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Home , List of hardy palms, Rhapidophyllum, Sabal, Sabal mexicana, Sabal minor

Fall 2001

Journal of the Southeastern Palm and Exotic Society Volume 9, No. 1 Contents From the editor 3 The most inland minor in the southeastern U.S. 11 SPEPS news 3 Possible takil Palm profile: planting in upland S.C. 12

Dwarf palmetto 5 Book review: A minor geography lesson 7 Journeys Through Paradise 13

Discovery: Backyard reports: Finding Sabal sp. ‘Tamaulipas’ Hardy palms in southern in northeastern 8 Illinois 14

Front cover: Sabal sp. ‘Tamaulipas’ blooms in the garden of Joe LeVert at Augusta, Ga. Photos are by the editor unless otherwise noted.

Rhapidophyllum is the quarterly journal of the Southeastern Palm and Exotic Plant Society, the southeastern (non-) chapter of the International Palm Society. SPEPS members are devoted to growing palms and other subtropical in USDA Zones 7, 8 and 9. Visit the SPEPS website at www.speps.net. Membership in SPEPS is open to all. Benefits include a subscription to , quarterly meetings at public and private gardens in the southeastern , and auctions and sales of rare plants. To join, send a check for $15 to the treasurer. Member- ship is for one calendar year, and membership requests received after October will be ap- plied to the following year unless otherwise requested. SPEPS members are encouraged to join the International Palm Society. IPS dues are $35 per year and include the quarterly journal Palms. Send dues to: The International Palm Society, P.O. Box 368, Lawrence, KS 66044. Visit the IPS website at www.palms.org.

Contact the Southeastern Palm and Exotic Plant Society OFFICERS Secretary President Gene Cooper Gary Hollar Tom McClendon 2015 Wrenwood Drive SE 680 Crump Farm Road 4531 Highway 15 South Huntsville, AL 35803 New Bern, NC 28562 Greensboro, GA 30642 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Treasurer and membership Bob Snyder Vice-president and 1450 Norwich Road Tamar Myers webmaster Winston-Salem, NC 27127 2506 Long Cove Court Don Coleman [email protected] Mt. Pleasant, SC 29466

5270 Stony Mill Road • Please include your phone or [email protected] Keysville, GA 30816 e-mail when corresponding. [email protected] BOARD OF DIRECTORS Will Taylor Rhapidophyllum editor Hayes Jackson 212 Oak Street Jeff Stevens 1300 Old Gadsden Highway Athens, TN 37303 10665 High Point Road Anniston, AL 36206 [email protected] Apison, TN 37302 [email protected] [email protected] Director-at-large • Rhapidophyllum is published in Will Roberds March, June, September and Joe LeVert December. E-mail items for 2019 McLendon Ave NE 1901 Pennsylvania Avenue publication by the 15th of the Atlanta, GA 30307 Augusta, GA 30904 preceding month. [email protected] [email protected] Rhapidophyllum, Fall 2001 Page 3

