u r97s\ SHOEMAKER: SOUTH CAROLINA PALMS I47 South Carolina Palms Ar-aN H. SnoBNr,s"KPn Colutnbia Zoological Park, Coil'umbia, South Carolina 29202

Successful palm introduction to an not ordinarily utilized or sold within area experiencingminimum Zone B tem- the state are beginning to stand out as peraturesis currently being investigated suitable for centrsl and coastal South by several institutions and Palm Soci- Carolina,-at least in protectedlocations. ety members. Sabal palmetto is native to South Carolina and is the state tree but Columbiq Pqlms when sold for landscaping,specimens of While palms are becoming more com- this speciesare usually dug from wild mon within Columbia and central South stands as it grows too slowly for artifi- Carolina, the variety planted has been cial propagation. Trachycarpus grows very limited-Sabal minor, Sabal pal- well throughout the state and further metto, Trachycarpusfortunei, and Butia north, but is also exasperatingly slow. capitata. All of these easily withstood Rhapid,ophyllum hystrix and Sabal mi- record lows o{ 6o F and heavy snow in nor are easily able to withstand Zone 7 1972, the larger individuals completely temperatureto 0o F or below (Popenoe, unaffected. 1973). but the absenceof a trunk re- In 1972, the Columbia Zoological duces their desirability as street - Park, looking for new to the ings or major landscaping subjects. area, reoeivedspecimens, many 4-6 feet Cole (1973) records the survival o{ high, of Phoenix reclinata, Liuistona other Sabal species, lubaea chilensis, chinewis, and Washingtonia robusta. and Washingtonia lililera in Tennessee These were subjected to snow, during extremely cold winters with tem- sleet, and temperatures to 6o F in the peraturesmucli lower than South Caro- winter of 1972-73. Some of the plants lina experiences, but his method of had not been set out and were still in protection is not practical for larger containers or ball and burlap; most specimensand street plantings. plants were completely defoliated but Many palms are described as suitable began producing new growth by late Ior Zone 8 but experience by the Colum- spring. Large Washingtonia'robusta]n bia Zoological Park and Palm Society 30-gallon containers fared much better. members has not borne this out. Wash- Not only was the defoliation less severe ingtonia robusta, Phoenix roebelenii, and but new growth was initiated much ear- Lioistona chinensis,for instance,are de- lier and completedby midsummer' The scribed by some Florida and California protection afforded the robts probably nurseries as viable in Zone B and there- had much to do with the renewedvigor {ore able to withstand 10-20" F. Most and hardiness of these plants since the o{ thesehowever have been found to be ball and burlaped specimens were only damaged immediately by temperatures 10 percentrecovered by late spring. The below 20o F. Low humidity in Cali{or- weatherconditions mentionedabove are, nia may increasetolerance to low tem- fortunately, in the extreme, never having peraturesbut probably not much below occurred previously in the history o{ 20' F. After two winters, one exiremely the area; temperaturesnormally do not mild, one average, and the other very go below I8o F. cold and snow-filled, selected species T(Iinter conditions in 1973-74 and r4& PRINCIPES tVol. 19

2. Liuistona sp., planted in elevated windy cold exposure, was virtually undamaged after 17" F winter lows. Palm in back is Trachy- l. Washingtonia robusta in outside exhibit carpus lorlunei. of birdhouse at Columbia Zoological Park. After one winter and exposure to wind and chinensiswould require a shelteredloca- cold, this species {ared quite well. tion or mechanical protection when grown in the Columbia area. The Sabal (typical), 1974-75 were much milder varietiesmentioned above were obtained periods with no snow and cold in both from Palm Society members or grown winters going below lB' F. In addition {rom SeedBank seed and were not nu- previously to the species mentioned merous enough for area marketing. The (Fig. I and Fig. 2), other specieswere same is true of purposeful hybrids. addedto the Park's collection or that of the writer: ChqrlestonPqlms Washingtqria Iubaea chil- lilifera, The coastal city of Charleston (Zone ernis, Brahect armd,ta) Brahea edulis, 9) is warmer than Columbia and in ad- Cham,aeropshumilis, Chamaedorea mi- dition is favored by the Gulf Stream. crospadix, Trachycarpus wagnerianus The lowest recorded temperature in 25 (identified by Myron