Phoenix roebelenii (pygmy date palm)

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I cut the elephant ears and cannas to the ground (they will grow back!) and realized that I really haven't seen these trees very well for a long time. They are Phoenix roebelenii (pygmy date) palms. They don't grow multiple heads, so if you see them like this in a pot, it's because there are two plants there. In fact, this was originally a clump of three, but the smallest one died in the big freeze of 2007.

I planted these when I bought my house in 1993, and they they came in the tiny one-gallon size pot. I bought them at a K-Mart. They've always done fine here at The Tropical Paradise, and I was shocked to lose one five years ago, as it was already a pretty good size. The cold snap we had here in Phoenix a couple of weeks ago had me worried, too, but I see that they will be fine. You can see a bit of cold damage on the fronds, which will actually begin to look worse over the next couple of weeks.

It's raining today, which is glorious, and I will scatter some dry plant food over the canna bed and spread some fresh potting soil over the area, both to help with the plants and to clean up the looks of the area until the new growth begins.

You know that you are a real Phoenician when a rainy day puts you in a good mood! I'm going to make some tea and sit outside and enjoy the gentle rain.

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