Various Palms in San Diego, CA

Palm heaven !! Is the bluey one the Mexican because that is what they seam to be called over here

Mushybanna:

The blue/silver palm is a Bismarckia nobilis - Bismarck Palm native to Madagascar. You are thinking of probably Brahea armata - Mexican Blue Palm which is very commonly grown here...which doesn't have as large of fronds as Bismarck Palms. The fronds on Bismark Palms are absolutely massive!

wow...i love the blue one. i wounder if it would survive over here......what do you think Delonix? you know soo much about them..;-))

Sandra:

Bismarck palm is tropical being native to the tropical
dry savannah of Madagascar. They also are very
difficult to grow as a potted tree because they have a very long tap root which likes to go down at least 10 feet. They also need a lot of heat to grow well.

maybe ill just have to look at it in your pictures....i have a couple of pheonix palms and some fan shaped green ones that seem to like it here so ill just have to settle for these...

Sandra:

Phoenix species and Washingtonia or Trachycarpus palms make good potted plants.

I just look and enjoy Bismarckia nobilis - Bismarck Palms also...they grow so huge and need so much room I don't have one either. : > )

the Bismarckia palm is so majestic.

my palms are in the ground. i see the odd pheonix flowering around here. i grew the fan palms from seed my mother brought home from spain with her.

Sandra:

Yes, it is a very majestic palm. It is a very popular palm here in Southern California since its introduction about 30 years or so ago. It was thought not to grow here at one time...however, it loves the climate of Southern California...and grows pretty quickly with good care. It is also very drought tolerant which is why it's so popular.