Established Queen Palm In Christchurch, New Zealand!
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gezzachc
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Established Queen Palm In Christchurch, New Zealand!
Hello all, I'm new to this forum but have often looked it up for advice etc.
I'm in Christchurch at 43 degrees south - you've probably seen our climate from others on the forum, but basically we are a US climate zone 9a, temperate oceanic climate. There are many unique facets to our climate e.g. we have snowfall on average every 2-3 years, however this is brief and only sticks around for a day or so. We have mild summers accompanied by the 'Fohn' or norwesterly wind where temps can often reach late 20's and early 30's (82 - 94F). Just as common is a cold snap where wind and rain come up from Antarctica - this can come any time of year.
Reason I'm posting this, is that previously I thought it was impossible to grow a decent Queen Palm Syagrus Romanzoffiana in Christchurch due to our lack of consistent summer heat, and number of frosts (roughly 40-60 frosts per year). I have seen one large (18-20ft) specimen growing nicely in a coastal suburb. However recently I spotted one on my usual route to work - about 8km inland from the coast, in the city! See pic below. As a result I have decided to plant a good sized one in a sheltered spot in my garden. I have often wanted one or two as I am landscaping it with several washingtonia robustas as well ( I have a Mediterranean / SoCal type house)
I've done a tonne of research and talked to plenty of nurseries and palm experts here and overseas and they reckon I'll have no problem getting some decent growth out of this. Let's hope all goes well!
This is the one I spotted in someone's backyard, and asked for permission to take a couple of pics.
It is trunking nicely and I imagine if they pulled off some of the lower husks there would be a tidy lined trunk starting to form.
Below is the one I have planted in my own back yard. I have planted it in a pretty sheltered spot, although it does miss a bit of midday sun due to the olive trees, it should be much more sheltered from frost. I'm going to plant another at the front, exposed / in full sun, in spring.
And view from my balcony
And my little Washingtonia Robustas - planted these in November and have settled in well, grown about 5-6 fronds each since planting.
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Thu Apr 06, 2017 10:24 pm |
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Stan
Joined: Wed Oct 31, 2007 5:52 pm Posts: 10687 Location: Hayward- S.F. Bay area Ca.
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Re: Established Queen Palm In Christchurch, New Zealand!
Welcome! There are no large Queen palms in Christchurch? You have warm enough summers. San Francisco has tall Queen palms. The best cared for look fine. Christchurchians may think they have cool summers,but they are warmer then that California City. Here,they can grow well into the central valley where winters are every year 9b with frequent dips into the mid 20f's F. They love water. The ones with the most water grow the fastest with thicker crown of fronds..bad care..reverses all that. Beautiful home.
Last edited by Stan on Fri Apr 07, 2017 1:21 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Fri Apr 07, 2017 12:42 am |
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gezzachc
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Re: Established Queen Palm In Christchurch, New Zealand!
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Fri Apr 07, 2017 1:07 am |
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Stan
Joined: Wed Oct 31, 2007 5:52 pm Posts: 10687 Location: Hayward- S.F. Bay area Ca.
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Re: Established Queen Palm In Christchurch, New Zealand!
I think enough GW and the new found huge production of these palms should make your area a great spot. I had to think back to the early 90's here in the bay area. Queen palms were here and there..a little hard to find. Now? They are everywhere and even small homes plant multiples. Another palm like that is the dwarf Phoenix roebellini. I remember that last palm was once said to be only hardy to "mildest southern California coastal climates". Its grown in all low elevation California now. I do see a bit of winter burn in colder..9b climates. But they recover.
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Fri Apr 07, 2017 1:25 am |
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David Matzdorf
Site Admin
Joined: Mon Oct 29, 2007 4:06 pm Posts: 5321 Location: Islington, London UK
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Re: Established Queen Palm In Christchurch, New Zealand!
I've grown a Syagrus from seed over the past eight years. It's in a large pot. After all this time, it finally ventured into producing one frond that showed signs of being pinnate last summer, after years of 1m-long entire fronds. It has a small trunk-ette.
I left it outdoors for most of last winter. It's alive, but -2ºC does not please it. Most of the older growth is brown, but the growing point is OK.
