Albuquerque Palm Pics!!

So I was out and aboutrunning some errands around the Cottonwood Mall area. So I decided to check out the palms there in the area. I believe the neighborhood block been between Coors Bypass/Golf Course and Westside/McMahon has the highest concentration of palm trees in the metro. With a total of about eight at five different houses. Here are a few pics I took at two of the houses. The other locations I didn't get a chance to take pictures.  

These two at Rayado Pl are doing great and they both have bloomed this year!

Very nice!  Thanks for sharing.. everytime I drive around neighborhoods I see one or 2 here and there..alot of trachycarpus going in new construction areas too..

You're welcome!! I should've taken pictures of the other ones but I go to those smaller ones first and didn't snap to take pictures till after.  I originally said there are eight in that neighborhood but I forgot about the Mediterranean Fan across the street from that fat Filifera on Carreta Dr. So that makes it nine total so far there. 

YeahI've been noticing the same thing in neighborhoods too. Thank you for the support!!

Pretty impressive for 5,000 ft elevation and a 7b 2023 zone mapeven a little 8a in town. 

Western Corrales!

Those hills at the end of that street definitely hold some promising microclimates.  I live just above that escarpmentor end of road.

Interesting side factI walk those hills near dailyand played in that area since 1976. Never knew about that palmuntil a poster from out of state pointed it out on this board!

NowI know where to look and see it from above.(Corrales heights)

Yes indeed. West of the Rio Grande imo has some of the best microclimates with all the rolling hills and escarpment. Plus some UHI to add too. I saw these pictures on one of your post and I got to saywhat an awesome view! How is your water hole experiment coming along?

On 9/25/2024 at 7:58 PMjwitt said:

Those hills at the end of that street definitely hold some promising microclimates.  I live just above that escarpmentor end of road.

Interesting side factI walk those hills near dailyand played in that area since 1976. Never knew about that palmuntil a poster from out of state pointed it out on this board!

NowI know where to look and see it from above.(Corrales heights)

 

Abq skyline tree.. lol... or is that a yucca palm?

3 hours agoSailorBold said:

Abq skyline tree.. lol... or is that a yucca palm?

This one in Corrales.  Actually you are near the end of this street!

7 hours agoSailorBold said:

Abq skyline tree.. lol... or is that a yucca palm?

That's actually pretty funny.  Being in the Albuquerque area when talking to people that palm trees can grow here they are always in doubt.  They always tell me that they are all Yuccas. Now a days I usually pull out my phone and show them street view to prove it to them. The Filifera on Unser and Flor Del Solthey always try to convince my that it's a Yucca. Lol. Then I'll show them the ones on Rayado then they are more convinced but still say they are dead because street view doesn't have really good pics of them.  But now I have picture on my phone that tell them otherwise. 

On 9/25/2024 at 5:48 PMABQPalms said:

Western Corrales!

Is that a Hakea?

12 hours agotarnado said:

Is that a Hakea?

I think that's a fig.. I'm not sure tho.  Fairly common around here.. 

14 minutes agoSailorBold said:

I think that's a fig.. I'm not sure tho.  Fairly common around here.. 

Yesthat's a Fig next to the palm tree.  The bush in the foregroundin front of the Yuccas is a Russian Thistle (the famous tumbleweed) I believe. 

On 9/25/2024 at 8:42 PMABQPalms said:

Yes indeed. West of the Rio Grande imo has some of the best microclimates with all the rolling hills and escarpment. Plus some UHI to add too. I saw these pictures on one of your post and I got to saywhat an awesome view! How is your water hole experiment coming along?

About the water hole. .....

With an early start and strong monsoon start in normally dry Junethe toads came out in force.  Water and toads lead to snakes. 

Long story shortI have not been to the bottom.   I will soon and update. 

4 hours agojwitt said:

About the water hole. .....

With an early start and strong monsoon start in normally dry Junethe toads came out in force.  Water and toads lead to snakes. 

Long story shortI have not been to the bottom.   I will soon and update. 

 

It's been a couple years since I put seeds down there.. really doubtful..

Surviving Date palms..  

@SailorBold

The three in the back will enter their fifth winter. 2 in front entering their second winter. 

Did you notice this?

Oh wow.. lol..  no i didnt...! Thats interesting.  Really not the best palm for here.. maybe 3 out of 20 winters they wont damage.. but it looks like they are recovering better and better each year.. 

No shortage of water for the ones in front..

On 10/1/2024 at 6:04 AMjwitt said:

About the water hole. .....

With an early start and strong monsoon start in normally dry Junethe toads came out in force.  Water and toads lead to snakes. 

Long story shortI have not been to the bottom.   I will soon and update. 

 

YeahI don't do snakes at all. It don't matter if it's a garden snakeyou'll still see me running for the hillslol. There are a couple more around here on the Westside that might be promising too.