From the editor den near Savannah, Ga. After a seemingly endless spring,  SPRING—April 27, 2002, at the summer arrived in the southeastern Marietta, S.C., garden of Mike United States. Did anyone else think Turner. that their subtropical plants got a late  SUMMER—June 29, 2002, at the start this year? garden and nursery of Gary Hollar But the cool spring and mild sum- at New Bern, N.C. mer brought frequent rainfalls that  FALL—October 12, 2002, at the finally broke three years of drought. Stockbridge, Ga., garden of Bill That’s meant less watering, but more Manley. weeding and mowing. But given a choice, I’m sure most of us would Fall meeting take the rain. It’s pushed the palms, The fall meeting will be held on Sat- cannas, ginger lilies and other plants urday, Oct. 13, 2001, at the gardens of into some amazing growth this sea- two long-time SPEPS members in son. Burke County, Ga. It’s great to see SPEPS members The day will begin at 10:30 am at involved in activities that promote the the garden of Don and Belinda Cole- appreciation of hardy palms and in- man. Don serves as SPEPS vice presi- crease the demand for a wider selec- dent, and the Coleman’s garden fea- tion of choices. The tures a wide selection of palms, an Member’s Activities column was add- impressive collection of cycads, and ed last issue to give a little recognition bananas, eucalyptus and hardy citrus. to your efforts. Don’t be shy about In the afternoon, we’ll proceed to letting me know what you’ve been up the garden of Chuck and Barbara to. Activities with public impact qual- Mooney. Chuck has assembled an ify. amazing array of palms, many of And don’t forget to occasionally which are mature and fruiting. Nota- write about the successes and failures ble specimens include an 8-foot Livis- in your own garden for the Backyard tona dicipiens, Butia × Syagrus, Reports section. Your input helps Brahea clara, Sabal sp. ‘Tamaulipas,’ keep this journal happily balanced Butia eriospatha and B. yatay. between reference and personal expe- The day will include a brief busi- rience. ness meeting, including the election of —Jeff Stevens officers, and the annual plant sale.

Lunch includes a Low Country Boil, SPEPS news courtesy of the Mooneys. Upcoming meetings Depending on interest, an excur-  FALL—October 13, 2001, at the sion to the Ogeechee River (20 miles gardens of Don and Belinda Cole- away) to see native Rhapidophyllum man and Chuck and Barbara and is planned for Mooney near Waynesboro, Ga. 4:00 pm.  WINTER—February 16, 2002, at Directions: Both gardens are the Bamboo Farm and Coastal Gar- located just south of Augusta, Ga. ► Page 4 Rhapidophyllum, Fall 2001

at Waynesboro, and Augusta, 30 minutes to the north, has many over- night accommodations.

Summer meeting report Fifteen SPEPS members braved the southbound weekend traffic to attend the summer meeting at the Harry P. Leu Gardens in Orlando, Fla. Eric Schmidt, the palm collection curator, gave a tour of the collection, with pauses for tropical flowering plants, tropical conifers and the xeric collec- tion. After a quick lunch, the group headed east of the city to Bobbick’s Nursery, arriving during a heavy downpour. (The Orlando airport rec- orded five inches of rain that after- noon.) continued on page 14 The SPEPS group (minus photogra- pher) poses under the silvery Bismark Eric Schmidt explains how difficult it is palm (Bismarkia nobilis) at the to grow the tender coconut palm Harry P. Leu Gardens in Orlando. (Cocos nucifera) in Orlando’s Zone 9 Photo by Tom McClendon. climate. Some challenges — and frustrations — are universal. To reach the Coleman’s garden (where the meeting begins) take Inter- state 20 to Exit 196 and turn south onto Interstate 520. Continue for 7.5 miles and exit right onto to US 25 towards Waynesboro. Go about 6 miles to GA 88, turning right toward Hephzibah. Take the first left after the light, turning onto Brothersville Road. Veer to the right in front of the high school onto Story Mill Road. Follow Story Mill Road about 9 miles, pass- ing a fire station and golf course. The house is on the left at 5270 Story Mill Road at the intersection with Chris Circle. Directions to the Mooney’s will be given out at the meeting.

Accommodations: There is a Holiday Inn Express and Jameson Inn Rhapidophyllum, Fall 2001 Page 5

