Mauritia flexuosa

[amazondk]

Paco,

The trees do best in seasonally flooded areas.  The trees that ended up in the water year round due to the road fill in some of the pictures are slowly declining and will eventually die.  The areas they do best dry out during part of the year.  But, remain quite moist.  

dk

[amazondk]

Here is my personal Mauritia grove.  Our lot on the other side of the Negro River has one border, about 125 meters long which is on a stream bed with a native grove of Mauritias.  There is a picture in an earlier post looking up at this grove from the river.  The stream is seasonally flooded from the Negro River.  This is the grove looked down at from the lot.  There is one mature Euterpe precatoria tree.  I plan on putting quite a few more E. precatorias near this one.

This is what it is like looking up at the Mauritias from down the slope on the lot.

This is what the ground looks like under the Mauritias.  It is a soft sandy soil that you sink into if you walk on it.   It never dries out.

This is the only mostly level area near the Mauritia grove.  I plan on making a deck there so I can have a Mauritia grove habitat relaxation area.  It would be a good place to plant a bunch of C. renda I think as well.  This area is directly left of the E. precatoria in the picture above.

[Paco]

Thanks Don for the explanation.

I find Mauritia such an interesting palm. I can't wait to see that ChillOut spot that you are about to create there.

Do epiphyts grow in Mauritia trunks naturally?

[amazondk]

Paco,

I don't recall ever seeing many epiphyts growing on the Mauritias.  There are some species like Attalea maripa that normally have a lot of ferns growing around the old leaf bases.  And, I have found orchids growing on some palms.  I did collect one orchid last year from a Mauritia trunk in Roraima though.  Occaisionally a philodenron will make a tree home as well.

The parrots love the Mauritia fruit and frequent the groves when in the fruit is in season.  This sort of adds a little flavor to the place.

dk

[Really full garden]

Don are Mauritia leaves ever used for roof thatching ?

[amazondk]

Scott,

The indians use them.  They make great thatching and it is quite durable.

dk

[ariscott]

Cool... go and build the relaxation area...!! Very pretty property you have there. Ours is cleared since it is an ex market garden. But then, Top End natives are not as exotics as Mauritia or Euterpe!!!!

If I were you... I wouldn't wait any longer to move there. I guess accessibility is the problem. When are they going to build the bridge again?

Regards, Ari

[amazondk]

Ari,

The bridge will take a little less than 3 yeas if the project is on time.  In the meantime the ferry boat is a necessary evil.  It is a beautiful place.  

dk

[aussiearoids]

Don , maybe seed collected from your own property will be easier to export than wild collected . Also if your wife dealt with the Post Office people it might make a difference ?

[ariscott]

True.... since she is local. I found that was the case in Indonesia as well, unfortunately... if Scott showed up, everything became more difficult. I tend to leave him at home when I had to deal with government or  even going shopping...

Regards, Ari

[amazondk]

Michael,

The source of the seed really makes no difference.  I have not been back to the Agriculture people to get their ok for seed export.  They should be no problem though.  It is really just a red tape problem.  I am having major problems with the Agriculture folks for our lumber export business.  They are requiring Phytosanitary certificates to Holland which are not required.  There is an international agreement called ISPM 15 which covers the international transportation of wood packaging material.   When the wood for packing, we use wood runners on the bottoms of the bundles for shipment, is of tropical hardwoods destined to a temperate climate country it is not required to have heat treatment or fumigation under this agreement.  But, these folks here in the port of Manaus thinks it is.  This has resulted in delays and increased costs.  My work has been mostly with import and export transportation for the past 20 years so I am quite used to this kind of situation.  The palm seeds are easy when compared to this.  Brazil can be a frustrating place sometimes when you get stuck in the civil servant maze.  Can you receive Mauritia seeds ok in Australia?  I am sure that I can work out a way to send most any palm seed.  The IBAMA, the Environmental Agency over transport, collection, sale, etc. of organic matter from the forest has no restriction on palm seed exports.  So, it is a matter of getting the post office in line. In fact come to think of it I am going to get my customs broker involved I am sure he can get things resolved.  Getting the seed is the easy part.

dk

[amazondk]

SInce I got started on this thread I just have not been able to stop taking pictures of our Mauritias.  The street to the airport in Manaus is lined with Mauritias and other palms on both sides.  I always like to drive by the airport, 1 to see the palms, 2 to see the airplanes, and 3 to go to the Free Shop and buy refreshments.  

