Australian Tree ferns.

I love these but so expensive here to buy they are gorgeous Stan

I lived in Auckland, NZ for a couple of years, and there was an entire forest of tree ferns that was better than a forest of trees. That was 50 years ago, and I still remember it as one of the best things I saw in NZ.

In our climate,all of them depend on hose water. I would also guess that these two are close to 30 years old. They are about as tall as I've seen in the bay area. The best tree fern for us as you can see..they take full sun fine,and handle being on less water better than any other tree fern species. The Dicksonia with them as you can see is struggling by comparison on the same amount of water.

They look terrific! The ones in Golden Gate Park are giants. Some are more than 50' tall from what I remember.

I just got home from the SF Bay Area yesterday. I discovered a large Plumeria tree in the ground in San Jose. I will post the pic soon. I couldn't believe how healthy it was growing in its south-facing spot.

The tree fern dell in San Francisco have huge Dicksonia tree ferns..but they get unlimited watering and in the cool humid SF climate. Australian tree ferns like these survive much less care..are better for beginners.
Andy I took photos of a home that had a 10' variegated Ficus benjamina..first I've ever seen in the bay area. Normal green are also starting to show more and more and large enough to be small trees...nothing huge ...yet!

I saw large Ficus benjamina growing in San Jose. I couldn't believe the amount of mango trees in the ground there. I saw 4 largish mango trees in the ground. One was in a neighbor's back yard close to where I was staying in San Jose. It looks excellent! I will have to make another trip in late summer to take photos.

I saw giant 50' plus Ficus eleastica 'Decora' growing in the Oakland Hills where my friend lives. I couldn't believe my eyes!

My friend did say it got down to 25 degrees in the December 1990 freeze. However, he had very little damage on his tropical plants. Very lucky!

I saw tons of very tall King palms growing in San Jose. They're everywhere along with Phoenix roebelenii. Downtown Los Gatos has so many I thought I was back in San Diego! LOL!

Absolutely beautiful specimens there, Stan! I’ll never see my two New Zealand tree ferns reach this height, sadly. It’ll take eons! Very impressive to see these, lovely!

Kate,you just enjoy them as is. I know many plants I happily posted years ago? Were so much smaller,but so what?! No guarantees on the future,just look a little closer at your plants-lol I do that all the time.
Andy,somebody has posted of seeing Royal Palms in San Jose. I believe it. Why not?

Thank you Stan, I will take your advice. They are lovely, even in the Yorkshire rain today!

Stan,

I know there are Palm Society members growing them in San Francisco Bay Area. I think Jim in Los Altos, on the Palm Site has been growing them there for years. I believe they're Roystonea boriquena, altissima and regia. He has beautiful Licuala, also! That's even more impressive!

He never posts photos of them. One from many years ago and that one died..but the others never here about lately.

Actually, I did see photos of the palms on Palmtalk. They looked really healthy. I haven't been on that website for a very long time, though.

I saw a photo..but that was years ago. It wasn't in full sun and those palms here need dawn to dusk sun. There is one in hot Livermore.but he covers it and heats it. I asked 2 years ago if it was alive and he said yes- now it's trunking.
Right about now,I'm more in the experimental small tropicals. No room for big plants anymore.

I do remember it wasn't in full, hot sun. They do need heat and sun. It's very interesting how people now go through such lengths to keep their tropicals alive in cold weather.

He has some rare plants for the bay area. Including Poinciana and Liculia palms. Both in ground. I guess he heats them until the end of frost season- last month for Livermore and then they love the heat of Livermore in summer.
I'm down to slowly removing a hedge plant one by one as I fill in with what I have. So far,half a single hedge plant...but I tell you,it can look ugly for awhile to cut into a hedge plant like that. No choice unless I never plant again.

Yes. I do remember his Licuala peltata 'Sumawongii'. They looked excellent in the ground. I don't ever remember seeing a Poinciana, though.

Poinciana and Royal Palm.
Did you see my post of a D.lutescens growing in Fremont? That photo is about 14 years old now.

No, I didn't. I haven't been on Cloud Forest for many years.

I posted here on GOY. No reason not to think its still alive 14 years or so later.