This Sabal minor var. was P A L M P R O F I L E

planted from a 3-gallon pot last sum- Dwarf palmetto mer and is about half its mature size. Sabal minor and S. minor var. louisiana pens) because S. minor has no spines on the . Sabal is probably derived from a The western form, S. minor var. Native American name and minor louisiana, resembles S. minor but is Latin for lesser or smaller. eventually forms a squat trunk. There

are several growing in the Description River delta below New Orleans with The dwarf palmetto is sometimes de- trunks as high as 10 feet (3 meters). scribed as clumping, but in fact has only one trunk, which is either very Size short or entirely below ground. The The usual size is four to five feet (1.5 are slightly costapalmate in meters) high and wide. Growth rate is shape and vary from green to blue- slow to moderate. S. minor var. Loui- green in color, with usually no more siana eventually forms a short trunk, than a half-dozen on a single plant. usually remaining under five feet. They differ from the leaves of Most plants have between five and ten other native dwarf palms by having a green leaves at a given time, giving split “V” right in the middle, which the palm an open look that lends itself looks a little like the Vulcan salute to underplanting with shorter annuals from Star Trek. Easily distinguished or perennials. The inflorescences pro- from the saw palmetto ( re- ject beyond the leaves. ► Page 6 Rhapidophyllum, Fall 2001

Range Zone 7a. Hardy throughout most of Sabal minor is the most far-ranging the southeastern United States, but not native palm, growing from North Car- quite as hardy as the needle palm olina west to Dallas, . It’s the (Rhapidophyllum hystrix). only native palm to grow any distance Established plants will take short north of the Fall Line, and populations spells of subzero weather, though can be found up the Savannah River some leaf damage may occur if tem- to Elberton, Ga., up the Coosa River peratures go much below 10F (-12C). to Center, Ala., and into McCurtain S. minor is reputed to be slightly har- County in southeastern . In dier than S. minor var. louisiana. Like the east, it ranges from southern Flori- the needle palm, not really bothered da up to Dare County, N.C. by cold, wet winters. Wild specimens

One unverifiable reference from are often under shallow water during the 19th century mentions it growing the winter months. in the Mississippi Valley at the south- Culture ern tip of Missouri, but there have Dwarf palmettos prefer a moist, sunny been no modern sightings there and location. The bank of a creek or lake it’s habitat would have long been is an ideal situation. cleared and drained for agriculture. Although they are native to areas S. minor var. louisiana is found in with a high water table, this doesn’t Louisiana and southeastern Texas. necessarily mean that they prefer this These populations apparently exist environment. It may only mean that alongside the standard S. minor. the species inhabits this niche because

There is also a population of mys- there is less competition. In fact, like tery sabal palms in Brazoria County, several bottomland species (bald cy- Texas, that form quite tall trunks to 28 press, for example), Sabal minor feet (8 meters). They have been vari- grows very well in an upland environ- ously described as S. minor, S. minor ment and is fairly tolerant of drought var. louisiana, and as a hybrid be- once established. tween S. minor and S. mexicana called These palms will also tolerate a S. × texensis. fair amount of shade, but growth and

blue color will be best in full sun. Any Habitat soil with adequate moisture is fine. Sabal minor is native to low, swampy They only thrive in areas with hot, areas with seasonal flooding along humid summer weather and tolerate major rivers and their tributaries. some salt spray. While tolerant of winter flooding, it apparently needs a drier environment Landscape use during the growing season, and is not Probably best in groups, but can also found in areas that stand under perma- be effective as a single specimen. nent water. There is a truly beautiful planting of S. minor var. louisiana is found in dwarf palmettos around the central the same habitat as S. minor and in fountain at Brookgreen Gardens, just floodplains. south of Myrtle Beach, S.C. Cold hardiness Notes Rhapidophyllum, Fall 2001 Page 7

