I have to agree with you completely. Our big box stores would often get needles and sabals for sure. Now nothing but majesty and sago they call "bonsai". They would also get citrus but no more. occasionally Chinese walmart will get some citrus but never any good palms.

Here is what I think has happened. Ever since Lowes and Homedepot started the 1 year guarantee they had to shift to perennials that actually survive our winters for sure or would be cheap enough to replace the following spring when people would actually bring the dead one back. Thus they quit carrying the more expensive palms. I wish they would bring them back but not have the 1 year guarantee.

Your theory makes sense when it describes why the some of the marginally hardy/subtropicals disappeared (such as the so-called "blue pot palms" (relatively cold hardy palms such as Needles and Sabal minor), especially after the last TWO winters in a row we had on in the East and Midwest. But the indoor/tropical division is different and I can't think of a palm more likely to die and be brought back to the store than a Majesty Palm, and Sagos also make poor houseplants and need to be outside (I have a few LARGE ones that are years old that I overwinter in a large garage turned cold greenhouse. Think they are also toxic if not mistaken.) Majesty does grow fast though and is easy but also this plant resents the indoors big time. I will say, our big box stores also favor Phoenix roebellini..., which IS a good interior palm as long as you stay clear of its thorns.

I tried to do a speciality order for a perfectly hardy plant at my local HD. In the process, I learned that the plants sold outside were actually handled by two separate divisions (representatives dealing with (mostly flowering) annuals vs. those dealing with hardy trees and shrubs. Neither of these dealers seems involved with the tropicals (which tend to be sold inside). I have never taken up them up on their return offer, but have heard about it. As I said, not just the palm selection, I find their hardy plant too is less diverse and interesting than it used to be...but maybe that's just me.

Washingtonia robusta are real easy from seed (and fast). Phoenix canariensis is another nice one from seed. I have my Butias in big plastic tubs and I overwinter them in my garage. Our winters are too WET here for them. Actually, my local big box store was selling seven feet Trachys for $60.00 (could not resist, even though I have ten smaller ones (easier to protect those over the winter). Foxtail are alright but I really prefer those with greater cold tolerance so I don't have to bring them into the house but can leave them in my sunny garage. The following get big, fast and are quite cold resistant: Queen Palms, Canary Island Dates, Washingtonia robusta (or filibuster), Butia (Pindos), Mediterranean fan (slower grower in this case), oh, and my favorite Sabals (S. bermudana and S. louisiana)..., I find most other Sabals quite disappointing in terms of slow growth. Oh, and I just don't seem to feel the love with Needles and they just seem to die on me over time.

Thanks for the tips. we have about 2 or 3 weeks during the winter that are really cold. The rest are fairly mild. But those cold weeks can be in the singles or below 0. I would scoop up a 7 foot trachy for that price. I have a large barn and will have a tall greenhouse to keep the sensitive ones in.

I have foxtail, butia, T fortunei, T takil, queen, king, spindle, silver palmetto, pygmy date, W. robusta all germinating. I hope. Just been about 25 days. Robusta came up in 17 days. they are all at 85-90F inside a clear storage tote. Just hoping to get at least 2 of each to germinate.

Spindle (one of the Hyophobes) is not cold tolerant in the least, BUT it is one of my favorites. My local (good) nursery did a specialty order for me (but these are also sold cheaply on eBay, yes, small) but their growth is really decent. They do FINE indoors, mine gets overwintered in the basement under florescent lighting. Sounds like you have an expanding collection (I have NO room here for any expansion). As far as strictly indoor palms my favorites are probably...,

Raphis (Lady palm)

Kentia Palm (expensive but worth it..., they don't die)

Chamaedorea species

Hyophorbe

and Fishtail

But even some 'EXOTIC' palms like Prichardia hildebrantii (native to Hawaii), are EASY in the house (especially compared to the Majesty Palm). The only problem with this species is that it wants to get to be a big boy, fast. Not commercially available ('cept on eBay), but it is actually easier and faster than the Chinese fan palms (another big box favorite palm).

I've posted before about Jungle Music. The variety of
palms offered is overwhelming and they seem to have a good selections of
sizes. If you go to their web site (www.junglemusic.net) I suggest you go to
the "Check out the blog". JM is near San Diego and I live in Atlanta, GA. I've purchased
lots of "collector" palms and cycads from Jungle Music. 5 gallon all the way down to bands for seedlings. Not the cheapest, but a huge variety and always great plants and shipped perfectly.

Yes, I am familiar with JungleMusic. Never ordered from them however. They used to have a $200.00 minimum and this was a turn off for me. (Not sure if this is still true.)

Not sure if they are still selling, but Amazing Gardens/Alligator Alley in OKC has cold-hardy palms. <www.amazinggardens.com>

About ten years ago the local HD in town started selling exotic palms. Then,the nursery manager moved to Oregon. Its never done it again. Although I did ask for King palms once..and sure enough they had some for sale.
I've thought of asking again..but,Those palms were were expensive- $70-80,and marginal- Bottle palms.
So like above I try EBAY seedlings every now and then.

I live in Tulsa and have know about alligator alley but I have never called him. Website never seems to be updated. I have been Thinking about starting a little side business and see if I can sell the cold hardy types plus plumeria. More importantly I would like to show people around here how easily they can be grown if just a few simple things are done.

Floribunda looks like a great place to find exotic stuff. $100 minimum is kind of a bummer.

Home Depot is rarely a good source for palms. Even our home depot in Lihue carries mostly ivory cane palms (pinanga coronata), golden cane palms (dypsis lutescens) and pritchardia pacifica. For those not familiar with Hawaii, these are our "queens and washies". When I used to live in Norcal all you could find at Home Depots were queen palms even though the climate there supports more than a hundred species of palms. On the other hand, I don't see why a home depot outside of a climate suitable for palms would even carry any palms, seems like a bad business idea given they guarantee their plants for a full year. If you like to be a zone pusher in a cold climate, unless you have a heated greenhouse, you're wasting your money ordering from Floribunda, they don't grow anything suitable outside of USDA 10a, except maybe occasional sabal and trachycarpus species. There are a number of outstanding mail order palm nurseries with hardy palms like sabal, needle and trachycarpus. If none of those work for you, there's always "Coconut Climber" on EBay, or, if you can afford it, there's always Jungle Music. They do an excellent job of packing, so if there's something you really want bad, it's worth it.

mksmth,
Tulsa would be an excellent area to have a side business like that. The climate is perfect for marginal palms. My suggestion, go with the cold hardy champs: Needle Palms, Sabal Minor 'McCurtain' and/or 'Arkansas', Trachies, etc.

In the last 3 years I've placed lots of orders with Jungle Music that were under $100, so the minimum is no longer an issue. They're pretty hard to beat in terms of the variety offered and sizes available. Great info on cold hardiness as well (on the blog). It's been awhile but I've used Coconut Climber as well. Great prices if they have what you want.