This is the road to the airport and it's trees.

If I were to plant some Mauritias in a yard I think I might put them in a group.  You can see from this picture how when grown close together they make an awesome sight.  It is interesting how they grow straight up even when very close.

[Kris]

Dear Don  

As ever your stills are stunning !  

thanks & love,

Kris  

[amazondk]

Thanks Kris,

Are there any of these trees growing in your part of the world?  They would do fine there.

dk

[Kris]

(amazondk @ Apr. 15 2008,05:58)

QUOTE

Thanks Kris,

Are there any of these trees growing in your part of the world?  They would do fine there.

dk

Dear Don  

hai to you & mrs Don.those trees seem to be new to me...and its the first time iam seeing one.and you want believe that entire chennai,including our house is full of clay..right down to 8 to 10 feet.and during our monsoon rains,water stagnates for at least 3 days,and rarely up to a week.and most ornamental plants die.and recently due to the clay soil & water clogging one of the washy filifera rotted just like that..

Lots of love,

Kris  

[amazondk]

Kris,

The Mauritia can have its base under water for at least 6 months a year with no damage.  Although most areas have a pretty high sand content to the soild where they grow there is clay also in the soil in many areas.  A short period of time like you mention I donn't think would have any impact.

dk

[HI-Keaau]

Aloha, this is my first post, some pictures of my Mauritia Flexuosas. They have been in the ground about 2 years. They started the same size but the smaller one was transplanted once, slowed it up some . They are both in the 2nd picture for comparison.

[bgl]

K.,

Welcome to the IPS Forum! And you changed your log-in name! That was sneaky...! But I recognize those Mauritias anywhere!

Hope to see more photos from your garden. And don't forget those before and after photos!

Aloha,

Bo-Göran

[KPL]

HI-Keaau,

Welcome to PalmTalk. Maybe you'll catch up to Bo-Göran's posts soon -smile-!

Keep smiling,

KPL

[Kris]

Dear KPL

welcome back ! its been a long time we all heard from you...

i think the last thread we all interacted was the oil palm thread !

hope to see you regularly in our discussion board...hope you make some

time to meet us here in our forum

love,

Kris

[HI-Keaau]

K.,

Welcome to the IPS Forum! And you changed your log-in name! That was sneaky...! But I recognize those Mauritias anywhere!

Hope to see more photos from your garden. And don't forget those before and after photos!

Aloha,

Bo-Göran

You caught me! I have been playing around with the postings but a seed by any other name is still a seed! I did 4 before and after on another thread, now if only i can find it.......

[amazondk]

K.

Your buriti trees look great. I am sure they will do well there. When they get big and bear fruit you can make some nutricious buriti juice.

dk

[HI-Keaau]

K.

Your buriti trees look great. I am sure they will do well there. When they get big and bear fruit you can make some nutricious buriti juice.

dk

Don, Do you have any idea how many years i will have to wait for fruit?? If I get some fruit, how do I make juice out of it, do you add sugar? I'd love to know more about it, any pictures of ripe seed? Is the fruit something you can eat too? Does it cook well? I love to know about edibles - what a bonus, I thought it was just a beautiful palm. At least here I won't have to compete with the parrots for the fruit.

[amazondk]

K.

Your buriti trees look great. I am sure they will do well there. When they get big and bear fruit you can make some nutricious buriti juice.

dk

Don, Do you have any idea how many years i will have to wait for fruit?? If I get some fruit, how do I make juice out of it, do you add sugar? I'd love to know more about it, any pictures of ripe seed? Is the fruit something you can eat too? Does it cook well? I love to know about edibles - what a bonus, I thought it was just a beautiful palm. At least here I won't have to compete with the parrots for the fruit.