Old plants develop an underground cies there really are. Many want to trunk and deep root system that makes grow as many species as possible, and them difficult to move, a useful fact to for this reason often prefer to think of remember before planting. Even small Sabal minor var. louisiana as a sepa- wild-grown plants have extremely rate species. But taxonomists don’t deep roots that usually make them not recognize S. minor var. louisiana as a worth the trouble of moving. Easily species, and many are likely to lump grown from seed. several oddball Sabal variants togeth- This palm has an image problem er that may or may not have specific that results from its confusion with the characteristics of merit. saw palmetto (Serenoa repens). Un- Most palm enthusiasts aren’t tax- like the saw palmetto, the dwarf pal- onomists, and their interest lies in a metto does not have spiny leaf stems, plant’s appearance. And while it’s has much larger leaves, and does not true that most palms affiliated with spread over a large area. Sabal minor are similar in appearance (as are all Sabal species to some de- Related species gree), there are enough differences to Another as-of-yet unnamed dwarf make individual populations horticul- palmetto has recently been discovered turally interesting. In fact, just about in the mountains in the state of Ta- every local population of S. minor is maulipas, Mexico. Informally called unique in some way. Sabal sp. ‘Tamaulipas,’ it’s currently Below are a few of the S. minor being grown by several SPEPS mem- variants. We’ll leave it up to you — bers. and maybe the taxonomists — to de- Its leaves are somewhat thicker cide if they’re separate species. and more costapalmate than those of S. minor, and the blue color of its Sabal minor ‘Blountstown’ leaves is especially attractive. Cold Apparently a true genetic dwarf from hardiness is still under evaluation, but the Apalachicola River valley of Flor- should be roughly the same as for the ida, this palm matures at a mere 18 other dwarf palmettos. inches (0.5 meters) in height.

Adapted from The Palm Reader, by Sabal minor ‘Hatteras’ Joe LeVert, Tom McClendon and Will Most trunking dwarf palmettos hail Roberds. ■ from the westernmost part of their range. This population, found on the of North Carolina, is A minor geography extremely robust and there are many lesson individuals with 4- to 5-foot (1.5 me- ter) trunks. Leaf color is a striking by Tom McClendon, powder blue. SPEPS president, Siloam, Ga. Sabal minor ‘Texas Hill Country’ A heated discussion among hardy Defying all reason, this dwarf palmet- palm enthusiasts can often be trig- to grows in a xeric habitat at an ► gered by asking how many Sabal spe- elevation of 2,000 feet with cactus and Page 8 Rhapidophyllum, Fall 2001 D I S C O V E R Y

Finding Sabal sp. Seed of Sabal sp. ’Tamaulipas’ with smaller S. minor seed, shown at about ‘Tamaulipas’ in north- one-half actual size. eastern Mexico

by Carl Max Schoenfeld, . When in cultivation, it grows a trunk much like S. minor var. louisi- owner of YuccaDo Nursery, Hempstead, Texas ana. Since most botanists “don’t do” palms, its exact taxonomic status re- While traveling in northeastern Mexi- mains a mystery. co in 1988, we noticed an isolated colony of (Texas pal- Sabal sp. ‘Tamaulipas’ metto) guarding a remote gravel road. An article in Palms, the journal of the We were driving south in what International Palm Society, identified amounted to a saddle. Over the foot- this as a disjunct population of Sabal hills to our east was the small town of minor — which it may be. But its Villa Mainero, in western Tamaulipas. leaves are larger, thicker and more To our west abruptly rose the sierra heavily costapalmate. It blooms earli- that divides the humid lowlands from er than any other Sabal species under Southeastern conditions. Its seeds are twice the side of S. minor seed, and A mature planting of Sabal sp. seedlings can grow to twice the size of ‘Tamaulipas’ at Peckerwood Gardens, S. minor seedlings in the same amount Hempstead, Texas. of time.

Sabal ‘× texensis’ The famed Brazoria palm from Texas. If it’s Sabal minor, it represents the opposite extreme of the genetic bell curve from the Blountstown variety because some individuals of Brazoria palm have trunks more than 25 feet (8 meters) in height. Researchers have proposed that this palm is a natural hybrid between S. minor and S. mexi- cana, and variations in leaf type and trunking habit support this. It seems to be a little less hardy than S. minor and needs further hardiness testing. At any rate, the Brazoria palm will be a rare and beautiful addition to your palm collection. ■ Rhapidophyllum, Fall 2001 Page 9

