Trachycarpus fortunei flowering

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This is the third year that our twelve year old 10 foot high triffid has flowered, and every time the 'flowers' never cease to amaze me.

 

Finally found something that likes clay ...
they're incredibly hardy John, have even been successfully grown in Norway ( they must like the crinkly edges ).

 

You might have a new seedling if you have another male/female in the area (not sure whether the flowering tree is male or female )
Yes, they are remarkably hardy ... mine survived this past winter while the cordylines all perished .......

 

Mine are flowering at the moment, looks awesome skinner

 

Unfortunately, although this is the 3rd time it has flowered, I've never seen it fruit... not that I would recognize the fruit even if it fell on my head, but nothing obvious has ever appeared so presumably it doesn't get pollinated. Shame because I would like to try and grow one from seed.

 

Nice one skinner.

Looks like a female at the moment, if the flower turns all fluffy and full of pollen, then its a male.
Mine never get pollinated either, males are, it seems, a bit rarer .

 

My male and female must be married ! they never feel like getting in on at the same time lol :D

 

It's a male. I went out and brushed my hand over the flower and it came away covered in pollen.

 

We have three that have flowered together for the last couple of years. Had plenty of seed too, although I havent yet tried sowing any. I may give it a go this year if we get seed again.

 

That IS a hell of a plant Skinner.....Well done...

I am never quite sure the science behind when a tropical plant flowers like this.
Is it because it's soooooooo happy it's saying hey look at me or
It's desperately unhappy and is trying to regenerate.
Whatever it's always nice to see.

 

I've sown about 10 from seed this year. Very good germination - might even have been all of them.

Weird though ... a shoot appears from the seed, growing downwards, which I had to help into the soil - it pushed the seed out of the ground rather than drilling into the soil! and then from the bottom of this "shoot" can both the roots and real shoot, and then a dinky little "fern like" leaf

 

No offence Roders but its not really a tropical plant.
As far as I know it comes from regions around the Himalayas, which although probably much nearer the equator than us, have cold wet winters due to altitude.

So they are quite well at home in the UK and thrive once established.

 

Interesting Pete. I didn't know that, and always assumed it was tropical. Just goes to show why it is so hardy