Uncles yard

Well I went to visit my uncle yesterday. He got into tropical plants after seeing how fast ours grew. The bug bit him and he has been growing tons ever sense. He and my father are always arguing who can grow the best palm tree or banana and so on. It seems my uncle has whipped my dads butt this years. So thought I would share some photos of his place.

Here is the cold hardy Yucca rostrata. My uncles is probably the largest in the state around 9 feet tall and have over wintered now for 7 years in zone6

His Alocasia calidora slightly over the roof of his house.

Hi

That Yucca is to die for. I have never seen that before. Show us your dad's yard too.

Thanks,
Jeri

That is the best looking Yucca I have seen,what a great shape.

My uncle in the back and my father in blue looking at my uncles very large Washingtonia palm. This palm is left out each year with leaves removed and a protective cage around it to keep off the cold to about 15F.

Here is a pic of my father next to the winning washingtonia palm its around 12 feet tall. My uncles palm was much smaller than ours last season this year he must have feed it a ton it was almost twice the size of ours.

Last pic looking down at his yard.

Hey, Brian, I was wondering what kind of soil your uncle has that Y. rostrata planted in, and what he does for winter protection.... From what Tony Avent and others have told me, it seems that they are hardy to Zone 5 as long as they get full sun and have perfect drainage.... Two things that are in short supply in my garden. The only thing I have going for me is that our soil (which is on limestone bedrock) has a high PH, which the plants like, LOL.

No protection during the winter. It does need full sun and well drained soil. Our dirt is not very clay like but more like regular top soil brown in color. My uncle mounded the spot up for the yuccas and they have done great.

I think that is the Yucca that grows in the outback in Australia ...they call it Black Boy because the fires rage thru there and the trunk turns solid black with soot and the green comes back almost immediately!!! I love them!!!

You have trained your uncle well!!!

Carol

The Black Boy is Xanthorrhoeas, a Liliaceae that can take some cold but not to Zone 5. In our maritime yet mild wet-winter area we use the gravel they use to underlay roads as it is almost perfect drainage on a raised bed.

Here's a pic of a nice Yucca schottii at the local botanical gardens.

hmm, with our move in the works to KY, I was thinking I'd have to tell all my beautiful tropicals good bye forever. Now I'm thinking I'm going to need another truck--just for hauling plants. Thanks for the inspiration.