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statenislandpalm7a

Local Palms and Subtropicals zone 7a

statenislandpalm7a
12 years ago

I noticed a lot of palms and subtropicals in my area recently. I only took pics of the most interesting ones since some are fairly common. As I find other ones I will add to this thread. If you want to add pics of interesting plants you saw locally feel free to do so.

First up the palms

This is the biggest windmill in my area its about 5-6 feet tall. I spoke with the owner before. it was planted in 2001. It was unprotected for the last 3 winters but the brick wall helps even though its the northeast side. The palm to the right of the stairs is s needle palm no sure about how long its been there but its never protected. The cut leaf behind the begonias is a sabal minor thats actually flowering now. It is never protected but every year it gets 70% damage to the leaves. The plant at the right corner is a yucca.

Smaller windmill thats protected every year and has been there for at least a few years. There is also a less common opuntia there. This house use ton have a 10+ foot opuntia imbricta but it died during a cold winter a few years ago.

This windmill across the street from me has been there for 3 years. The owner moved so i convinced the new owners to protect it. they only put a burlap bag on it so It had some damage but it out grew it.

This windmill has been here for at least 2 years and has never been protected but it gets damage every year.

This Pindo palm has been here for at least 5 years. It gets protected every year.

Med fan palm at the same house I think its been there since last year but I dont know.

Monkey puzzle tree at the same house.

This house also has a windmill palm, some washingtonias and a yuccca rostrota that I couldnt get a picture of.

Yucca recurvefolias are so common here that nearly every hous has one but I think the best looking ones are one strait trunk that is tall. This one is the tallest one Ive seen but I cant say i like the 2 by 4 its tied to.

This one is perfect. you can't see the trunk behind the bush but its a strait trunk. The angle of this picture isnt that great but this one is about 5 feet tall.

Yucca rostrota is becoming more common but its expensive. Here is a tall one in flower.

yucca faxonica is rare around here but here is a nice one. This house also has some other yuccas and some cactus.

Long leaf pine

Southern magnolia is also becoming common here. This is one of the tallest ive seen in my are. Only one rivals this one.

Crape myrtle can occasionally be seen around here and some are tall and in flower. I found this small one interesting because it has darker leaves.

I also saw several kinds of bamboo, lots of eastern prickley pear cactus, canna, castor beans, ornamental grasses and some other yuccas.

Comments (21)

  • tropicalzone7
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Great pics! You found a ton of subtropicals! The yucca faxoniana is one of my favorites. I saw another one that was a small size nearby, but I cant remember where. A ton of Yucca rostratas are in bloom this year! I never saw so many in bloom before! I guess the ones in bloom will be branching next year. It should be interesting to see what they look like in 5 or 6 years.
    Opuntia imbricata is apparently only cold hardy to zone 8 so the fact that it got to be over 9 feet tall in a wet zone 7 is pretty impressive!
    Thanks for sharing! I know of a giant southern magonlia (its so big that its the tallest tree in its neighborhood). I also dont remember exactly where that is so Im going to have to look for it!
    -Alex

  • statenislandpalm7a
    Original Author
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Alex yeah I did notice that. There is a yucca rostrota in bloom at a diner on Richmond ave that is in bloom now. I actually like the look of an unbranched yucca because it resembles a palm more. The opuntia was planted against a south facing brick wall and it was under a roof in a raised bed. These all helped but I think it died the winter of 2009-2010 which was warm (only 14 degrees) but was rainy and had more rain then snow which made it rot.

    I found a picture of it

    I tried rooting cuttings before but I they rotted. I ordered some on ebay that I will try again.
    I know of a magnolia bigger than this one that I will try to get a picture of.

  • tropicalzone7
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks for getting the pic of that Optunia! It was definitely a pretty big plant! Rain, snow, prolonged cold, soil type, and overall cloudcover are all factors that work against cactus around here. Only eastern prickly pears seem to be very reliable around here.

  • jimhardy
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Amazing what you guys can get away with there!


  • statenislandpalm7a
    Original Author
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Jim its only a few zones warmer lol. The tropicals are scattered over the area most people have their boring arborvitaes and their boxwoods.

  • subtropix
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I LOVE boxwoods and arborvitaes!--That doesn't stop me from growing the subtropicals ( crape myrtles, M. grandifloras--half-dozen cultivars and counting, Y. rostrada, Windmills, Needles, live oak, Opuntias, Pomegranate, Rosemary, etc.) I am all inclusive in my passion for collecting. SI, love those two conifers (long leaf and Monkey Puzzle). There is a large long-leaf on my block--very healthy and big. Must have been there for decades. Why are they so seldom planted?!--They're VERY hardy locally. Monkey puzzle too is gorgeous--never see them locally but do recall seeing one in a botanical garden--forgot where. Thanks for the pics.

  • chadec7a
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Nice yuccas, the faxonianas might be strong enough to survive without damage when they get tall. I see several around here get their branches broke off. I am still amazed that you can be that far north and still grow those plants without protection.

