Wodyetia...what a magnificient palm!

[TikiRick]

Took these shots yesterday, admiring one of the most magnificent (IMO) palms we have. When fed, irrigated, and taken care of, these bad boys are STUNNING! Anyone else feeling the Ozzie love?

[gsn]

What that COMMON old overused palm, the only thing worse is a queen? (just kidding)

Just like a queen palm common, but if well taken care of, even more BEAUTIFUL, and STUNNING!

Edited January 10, 2009 by gsn

[PalmatierMeg]

When I moved to Florida in 1993 one of the palms I most wanted - and couldn't find anywhere - was the foxtail. Several years later I one as a sapling in a local nursery - $50 - and I bought it. Still have it and it's gorgeous. Now even WalMart carries them. I still love them.

[Daryl]

Funny how they were so rare and desirable years ago, and now they are planted all over the place! Years ago you had to pay big money for Foxtail seed. Now they are fruiting all over our cities and people just cut off the whole infructescence and throw it in the garbage! They are still a lovely palm when well cared for, and not grown on clay soil. Definiyle one of our better exports!

Rick, wait till the next crop of fruit, they will be larger than chicken eggs. The problem we have here is people running over them with the lawnmower...not pretty!

Daryl

[Walter John]

I recall the foxtail palm black market.. (someone told me about it)..

[Jeff Searle]

I recall the foxtail palm black market.. (someone told me about it)..

Hmmm.....Yep, I remember those days quite well. Right down to the park system clamping down on "poachers" and confiscating trucks that were inside the park. I even heard about someone flying in by helicopter to get in and get out easily and quickly. And I heard that many trees were cut down in obtaing seeds, just because it was quicker.

I was on the recieving end back in the day and bought thousands and thousands of seed. At first, we really didn't know very much about this palm because there was very little information available. I had no idea that the only palms were in a national park, you just assumed they were planted everywhere.

It certainly is a great palm in the landscape I feel, even to this day. Yes, the Ozzies really came up with a winner with this one.

Jeff

[DoomsDave]

I wish they did that well here, in the Land O'La La . . . .

[Paul The Palm Doctor!]

What that COMMON old overused palm, the only thing worse is a queen? (just kidding)

Just like a queen palm common, but if well taken care of, even more BEAUTIFUL, and STUNNING!

A sensitive issue in Florida!! I personally enjoy the foxtail, but in Broward Co., with its alkaline soil, I see so many of them with frizzle top!!

Many I can rehabilitate, if not too far gone but so many are dying a slow death (most assuredly) if they are not fed often during the year!

(I'd like to give some of the foxtails' owners frizzle-top!) Let's see how they would like it!!

Paul

[Mark Heath]

The Ozzie love,, yeah i'm feelin it!!!! I have one that is flowering but it is the first year, so no seeds yet, i'll have to

wait a year or two!

[PalmGuyWC]

I can remember BW. (before Wodyetia) Almost every yard in S. Florida had one or more Adonidia merrilli growing in the front. Then leathal yellowing swept S. Fla. and most of the Adonidias vanished, and what a shame. (I still think it's a Vetchia, but what's a name).

Then Wodyetia was introduced and they replaced the Adonidas. South Miami lined one of their main streets with Wodyetia. Some were so robust the trunks looked like Royals, while others were puney and sick looking. Because they weren't uniform looking, S.Miami removed the Wodyetias and replaced them with something else. Wodyetias may be common now, but it still has to be one of the most beautiful palms on earth if their taken care of.

Dick

[tjwalters]

When I moved to Florida in 1993 one of the palms I most wanted - and couldn't find anywhere - was the foxtail. Several years later I one as a sapling in a local nursery - $50 - and I bought it. Still have it and it's gorgeous. Now even WalMart carries them. I still love them.

I can even buy 8-footers in the garden center of Home Depot here in Maryland! Just wish I could grow them outside.

[el-blanco]

What is the best thing to feed these palms? I use a bag of cow manure every three months, lots of water and some rock heat sinks. Mine looks great all year (Coastal Southern California).

I appreciate this post as I plant a lot of these in the landscapes I do. I just dropped off 2 24" boxed ones yesterday that go in the ground Monday.

