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Yeah, Houston has a large international feel to it. Like I rarely ever do feel like I'm actually in Texas- except the month when the rodeo comes to the Reliant Stadium... that's about the only time I actually feel like I'm in Texas.
Otherwise it feels like a bit of every culture represented there, on the Gulf Coast. There are small areas on the East Side where it feels surely Southern, but those are minor areas. North Houston, South Houston, West Houston and Core Houston all have different vibes from each other. All come together for a pretty international feel.
I guess it's the palm trees that make Houston feel different, but there starting to plant palms all over Austin, and SA has quite a few.
Location: Austin, TX/Chicago, IL/Houston, TX/Washington, DC
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Quote:
Originally Posted by polo89
I guess it's the palm trees that make Houston feel different, but there starting to plant palms all over Austin, and SA has quite a few.
Doesn't feel the same when the cities are far off from the coast like those two are.
I think it's actually the level of diversity more than the plants and landscapes though. It's the most diverse metropolitan area in Texas. (DFW is not a slouch though)
I guess it's the palm trees that make Houston feel different, but there starting to plant palms all over Austin, and SA has quite a few.
Seriously? That's too far inland. I mean it really takes away the "allure" of the palm tree, then it'll get cold and they'll probably die and have to be cut down.
Seriously? That's too far inland. I mean it really takes away the "allure" of the palm tree, then it'll get cold and they'll probably die and have to be cut down.
There are several varieties of cold hardy palms that will survive further inland Texas winters. Some even down to 15 degrees. The Texas Sabal Palm & Dwarf Palmettos are native to Eastern/Southeastern Texas.
I do however think Dallas is a little too far north to be planting palm trees & with the prairie like landscape they look terribly out of place.
Austin & San Antonio are close enough to the coast & Mexico where they don't look half bad.
Dwarf Palmettos grow naturally in the Piney Woods & marsh lands of East/Southeast Texas. They look like a large clumps of palm frond poking up out of the ground 3 feet high & have no distinguishable trunks which actually grow underground. I'm growing one right now in our backyard flowerbed by the swimming pool.
I know that the dwarf species and maybe even some taller ones grow inland, but personally I don't like to see them (cabbage, date, royal, queen, fan, washington?) north of the I-10/I-12 corridor. In my mind it looks out of place.
There are several varieties of cold hardy palms that will survive further inland Texas winters. Some even down to 15 degrees. The Texas Sabal Palm & Dwarf Palmettos are native to Eastern/Southeastern Texas.
I do however think Dallas is a little too far north to be planting palm trees & with the prairie like landscape they look terribly out of place.
Austin & San Antonio are close enough to the coast & Mexico where they don't look half bad.
They can survive Austin and SA. I think Dallas is the only city that might have REAL trouble with palms. But at the same time, there are cold hardy palms. I don't think they look out of place in Austin or SA like Metro Matt said. It depends WHAT type of palms they are. I think the Washington California type palms look good in Austin and SA among the hills.
I don't think they look out of place in Austin or SA like Metro Matt said. It depends WHAT type of palms they are. I think the Washington California type palms look good in Austin and SA among the hills.
Few people will probably make the distinction between a cold hardiness palm and a large shrub so they don't really stand out. It just annoys me to see large coastal/tropical plants all over the place 100 miles in-land. The few that are north of BW8 look displaced to me.
Let's plant Live Oaks and Lobollies all over Phoenix and Vegas. Hell, put Washigtonia filifera along the Atlanta freeways and hills. We can start building cali contemporary in the piedmont too.
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