This is a coconut palm growing in a pot in Santa Ana. It had been outdoors for 3 years, at the time this picture was taken (Sept 2010). The half whiskey barrel it is planted in is filled with pure sand, the idea being to make sure the roots are well drained. Trunk is 2 inches thick and tree is about 4 feet high.
Here's a picture of the same coconut 5 years later, in 2015:
Looks bigger and healthy with four large fronds.
Mark M. of South Oceanside Palms nursery bought and nursed a little coconut palm for 3 years, then planted it in the ground against a south facing wall on the side of a building. After 8-9 more years it grew to about 13 feet.
In Desmond Muirhead's book titled "Palms", he points out that the Coconut is of the tropics and that it remains stunted on the Baja down to La Paz. He goes on to point out that it is not the extreme low temperatures that doom the Coconut in California but rather the extended cool time frames.
Numerous attempts were made by many businesses in the 20s to 40s to try to import and grow coconut palms in California without success. But perhaps the regional climate of Southern California has warmed due to all the development that has taken place over the years. For example, Blenheim Apricots that used to be commercially grown in orchards 70 years ago now seem not to do as well and do not get enough chill hours.
There were several coconut palms growing near the inland Salton Sea (in proximity to the southwest shore). The fronds didn't look very lush but they seemed to be doing okay. A number of years later, however, they all died due to not being watered. Renters moved in (you know how that can go) and the palms didn't get the care they needed. Then the house became abandoned after the area fell into economic decline right after the housing crash.
I think coconut palms don't need that much humidity, they would do just fine anywhere within 15 miles from the coast in Southern California if it weren't for the extended cool winter temperatures.
I think cool and wet is what does them in. Maybe they'd be able to survive here if we had our dry season in the winter instead of the summer. Of course they like a bit of humidity if it's warm.
Topic: Attempts at trying to grow Coconut trees in Southern California (Read 1259 times)