Palm gurus - I need your advice

island cassie · 06-30-2008, 08:05 PM

My knowledge of fishtail palms is very limited but from what I have observed - there appears to be 2 types - one forms a shaggy clump and the other a single tree. I have the latter type and in 4 years they have grown from about 8ft to about 40ft and are now starting to flower. They are absolutely gorgeous and I have never had to trim pups or sideshoots from them. Now people here (whose knowledge I suspect) are telling me that after they flower - they will die! Please say it ain't so!!! Apart from the fact that I love them to bits - they cost US$1000 each and I could never replace them!!!

Cassie

Lilith · 06-30-2008, 08:10 PM

I am afraid that they are right about that. You probably have either Caryota gigas, Caryota No, or Caryota maxima. They do flower ate about 40 ft and then they expire. You would have to start them from seed again. They are pretty fast growing though.

island cassie · 06-30-2008, 08:22 PM

Lilith - I didn't want to believe it - but if it is true I will have to radically rethink my plans, starting with the relocation of the orchids that are growing on them. They are fast growing trees and I can and will grow more from seed. Thanks for confirming that this could be the case, and I will inspect a neighbours tree that flowered a little earlier than mine, very carefully. Another project I think as I have 4 of them (for the time being!) haha!

Thanks again
Cassie

lorax · 07-01-2008, 09:28 AM

Cass - you can leave the orchids on the stump after the plant expires; it makes an interesting landscaping effect - just fill it with epiphytes and let it be, like big natural pillars.

If you've got offshoots, it will come back from those.

dablo93 · 07-01-2008, 12:16 PM

the clumping one will be alive, the new palms, the offshoots will just grow after the motherpalm died

island cassie · 07-01-2008, 12:25 PM

These are all single trees and not one ever had an offshoot - wish they had now! Good idea Lorax - plant them up even more and make features of them. Yep - that's what I'll do if they die and while I wait for the seed to grow. Thanks everyone - I feel more cheerful about it now.

Dean W. · 07-01-2008, 01:25 PM

Cassie, here's some links that might be helpful.
Floridata: Caryota mitis
Caryotas, Did You know? Fishtail Palm

Also be careful when you harvest the fruit it can irritate the skin.

island cassie · 07-14-2008, 05:09 PM

Dean - thanks for the information which was very useful. Not sure which ones I have but here are some pics.

Dean W. · 07-14-2008, 06:13 PM

Nice- simply beautiful!

Tropicallvr · 07-18-2008, 03:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lorax

Cass - you can leave the orchids on the stump after the plant expires; it makes an interesting landscaping effect - just fill it with epiphytes and let it be, like big natural pillars.

If you've got offshoots, it will come back from those.

Great idea.

And if you have profesionals remove them or do it yourself, the trunks are full of some nasty acid crystals or something like that, so wear eye and body and possibly respritory protection.

Dean W. · 07-18-2008, 03:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tropicallvr

Great idea.

And if you have profesionals remove them or do it yourself, the trunks are full of some nasty acid crystals or something like that, so wear eye and body and possibly respritory protection.

I've also heard their stumps are as hard as a rock! So be prepared.

island cassie · 07-18-2008, 05:18 PM

Thanks for all the information - I had no idea!! Well I think that settles it - I will leave them where they are and plant the trunks up with orchids, vines and bromeliads. Just have to be careful when trimming off any dead stuff.

Cassie

06-30-2008, 08:05 PM	#1 (permalink)
island cassie Senior Member island cassie's Photo Gallery Location: Dominican Republic Find me on the map! Zone: 11+ I guess Name: Island Cassie Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 1,341 BananaBucks : 2,363 Feedback: 2 / 100% Thanks: 379 Thanked 215 Times in 142 Posts Welcomes: 109	Palm gurus - I need your advice My knowledge of fishtail palms is very limited but from what I have observed - there appears to be 2 types - one forms a shaggy clump and the other a single tree. I have the latter type and in 4 years they have grown from about 8ft to about 40ft and are now starting to flower. They are absolutely gorgeous and I have never had to trim pups or sideshoots from them. Now people here (whose knowledge I suspect) are telling me that after they flower - they will die! Please say it ain't so!!! Apart from the fact that I love them to bits - they cost US$1000 each and I could never replace them!!! Cassie

06-30-2008, 08:10 PM	#2 (permalink)
Lilith Senior Member Lilith's Photo Gallery Location: sunny Florida Find me on the map! Zone: 9 Name: Gina Anne Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 286 BananaBucks : 3,418 Feedback: 1 / 100% Thanks: 10 Thanked 40 Times in 20 Posts Welcomes: 1	Re: Palm gurus - I need your advice I am afraid that they are right about that. You probably have either Caryota gigas, Caryota No, or Caryota maxima. They do flower ate about 40 ft and then they expire. You would have to start them from seed again. They are pretty fast growing though.

