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Here's how I see it. L.A-Mex, there are lots and lots of palm varieties that, when young, are very, very similar to cocos nucifera such as the Parajubea and quite frankly unless you inspect them closely, from a distance they could very well look like a young coconut. Here's the thing: there are lots of people, myself included, that have tried growing coconuts here in SoCal and have failed for the same reason. It doesn't matter if it never freezes in Santa Ana, low temps of 41 degrees and wet weather on a regular basis can have a very negative impact on coconuts and other ultra tropical flora. If coconuts had a small chance of growing we would see them a lot more often in many places around SoCal, but we don't.
One of the best tropical nurseries in SoCal is in Newport Beach, it is called Tropical Vibe. They have everything, from Ti plants, to gingers, to tons of palms and everything in between. I go there often. The owner has never, ever carried a coconut because he knows it's basically impossible to grow them here. The same goes with Manila Palms (Adonidia), or the beautiful Red Sealing Wax palm (Cyrtostachys renda). These palms are just too tropical and have needs that our climate here in SoCal simply does not offer. We are lucky though, that we CAN grow other beautiful tropicals like Kings, Kentia, Royals, Foxtails, Ti plants (which I have 8 gorgeous ones) and many other palms that resemble the beauty of the coconut palm.
So that we shall do. We'll never have a coconut palm but that doesn't mean we can't enjoy a tropical garden.
Yes we have them here. They are one of the most common palms in Southern California. Some look really beautiful and some are hideous.
i like the ones with a mature trunk, but dislike the others that have an anemic look.
to your previous post, i could be wrong since i didnt stop and look closely, but they looked very much the same. i know they cant grow into full blown maturity, but what im trying to say is that it is possible for them to live (couple of years), but indeed live for a while. Im not saying SoCal is Tropical like Acapulco or Tahiti, im just saying that our climate can allow a Coco live for a while. I myself had a coco years ago, it was doing fine, it had been planted at the start of spring, it was doing well, but 3 months later it was gone, the whole palm and coconut of where it was growing, so I dont know if it would have lived multiple years. I see cocos at home depot but i dont bother to buy them again because i too realize that it cant grow as tall as my fan palms, or dates, i know it will live a couple of years but not grow to give fruit or look like ones in Vallarta, so i gave up on that idea. im now looking for a high plateau coconut palm that is apparently resistent to cooler temps, and would do well here. I also want a andean wax palm ( with the white trunk and multiple black rings).
They might grow, but they would not fruit. At least, that's my best guess. (I put "no")
A bit too far from the equator and not an ideal climate, especially because it's too cool for part of the year.
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