What is the tallest palm tree in San Antonio? (Austin: houses, neighborhood)

[Aiphanes]

I have seen some on the south side...that seem close to 60 feet tall...they were mexican fan palms...and they survived the freezes of 1983, 87 and 89..

What is the tallest palm tree in SA that you have seen? Take a picture and post it in this thread...

[Montirob]

If they survived the freezes, chances are they are probably "California Fan Palms" instead. They look the same as the Mexican palms, but they have a thicker trunk (about 24" diameter vs 12").

Oh... and a pic of some palms in my neighborhood of Monticello Park. Photo is looking down Mary Louise Drive where it is a tradition to have palms alongside the street.

[Aiphanes]

Originally Posted by Montirob

If they survived the freezes, chances are they are probably "California Fan Palms" instead. They look the same as the Mexican palms, but they have a thicker trunk (about 24" diameter vs 12").

Oh... and a pic of some palms in my neighborhood of Monticello Park. Photo is looking down Mary Louise Drive where it is a tradition to have palms alongside the street.

In that pic on the right it is a mexican fan palm or a hybrid of mexican and california fan....but the first palm on the left is a california fan palm because it has a thicker trunk.

There are tall mexican fan palms in San Antonio that survived the 0 degree freezes back in the 80s...but these are probably hybrids...they have to have survived since they are over 60 feet tall.

[Aiphanes]

A lot of people say mexican fan palms are not hardy in San Antonio...this is not the case...sure if we got a freeze as bad as the ones in the 80s...they would probably die..but the chances of that happening are slim to non. We will probably never see those types of freezes in our lifetimes. The lowest I have ever seen it in SA since i moved here in 1993 is 17 degrees. 17 degrees will not even kill a mature Queen Palm in SA...which is another palm that will survive and now thriving in San Antonio.

Also citrus will thrive in San Antonio, grapefruit, lime, orange, and tangerine will all grow here, especially if you get the stock grown in the lower rio grande valley. All the stuff grown down there survived 17 degrees or slightly lower back in the 80s...

There are citrus trees in San Antonio as big as houses, bearing fruit.

[Montirob]

Originally Posted by Aiphanes

In that pic on the right it is a mexican fan palm or a hybrid of mexican and california fan....but the first palm on the left is a california fan palm because it has a thicker trunk.

Hmmm. I never thought about a hybrid. The story I had always been told was that all the tall palms alongside Mary Louise were planted in the 1920's. None of them are the super tall and skinny ones like those along the Texas border. Many of them died a few years back due to some infection, and people have been replanting them with California Fans. The "new" palms (you can see some on the left side) all have thicker trunks than the old ones, and it always confused me.

I learn something new every day. Thanks.

[Aiphanes]

Originally Posted by Montirob

Hmmm. I never thought about a hybrid. The story I had always been told was that all the tall palms alongside Mary Louise were planted in the 1920's. None of them are the super tall and skinny ones like those along the Texas border. Many of them died a few years back due to some infection, and people have been replanting them with California Fans. The "new" palms (you can see some on the left side) all have thicker trunks than the old ones, and it always confused me.

I learn something new every day. Thanks.

Cool my friend. Hey I use to live in Hawaii. I am a palm ethusiast. I grow them from seeds also. But most of the "fan" palms in San Antonio are the hybrids between mexican and california..they are completely hardy for this area.

There are also hybrids of Queen Palm and Pindo Palms called mule palms. Here is a picture...they look like coconut palms. They are completely hardy in the San Antono\Austin Area. If you can find these you have to get some. If you find any tell me about them. I have been looking for them forever.


Here is a photo album of some pics of mule palms...
Garden pics pictures from gardens photos on webshots