Archontophoenix cunninghamiana - King Palms

So sad to see such beautiful plants suffering..hope they survive!

Sandra:

So many of the trees look really bad from this horrible, historic extreme drought (all around California). I know they use gray water to water the plants in Balboa Park. I would think there's a lot of gray water available. I really hope we receive a lot of rain this coming rainy season! So many old trees have already died! :>((

I personally have lost several plants over the last couple of years because of the drought. More than the long 7 years drought! I think it's because we've had more very hot, dry days during winter.

We have drought where I live on Vancouver Island as well and Western cedars are suffering (but we do not have as hot summers) and get lots of water in winter. Although, the last winter was not as wet as usual for them to completely recover.
It is a nice grove of palms in your picture. Hope they will survive.

My neighbor just pretty much stopped watering his and those palms went downhill fast- His Queen palms looked pretty much the same...now I see he started watering again. His lawn is green.
He was never going to get those palms to thrive on no water. He killed three,the largest two are looking better.

I have two shoulder to shoulder..I just make them a priority being I invested a decade in the larger so far. The same for the Howea's (24 years old) who either need less or ..fake it better-lol.

Klahanie, I hope they recover too! There's already been several palms in Palm Canyon that have died...some were decades old. :>(( I'm so upset with the park horticulturists! They know which plants need water and the ones that don't need much water. I blame them! Balboa Park is the center and the jewel of the city of San Diego.

Stan:

Queen palms are pretty drought tolerant. Kings can tolerate some drought; however, they are native to rivers and rain forest. So, they suffer badly during the droughts. These looked pretty good last year. This past winter was much too warm on top of being extremely dry.

It's so sad... we've had the driest June/July on record and things were so dry up to the 10th of the month here. We have had about 30 mms. (in total over the last 7 days.) and the grass is beginning to break dormancy. My cousin lives in Prince Edward County down on Lake Ontario and they have had a worse season than we have. Lots of big cumulus clouds... zipping off to the east. The rain we've had has come from a Texas low pressure... sorry guys.

Wow! That's amazing the drought is affecting you so badly there in Canada.

I do wish we had 1.29 inches (30 mm) of rain over the last 7 days here! OMG! I would be doing a happy dance! LOL! :>)

We haven't had any rain for months. If we had any rain at least my rain barrels would get somewhat filled up (they're all empty).

We had the big thunderstorms over the desert and mountains over the last week. The monsoonal flow. It's just been bring us very hot weather. I can't wait until it cools down.

Lori,our water use was asked to be 8%. I can handle that..remove what's not wanted. Let the big tough plants handle the summer on over spray and such. Although I get grumblings on the water bill..so,yes,I watch it.

In soucal..its a 25-35% cut. I think they did drop penalty's like water cut off though this year. They do charge a higher rate if you go over still. That can hurt.

San Diego County is in the best shape, water wise than any county in Southern California. We've conserved enough to relieve the water restrictions a little. And we have the Carlsbad desalination plant producing a lot of water now. According to the city of San Diego water, we're good for three years. Hopefully, within that time San Diego County will receive some good rains (and all of Southern California).

Its been the citys that for years wanted no growth who I think are hurting most. Ironic that they are some of the most expensive countys in the state.
They held growth down by not expanding storage. Or,being the whole town and area on wells.
Its just hard to avoid drought anywhere. My yards look lush until you consider they are the size of living rooms.
As the old saying goes for that " I plant in drifts of one"..

Size of the garden makes a huge difference. The larger the garden the more water is used, of course. :>)

Yep, a long showers worth of water per day could create a moss garden if the yard is small enough. Huge yards nowadays are better off growing Agaves.

Yes, many yards here are just succulents, cacti and Euphorbia species...and of course, other drought tolerant plants. I hate to see it become all that! There's so many other beautiful tropical which can be grown here; however, until we get some real rains...it won't change. :>((

If all the water used in a house could be reclaimed for the garden it would be very different situation with lush gardens.

Just watched "The Martian"...and enjoyed his way of producing water with hydrogen and combustion...dangerous! Was thinking about a site/page on Facebook which I saw recently. It's the method used to process gray water by running it through a cattail and reed beds! I think that method of water treatment is also used at Highgrove (?), the Prince's estate. Also, the Ark Project, where they lived sealed in an environment in training for a Mars project, I think... lot's of interesting stuff out there and water is life. It's the first need and the last.

Lori,I get a glimpse into what it might be like there with theses all new shows about mini houses or the off the grid- like you it sounds- tv shows.
Sounds difficult and you really need to have an attitude of,if something is not available- just roll with it until it is.
Really those shows where say- a Far North cold, cold, climate person in a big city...moves to the sleepy tropical village and doesn't even speak the language? I wonder how many find that harder? Nothing is nearby..and how long does it wear off having 90f every day if there are no nursery's to buy plants from?- speaking in GOY.com world of course-lol.

LOL...Hit the nail on the head, Stan! I sometimes feel like the person you spoke of..."Far North, cold (squared) climate person"... I'm certain...Yes Certain, that I could not thrive in a 90 F plus climate year round. I find myself wishing for autumn after the second week of July! It's the same reason why I will never install air-conditioning. We only have 2-4 weeks of very warm temps anyway...what's the point?... we just have to tough it out and wait for autumn. I adore tropical gardens and would love to have a huge conservatory with cycads, palms, papyrus, and cannas: BUT... not going to happen, so I "roll with it". I have orchids, fuchsia, saintpaulia and begonias in pots.
Back to this reality...I'm still learning my own environs. Soon the trees will turn colour and the leaves will fall, it will be fungus time and I can rove through the bush taking pics of all the different fungi. (Have been planning a blog on fungi for years now. Maybe I'll get around to it this fall?)

Most of those people Lori are from Duluth-lol- and say "We come here to Belize on vacation and thought- why not live here?!"
Well,vacation is 7 days!..90s hot, day and night. They also buy in the jungle and its an hours drive over a rutty road to the local "city"..a few square blocks.
Oh well.

"seems like every point of refuge has it's price."
My hub and I often agree that we should have moved here twenty years ago. We'd have been better equipped to handle the demands of relative isolation, instead here we are at a point in our lives when we (for various reasons) should have quick access to health support and we're out here in the boonies - 20 plus minutes from helicopter evac. I know that my husband went along with my garden hopes when we found this property, but our oldest son said: "Mom and Dad, are you sure this is the best choice?" Anyway... we chose isolation in our own country...and it's not all it's cracked up to be but the air is fresher and the nights are dark and quiet. Great for stargazing.
My hub's family came to Canada from Trinidad and every winter he threatens to go back! LOL....then during our hot summer he complains of the heat and succumbs to heat prostration. Oh well.

Well,you knew at least what you were in for being already Canadian and used to.."it gets cold in winter".
So many of those who move to the tropics..look sunburnt.
I guess I'm just used to what I know.
But- I would admit I hate the city noise,the traffic,and I haven't seen the Milky Way since 1972 the last time I went camping as a kid..and looked up and was shocked at the stream of light from horizon to horizon.
But,like many,I need to be close to the Dr.,to the Vet,the markets,the..on and on.

umhmmm... yep. https://www.facebook.com/mooresportsphotos/videos/1249970475015628/
I was born and raised on the shores of Muskoka Lake... this was recently posted on Fb... every August the Milky Way is huge!

Oof- that was hypnotic. Took me back to Lake Comanche 1972. Its only a couple hour or three from the bay area..but that was my only Milky Way nights.