On 10/1/2024 at 10:16 AMSailorBold said:

It's been a couple years since I put seeds down there.. really doubtful..

I like the reverse psychology therelol. Wouldn't it be quite a surprise if there were something though?

5 hours agoSailorBold said:

Surviving Date palms..  

Very nice!

3 hours agojwitt said:

@SailorBold

The three in the back will enter their fifth winter. 2 in front entering their second winter. 

Did you notice this?

 

I thought the three in the back were planted in 2021? Nevertheless they are pretty much establishedwouldn't you say?? Those pups should really be hardy though. It's almost like the sowing straight in ground method. 

30 minutes agoSailorBold said:

Oh wow.. lol..  no i didnt...! Thats interesting.  Really not the best palm for here.. maybe 3 out of 20 winters they wont damage.. but it looks like they are recovering better and better each year.. 

YeahI wish they would've went with a hardier Washingtonia to replace the two Robustas that didn't make it. Those are some nice Dactyliferas thoughit just sucks that they grow so slow so their recovery isn't 100%. It's like they're hurricane cut all the time with how few fronds they push out. 

24 minutes agoSailorBold said:

No shortage of water for the ones in front..

Yesthat grassy area probably does help out a lot.  Maybe that's why they look fuller than the three in the back?

2 minutes agoABQPalms said:

Those are some nice Dactyliferas thoughit just sucks that they grow so slow so their recovery isn't 100%. It's like they're hurricane cut all the time with how few fronds they push out. 

Yesthat grassy area probably does help out a lot.  Maybe that's why they look fuller than the three in the back?

Or maybe they just need more time to develop their rootsthen maybe they'll start pushing out more fronds. 

I think @ABQPalms is right on the planting dates. So entering their fourth and second winter. 

As far as the roots and waterthe water table is probably not more than 15'(if not less) in that area.  They will tap into that water if they become establishedprobably about there with the three in the back. 

I think a clustering/clumping format would be the best for this area.  That and planted on the SE facing side of a 10 story rock cliff/ building. 

Those three surely saw single digits their first two winters.

The temps shown are Corrales and my neighborhood(Rio Rancho) in February 2022.  Almost unbelievable!

Almost....more to the story!

Corrales

Rio Rancho

@ABQPalmsAs far as snakesI am pretty good for the most part. 

Throw in countless toads with the actual "roar" they make. Yesthere are that manyyou can hear them a couple blocks away.  Throw in the waist high pampas grassweedsetc. and a dog or two.  I just kind of avoid. 

On a side noteI have seen lizards down at the bottom every month of the year. 

Probably the noise is what actually freaks me out a bit at certain times.  

I will be back

38 minutes agojwitt said:

I think @ABQPalms is right on the planting dates. So entering their fourth and second winter. 

As far as the roots and waterthe water table is probably not more than 15'(if not less) in that area.  They will tap into that water if they become establishedprobably about there with the three in the back. 

I think a clustering/clumping format would be the best for this area.  That and planted on the SE facing side of a 10 story rock cliff/ building. 

Those three surely saw single digits their first two winters.

The temps shown are Corrales and my neighborhood(Rio Rancho) in February 2022.  Almost unbelievable!

Almost....more to the story!

Corrales

Rio Rancho

Yesthe clustering/clumping would be so beneficial on protecting eachother from the elements. They give a tropical/oasis look to a landscape as well. Something like @SailorBold three Filiferas which looks awesome! 

And with the planting in front of a multi-story building? Yesespecially a south southwest or even west side of a building. Maybe like apartment complexes or hotel building would be great to start with around this area. 

I'm on weather.gov a lot checking out data in Albuquerque as well as other cities. I like to see how much colder we were dating back to the late 1800's vs. now. The one thing thoughis that the Rio Rancho #2 data only goes back to the end of 2007 as it's a newer city. 

Love these threads about my hometown and the evolution of palm tree survivability over the years. I grew up around the Coronado Center area before there was a Coronado CenterLouisiana Blvd. had not yet been paved and no freeway either. I could go on and on. Yeahbeen around awhile. 

Some early pioneering souls used to plant small Wahingtonia in their front yards in early spring and they flourished throughout summer and fall. As a kid I used to alter my bike route just so I could look at them. Winters were brutal back then and they never had a chance of survival. One good thing thoughit’s where my love of palms began. Little did I know then that the attraction would turn into a passion and lead me to reside in HiloHi.where growing palm trees have almost no limits and my garden is truly my happy place.

Tim

5 hours agorealarch said:

Love these threads about my hometown and the evolution of palm tree survivability over the years. I grew up around the Coronado Center area before there was a Coronado CenterLouisiana Blvd. had not yet been paved and no freeway either. I could go on and on. Yeahbeen around awhile. 