Sabal mexicana (Texas palmetto) guards the entrance to the unique habitat where Sabal sp. ‘Tamaulipas’ was discovered. Photo by the author. the cool and dry highlands. These ic uplift forms miniature mountains of foothills, rising to 3,000 feet, create pure shale, Dioon edule var. angustifo- the environment that starts the transi- lia (chamal) dominates. tional zone. The 7,000-foot elevation Farther on we came upon a clear of the Sierra Madre Oriental in this stream that abruptly turned and dove area guarantees the rainfall necessary east through the solid folds of rock that to achieve a unique flora. form the foothills. The trunkless palms Curiously, as we drove on we were numerous in this area and no trunk noticed that there were no smaller -forming specimens could be found. palms under the statuesque 40-foot At first, we thought the smaller trees, or along the dry stream that runs palms were seedlings of S. mexicana. up the valley from south to north. But late one summer afternoon several Continuing south, the tall S. mexi- years later we found them in seed. The cana gave way to an understory of narrow spikes held large seeds smaller, trunkless Sabal palms grow- and extended up and beyond the broad ing in the shade of 20- to 30-foot oaks, blue-green leaves. The seeds were very mostly Quercus canbyi (Canby oak) large and flat like M&M candies, but and Q. risophylla (loquat-leaved oak). were colored a rich mahogany. This area is about 1,500 feet in eleva- We went back to inspect the large tion and receives 30 to 40 inches of S. mexicana for seed and found that rain per year. In places where geolog- their old flowering branches were a ► Page 10 Rhapidophyllum, Fall 2001 many-branched panicle held within here in the deep protected canyon. the foliage. They also actually hung The limestone ridges and cliffs are below the leaf base, quite different covered with Brahea dulcis (rock from our smaller palm. Could it be a palm), while the dense forest below is different species or were they just comprised of Pinus pseudostrobus juvenile S. mexicana that were flower- (Mexican white pine), Quercus poly- ing prematurely? morpha (Monterey white oak) and We gathered seed from the trunk- Q. risophylla. All rise to 80 feet or less sabal palms and planted them. more due to the generous rainfall. They germinated quickly and we of- Driving through this lush temper- fered them in our catalogue in the fall ate forest to about 3,000 feet in eleva- of 1990 as Sabal sp. ‘Tamauli-pas,’ tion, we came upon ancient specimens collection T17-55. We affectionately of Sabal mexicana towering into the referred to our new palm as the canopy. We saw and heard pileated “Mexican minor.” (We’d previously woodpeckers in the distance. grown S. minor, which is considerably Here and there we could find slower to grow and mature than Sabal every size of S. mexicana imaginable. sp. ‘Tamaulipas.’) Some had short trunks and others had Hardiness reports later came in no trunks but they were identifiable showing that it was proving adaptable because of the size of their leaves and in Anniston, Ala., Atlanta and Augus- petiole length. ta, Ga., and Raleigh, N.C., with no After carefully looking the young damage near 0F (-18C) in Zone 7b. palms over, here and there we could Customers in reported their spot the same smaller sabal palm we'd success as well, but we are waiting to previously found to the north. Where confirm these reports. the road cut through the forest a few A few years later we found our specimens revealed an interesting way through the maze of roads that feature. Their trunk ran horizontally leads up the Rio Purificacíon into the along the ground, while similar-sized Sierra Madre Oriental, 50 miles south S. mexicana plunged their taproot of the original discovery site. This deep in the ground and grew upward. region is backed by several mountains In another area further up the reaching to over 9,000 feet, so as you road we found one of the small Sabal can imagine, the entry into this can- palms running off of a limestone yon was dramatic. bluff. It became apparent that this This area receives twice the rain- palm runs on the ground, while its fall as the northern site. Driving up relative, S. mexicana, stays put and the very steep road was further com- forms a permanent root run. plicated by small streams of water Very old specimens of Sabal sp. flowing down its gravel surface. ‘Tamaulipas’ could be traced back As you are being tossed from side over four feet of horizontal trunk to to side you catch glimpses of bright where the plant originated. These old red berries in the shade of subtropical trunks die and wear away with time shrubbery. Chamaedorea radicalis and new roots form at the crown’s makes its northernmost appearance moveable base, somewhat like the Rhapidophyllum, Fall 2001 Page 11 habit of Serenoa repens, the saw pal- metto. Despite its remote origin, the Mexican minor is here to stay. Our original plants are now seven feet tall and are producing viable seed. Though this palm’s life cycle has gone full course here in 15 years, its identity is still a mystery! ■