The first time I ever saw this palm was in Laguna Beach. It looks great!

Jeff

[Walter John]

An amazing palm with it's only natural habitat being on the hill tops at Cape Melville, North Queensland, Australia. No wonder there was a black market for these palms.

Here's a map , where "A" marks the place of Cape Melville.

[Phil]

Rick, Jeff, Scott, Wal and others:

The whole story about Wodyetia is an interesting one. I remember when Rolf Kyburz from Australia first visited the U.S. with a bag of Wodyetia seeds. He was at a Society meeting. He couldn't sell them fast enough at about 7 US dollars a seed. People just had to get them. And, nurseries banked their future on this being the best palm ever. And then the stories of habitat plants being sacrificed just for the seed. And then park protection of the specimens and export rules on seeds. It was quite a flurry of news at the time. And, today, seeds are available in one ton lots.

It's quite fascinating how a species is viewed as threatened or scarce and later (through propagation and commercial distribution) is even more prevalent and available then from the day of it's discovery. At one time the Cycas revoluta was felt to be "threatened". Today, there are probably enough Sago Palms on the market that about one in ten people on the planet could have one. This is probably an exageration, but you get my point.

In terms of real life concerns is the reality that some palm species have been placed on the CITES protected list. This is because they are threatened in habitat and the CITES protection is meant to keep them from going extinct. This however is a real problem for the seedsmen and seed brokers. Look at some of the species that are listed by government officials as illegal to ship internationally according to the CITES laws. This list includes "Chrysalidocarus decipiens, Ravenea rivularis, and Neodypsis decaryi". Don't be distracted by the old names; this is how they are listed. But, be careful if you think about sending a few seeds to your friend overseas. You could potentially end up in the slammer. Presently you can hardly give away seeds of Ravenea rivularis. One tree makes tens of thousands of seeds. But, you can't legally ship them out of your country if you're in a treaty-signing country. Of interest is the fact that the over-abundance of seeds commercially from domestic production has done nothing to stop the destruction of habitat plants. In fact, we're it not for nurserymen and commercial efforts, these species indeed would be on the verge on extinction. I agree that CITES laws seem to have an important impact in some cases. But, they often do little to really accomplish their goals.

Phil

[OldNed]

Back in 1979, a friend of mine in Oz was the Ferrymaster on the Daintree River Ferry in Northern Queensland. A passenger coming down from Cape York gave him an unusual seed that he'd found on the Melville Range up there.

My friend thought it looked pretty cool so he drilled a little hole in it and wore it around his neck for years. The Wodyetia was "discovered" (four years later) on the Melville range in 1983. Guess he shoulda planted it.

[kristof p]

are these fast growers? can they be grown in a cool but frostfree envirement or do they need higher temperuteres? i can buy one with 1.5m of trunk for only 30€ in a local nursery. the only place i can plant it is next to my Archontophoenix which has a temporary greenhouse during winter, this is frostfree but cool during the wintermonths (min. +2°C on cold nights and maximum +7°C during cold cloudy days but much warmer during a sunny day).

if it is a slow grower i can enjoy it for many years untill it gets to big (5m/6m) to grow in the temporary greenhouse....

[gsn]

A sensitive issue in Florida!! I personally enjoy the foxtail, but in Broward Co., with its alkaline soil, I see so many of them with frizzle top!!

Many I can rehabilitate, if not too far gone but so many are dying a slow death (most assuredly) if they are not fed often during the year!

(I'd like to give some of the foxtails' owners frizzle-top!) Let's see how they would like it!!

Paul

A palms appearance , or rattiness, whether it be a foxtail, queen,or any other palm shouldn't be blamed on the palm.

If the people who plant them don't take care of them, and they are not native palms, they will usually not look their best.

A well taken care of, watered , fertilized foxtail is a beautiful thing, the foxtail can't help it if it was planted and then forgotten to fend for itself in it's non native habitat!

[PalmGuyWC]

Phil,

That's a very nice read you wrote on Wodyetia. A little bit more about the history of Wodyetia. When the seeds first started coming from Australia they had to go through the USDA in Hawaii as there were few nonstop flights from Australia to the USA mainland. The seeds were not making it to the mainland, because some Jack Ass with the USDA was stealing the seeds and making a lot of money from them. He was finally reported and fired from his job. He should have been put in jail.

