St Geroge Utah

[TerdalFarm]

is not the farthest north palms grow, but I am surprised by the size and diversity.
I am here right now, on a road trip from Oklahoma to Oregon to escape the heat. And scheme ways to re-design my parents coastal house landscape.
We drove into town out of Zion National Park this afternoon. I saw a nice trunked Trachy not far out of the park. They became more abundant the closer we got to St. George, called the "Dixie" part of Utah as pioneers managed to grow cotton (!!!) here.
St. Geroge is at 37o North and 900 meters ASL. I.e., a bit further north and also higher than Tulsa, where I live.

But many more palms are used here in commercial plantings. Here are a few snapshots of me and palms, taken this evening by my son:

Washy (xfilibusta ?) and Trachy outside our motel:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7452534618/" title="DSCN1120 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7119/7452 ... 1a895b.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSCN1120"></a>

Med. fan palm (Chammie) outside a gas station:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7452534452/" title="DSCN1122 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8009/7452 ... dd82e2.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSCN1122"></a>

Yes, they even have an In-n-Out franchise here!
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7452534246/" title="DSCN1124 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7252/7452 ... 8f21d8.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSCN1124"></a>

Blue hesper palms:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7452534074/" title="DSCN1125 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7280/7452 ... 905eef.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSCN1125"></a>

Recently planted Brahea, we hear, as are the trademark palmettos:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7452533920/" title="DSCN1127 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8023/7452 ... a0cf28.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="DSCN1127"></a>

Hope the Brahea and Sabal are long-term here in St. Geroge!

And of course the only part my son was interested in:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/drterdal/7452533736/" title="DSCN1129 by drterdal, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7255/7452 ... f9d348.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSCN1129"></a>

[seedscanada]

thats wicked! Enjoy your trip.

[Paul Ont]

I love that area! Enjoy the trip down the Beaverdam mountains into nevada, it is beautiful! Thanks for sharing.

[DesertZone]

I always liked St George, and like the pics.
I think it is still in the zone 8a, I do know sometime the palms there freeze and lose thier leaves but always come back.

[lucky1]

Nice, Erik, those palms are eye candy!
Especially the blue Hesper.

Hope you've packed your longjohns for Oregon...it's been a spring.

Barb

[DesertZone]

Erik, how long will you be in Oregon?

[Jubaea]

Nice pics.

In and Out has the same menu and prices out here but not the same palms. They use W. robusta. Hopefully they will make it. Enjoy you trip and keep us posted. I was really surprised by what I saw in Brookings, Or about 5 years ago including a 15 foot Avocado tree whos owner did not know what it was.

[TimMAz6]

nice palms.........the burger/fry prices seem real nice! I drop $18 for 2 burgers and 2 fries at 5 guys here.

[ttls1]

St george is only 300 miles south from me that's where i get most of my palms. We have family that lives there so we spend a couple weeks a year down there. If you get around some more there are some larger butias and cidp as well as some very large true dates. At the crystal inn there is a cidp with about 8 ft of trunk its the largest one ive seen there. Its a pretty solid zone 8b in st george some of the surrounding areas do get a little colder though.

[hardyjim]

Hamburger like substance $1.90

fresh
French fries $1.50
stale fries $2.25


Making me feel something like hunger

[TerdalFarm]

Still heading N & W; in Susanville, CA, right now. Last night at Great Basin NP. Those Bristlecone pines up at 3300 meters ASL were amazing.
----------------
Replies...
Barb,
my mother has warned me about the weather. Despite having played in snow this morning it seems impossible that the highs in Oregon are colder than the lows in Oklahoma. But then again, that was true a year ago.
Aaron,
I'll stay as long as I can. My boss expects me in the office in early August. I expect to slide in unshaven and still wearing longjohns about then.
Junaea,
I think they were palmettos but the crowns were high so I might have been wrong. Washingtonia were abundant in St. George so that makes more sense.
TTLS,
do you know which palms the St George In-n-Out used? Also, thanks for letting me know about Butia and Phoenix. I looked for those but didn't see any. I expected Butia as they are common in Dallas, Texas, which has a similar climate (I guess).
Tim & Jim,
good burgers and good price! Hope Tulsa gets a franchise soon. I tried to take the family to one in Ft. Worth Texas in March (photos in my report from then) but it was not quite open yet. We drove past one in Reno, Nevada, a few hours ago and it didn't seem to have the trademark crossed palms. Didn't seem right--like a Mcdonalds w/o the arches.

[Cameron_z6a_N.S.]

Great shots, Erik. I've seen pics from that area before, and they can definitely grow a range of hardy palms there!

[lucky1]

slide in unshaven and still wearing longjohns about then.

Where you're heading you'll have webbed toes.

Update please on where you are now.
Maybe some more pics? (thank you!!!!!)

Barb

[TerdalFarm]

We made it to my parents late last night. LONG drive from Tulsa!
Cool here. As in, highs of about 70oF.
My two waggies made the trip in pots and seem fine. Oregon will be their new home (actually, one came from here originally). They were dug up from the farm last August.

[lucky1]

Glad you arrived safe and sound, Erik.

Cool at 70?
You'll probably wear those longjohns as PJs
As reported earlier, spring has been ka ka on the wet coast.

It'll be great to see pics of the Waggies new spot there.

Barb