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The landscapers were out early, digging in a yard down the street. I gave the yard a brief glance on my way to work, wondering what the result woud look like. They were cultivating most of the side yard, so whatever it was would be a fairly extensive planting. I had my answer when I drove back that evening -- vines, roses, bananna plants -- and palms. I was fairly confident that most of the plants would survive, but the bananna plant and the palms didn't seem like a very logical recommendation for the northern end of Texas. Maybe the homeowner was a native Floridian who was languishing for the palms and warm beaches of home.
In this age they're a plant of the warmest areas of the globe. Around the US, they do best in Florida and the southernmost states (along the Gulf coast) and California -- Zone 8B and Zone 9A). They love lots of sunshine and a fertile, well-drained soil (though this can vary. Some species love swamps.) They're resistant to most diseases and many types of insects but are very sensitvie to cold. Palms can tolerate some cold weather, though sub-freezing temperatures that last for more than a day will kill these heat-loving plants. Part of the reason that the palm is so widely planted is tht it's a good choice to plant around pools and ponds. Unlike deciduous trees, they don't shed their leaves during winter -- and because of this they also make a good container plant Their biggest drawback as a landscape plant is that they have shallow roots and don't stand up well to windstorms. This is sadly evident after tropical storms and hurricanes, when you'll see palms down in many places though other trees are still standing. And the neighborhood palms? Unfortunatly, the north end of Texas isn't a good place for palms. They and the banana tree were replaced by something a bit hardier -- crape myrtles. Worldwide palm tree resources http://members.aol.com/palms97/ptrw/inde... Nursery that specializes in palms (with good care and planting tips) http://www.palmgrower.com/ Go To Page: 1 2 |
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