Copernicia Prunifera

[Urban Rainforest]

I have a very healthy Copernicia Prunifera with 2 ft. of trunk. The problem is it is in very prime realastate right outside our family room window and I have a nice size 5 gal. Dypsis Decipiens that I think I would rather look out at over the years. So my question is can you dig Copernicia Prunifera without A killing it or B stunting it. I do not want to kill this palm so if it is an issue I will leave it where it is. Has anyone here had success moving one of these? How about you Florida guys? Here is a pic of the palm.

Thanks,

Steve

Edited May 12, 2008 by Steve from San Diego

[Kris]

Dear Steve

very beautiful fan palm with lots of fine colour in its leaves...so handle the baby carefully.

And there is a saying "Bigger the Better ".if you dig wide & deep around this palm,i think transplantation will not be any difficulty.and avoide rainy seasons..

thanks & love,

Kris

[Walter John]

I've seen mature specimens of pruniferas in our botanical gardens and they look great, I wouldn't move it, I don't rate it lower to a decipiens.

Yours looks terrific.

[Ken Johnson]

That's what I was thinking Wal.

BTW they are easier to move than the Cuban ones but still need care.

Root prunning is a must and if you dig a big ball do no lift it from the trunk as it will be too heavy for the roots at their trunk connection. You must lift from the ball. Looks like the soil is soft so the ball must be well supported. Boxing in the ground can help.

[Urban Rainforest]

Thanks guys for the advice. I have'nt transplanted a lot of fan palms but I did successfully root prune and relocate a Brahea Armata and a Pritchardia that are doing fine today. I really do like the palm as it looks now but how do you deal with trimming the dead fronds once the palm is say over 20 ft. tall? Do you just live with the dead skirt of fronds like a mini Washy, hire someone to climb it and trim it once a year (I'm not that guy ) or at some point in maturity does it become more or less self cleaning.

Thanks,

Steve

[Gileno Machado]

Steve:

I believe that the most beautiful and peculiar characteristic of the Carnaúba wax palm is actually the trunk spiral pattern, which yours is about to start showing. I wish I had a beautifully grown juvenile specimen just like yours but these palms are slow growing at young stage and mine are taking forever to start trunking, in cultivation.

I don't have information about moving these palms at that stage, sorry. I've seen pictures of these palms in habitat here in NE Brazil and they don't look bad if not prunned, the crown just gets a round shape and spherical, and it seems to release the oldest fronds, but they don't keep the "skirt".

These palms here are grown by the thousands, in Ceará State, 1000 km to the Northwest from my town and they have their fronds harvested for the wax production, specially for car polish manufacture. They are true water lovers but they can stand severe droughts (common in their habitat) because the waxy coat protects them from transpiring in full sun.

[Ken Johnson]

These palms are very attractive when they hold thier old leaves. They usually hold their leaf basses (the ones you trim) for a long time and if each one is trimmed just behind the last thorns the look is artistic. When older they may keep the lowest leaf bases but the upper leaves will fall whole and leave the trunk showing. Thus self cleaning but with old leaves still attached. Those of us that like the natuarl look want this look.

I guees I have some in stock like that. I will get some pix.

[Ken Johnson]

These palms are very attractive when they hold thier old leaves. They usually hold their leaf basses (the ones you trim) for a long time and if each one is trimmed just behind the last thorns the look is artistic. When older they may keep the lowest leaf bases but the upper leaves will fall whole and leave the trunk showing. Thus self cleaning but with old leaves still attached. Those of us that like the natuarl look want this look.

I guees I have some in stock like that. I will get some pix.

[Urban Rainforest]

Thanks for the replies guys. Ok you talked me into it THE PALM IS STAYING PUT ! Gileno, The pic I posted is from last year so it is starting to develop the spiral pattern you discribed. Ken, Thanks for posting those pics! That was the clincher...those pics are stunning. sometimes I suffer from Dypsis tunnel vision .

Thanks,

Steve