Letters
Dear Editor,
in January my wife and I were fortunate to make an all too short journey between Johannesburg and Durban, South
Africa, including the northeast corner of Lesotho. The range of vegetation throughout was immense and exciting,
but I write to recommend to visitors the Durban Botanical Garden. Whilst not huge, being based on the 50 acres
purchased in the mid 1800s, here is a superb collection of plants, especially palms and cycads.
A booklet entitled The Palm Collection of the Durban Botanic Gardens (Ann Lamberk R.40) is a good introduction.
The chapter on cultivation is very informative. One aspect noted is that the recent advice to plant our palms
deeply is contradicted: "Palms do not like to be sunk deeply into the ground or have soil piled up around
the stem". Perhaps other local cultivation parameters influence this advice?
One of the many palms to attract attention was the native Lala palm, Hyphaene coriacea (syn. H. natalensis),
seen in the wild and in the Garden. It is said that they can withstand 5°C (23°F) temperatures.
Best Wishes, Rob Senior, The Old Rectory, Green Lane, Marazion, Cornwall TR17 OHQ

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03-02-23 - 07:56GMT
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What's New? |
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New palm book |
Date: 24-05-2004 |

An Encyclopedia
of Cultivated Palms
by Robert Lee Riffle, Paul Craft. |
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New: Issue 48 |
Date: 24-05-2004 |
Chamaerops
48
has been published in the Members Area. |
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Archive complete! |
Date: 03-12-2002 |
All Chamaerops issues can now be found in the archive:
More than 350 articles are on-line! |
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Issues 13 to 16 |
Date: 28-08-2002 |
Chamaerops mags 13,
14,
15
and 16
have been added to the members area. More than 250 articles are now online! |
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42 as free pdf-file |
Date: 05-08-2002 |
Free
Download! Chamaerops No. 42 can be downloaded for free to intruduce the new layout and size to
our visitors |
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Issues 17 to 20 |
Date: 23-07-2002 |
Chamaerops mags 17,
18,
19
and 20
have been added to the members area. Now 218 articles online! |
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Book List |
Date: 28-05-2001 |
Take
a look at our brand new Book List edited by Carolyn Strudwick |
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New Book |
Date: 25-01-2001 |
'Palmen
in Mitteleuropa'
by Mario Stähler
This german book tells you all about how to cultivate your palms in Central Europe. more... |
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