The most inland Sabal minor in the southeastern United States by Jeff Stevens, Apison, Tenn.

On a dreary, drizzley December day last winter, Gene Cooper, Hayes Jack- son and I explored several low-lying areas along the Coosa River in north- Three Alabama natives: Hayes eastern Alabama. Jackson and Gene Cooper with a small Sabal minor. We wanted to see for ourselves what were reported to be the South- east’s most inland native dwarf pal- not far from Alabama’s only ski re- mettos (Sabal minor). Another power- sort. (Where I understand that not ful motivation for the excursion was much skiing has taken place during recent winters.) the chance to spend the day outdoors in the rain with the temperature never Coastal Plain species such as rising above 37F (3C). swamp bayberry (Myrica heterophyl- Winter is a great time for spotting la), Carolina jessamine (Gelsem-ium evergreen plants, and we hoped that sempervirens), yaupon (Ilex vomito- the palms would be easy to pick out in ria) and large specimens of evergreen the woods. Hayes had heard of a num- sweetbay (Magnolia virginiana var. ber of sites in Etowah and Cherokee australis) are locally abundant. One Counties with native S. minor, and we local resident introduced alligators searched two of them. into Ballplay Swamp a few years ago, The upper valley of the Coosa is and they survive to this day. a like finger of the Gulf Coastal Plain The first site we searched, along pointing northeast into the lower Ap- the banks of the Coosa in Cherokee palachians about 80 miles northeast of County, turned up nothing. We drove Birmingham. The valley sits at 550 west into Ballplay Swamp, and before feet above sea level, but is literally in long, Gene spotted several small palms the shadow of Lookout Mountain, and continued on page 15 Page 12 Rhapidophyllum, Fall 2001 Possible planting in upland South Carolina

By Marc Caramuta, Waxhaw, N.C.

In the summer of 1996, six Trachy- carpus were planted in the northern Piedmont of South Carolina. The freeze of early 1996 had killed six 5-gallon T. fortunei at the same loca- tion. The new palms looked like little windmill palms for a while. Then they began to grow fast and got more ro- bust in appearance. For the past few years I’d written them off as just larg- er, stouter versions of the stiff-leaved form of T. fortunei. I recently stopped by for a look and immediately realized that they are likely T. takil. Each leaf has a distinct- petioles. ly large and twisted hastula. They’re These palms are planted on an are also very stiff and leathery and exposed hilltop and are buffeted by feel like palmetto leaves. winter winds where Agave americana I counted about 50 segments on have been killed the last two winters. one leaf. Many segments are actually Despite two winters with lows around in the twisted area of the leaf and 10F (-12C) and lots of ice last year, quite small. The picture above gives the palms still have beautiful leaves an idea of the scale of the leaves. The all the way to the ground. lower picture shows the trunk with my Though they offer every indica- 11-year-old son's hand on it for refer- tion of being true T. takil, there’s no ence. I also noticed wooly tan-colored guarantee that they’re not a hybrid tomentum on the bases of the younger that favors T. takil. But having six plants with the same characteristics, the odds are that differing hybrid characteristics would show up among the group. Expert opinion is required to determine the species with certainty. The landscaper who planted these Trachycarpus likes palms and purchased them from a nursery in the Raleigh, N.C., area that I was never able to locate. ■ Rhapidophyllum, Fall 2001 Page 13

