A special thanks to Island Weaver for allowing a quick garden tour today on Salt Spring Island. Banana Joe an I where able to view this well tended garden with plenty of things to keep most gardeners happy (and busy!). Joe and I managed a few other spots on Salt Spring Island, proving it's many locations are a solid zone 9 and the Tropic of Canada. Cheers, LPN (Barrie)
Junglekeeper ... yes it's a Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) and was photographed at Islandweavers garden. I heard it said they will bear fruit although not reliably here. It's rumored to be fall flowering and much depends on the severity of winter. Cheers, LPN.
I remembered reports of it not flowering in Vancouver (zone 8) and wondered if zone 9 would make much difference. It must be a truly tropical species then.
Yes, that's my Loquat. I've had it perhaps three and a half years. It hasn't bloomed yet but I have pruned it hard to keep the bottom quite bare for other exotics and lilles that grow under it. The only problem I have with it is black spot (its related to roses) but that is mainly in late winter, just before the new leaves come out. As the new ones replace the old, I collect the old ones as they fall and burn them. I see there is a new product called Messenger available in the US which might solve that problem if it eventually is available in Canada. I'll let you know if it blooms/fruits. It certainly is tough as I've never had even a touch of damage from our winters. But it may need more sun than I can give it to bloom. I also have a pineapple guava (Feijoa sellowiana) which hasn't bloomed yet either. It's about the same age. I enjoyed Barrie (Las Palmas Norte) and Banana Joe's visit and was delighted that they were able to give me an identification of a couple of seedling palms I had grown from seeds picked up in Florida. Apparently they are probably saw palmettos. They're hardy here so far. Thank you. Diane
That first one looks like Paja Toquilla (Carludovica palmata) - how are you keeping it alive outdoors in BC? This is of interest to me, since I'm about to embark on growing them in Quito, and I thought we might get too cold for it. About your loquat - it might want the following to fruit (these are the conditions for loquats down here, which fruit abundantly in the dry season) three to five months of fairly heavy rain, followed by two months about 12 hours of punishing sun, followed by gentle periodic rain. Not sure if you've got that on Salt Spring. Your guava may never bloom for you unless you can simultnaneously bake and water-starve it; at least that's how it works with Psidium guajava, a near relative.
lorax, "That first one looks like Paja Toquilla (Carludovica palmata)" It's actually Trachycarpus fortunei grown in mostly shade. This condition produces a leggier look with long petioles. Cheers, Barrie (LPN).
Very nice garden.... I wish I could leave my stuff outside like that. What is the tall feather palm in the fourth picture? Does is need winter protection?
Barrie's right, it is a trachy that gets only about a half day of sun. The same holds true for the loquat. So punishing sun just ain't going to happen. I can give it four months of heavy rain, two months of gentle rain, four months of gentle sun, then two more of gentle rain. A hot day in my little micro-climate would be 30 degrees C. The coldest I've seen here -5 C. The average summer day is about 22 - 25 C, the average winter day 4 - 10 C. Maybe I'll be luckier with this one. It gets lots of sun during the summer and is in a very dry area. I worried that I wasn't giving it enough water in the summer. But I realize now that it does have the bluish fuzzy leaves that I usually associate with drought resistance. Thanks for your advice. Diane
sudbury, The pinnate palm you inquire about is Butia capitata (Pindo palm). This and any other palms at this location have never been protected and would likely never need it. At my place I'm at 325' elev. and all I've ever done is tuck some dry bularp into the crown growth point on the few cold nights. A little bit of insulaton that protects the most vulnerable point, and is removed when the cold breaks. Cheers, LPN.
Extremely drought resistant, actually. They're a reclamation plant for the arid biomes here, where little else will grow. I've had great success growing guava as xeriscape plants; for me, this means I never water them. I get several kilos of guavas off two bushes, each year.
The butia looks great. Portland has quite a large old loquat, so the prospects for the youngster would seem excellent. I never checked the Portland tree for fruit.
Loquat are as tough as nails here. One problem that can happen are wet snow loads and limbs breaking. Shaping when young helps build a stronger tree. Cheers, LPN.
Tough as nails for vegetative growth, yes, but do they get the summer heat they need for fruit maturation? That's what Junglekeeper was asking. They certainly don't in Britain's oceanic climate, despite being winter-hardy.