The main problem in London - and I suspect in Christchurch - is an inadequate number of warm days during the growing season. I've read that this sp. will not grow at temperatures lower than 22ºC. That's plainly not so: mine grows slowly whenever it goes above 18ºC for any sustained period. But it's not going to make a tree like Gezza's at that rate, never mind a proper tall tree such as Stan can produce.
It's a nice experiment, but I don't think it's an ideal Palm for a cool-summer climate.
_________________ 51º33'07"N x 0º07'21"W
43m (142 feet) ASL
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Fri Apr 07, 2017 1:26 am |
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gezzachc
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Re: Established Queen Palm In Christchurch, New Zealand!
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Fri Apr 07, 2017 3:08 am |
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hilts
Joined: Fri Nov 23, 2007 7:30 pm Posts: 2269 Location: Devon, South Coast UK
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Re: Established Queen Palm In Christchurch, New Zealand!
Warm summer days are generally not the telling point of whether it will do well as is the case for most borderline tropcials, its the consistant cold nights and long winter and spring that dictates how well it will do. But if you've got a few big mature specimens around town the it will probably be ok, after about 30 years of slow growth!
Chris
_________________ If he paid me what it's costing him to stop me robbing him, I'd stop robbing him
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Fri Apr 07, 2017 10:47 am |
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Stan
Joined: Wed Oct 31, 2007 5:52 pm Posts: 10687 Location: Hayward- S.F. Bay area Ca.
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Re: Established Queen Palm In Christchurch, New Zealand!
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Fri Apr 07, 2017 6:30 pm |
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gezzachc
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Re: Established Queen Palm In Christchurch, New Zealand!
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Sat Apr 08, 2017 7:38 am |
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Paul Spracklin
Joined: Tue May 05, 2009 3:55 pm Posts: 2564 Location: North Thames delta UK
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Re: Established Queen Palm In Christchurch, New Zealand!
There seem to be a number of plants that we in the UK put down as being 'heat loving' that thrive in parts of New Zealand that don't get particularly hot. Which nicely demonstrates that summer heat is only one part of what is a complex equation.
I am slowly but surely growing on a Paraná Queen Palm grown from one of Alberto's seeds from way back. Which reminds me I must pot it on soon. One day, when it is too big to shift around, I will plant it out and test the theory that these need less warmth.
_________________ visit my website - www.oasisdesigns.co.uk
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Sat Apr 08, 2017 7:53 am |
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Stan
Joined: Wed Oct 31, 2007 5:52 pm Posts: 10687 Location: Hayward- S.F. Bay area Ca.
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Re: Established Queen Palm In Christchurch, New Zealand!
What is the Yucca (?) in that first photo. I like it trunks without being huge.
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Thu Apr 13, 2017 7:20 pm |
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Thuur
Joined: Sun Aug 28, 2011 3:57 pm Posts: 301 Location: Stonemountains
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Re: Established Queen Palm In Christchurch, New Zealand!
Nice palm and house gezzachc! Keep us updated over time. This is what Growing on the Edge is all about, testing plants to their limits and sometimes proving the established thought that plants can't grow in certain areas wrong.
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Fri Apr 14, 2017 1:02 pm |
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gezzachc
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Re: Established Queen Palm In Christchurch, New Zealand!
I went to a palm nursery in Auckland last week (Danny's Palms) - the guy there informed me that he spent half his life in Christchurch and that Queen Palms would be fine there, they regularly send large 3-4 meter high specimens down and they seem to have no problem.
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Mon Apr 17, 2017 8:30 pm |
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Stan
Joined: Wed Oct 31, 2007 5:52 pm Posts: 10687 Location: Hayward- S.F. Bay area Ca.
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Re: Established Queen Palm In Christchurch, New Zealand!
I wouldn't doubt these would grow fine in Christchurch.
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Wed Apr 19, 2017 12:37 am |
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davidmdzn7
Joined: Tue Jun 14, 2011 12:01 pm Posts: 412 Location: Maryland, USA
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Re: Established Queen Palm In Christchurch, New Zealand!
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Fri Apr 21, 2017 6:52 pm |
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