I am not sure how soon they start bearing fruit. But, I imagine it is around 6 or 7 years. You make the juice the same way as with Euterpe, açai. The low tech way to do it is pound the fruit with a mortar and pestal, a big one until the pulp breaks loose. Then you strain off the big stuff and the thick juicy pulp is left. You can also peal the skin off the fruit and eat the pulp in natura. And, you can also make flour out of the pulp and bake with it. I will get you some better close ups of ripe fruits. As to adding surgar that is up to the consumer. Most people here add sugar. The pulp is extremely nutirtional. There is a big project near Manaus that is starting up to refine Mauritia, buriti, fruits into oil to use in cosmetics. The oils are very good for the skin. They have a great anti-oxident property.

dk

[HI-Keaau]

[realarch]

Such beautiful palms, I could look at them all day long. Have a couple of spots picked out, that should accommodate a few.

Tim

[Moose]

On 4/7/2008, 6:13:05, scottgt said:

These seedlings are about five months old.I had 5 seeds germinate after 5-6 months.Three rotted and two did not germinate.I have a sesonally flooded spot that is the future home for a few of these palms.I am amazed at how much these seedlings resemble the sedge umbrella grass - the semi aquatic papayrus relative.

I wonder how closely I should plant them?

 

Scott - did this palm ever make it into the ground? If so can we see some updated photos?

I find Jeff's recommendation of a minimum of 20 ft of spacing to be good advice. Property is not as cheap here as it used to be. Bo's recommendation of 30 to 35 ft spacing is sound if you have the room. 

These are truly massive palms that cannot be realized from Don's habitat photos. Until you have walked up to one personally can you appreciate their scale.

Just look at Keith's recent Short PRA at Searler Brothers Nursery Saturday (Tomorrow) thread, post #  57  . That a juvenile at the Searle Brothers Nursery located near the mist house, so the soil is well here Ned but continually moist.

Edited November 14, 2015 by Moose

[Really full garden]

None of mine made it. I had two that struggled along for a few years  before dying. I would like to try them again.Such magnificent palms.

[Moose]

22 minutes ago, scottgt said:

None of mine made it. I had two that struggled along for a few years  before dying. I would like to try them again.Such magnificent palms.

Scott - they really love the water. If you have an area of that stays moist then you should give them another try. If not, a Corypha is another option if you want a massive fan palm.

[jardinierpalmiertrat]

beautiful photos in situ!!!!!!

[realarch]

Keep the faith Scott! I picked up one back in 2011 breaking out of a 4" pot and planted it straight away. The first photo.

Here is PeterPacific in the second photo, back in early October this year on a visit, for scale. Surprised it didn't eat him. This thing has exploded in the last year and a half. 

Tim 

[Really full garden]

6 hours ago, Moose said:

Scott - they really love the water. If you have an area of that stays moist then you should give them another try. If not, a Corypha is another option if you want a massive fan palm.

I had tried one at the beach ( very long dry season) and several in my highland garden that gets 200+ inches of rain per year .It is very wet with deep volcanic soil.I doubt there are wetter places in Guatemala.There is something else missing.I think lack of heat might have had an effect.My temps are 65F - 85F year round.It rarely goes higher or lower.

[bgl]

Tim,

Lunch today was great and thanks for alerting me to this thread.  And your Mauritia - wow, that is an absolute monster! And in just four years. Very impressive!  Maybe all that rain you're getting helps just a teeny teeny bit!  Oh, and since we're talking Mauritia flexuosa, what better way to show them off than photos from their natural habitat - this was two years ago on Lago Sandoval, near Puerto Maldonado in Peru. The first photo - some boat people we happened to be passing by on our way to view some of the tens of thousands of large mature Mauritias there.

Bo-Göran