06-30-2008, 08:22 PM	#3 (permalink)
island cassie Senior Member island cassie's Photo Gallery Location: Dominican Republic Find me on the map! Zone: 11+ I guess Name: Island Cassie Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 1,341 BananaBucks : 2,363 Feedback: 2 / 100% Thanks: 379 Thanked 215 Times in 142 Posts Welcomes: 109	Re: Palm gurus - I need your advice Lilith - I didn't want to believe it - but if it is true I will have to radically rethink my plans, starting with the relocation of the orchids that are growing on them. They are fast growing trees and I can and will grow more from seed. Thanks for confirming that this could be the case, and I will inspect a neighbours tree that flowered a little earlier than mine, very carefully. Another project I think as I have 4 of them (for the time being!) haha! Thanks again Cassie

07-01-2008, 09:28 AM	#4 (permalink)
lorax <div style="color: Yellow;">Banana Coloured</div> lorax's Photo Gallery Location: Ecuador, South America Zone: 12/13 Tropical Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 349 BananaBucks : 1,712 Feedback: 0 / 0% Thanks: 34 Thanked 107 Times in 73 Posts Welcomes: 82	Re: Palm gurus - I need your advice Cass - you can leave the orchids on the stump after the plant expires; it makes an interesting landscaping effect - just fill it with epiphytes and let it be, like big natural pillars. If you've got offshoots, it will come back from those. __________________ I speak for the trees.

07-01-2008, 12:16 PM	#5 (permalink)
dablo93 dablo93 's Photo Gallery Location: Randstad North Find me on the map! Zone: Z8b-Z9a, wet cold winters and mild summers Name: daen Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 753 BananaBucks : 3,563 Feedback: 0 / 0% Thanks: 83 Thanked 154 Times in 104 Posts Welcomes: 119	Re: Palm gurus - I need your advice the clumping one will be alive, the new palms, the offshoots will just grow after the motherpalm died __________________ -=

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07-01-2008, 12:25 PM	#6 (permalink)
island cassie Senior Member island cassie's Photo Gallery Location: Dominican Republic Find me on the map! Zone: 11+ I guess Name: Island Cassie Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 1,341 BananaBucks : 2,363 Feedback: 2 / 100% Thanks: 379 Thanked 215 Times in 142 Posts Welcomes: 109	Re: Palm gurus - I need your advice These are all single trees and not one ever had an offshoot - wish they had now! Good idea Lorax - plant them up even more and make features of them. Yep - that's what I'll do if they die and while I wait for the seed to grow. Thanks everyone - I feel more cheerful about it now.

07-01-2008, 01:25 PM	#7 (permalink)
Dean W. Dean W.'s Photo Gallery Location: Cedar Park, TX Zone: 8b Name: Dean Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 1,166 BananaBucks : 6,573 Feedback: 5 / 100% Thanks: 611 Thanked 203 Times in 191 Posts Welcomes: 183	Re: Palm gurus - I need your advice Cassie, here's some links that might be helpful. Floridata: Caryota mitis Caryotas, Did You know? Fishtail Palm Also be careful when you harvest the fruit it can irritate the skin. __________________ Dean

07-14-2008, 05:09 PM	#8 (permalink)
island cassie Senior Member island cassie's Photo Gallery Location: Dominican Republic Find me on the map! Zone: 11+ I guess Name: Island Cassie Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 1,341 BananaBucks : 2,363 Feedback: 2 / 100% Thanks: 379 Thanked 215 Times in 142 Posts Welcomes: 109	Re: Palm gurus - I need your advice Dean - thanks for the information which was very useful. Not sure which ones I have but here are some pics.

07-14-2008, 06:13 PM	#9 (permalink)
Dean W. Dean W.'s Photo Gallery Location: Cedar Park, TX Zone: 8b Name: Dean Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 1,166 BananaBucks : 6,573 Feedback: 5 / 100% Thanks: 611 Thanked 203 Times in 191 Posts Welcomes: 183	Re: Palm gurus - I need your advice Nice- simply beautiful! __________________ Dean

07-18-2008, 05:18 PM	#12 (permalink)
island cassie Senior Member island cassie's Photo Gallery Location: Dominican Republic Find me on the map! Zone: 11+ I guess Name: Island Cassie Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 1,341 BananaBucks : 2,363 Feedback: 2 / 100% Thanks: 379 Thanked 215 Times in 142 Posts Welcomes: 109	Re: Palm gurus - I need your advice Thanks for all the information - I had no idea!! Well I think that settles it - I will leave them where they are and plant the trunks up with orchids, vines and bromeliads. Just have to be careful when trimming off any dead stuff. Cassie

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