Have been looking over this fellow for several weeks now, and decided to go ahead and pick one up. When I was researching from memory on-line, I couldn't remember the growth habit, and thought it may have been Cycas Rumphii, as the blade details were quite similar. Nope, it's a palm. Have been thinking about it quite a good deal lately, though, so figured I'd rescue the best they had a bloody Lowe's. Always make it a point to get by and rescue whatever I can as soon as it comes in so they don't have the chance to kill it... Now I just have no idea what the heck it is, or what it needs to thrive. The tags say it came from Costa Farms, so I went through Costa's website, and it's as useless as the tags it came with. "Palms." Not even 'assorted palms' or 'tropical palm,' and the website only shows 1 (!) palm. I was familiar with most of the listings, looked up the others I didn't know, and then spent three hours going through yahoo with every combination I could think of to pin it down. No luck, so I have to ask your help. This is a feather / pinnate palm, which at least knocks out half the options... The blades are quite a dark green with a white rachis down the middle, alternate pinnae, and (this should have pulled up a hit on-line, but it didn't) both the new growth and the trunk are red. Both the photos (I hope) will show that it's red, not dead. Why I couldn't find anything with all that info, I have't a clue, but I didn't find anything of any use. Also, the boots are covered in black scurf, if that helps. Strongly suspect it will turn out to be some Z11 monster that requires better temps that we've had in Texas since the Cretaceous, but hoping maybe it will turn out to be something I can at least keep happy in the house during the winter without having to take the roof off... Thanks very much to everyone!
Ironically enough, I'd come across that possibility last night on PACSOA, but quickly ruled out the possibility that Costa would have something from Madagascar... It is possible, of course, and the Dypsis listings are closer than anything else I've found, but Costa seems to specialise in anything that will grow quickly, sell quickly, but not die too quickly... Thanks much for your help!
Just got off the line with Costa and the fellow I spoke with is saying it's a Spindle Palm. Said to call back tomorrow, though, as he didn't know the proper name for it. We'll see!
I am both hoping and expecting that they are wrong. Hoping because I'd previously considered growing Spindle Palm, but quickly discounted it as a possibility due to the zone 10B - 11 hardiness in my zone 9, and expecting it in that the photos of Spindle seedlings I've seen are different in nearly every possible regard from what I have. I'm supposed to ring them again tomorrow, as the fellow I spoke with didn't speak much English, and hardly had a scooby what I was on about...
Sounds like a good candidate for the old Jacksonville, Florida trick of schlepping all the tender plants into the garage ahead of freezes.