About CITES........I think they do more harm than good. Hell is paved with good intentions.

Dick

[Walter John]

More Foxtail Info:

Wodyetia bifurcata, commonly known as the Foxtail Palm, was named in honour of Wodyeti, an Aboriginal bushman. Wodyeti was the last of his line holding a vast traditional knowledge of the palms natural habitat, the Bathurst Bay-Melville Range in Far North Eastern Queensland, Australia. When he died in 1978 at around 78 years of age, he left the world this wonderful legacy.

The reason why this true Australian Native lay undiscovered until so late in the 20th century is that it occurs naturally only in this very remote area of Queensland. However, as it has progressively become more well known in the modern world, its popularity has exploded.

With its growing success, the Foxtail Palm has almost become a status symbol. Wodyetia is also prized by landscapers for its thick, robust trunk and neat appearance, especially the arching crown of light green fronds which, as the name suggests, gives the palm's foliage the appearance of a fox's tail as it sways in the breeze. Its wonderful smooth self cleaning trunk is very low maintenance.

Care: Foxtail palms are exceptionally hardy and easy to grow. They tolerate a wide variety of well drained soils, including alkaline limestone soils and rocky sands. Regular fertilization with palm fertilizer, and regular watering result in rapid growth. Fertilizer for foxtail palm should have ample amounts of micronutrients and slow release potassium. Foxtail palms may develop potassium deficiency in potassium deficient soils. Foxtail palms tolerate light frost, rarely attract pests and disease, and are resistant to lethal yellowing. Foxtail palm grows naturally amongst rocks and boulders in north-eastern Australia, specifically in north-eastern Queensland, in the Melville Range, near Bathurst Bay on the Cape York Peninsula. So they like loose, sandy, granitic soils. The climate in this area of Australia is tropical with a prolonged dry season.

Pests Diseases: The mature foxtail palm has a deep root stem that allows it to be quite drought tolerant. However, this palm responds well to regular, deep watering in well drained soils. During cooler months the foxtail palm needs only occasional watering. Care should be taken not to over water foxtail palms that are grown in containers.

This palm is very closely related to another North Queensland palm, Normanbya normanbyi, and it was once expected that both would be put into the same genus in a future revision.

[paulgila]

they do very well in my garden in Lowlando.not sure why other socalians have problems,my garden is colder than most.

[Walter John]

Here's a few foxtails I've shown before, although after the last photos they have grown heaps. This is where I threw down a few foxtail seeds as an experiment, see what happened, let nature go at it, and she did with 4 plants growing.

They have lovely shaped leaflets at this stage.

[Walter John]

Cape Melville. I can visualise the black marketeers in those small drug planes and boats coming in for the booty of foxtail seeds.

[Joe palma]

they do very well in my garden in Lowlando.not sure why other socalians have problems,my garden is colder than most.

Hey Paul

I remember you saying that yours were doing well for you and that you treated them like kings, in that you couldn't give them to much water.

I am having a terrible time w/ mine and am about to loose the 5th one (w/ over 6' of wood trunk! these were 25g plants planted at least 6years ago!). The two that are doing OK (one is producing seeds, these get the most sun) don't have a strong root system and rock back and forth a good amount. Doesn't give me that warm fuzzy feeling. Infact, I swear it is just a matter of time before they go south as well. Their fronds look OK at this time though.

I used to give them much more water and they seemed fine but after that first winter a couples years ago when I first started having problems w/ them I asked folks here and most said they don't need that much water and so I cut back. And they haven't been the same since, loosing at least one per winter.

What is the trick for growing these in So Cal? I think one thing I have done wrong is that mine were getting to much shade during the winter.

How much full sun is yours getting Paul? I'm sure they really don't prefer the clay type alkaline soil we have. I think it's a pathogen issue that gets them during the relatively cold damp winters. There are a few in my area that are in full sun all day and look pretty good and are about the same size.

Sure would like to know what to do, short of moving them, cause the weak root system probably won't handle it.

The sad part is they were doing fine for several years.

