Can't be at that price!

Went to Clarks village(retail outlet at Street near Glastonbury) on the way home from family visit today, there was a plant sales area and 30 of these were there at �£7 each and only slightly smaller ones at �£5. How can they sell Phoenix Reobelinii at that price? it is almost giving it away considering how long they take to get to that size, needless to say I bought one. Cycads 2ft across were for sale at �£25 each. If only I had room for ......

 

Thats a good buy, strongy.
I've noticed that canary date palms are pretty cheap these days as well when you consider the price a few years ago.

 

It's strange that this place didn't have a single CIDP just Roebelinii and the Cycads. It almost matches the one I bought on ebay a few months ago so I now have a pair.

 

Your gonna have to move. :D

 

Sounds like you guys are getting to my prices!

 

Same here! Got a couple of P. canariensis at the supermarket for the equivalent of �£4 each - couple of feet tall at least, and in very good nick... how do the nurseries make anything at all???
And on the subject of bargains, I got some orchids from Lidl last week too - pics on the "Other plants - Orchids & Bilbergia" thread. Big plants, and not a phalaenopsis in sight! Just had to indulge... :D :D

 

possibly a nectarine tree would cost more...

 

A lot of places are doing much the same nowadays Strongy. Most are grown very quickly in vast numbers over in Holland and they're shipped out by the truck load. B&Q have them for slightly more, but are doing their usual 15% off deal, which brings them more or less in line with Clarks. I bought a nice youngster for just �£2.99 from Trago Mills just over 2 years ago. Despite roebelenii's reputed tenderness it has wintered outside here since then and it is now over 4ft high. It has a good thick basal caudex, which indicates it wont be long before a trunk starts to devolop.

 

Perhaps the trade has realised that CIDPs have reached saturation point and are looking for others to tempt us with, Chamaerops are very cheap now compared to a decade ago. The number of CIDPs imported into the UK over the last ten years must be in the hunderds of thousands.
Maybe we will see cheaper Butias and Brahias one day but they are not rapid growers.