More palm trees in Houston? (Galveston, West: houses, neighborhood, buy)

[Meyerland]

I prefer shade trees. I like palms, but I rarely notice them like I do the shade trees. Houston needs more shade. :-)

[3shipguy]

Originally Posted by LocalPlanner

My objections to tall spindly palms (sorry don't know the correct names for them) is that they make terrible street trees and primary landscaping statements (front door, processional etc.). That is undeniable. Just because they can grow well here doesn't mean they are good statement-making plants. Are there not many other plants which grow well in Houston that are wholly inappropriate for primary landscaping features in an urban setting?

Really? This does nothing for you?

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/b...fornia3062.jpg

It's cool. Everyone has their opinion.

[Yn0hTnA]

Originally Posted by Meyerland

I prefer shade trees. I like palms, but I rarely notice them like I do the shade trees. Houston needs more shade. :-)

The palms blend in well with the many large broad leaf trees in Houston to make an interesting subtropical mix. This is especially the case with the Live Oaks and Magnolia trees. More shade trees would be nice; it is always good to embellish the large amounts of natural shade Houston already has.

Originally Posted by 3shipguy

Really? This does nothing for you?

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/b...fornia3062.jpg

It's cool. Everyone has their opinion.

Interesting mix of Washingtonia and Canary Island Date Palms. Those palms will grow faster in California than in Houston/Southeast US, because those palms have a preference of the drier, Med climates over humid subtropical climates. Palms of the Sabal, or Livingstonia variety will do better in the Southeast vs California, as these palms prefer humid climates.

[LocalPlanner]

Los Angeles directly abuts the open ocean. It also doesn't have to mitigate summer heat like Houston does. It is not comparable or relevant.

[Yn0hTnA]

Originally Posted by LocalPlanner

Los Angeles directly abuts the open ocean. It also doesn't have to mitigate summer heat like Houston does. It is not comparable or relevant.

While portions of LA city limits do stretch to the ocean, the central urban core of Los Angeles, including downtown and many key urban neighborhoods, is quite a bit inland from the Pacific, much like Houston is a bit inland from the Gulf. As far as summer heat, only the coastal/near-coastal micro-climates of the city experience the famed moderate temperatures; many inland areas of the city have seen temps hotter than Houston has ever experienced.

Never mind that your point isn't making much sense; Phoenix, Las Vegas, and other Desert Southwest cities go out of their way to plant loads of palms, and they are farther from the coast, and see far hotter temps each summer than Houston will ever experience (and thus have more need to mitigate heat). As I have shown, many palms, such as the Washingtonia, grow naturally in areas that are hotter during summer, and further inland, than Houston is. Orlando, like Houston, is a bit inland from the coast, and has similar summer heat, and loads of palms are planted there too. Thus, palms can be planted in Houston, and they would suit the city just fine. They shouldn't the only plants that are planted, but it is okay if more of them are planted.

[texas7]

I like palms in back yards but not in front.

[naadarien]

Originally Posted by Yn0hTnA

All the vegetation in the Houston area evolved with the ocean-influenced humid subtropical regime that is Houston's climate; thus, even vegetation that grows well-inland in Texas, let alone just Houston, is, in a way, influenced by the ocean. The influence comes in the form of the many epic Gulf thunderstorms that provide the water that allows these plants to be luscious and full.

I wasn't suggesting that it wasn't, as evidenced by my link to saltwater marshes in the area.

As I mentioned in a follow up post to that, I was responding to someone else saying that Houston was "inland" and therefore not coastal.

[naadarien]

Originally Posted by LocalPlanner

Los Angeles directly abuts the open ocean. It also doesn't have to mitigate summer heat like Houston does. It is not comparable or relevant.

Tell that to the millions living there dealing with 90+ degree days for much of the year (and more and more each year).

They also get plenty of humidity during the Arizona monsoon season months (August and September)

The mountains ringing the area (called the basin since it resembles the shape of a sink) stagnates the air and blocks in the smog that the tri-county area is so well known for.

[PedroMartinez]

Originally Posted by Yn0hTnA

While ...

YnOhTnA, can you tell me which type of palm this is? Several variants looks some similar to me that I can't tell the difference. I'm assuming it's a Canary Island Date Palm, but I'm not positive.

If it is a Canary Island Date Palm, why do they seem to have so much variance to their looks. When you do a Google search of images, you see palms that look like they are different types but all say they are Canary Island Date Palms.

Essentially, I'm looking for something with this look to go by my pool, but I want to make sure it can handle our zone well. And since these trees are so expensive, I plan to buy small ones (four) and let them grow. So, I'm also afraid of getting ones that are so slow growing that it'll take 10 years before they get a decent size (10 ft are taller).

[Gunion Powder]

Originally Posted by LocalPlanner

Los Angeles directly abuts the open ocean. It also doesn't have to mitigate summer heat like Houston does. It is not comparable or relevant.

No logic behind that whatsoever. Palms aren't even native to Los Angeles, so, technically, they're more out of place than in Houston.