Spanish Holiday Palms

Hi everyone.
My Mum has bought me back these seeds from her holiday in Spain. There isn't much info on the back of the packet. I tried to translate them and Google them but without much luck. I wondered if anyone has seen these? Bought these? Grown these? I've never grown a Palm of any kind. Can anyone give me any info on them/growing advice, please??

I think there are 3 different types in this packet


I think this one may be called 'Bottle Palm' :confused:

 

Hi Bekimac I think this is one for Banana Man or Pete, I'm sure those guys could more than help you out.
Helen.xxx.

 

They look like...

Chamaerops, Phoenix, Washingtonia in the top packet. I haven't grown them myself, pete might have.

 

I grow all my palm from seed. I think BM is right.

Chamaerops humilis, Lady palm

Phoenix canariensis Canary Island date palm

and Washingtonia filifera. California fan palm

The other is I think Hyophorbe lagenicaulis. Bottle palm (the clue is in the name :D )

I have never grown the bottle palm because it is not that hardy. Might manage -2C but not really viable in a garden round here.

Germination is comparatively easy if you have infinite patience. Go to Wilkinson's (or similar) and buy some small plastic food tubs and a bag of vermiculite (I think perlite would work as well but for some strange reason vermiculite is recommended for palms. Is it that it is slightly more acid?)

Half fill your tubs (I suggest keeping your types separate and labeled) with vermiculite and sprinkle a drop of water in so it is just moist. If, when you squeeze it water runs out, it is too wet. Place the seeds on top, put the lid on and put containers somewhere warm. At least 80 degrees fahrenheit. Before I got a propagator I used to stand mine on a radiator. Crude, but it worked.

Don't expect any germination for some weeks but do check from time to time that the vermiculite is still dampish. Then check weekly for germination in the form of a root. When that root appears (could be several months)plant them up in a standard compost (I find ericaceous best). Keep fairly warm (but not roasting) when young, and you should have some fair size trees within 20 years. The C. humilis is very hardy from a fairly young age. The P. canariensis needs nursing for a few years. The W. filifera is fairly hardy but hates it too wet, it will rot off in fogs, and if you succeed with the bottle palm outdoors, I would like your autograph.

Hope this is of some use. :D :D

 

Hi BekiMac,

Palm trees that can grow even in a cold climate (max-10 degrees Celsius)are:
Trachycarpus fortunei,Chamaerops humilis,Brhaea armata,Butia capitata,Jubaea chilensis,Phoenix canariensis, Washingtonia filifera, Sabal palmetto, Brahea edulis, Tritrinax campestris.

A little less resistant to the cold (max -5)are:
Syagrus romanzoffianum,Livistona australis,Livistona chinensis,Rhapis excelsa, Washingtonia robusta, Phoenix reclinata, Sabal minor, Serenoa repens
It is not necessary for a palm to be in a sunny position, as palms in shady positions may also have the necessary heat.
Regarding the soil palms are adabtable to the ground they have available, although most of them prefer acidic soils.
It is important to watch out for any sign of illness, as it is not easy to cure a palm.
Pruning has to be careful, to avoid wounds to the plant.
Sea water cannot be used to water the plants,as it would cause them to die.

[ 17. October 2007, 09:28 PM: Message edited by: miraflores ]

 

Actually Miraflores, Trachycarpus fortunei can survive down to about -12 and Trachycarpus latisectus is even hardier, about -15. Even my trachy princeps which only has about 4 leaves will be staying out all winter.It's good to about -8 when mature and -5 when young. Probably the least hardy trachy is the martianus which is fine to -6. In fact all the trachies are hardy. But if people are using these figures they should remember that they are for mature specimens. The younger the palm, the less hardy it is. A mature C. humilis is fine to -15 and rumour has it that the blue variation from the Atlas mountains is even hardier. The idea that all palms require a hot house just isn't true.

 

I agee with everything said, and the top three can all come out to be reasonably hardy, also agree the bottle palm is really for a conservatory.
I hear all these claims of hardiness that are talked about these days, and most, as far as I can tell, are not really substantiated by growing plants in the UK.
For instance, how many full grown canary date palms have you come across here, inland.

True they are doing well in many places, but I just wonder if we are getting these claims forced upon us by the people who import and sell them.

 

Whoops. Forgot to mention Beki that before putting the seeds in the vermiculite, soak them for 24-48 hours in tepid water (just speeds germination up a bit). Also, if there is any 'husk' on them, after soaking, then s****e it off. Otherwise, as will getting them too wet, you will get rot.

 

Oh dear. The puritan has moved in. It's something you do gently with the blade of a knife. You also do it with old wallpaper. Trouble with computers. No sense of logic. The missing letters mean pooh. :rolleyes:

 

Sorry Pete. Have to disagree slightly. The figures are conservative. I have a friend in Leeds with a large phoenix in his garden. I've 4 young ones in mine, the two biggest (just trunking) have survived 3 winters with zero problems. As long as people don't think they can just take a seedling out of its protected environment, pop it in the ground and forget it, then, with the suggested palms, no prob. I know you prefer caution, and on most exotics I would never dream of not accepting your advice (e.g. cycads) But on palms I could write a book. (Except they are already written.)

 

Cold figures are ok-ish but the biggest problem is moisture and wet soil. They wont make those temperatures in this climate without atention to soil detail before they are planted.

 

There maybe books written on the subject but where are the 40 ft palms, why are they hardy now and wern't 30yrs ago.
I'm sure the victorians would have grown them if it was possible outside.
There are large trachys of considerable age around, but I've not seen much else, except in microclimates or traditional favoured sites.

John, you have also said that your winters are pretty mild.

 

Evening everyone,

Oh dear, hope I'm not responsible for some worms and cans re Palm temp.s??

BM & Sarraceniac, thanks a lot for the IDs.
I like to catalogue all my plants with latin & common names, so thanks Sarraceniac for the details. I'm printing off the info on the links you supplied.....I'll keep it somewhere safe so it lasts 20years.

Tropicals aren't really my thing, probably due to lack of space. I'm mostly into flowering perennials. I have quite a lot of 'traditional' houseplants (I have a Palour Palm :D !), we don't have a conservatory, but they thrive in the living room, so I'll try and probably grow them indoors, certainly the Bottle Palm anyway.

"infinite patience" isn't that what gardening is all about?!

Sarraceniac, thankyou for all the germination advice, which I will follow to the letter....including s****e it (once I work out what you were trying to say, lol)

Keep you all posted

Cheers, Beki x

 

No worms in cans Beki, just a good old difference of oppinion.

Wouldn't life be boring if we all agreed all the time. :D

 

Couldn't agree more Pete.....that's what I tell Mr Mac when he gets things wrong :D