Wednesday, 27 June 2012

Chamaerops Humilis lovin' in the PNW

It's no secret that I love palm trees.  But I don't share my love for chamaerops humilis (mediterranean fan palms) nearly enough!  To tell you the truth, I think they are highly underrated especially when small.  I kind of get it, 2008 rings in the memories of almost every gardener in the PNW. Snowmagedon, the ice age, whatever you wish to call it, that winter was rough.  Many of us lost our nerve - and I'll be the first to admit, we were feeling rather confident for a while. But I think people remember the chamaerops carnage!  So I feel like I need to speak for the chamaerops - "don't ignore me!"  Well that is, don't completely ignore me.  Yes, they are less hardy than trachycarpus fortunei in the PNW but oh so wonderful.  The real problem I believe is lack of heat for them to recover from any damage in the springtime and excessive moisture.  But given the right conditions, I think they deserve another chance - especially in zone 8b/9a areas of the PNW.

Here is a chamaerops I purchased years ago at our local big box wholesaler for real cheap.  It had just a small bit of trunk on it and really robust looking.

When I bought it, I had to idea that hardiness of this palm would be questionable here.  I knew it needed full hot sun to look its best and gave it the best spot in the garden.  Sun the entire day, shelter to the east and the garden shed to the north allowing for the spot to really heat up during the day.  Fast forward a couple of years and here it is after the winter of 2008.  What you can't see is that one of the suckers died that winter.  The palm was protected by throwing a string of old school christmas lights around it and a tarp.  Viola!  (It saw around -10C (14F) a few times without protection)

And here it is today... a monster at around 6ft tall!

It now takes up the entire planting space with a few crocosmia lucifer planter near the one corner.

Best of all, check out these epic spikes that arm the entire plant! careful, they do lots of damage to the hands.  I speak from much experience.

Here's one of the suckers growing out of the side of the main trunk.


And this green form has unique silvery undersides. LOVE!  And one day soon, this guy will have a new chamaerops friend.  A small chamaerops humilis cerifera - the blue form - is on its way!  They are actually reported to be even hardier than the green kind which is always a plus.


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7 comments:

  1. Desert Dweller27 June 2012 at 12:36

    That is amazing growth...yes, viscous spines. Funny that Med Fan Palm has never been tried in Abq, at least to my knowledge. Though after last Feb's record temperatures, probably best in arid zone 8 and up. Just have to move to Las Cruces, assuming the ones there recovered!

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    1. Louis27 June 2012 at 14:21

      I'm not sure what the temps have been like in Abq the last years but from what I understand chamaerops humilis cerifera can take considerable cold given dry conditions. Could be worth a go in a sheltered microclimate. I'm not sure what growth is like in desert regions on these but I am actually pretty shocked looking back at how it has grown in the last years. Though it handles extreme heat and drought, I actually think it likes a certain amount of moisture. I've been tempted to cut back more of the fronds and really expose the trunk a bit more but I always shy away from it. I think all those lush fronds make it photosynthesize more and provide more energy for growth. I'm not sure if there would be any marked difference so I just leave it wild looking.

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  2. danger garden27 June 2012 at 22:58

    What a beautiful plant you've got!

    We bought one at Cistus our first year here in the house (2005) and it looked fabulous until (yes you guessed it) 2008. Then it went to plant heaven.

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    1. Louis28 June 2012 at 08:02

      Oh that is so very sad. I'm going to try cerifera this year. I have heard good things. The green one I do protect occasionally,
      otherwise it probly would have fallen victim to 2008 too.

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  3. Beech Street Gardens28 June 2012 at 10:05

    Louis......it is a great looking plant, you should be proud. Like I stated before I have gone thru three and it left a nasty taste on ever getting more. I would rather take my chances with Agaves! On a side note about the old school Christmas lights, I have a customer that does that with his Bougainvillaea that his grows in a pot on his patio. Great idea for tenders.

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    1. Louis28 June 2012 at 15:02

      Don't worry, agaves are epic too!!!!! Most people have been disenchanted with these palms after the 2008 and even 2009 winter for that matter. they do often come back from the ground as suckers but then you are left with the sad reality of what was your former palm tree. There are areas around our coast where they thrive with absolutely no protection. I just figure it's so easy the few times I need to provide some extra care that its worth it. I love the christmas light trick! oh I would love to grow a bougaincillaea soo much!!!

      Have you tried needle palms?! that could be a good alternative to the bushy appearance of chamaerops. Or even sabal minor? I want to get a few sabals minor one day - that is if I can ever get ahold of one.

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  4. Unknown16 February 2014 at 20:04

    Hello, quick question for those in the know. I adopted a Chamaerops Humilis today, and have it sitting in the pot in front of my place in Port Moody, south facing, ready to be permanently planted. My question is regarding the thorns. My wife really dislikes it from the start because of the thorns. Can I take the time to nick them off with an exacto? I was thinking of trying it on a couple of fronds to see how they would react.
    Has anyone tried this? I've done a lot of internet searching, bit cant find anything.

    Thanks

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