Yep, A giant bird of paradise, Flowers are giant white and blue not nearly as colorful as regular bird of paradise (fyi-the city flower of L.A. even though not native, grow like weeds here). Totally look banana-like and when I first saw them 500 years ago swore they were. they are dramatic and multi trunked and you can control the trunk amount as many new shoots will appear from the base. They seem to be able to grow, oh say about 20-30'. Very popular here in SoCal and Hawaii. They (like me) are cheap and easy. One of those plants you can rip from the ground and just stick in a hole and off it goes. Ultra cool. They may get pissed and will have to sit down and have a serious talk with you if you subject them to, say 35F or below.
The King palms I've seen, also VERY popular here (Archontrophoenix Cunninghamiana) are somewhat compact tops seem to get about the size of the Queens (Syagrus(?)) 40-60' and They might still be growing since there popularity has been relitively recent (late 60's early '70's).
WARNING!!- They DO NOT like to be transplanted if in the ground, their only flaw. THEY WILL DIE. They are passive-aggressive about it, will not sit and talk to you about it. They'll just be like "I'm fine, it's OK", etc, and then just keel right over. I've killed 2 this way, one 25' tall. that really sucks! The horror, the horror.
-Don
Need ideas for small back yard in SW Florida zone 10
Oh I should have pointed out that on the giant Bird of paradise that the leaf points inward and upward and the leaf spine outward and on the banana the leaf points outward and downward with the spine inward. They're opposite.
I hope that makes sense.
-Don
Wow! Great info Don! Love the "sit down and talk" metaphor. Seems like I do that a lot!
Hi Gang, IslandShari & R JuddHarrison,
We are getting SWEET RAIN! We average 15" a year and our rainy season is measured from July 1 to June 30 since most falls in Dec, Jan and Feb with NO RAIN in summer except with the rare tail end of a hurricane or trop storm. Last rain season had the record low in 100 years of 2.2"!!! Can you imagine 2 inches in 365 days! GUT WRENCHING. Hence the fires in the hills and mountains. This year we already have about 5 so we are ahead. And I've planted my yearly wildflower seeds and palm seeds in the vacant lots and byways so they should be poking out soon.
As far as I know there's only the 2 Bird's, the little one with the classic multi color flower and the giant Dutch Lady got right Stret.Nicoli. About the pic of the giant Bird, I would personally allow 3 or 4 trunks to develop, not just one, too naked looking. Also, in case you don't know, the regular (small) Bird blooms by far best when root bound, do not thin, do not trim leaves unless leaves are dead, feed very little and water very little, give lots of heat and sun, they do NOT crave humidity, that's why they do so well in a dry-summer sub-tropical (mediterrean) climate.
Harrison, I hope I answered your question. I'm no expert but I do have a lot of personal experience with Kings.
Yeah, some plants are just childish like certain orchids (who shall remain nameless) and a tapioca tree I once had. They would actually plug their little green ears during a frank discussion. I seen seen sweet corn exhibit this kind of behavior, but they're not tropical.
-Don (with obviously too much time on my hands)
Congrats on the rain! But I hear CA is getting beat up up north....2.2 inches!!!! OMG!!! I have been through some of the droughts out there...no fun! Hope this rain is a harbinger of a much better year for you!
They are getting over 10 ft of snow last I heard.
In Northern CA!?! Wowzers! How about MO, Pepper...how you doing?
A tornado east of us earlier today and right now am under a tornado watch with pop-up storms possible. Other than that am doing great. Just waiting for the gravel roads, oops, muddy roads to dry so I can wash my truck again. lol.
Never know where to find you guys.
Hi Darlin! Pepper, let your darn truck stay dirty! You don't go messin outside with a tornado watch on!!! We don't have any need for another "dorothy incident"! Oz is full!
LOL. Nothing was going on here. All the bad stuff went south and east of us. Plus southern MO got hit hard too. We just got the regular storms. :~)
NorCcal mountains and Central CA mountains got about 10 feet of snow and the SoCal Mountains got about 4 to 5' I believe. I can see the snow on the mountains. Theres a great telephoto stock shot of the LA skyline with Mt. Baldy (11,000 ft) and the San Gabriels behind it.
-Don
the picture came out small, try again-
Beautiful photo. You should send it in to a contest somewhere.
Interesting photo, looks like the mountains are right there behind LA, which is really not the case...very cool looking.
Don, be sure you go post your vote for the big Dave's shin-dig...even a "yes, if___", is valuable information to the committee...all the details can be worked out later, but for now they need a number. Spread the word. Vote!
I didn't take thepic but thanks Lou. It's taken with a telephoto like all skyline pics, or they wouldn't turn out very interesting. The foothills are about 6 miles away so the peaks are fairly close.
I have posted some new photos of the changes so far!
Check 'em out guys, terichris has done a fabulous job!