Here is a before and after comaprison:

BEFORE

AFTER

[paulgila]

wow someone actually asked for my opinion!

mine are getting more sun than i think archontos like & my drainage is good.i water em about the same as kings.

i dont "baby" them & fertilize regularly like all the other palms in my garden.to me they seem to be pretty

low maintainence palms.

[Joe palma]

wow someone actually asked for my opinion!

mine are getting more sun than i think archontos like & my drainage is good.i water em about the same as kings.

i dont "baby" them & fertilize regularly like all the other palms in my garden.to me they seem to be pretty

low maintainence palms.

That was a quick response!

Hmmm. Not sure what to do other than watch them die.

My drainage is not bad and the last one I replaced I had 8" of 3/4" crushed rock at the bottom and landscape fabric above the rocks to aid drainage.This is one of the two that is doing Ok.

[Mindaries_Perth]

Hi Joe, I like these palms, however yours looks to be in a problem. I've lost some bottles and spindles early this season after a somewhat wet winter. They were mature palms and I also noticed that they were easy to rock. Like yours in the pictures the older leaves brown off first and accelerates up. The spears takes awhile to come out. Later inspection revealed the problem of root rot. Perhaps the area was too damp or/and pathgen problems. Don't know what you can do to remedy this problem unfortunately. Have you got any trunk splitting near the base ?

[Joe palma]

Hi Joe, I like these palms, however yours looks to be in a problem. I've lost some bottles and spindles early this season after a somewhat wet winter. They were mature palms and I also noticed that they were easy to rock. Like yours in the pictures the older leaves brown off first and accelerates up. The spears takes awhile to come out. Later inspection revealed the problem of root rot. Perhaps the area was too damp or/and pathgen problems. Don't know what you can do to remedy this problem unfortunately. Have you got any trunk splitting near the base ?

Rahaidi,

I do not have any trunk splitting near the base and the one shown, w/ the fronds browning, did not rock at all.

The two that are doing the best do rock easily. I know, it doesn't make sense.

After the palm croaked I did look at the roots and they were mostly rotten!

Now, if I could figure out if it was just dampness or a pathogen (and which one)?? or both issues combined?? Probably....

I kept it on the drier side once this started to happen, but it was a gonner.

Joe

[epicure3]

they do very well in my garden in Lowlando.not sure why other socalians have problems,my garden is colder than most.

I don't. I only have one but it grows perfectly. There are 4 others on my street alone. 3 out of the four look awesome. The other one has been yellowy for quite some time. It should be said that Foxtails don't like cold, wet feet.

[palman]

I've found mine to be quite low maintenence palms and quick growers too.......I have grown hundreds of them from seeds with great succcess!

[Central Floridave]

I found this thread through a google search! I always like to find hidden gem threads that I missed.

Thanks for the info and photos!

I have 2nd Florida generation foxtails growing. These palms may take over the world eventually!

At CFPACS (central florida palms and cycad society) meetings, you can't even give away foxtails now! Kind of funny on their history on how far they have come and so fast. From unknown in '78 to ubiquitous in a few short decades.

[Walter John]

New leaf opening on my largest foxy. Rather dull morning here, these photos show exactly how it is, dullsville baby.

[Walter John]

Four days later, (Who said Wodyeti was an average palm ?)

With a young foxtail in front.

[amazondk]

Those are great looking trees Wal. I can´t wait till the seeds I received from Ari grow into a grove of them.

dk

[Daryl]

Those Foxtails just love growing on sand. They get fatter trunks and are always healthier than those on clay soils. The soil at Wallyworld is pretty sandy and they love it from the looks of things.

We get a lot of foxtails for sale here that have phytophthora from wholesale nurseries overwatering them. They just never develop roots, and get the wobbles...it doesn't kill them, but they never do well.

Daryl

[happ]

Those Foxtails just love growing on sand. They get fatter trunks and are always healthier than those on clay soils. The soil at Wallyworld is pretty sandy and they love it from the looks of things.

We get a lot of foxtails for sale here that have phytophthora from wholesale nurseries overwatering them. They just never develop roots, and get the wobbles...it doesn't kill them, but they never do well.

Daryl

Didn't think one could ever "overwater" wodyetia?

[realarch]

Good thread, good info. Have a few small foxtails and Normanbya planted within the last year and so far so good.

Tim