Some early pioneering souls used to plant small Wahingtonia in their front yards in early spring and they flourished throughout summer and fall. As a kid I used to alter my bike route just so I could look at them. Winters were brutal back then and they never had a chance of survival. One good thing thoughit’s where my love of palms began. Little did I know then that the attraction would turn into a passion and lead me to reside in HiloHi.where growing palm trees have almost no limits and my garden is truly my happy place.

Tim

Tim- what we are finding out is part of the NW mesa/Rio rancho are protected from those nasty east winds which bring the Arctic palm killing events.  This area is fairly newly developed and differences in plant ability/survival is being demonstrated. 

I am also linked to the big island with property just "mauka" from Miloliʻi and married to a Hawaiian . Small world!

Hey Jimhow cool is that! Give a holler the next time you are on island and have time for a trip to the East side. Love to show youor any other Albuquerqueansthe experience of growing palms here on the Big Island.

Tim

Volunteer? This washy is growing pretty close to a west facing wall in the back of the Lovelace Women's Hospital on Montgomery and Jefferson. Street view shows it as a little seedling back in 2014. There were no known flowering palms at the time. I'm thinking someone might have dropped a seed or planted it really small to see what would happen.  It's in a fairly good spot and does get afternoon sun. I suspect this to really take off next year. If it were fertilized I'd imagine it'd be a lot bigger. I could imagine some big ones in the front of this building would look really nice!

The Agaves look impressive as well!

1 minute agoABQPalms said:

Volunteer? This washy is growing pretty close to a west facing wall in the back of the Lovelace Women's Hospital on Montgomery and Jefferson. Street view shows it as a little seedling back in 2014. There were no known flowering palms at the time. I'm thinking someone might have dropped a seed or planted it really small to see what would happen.  It's in a fairly good spot and does get afternoon sun. I suspect this to really take off next year. If it were fertilized I'd imagine it'd be a lot bigger. I could imagine some big ones in the front of this building would look really nice!

The Agaves look impressive as well!

Here it the street view from 2014. I thought I attached it but I guess not. 

4 hours agorealarch said:

Hey Jimhow cool is that! Give a holler the next time you are on island and have time for a trip to the East side. Love to show youor any other Albuquerqueansthe experience of growing palms here on the Big Island.

Tim

Thanks for the invite. Would definitely be cool. And don't be surprised if you hear from me in the not too far future.

@ABQPalmsseen that "volunteer" thing happen with newly planted  trees a handful of times around town.  Although never saw them live more than 5 years or so.  I am talking over thirty years agoas I was all over regularly (job). 

I felt they were volunteers in the pots...

Cool find!  Another San Mateo filifera in 25 years!

Edit: looked again at the size. Maybe 15-20 years!

. Then I look again....  is there another palmophile using rocks for seedlings in central NM other than me?.......smart!

@ABQPalmswhat else you got up your sleeve?

12 hours agojwitt said:

@ABQPalmsseen that "volunteer" thing happen with newly planted  trees a handful of times around town.  Although never saw them live more than 5 years or so.  I am talking over thirty years agoas I was all over regularly (job). 

I felt they were volunteers in the pots...

I've seen people plant small 1 gallon sized washys in there yard in the past also.  They were more likely Robustasthat's why they didn't last. Believe meI've made the same mistake. I'm starting to see more and more Filiferas planted small and they all seem to be taking real good. 

12 hours agojwitt said:

Cool find!  Another San Mateo filifera in 25 years!

 

Edit: looked again at the size. Maybe 15-20 years!

Yeslike the one on La Veta NE. I really think a palmy area (besides the Westside) could be between Academy to Central and Carlisle to Louisiana. I think it has some really good UHI going on in that area. 

13 hours agojwitt said:

Then I look again....  is there another palmophile using rocks for seedlings in central NM other than me?.......smart!

@ABQPalmswhat else you got up your sleeve?

 

I really think that we can benefit from all the xeriscape landscaping. Set a seed in some gravel has a more chance at survival than say grassas seedling is more likely to get mowed down. Plus you get the radiated heat from the sun.

@jwittI will post more pictures from around town soon. 

It's good to see the agave americanas making a comeback..

2 hours agoSailorBold said:

It's good to see the agave americanas making a comeback..

Yes and they do really well here!

A couple of future monster Filiferas around the Westside. Taken yesterday. There is another one that I was on my way to take a picture of but I got a bolt in my front tire so I could make it. It's roughly the same size. NE of Unser and Montaño. Street name is Pima Pl. in a cul-de-sac. 

3 minutes agoABQPalms said:

A couple of future monster Filiferas around the Westside. Taken yesterday. There is another one that I was on my way to take a picture of but I got a bolt in my front tire so I could make it. It's roughly the same size. NE of Unser and Montaño. Street name is Pima Pl. in a cul-de-sac. 

This one can possibly become a double!

Nice!