Saving Juby!

The rescue of a century-old Chilean Wine Palm

This is the story of saving the life of a century-old Chilean Wine Palm. This endangered tree, Jubaea chilensis, as the name implies, is native to the South American country of Chile. We found this tree in Hayward, California. "Juby" as we affectionately came to call her, was about to be executed by her owners. Fortunately, the demo guys recognized her allure and gave us a call. Golden Gate Palms transplanted her to our demonstration garden in Point Richmond. But this gal wasn't easy; her weight made her nearly impossible to move.

A vestige of an early California homestead, Juby towered over the rooftops of a circa 1950's Hayward subdivision.

How to make a 50' tall, 50,000 lb. plant fly 80' over a house is not an easy task, but we did it. Rare in it's native habitat near Santiago, Chile (because it's trunks are prized for wine making), it is nearly unheard of in the Bay Area. How a California farmer came across a seed from such far away lands remains a mystery. But the tree had to be saved, at all costs.

WATCH FOR A DOCUMENTARY THAT SHOWS THE COMPLETE STORY OF SAVING JUBY INCLUDING GARY'S COLORFUL AND EXOTIC FACT FINDING MISSION TO THE COUNTRY OF CHILE. WRITTEN, SHOT, EDITED AND PRODUCED BY GARY GRAGG (FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE!) SOON THIS DOCUMENTARY WILL TO SHOW UP ON HGTV, PBS, OR WHOEVER GARY CAN TALK INTO AIRING IT. PREVIEW THE FIRST FEW FRIGHTENING STEPS BELOW.

Step 1: Dig

The first step was to carefully hand dig her root ball. Juby's owner watches as we mount our rescue effort. Juby was wedged in the side yard between two houses. We came within inches of the patio cover when lifting Juby out.

Step 2: Lift

Using a 200-ton crane, the largest crane allowed in a residential neighborhood, we cross our fingers as we lift the 50,000 lb mother of all Wine Palms high into the air and up over the house. Will we make it to the street, or destroy this modest home? Tune in to Gary's "Saving Juby" video documentary to find out! The documentary includes a colorful trip to Chile to see trees in habitat and learn more about this remarkable, endangered tree.

Step 3: Fly

It's a U.F.P!!!