So let’s use this blog post here to create the most amazing palm tree in the world. Where do we start? I would imagine with size. I say bigger is better, so we’ll want a thick trunk on a tall palm. The leaves should be long and plumose for that bushy look, right? Maybe add…
Brahea decumbens and Brahea dulcis growing on a gypsum outcrop in Nuevo León, Mexico
The gypsum outcrops that are found around the state of Nuevo León in Mexico are famous for the many unique plants which are endemic to them. Gypsum soils occupy large areas of Nuevo León and host a lot of biological diversity. It seems that each year some new species is being described that can only be found on these gypsum…
Hiking Palm Canyon in the Anza-Borrego Desert to see the Washingtonia filifera oasis
After a great day exploring the Anza-Borrego Desert wildflower super bloom, I decided to head back out to Borrego Springs a week later to hike Palm Canyon to see the Washingtonia filifera oasis. To enjoy Anza-Borrego’s most famous hike, it needs to happen in the spring before it gets too hot. The weather worked in my favor…
Maintaining a palm garden is not for the faint of heart
I love plants. After all, I am “married” to them. Hopefully without the other plant groups getting wind of this, I must confess that palm trees are my true love. I lost count some time ago, but if I were to guess, I would say a safe estimate is that I have over 150 different types…
Ravenea glauca: A tale of two habitat locations
For palm collectors in California and other Mediterranean climates, Ravenea glauca has become a very popular palm tree over the last two decades. Some of the reasons for the popularity of Ravenea glauca stems from its overall hardiness in terms of cold tolerance, pest resistance and its ability to grow in many types of soil. Not only does it do well…
Palm tree growing tips: Stuewe and Sons Treepots
This is the second post of an ongoing blog series on Married to Plants about palm tree growing tips. The first post was about palm tree mounding. This post is on the exceptional Stuewe and Sons treepots and the benefits of using their containers with palm cultivation. Because your choice of container is one of the…
Palm Tree Spotlight: Dypsis ‘Black Stem’
Every so often a palm tree makes its way into cultivation and becomes the desire of all collectors. Sometimes this desire puts pressure on wild populations, like what happened with the Foxtail Palm (Wodyetia bifurcata). Poachers eventually led to Australia banning seed export of Wodyetia bifurcata. Luckily the palms grew pretty fast in cultivation and set copious amounts of…
The largest inflorescence found in the world
So if I were to ask you to guess what plant has the largest inflorescence in the world, what would you say? “Whats an inflorescence?” OK, that’s just a scientific term for a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem. Basically the stalk of the plant that is holding all those flower clusters you see on your day lilies, hydrangeas, sweet…