  • statenislandpalm7a
    Original Author
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    njoasis dont be offended I meant the people who JUST have boxwoods, aborvitaes, yews, etc and no flowers other plants.

    There is a very old monkey puzzle tree in my area and I saw some at local nurseries. Araucaria is the genus. It includes monkey puzzle trees, norfolk island pines, and some less common species. I have a big norfolk Island pine that ive had for a few years. It serves as my Christmas tree in the winter. I saw some less common araucarias at my local,botanical garden.

    I haven,t seen any other long leaf pines besides that one.

  • tropicalzone7
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I did see a long leaf pine only 2 blocks from my house. It was in that spot for at least 10 years. It started as grass and then once it got about 5 feet tall, it took off. It grew so fast that the owners cut it down about 2 years ago when it was about 12 feet tall and just starting to branch (it interefered with the canopy of the large bradford pears above it and probably was in the way of the path to the persons house). I saw another right near that one just this past winter, but it was knocked down this past winter by a very heavy snow load. I think they propped it back up, but Im not sure. I'll have to check!

    -Alex

  • statenislandpalm7a
    Original Author
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Alex thats sad. If I was in their situation I would cut down the bradford pear. they should really be planted more.

  • tropicalzone7
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I would cut the bradford pear too! They should be planted much more. I would love to see them in the place of other pines. They are definitely able to survive all of our winters around here and they grow much faster than many other pines currently used. They are also very resistant to wind and fire which would could come in handy around here too!
    -Alex

  • statenislandpalm7a
    Original Author
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Chadec I think it has alot to do with my areas microclimate. Its an Island 5 miles south of manhattan. The Heat Island effect is what causes it. I found a map of NYC heat island effect on Wikipedia. Staten Island is as hot as Manhattan.

    A few miles into North New Jersey the area is much colder and becomes zone 6.

    All the unprotected palms are planted against buildings and the yuccas dont mind the cold.

    Alex

    Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:1141831}}

  • statenislandpalm7a
    Original Author
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    My message was cut off ( I closed it while posting)

    Alex I have 2 bradford pears in my front yard and 2 in my backyard. They are a poor choice. They never get tall and only get wide. They are prone too damage from snow and wind and they drop messy fruit. The only thing good I found about them is that they can take topping on a regular basis. Most trees will die from it. I chop the top of my trees every few year. They look like big ficus trees. The other thing good about them is that they keep their leaves until they get frosted . My tree still has leaves on it after all other trees dropped theirs. The builders plant them because they are the cheapest tree there is.

  • wetsuiter
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Are the "long leaf pines" loblollies by any chance?

    Crape Myrtles are every where here on the Delaware coast. My town planted them as street trees because they don't get to big to interfere with the wires. They should have noted the ancient 35' specimens across the street from me! They are also naturalizing every where.

    Some of the really old southern magnolias have their big low branches touch the ground and root.

    Nice pix.

  • Hunter_M
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I dont have a pic, but there are some yucca rostrotas in front of a mexican resteraunt in Lynchburg va. (7a)

  • mksmth zone 7a Tulsa Oklahoma
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Im surprised you dont have more crapes around there. they are everywhere here in every color. We had record cold temps and snow fall this past year and most only had a bit of top damage.

    mike

  • statenislandpalm7a
    Original Author
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Wetsuiter I'm not sure but the needles are very long. Long leaf pines start out looking like a grass and then grow into a tree

    Hunter yeah they are commonly planted at some restaurants. There is a diner in my area that has one.

    mksmth they are around here I will try to get some pics of some that are in flower now. there is a shopping plaza here that has a row of them planted along the road.

  • cfa_li
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Wow, I haven't seen such a wide variety of Yuccas in Queens/Long Island, there are trunking ones though, the non-trunking ones are literally everywhere.

    I have seen a variety of Subtropicals: Yuccas, Windmills, Bamboo, Cycads, etc. I even saw a Date Palm (small) in someone's front yard with a southern exposure, I'm sure it gets protection though. I assumed it was a CIDP but the fronds looked a bit thin. I haven't seen a Needle Palm yet.

    Nice pics, thanks for sharing!!

  • statenislandpalm7a
    Original Author
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    cfa li The yuccas are very expensive so not that many people plant them. The non trunking ones are boring except the variegated ones. Where did you see the date palm? I think it might be an annual some people buy palms every year and let them freeze every year.

  • cfa_li
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    They certainly are expensive, I was actually surprised at the prices some of them are. Some of the non trunking yuccas have naturalized and are growing near random sidewalks, I've seen this in Queens and Suffolk County.

    I don't remember exactly where I saw the Date Palm (I think Sylvestris), it was somewhere in South Jamaica (Queens) which isn't a nice place by any means. It didn't really have a trunk but the fronds were fairly large and lime green.

    I also forgot about the Crepe Myrtles, they're here too.

  • statenislandpalm7a
    Original Author
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I dont think a date palmwould survive in nyc long term even with protection. Its the opposite of the climate they like.

    I saw some naturalized yuccas along a beach on staten island.

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