B O O K R E V I E W collecting, confessed that while look- ing for the source of the Tennessee Journeys Through River, he was “continually in dread of stepping on snakes.” Paradise: Pioneering Some chapter titles bear familiar Naturalists in the names such as John and William Bar- Southeast tram, John James Audubon and John Muir. They left a legacy of impressive Gail Fishman. University Press of Flor- writings, paintings and conservation. ida, Gainesville, Fla. 2000. 307 pages, But one of the book’s strengths is in 23 photographs, 3 maps. 6” x 9.5”. rescuing the memory of lesser-known Publisher’s price, hardcover: $24.95. men whose contributions weren’t as “Twenty-four years after Columbus well publicized, but whose lives and bumped into the New World, Juan adventures were just as interesting. Ponce de León ground his longboats Here is André Michaux discover- against the sandy beaches of a recum- ing the bigleaf magnolia (Magnolia bent land.” Thus begins Journeys macrophylla) and dodging interna- Through Paradise, which tional intrigue, Hardy might have been subtitled, Bryan Croom finding the Time Travel Through the stinking cedar (Torreya Southeast, 1516–2000. taxifolia), and Dr. Alvan In it, author Gail W. Chapman, discoverer Fishman, an experienced of Rhododendron chap- conservationist who lives manii, trying to keep his in Tallahassee, profiles 13 balance as a Unionist men who explored the living in the South during wilderness of southeastern the Civil War. and docu- But these stories mented its natural history. are more than an enter- They wandered the taining travelogue. The new English and Spanish book’s gentle conserva- colonies, some funded by the kings of tion theme is underlined by the au- and , or later, by the thor’s account of how she personally United States. But many were on their retraced the footsteps of the men she own, traveling with little more to fuel profiles, many of whom urged the them than their curiosity and the hope protection of wild places from the be- of having their work published. ginning. Often using the explorers’ own The endless Southeastern forests, words, Fishman follows their steps once home to the ivory-billed wood- from the peaks of the southern Appa- pecker and Carolina paroquet, are lachians to the Florida Keys. One bot- gone. But recent conservation efforts anist drove hungry alligators from his would certainly cheer the early natu- camp. Another, who had earlier been ralists. To find out more about one robbed and beaten in and organization’s efforts, visit The Na- had then calmly resumed his plant ture Conservancy at www.nature.org. Page 14 Rhapidophyllum, Fall 2001 B A C K Y A R D weeks and some of our daytime highs were 10F to 15F (-12C to -9C). We had R E P O R T S four mornings that got down to 0F

(-18C). Hardy palms in south- All the leaves on the Trachycar- ern Illinois pus that weren’t covered by hay or five to six inches of snow were lost. John Abba Same story for the Sabal minor. Al- West Frankfort, Ill., Zone 6a/b most all the needle palm leaves were I live on five acres between West above the hay and snow and the Frankfort and Johnston City in south- leaves stayed green during the long ern Illinois. About 20 miles south of cold spell, but after the cold spell West Frankfort we have hills that rise some of the leaves showed half to to 1,065 feet above sea level and they three-quarters damage inward from give you a feeling that you are in the the tips of the leaflets. But most of the mountains, but my place is about 435 leaves had only some injury and all of feet above sea level. the palms are growing well now. ■ I planted my first needle palm (Rhapidophyllum hystrix) from Plant SPEPS news Delights in 1996. In 1997 I added Summer meeting report another needle palm, a dwarf palmetto continued from page 4 (Sabal minor) and three windmill palms (). In Bob and Marita Bobbick greeted 1998 I added three more needle palms their soaked visitors with towels for and in 1999 another needle, another drying off. When the rain stopped, dwarf palmetto, another windmill, two they gave a tour of their five-acre Trachycarpus takil and four S. minor palm garden and nursery, which is from McCurtain County, Okla. This protected by an open forest of sand spring I planted four more S. minor live oaks (Quercus geminata). Many from McCurtain and two more left with a carload of hard-to-find T. takil. palms. Only five of these palms are A visit to Cycad Jungle in Polk planted near the southeast side of the City, Fla., was available for those who house and porch with some wind pro- stayed through Sunday. tection. All the rest are 10 to 20 feet south and southwest of the house with Member’s activities no wind protection. The garden of Austin and Tina Each year I put up to two feet of Brown in North Augusta, Ga., was hay around each palm in late Novem- featured in the Augusta Chronicle in ber. They have all survived so far, but August. Photographs of the Browns we’ve had mild winters with short and their garden and macaw illustrat- cold spells, and lows of 0F to 10F ed the article, which was titled (-18C to -12C). “Tropical Dreams.” But this past winter it stayed be- Tony Cerbone of Dallas spoke to low freezing for three-and-a-half groups at North Haven Gardens in Rhapidophyllum, Fall 2001 Page 15