Kimnach) Liai- , years is 14" F and many species o{ stond austr&Iis, Phoenix canariensisx palms not seen in Columbia, 100 miles Phoenix syluestris, Butia capitata X away, are over 30 feet tall in Charleston. Arecastrum rornanzoft'ianum,Sabal tex- These species-Phoenix canariensis, P. ana, Sabal etonia, Sabal causiarum, Sa- d,actylifera, Liuistona chinensis, Cha- bal domingensis. trlderops humilis, and both species of These speciessuf{ered little or no dam- Washingtonia-are often very old, being age when subjected to minimum tem- present in photographs which date to peratures of lBo F. Unfortunately, 1935. In searching for new, cold-hardy many of these species, Braheo spp., species(Terrell and Del Porto, personal Washingtonin lililera, and Jubaea chil- communication) additional exotic spe- ensis, are unobtainable from Florida cies to those tried in Columbia were nurseries and must be shipped from tried through two winters. These were: California. Washingtonia robusta, the , Trithrinax acanth- only Washingtonia readily available ocotna) Phoenix syluestris, Acoelorr- from Florida nurseries, suffered slight haphe wrightii, Rhapis sp., Arengia en- tipburn and together with Liaistona gleri, corona'ta, Arikuryroba r9751 PALM BRIEFS t49 schizophylla, Arecastrum romanzolfia- additional speciessoon to be available num, Phoenix sylaestris, Phoenix sp., from seedlings still in greenhouseswill Phoenix rupicola, Phoenix reclinnta,. be reportedon later. Admittedly, many of the above additions have not been exposedto unduly severe Conclusion conditions such as temperaturesbelow Cold-hardy species are being tested 20' F. Rhapi"s sp., Syagrus coronata, for South Carolina. While the potential Phoenix syluestris,and others were ex- variety is greaterofor Charleston (Zone posed to 14" F while covered with five 9) than Columbia (Zone B), the use of inches of snow and survived, quickly hybrids and deserl or wesLern species, recovering during the spring (1973). in conjunction with mechanical protec- Although many o{ these species would tion, could add new promise to the small never be suitable in unprotected loca- list of palms grown within the state. tions, many old homes of this city have Lrrrne:runs Crrrn great enclosed courtyards which o{{er a Cor-r, Cnenr.ns C. 1973 in Smith. Palmo- deal of protection from wind, snow, and logue. Principes17 : 21. severe freezes,thus protecting some o{ McCunnrcn, Jeuns C. 1960. Palms of the the borderline species for the palmo- World. Harper & Brothers, New York. phile. Future winter testing will un- 290pp. Pornror, Jonx. 1973. The hardiestpalms. doubtedly add new insight into their Fairchild Tropical Garden Bulletin 28 suitability for different locations, and (2): I1-14. PALM BRIEFS The palm is known in the plant trade as "Neanthe bella"" a name that has no Commerciql Use of scientific standing. It has character Chqmqedored elegqns from the first leaf which makes it so A Florida n-urseryman,Roger Nason desirable as a small house plant. The of Delray Beach, is credited with de- best strain of seedhas a broad leaf. The veloping the use o{ the palm Chamae- seed is collected by Indians from the dorea elegansas a house plant. The first wild, but as of 1975 about 15 percent commercialproduction of theseplants in of the crop will be from cultivated pots took place in 1945 when Nason ob- mother plants. It takes abouf,four years tained 25 pounds of seed from Mexico. for a stockplant to produceseed. Three years later the sale of seed to the There is currently no shortage of world horticultural trade amounted to seed, and the quantity shipped next 100 pounds, and its use spread to Eu- year will undoubtedly go to 40 tons. rope and the Far East. The only limiting factors in seed pro- The source of seed is still primarily duction are insufficient rain to permit Mexico, where last year 70,000 pounds plants to set seed or dry winds that o{ seed were shipped to nurserymen all tend to make the mother plant drop the over the world. There are about 2,000 the seedsbefore maturity. seed per pound with germination ap- Natives of Mexico are now growing proximately 60 percent. This means seed plants, but 90 percent of the world- that last year approximately 84,000,000 wide sales are handled bv L. E. Guerra palm seedlings were produced. Mexico of Mission, Texas. Guerra is an Ameri- is the only good source of seed, al- can citizen of Mexican origin and is "Iather" though small quantities are shipped considered to be the of the from Guatemala. trade in o'Neanthebella" palm.