. In March I put out several 'house plants' as an experiment. They had been over-wintered in the greenhouse (min. temp. 3°C). A large (2ft spread) Christmas cactus in full flower lit up the front border in its pot. A smaller cutting of this planted directly in the soil survived several moderate frosts and is now actively growing.

Something that surprised me was Chamaedorea elegans only 4" tall also survived late spring frosts. I planted it in a north-facing border against a wall. The frost turned its few fronds a ghastly silvery colour. I gave it up as dead and planted bedding plants over it. At the end of August, I removed the bedding plants and discovered a S tall Chamaedorea! lt was a perfect shade of green with a new leaf just opening. lt will stay there with some fleece for winter protection, and we'll see what happens.

Perhaps some of the more experienced palm growers can advise me on the winter protection of Washingtonias? I really want to plant them in the soil, freeing them from their sunken pots. Would a small cloche over them on the coldest and windiest days suffice? the front garden soil is dry and well-drained even in winter. Or, should I put them in the greenhouse for the winter? If I did, would they continue to grow, given a minimum night-time temperature of about +3°C and day temps around 10-11°C?

Can anyone advise me how long it takes seedlings one or two years old to actually start looking like palms? I have 5 Phoenix dactylifera which I grew from date 'stones' planted in February. They are now putting up their second spear. Would it be 4-5 years before they develop a palm-like appearance?

I have several Cordylines and Phormiums and they all survived last winter with no damage, even a Dahlia bulb I left in the ground sprouted and is now in flower. Oh the joys of subtropical Doncaster!

Paul Saunders, Doncaster

To answer your questions: Wrap Washingtonias with an old blanket or - better - with hay or straw for the winter. They may emerge a bit yellow, but will carry on as normal in the spring. They would continue to grow in the greenhouse with those low temperatures but extremely slowly. Phoenix, given heat, will produce the first split leaves after a year, in lower temperatures, make that two. The same applies to Washingtonias. Heat is the thing!

Tropical Palms

In the hard climate place where I come from, Sweden, nearly all palm trees have to be grown indoors. I have been doing this for some 10 years, after collecting seeds on tropical holidays. Several species that I have had success with are considered to be 'difficult' to cultivate in the home. These include Thrinax, Sabal yapa, and AttalesVOrbignya. This last one I find surprisingly easy. lt puts up with being placed over a radiator without any problems. Of course, eventually it will grow too big; mature leaves are about 10m long!

In my living room climate certainly some species are more sensitive. Pritchardia, Ptychosperma, Dictyosperma, Coccothrinax, Raphia, for example are all more fussy about humidity but given additional care they can all be induced to grow.

Jan Andersson, Stockholm, Sweden

I began my indoor palm collection by using an old aquarium, and standing the newly germinated plants in it, in pots. With a glass sheet on the top, the humidity can be easily controlled and the whole thing can positioned on a shelf perhaps over a radiator to niaintain heat. lt is a very easy system to construct, and very attractive, especially with a light inside. lt was amazingly successful and I grew the most tropical species, with NO BROWN TIPS! I'm sure they didn't know they were away from home in the tropics. For those with an interest in tropical (or any other) palms it's a wonderful way to grow them and a perfect introduction to a very interesting hobby. MG