June and September about growing of any larger palms nearby, so we cold-hardy palms in the Dallas area. guessed they’d grown there from seed Everyone who attended was offered a deposited by birds. seedling of Sabal minor var. louisi- A hunter we spoke to directed us ana, the dwarf palmetto. to a trail across the road and described The Raleigh, N.C., garden of Ed some larger, fruiting palms a half- Sessoms and Bill DeMent was fea- hour’s hike away. Not far down the tured in the August issue of Carolina trail we entered an area heavily dam- Gardener. The article, called “Into the aged by a recent tornado and spent a Jungle: Bold Foliage for a Tropical lot of time climbing over toppled Look,” mentioned palms, elephant trees. We finally reached Ballplay ears, bananas, gingers and other hardy Creek, and after several hours of subtropicals, and included many pho- searching, we hiked back out, never tographs. having found the fruiting palms. Ed and Bill’s garden was also the The few dwarf palmettos by the subject of Erica Glasener’s HGTV roadside would have to do for that Gardener’s Diary in April. Those day. We hope to return again to search wishing to catch a rebroadcast of the that site and others to find the mature program should look for episode GRD plants and collect seed for propaga- 613, “Rare and Unusual Plants.” tion. But maybe on a warmer day. ■ Jeff Stevens of Apison, Tenn., introduced the Hamilton County (Tenn.) Master Gardeners to hardy Sources palms with a slide presentation featur- YuccaDo will offer Sabal sp. ing long-established palms in the ‘Tamaulipas’ in their 2002 catalog. Chattanooga and Sparta areas. A nee- They also offer a dwarf palmetto dle palm (Rhapidophyllum hystrix) was from a northeastern Mexico popula- given away as a door prize. tion, listed as Sabal aff. minor.

“The next time you want to expe- YuccaDo rience the tropics, you may want to P.O. Box 907 head to Athens, Tenn.,” began a Hempstead, TX 77445 WBIR-TV story on Will Taylor’s (979) 826-4580 garden. Will gave advice on the win- Web site: www.yuccado.com ter protection of subtropicals. The E-mail: [email protected] Knoxville station aired the story in August and displayed a print version And here’s a sources for Guihaia on its website at www.wbir.com. ■ argyrata, the Asian or Chinese needle palm, profiled in the sum- mer issue of Rhapidophyllum.

Gerry’s Jungle DISCOVERY 730 Stallsworth Road Inland Sabal minor McDonough GA 30252 continued from page 11 (770) 957-9099 in the woods along the road in Etowah Web site: www.neotropic.com County. There was no sign of seed, or E-mail: [email protected]

Angel’s trumpets (Brugmansia spp.) are loud only to the eye.

What a desolate place would be a world without ! It would be a face without a smile, a feast without welcome. Are not flowers the stars of the earth? Are not our stars the flowers of heaven?

—Clara L. Balfour, British author, 1808–1878