Macapuno coconut

[redant]

"The Macapuno coconut of the Philippines is famous for having no milk cavity. The jelly-like flesh fills the middle and can be eaten with a spoon."

That would be a great coconut to have.

Speaking of coconuts, I would guess Bermuda would be the northern most location to find them growing .

[JakeK]

An old boss of mine from the Philippines told me about this variety. Very interesting. He also told me about a very large hotel in Manila made completely of coconut wood and fronds.

Btw, I think Funchal on Madeira is the place at the highest latitude that can grow coconuts with nearly 100% success. Just a few degrees higher than Bermuda.

[Zac in NC]

Hmmm, sounds delicious.

Zac

[Palmarum]

It is also known as the Ice Cream Coconut, and has been sought after for a long time by collectors, including myself. They taste just like coconut ice cream should, along with the same texture. Unfortunately, it is very prone to Lethal Yellowing Disease, which makes it a tough one for South Florida.

Still doesn't mean I would not grow one if I had the chance...

Ryan

[bruno]

Sounds great. I suppose one needs a coconut in order to grow it, very easily transportable seed indeed. I wish I could have one of those here in madagascar. Any hint? bruno

[Moose]

I have been looking for one for about 7 years. Anybody in S. Florida? One vendor has listed them for the last two years at the South Florida Society Sale but it never shows up. Body Builders love them since the fruits have alot of amino acids in them.

Ron.

[PalmGuyWC]

If I'm not mistaken, I think TikiRick has a Macupuno. I think he cuts them off before they mature so they don't come crashing down on his roof. I told him he was throwing good money away, but I guess he values his roof more. Someone make him an offer he can't refuse.

Dick

[Z4Devil]

Dear all,

a further person is very interested in seeds of this special palm - me myself.

If anyone has an option to find / sell one, please give a quick response or later any information.

Thanks a lot and in advance,

Verena

Edited June 9, 2009 by Z4Devil

[valledemaie]

Hi Verena,

Du suchst aber auch immer nur das extrem seltene Zeugs....

[Z4Devil]

Häää? Wer bist Du denn? Oli oder Moni, raus mit der Sprache.

Because we are posting in an international forum, it is a question of courtesy to post in their native language. I like it to be here, I love my international friends and so ... they should read, what we are talking about.

Hi Verena,

Du suchst aber auch immer nur das extrem seltene Zeugs....

V. wrote: you are always looking for the extremely rare stuff.

Me myself answered:

Eeeh? Whoabout you? Oli or Moni, spit it out.

Big grin, Verena

[Kai]

WANNA-HAVE-IT WANNA-HAVE-IT WANNA-HAVE-IT!

Everytime I get on palmtalk, you guys make sure I can't sleep at night, thinking about another impossible to get palm! It's horrible!

Who's got seeds???

[Moose]

Mr. Douglas - thanks for the heads up on Rick's palm. I will be seeing him at the Croton Society Meeting he his hosting. I am sure we can configure a contraption to save the nuts without damaging his roof. I feel a Seinfeld episode coming on, a man-zierre for Coconuts

Best regards,

Ron.

[Mark Heath]

If I'm not mistaken, I think TikiRick has a Macupuno. I think he cuts them off before they mature so they don't come crashing down on his roof. I told him he was throwing good money away, but I guess he values his roof more. Someone make him an offer he can't refuse.

Dick

Dick,

You are correct!! Very low germination rate from what i have heard. I would love one of these as well but alas, i never will!

[garrin]

The macapuno is indeed very susceptible to LY. Years ago there was a large healthy seeding one in Fairchild Garden, but it went very early on to its grave when LY hit S. FL.

[Z4Devil]

Folks,

coming back to the root of this thread, the question of any chance for sale availability is not answered. Does anybody know who / where to buy them?

Thanks a lot and best regards,

Verena

[gcyao]

WANNA-HAVE-IT WANNA-HAVE-IT WANNA-HAVE-IT!

Everytime I get on palmtalk, you guys make sure I can't sleep at night, thinking about another impossible to get palm! It's horrible!

Who's got seeds???

Hello Kai,

Sorry to disappoint you, but seeds of macapuno will not germinate.

[gcyao]

Folks,

coming back to the root of this thread, the question of any chance for sale availability is not answered. Does anybody know who / where to buy them?

Thanks a lot and best regards,

Verena

Hello Verena,

If you attend the 2012 Biennial in Thailand, you might be able to buy it there. You have to buy seedlings though, because seeds will not germinate, unless you have a laboratory for embryo-rescue. Export of planting materials is banned from the Philippines where macapuno originated. The enterprising Thais were able to bring out embryos and now they have many macapuno trees.

[gcyao]

The macapuno is indeed very susceptible to LY. Years ago there was a large healthy seeding one in Fairchild Garden, but it went very early on to its grave when LY hit S. FL.

Hello Garrin,

The macapuno gene is a mutation that can be passed on, so if a macapuno tree is hybridized with an LY-resistant variety, an LY-resistant macapuno can conceivably be produced.

[PalmGuyWC]

If all Macapunos were sterile, then I doubt if there would be any, and they have been around for a long time. Dave Ramsey (I think that's his name) in S. Florida is the coconut expert and he has many different kinds. I bet he would know about Macapunos if someone asked him. He lives out in the boonies out toward Homestead. He also has the "Red Spicata" coconut which is very rare. It's a very dwarf tree and the small coconuts form on only one strand. The tree has bright orange color with red highlights on the petioles and the mature nuts are orange/red.

Again, TikiRick has one because I insisted he buy one at a palm sale 2 or 3 years ago. I think he got his from Mr. Ramsey. If the name is not right Ken Johnson would know who I'm talking about.

Dick

[TikiRick]

Yes, I indeed have a fruiting Macapuna coconut. I was a seedling gift from the late Paul Drummond. It is now towering over the house, and as PalmGuyWC stated, it is precariously positioned over the edge of my tin roof....many thanks to Hurricane Wilma.

So, as a precaution, I typically have the seed cut early.

There is a previous post here that I made sometime last year about this incredible palm.

[PalmGuyWC]

Rick,

Between a Macapuno and a Red Spicata, you have a gold mine growing in your garden. Protect your nuts!!! Put a netting around them so they won't fall on your roof. A fish net would work.

Dick

[TikiRick]

Here is my previous post about it.....http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=7729&hl=macapuna

[Walter John]

Verena, well done on the language translate and honesty. good luck in your search. Any Cocos is a must have, worth building a hot house for, (for the cold climate dudes). If it gets too big, sell it, start again.

palms rule

geez it's cold today brrrrr.

[TikiRick]

David Romney of Miami....THE expert of coconuts...perhaps in the world.

[Moose]

Rick - Dave Romney has every variety of Coconut with the exception of the Macapuno. I got my Fiji Dwarf from him. I also concur

with you about Mr. Romney. He has probably forgotten more about Coconuts than anybody on the planet will ever learn!

Ron.

[Kai]

Verena, well done on the language translate and honesty. good luck in your search. Any Cocos is a must have, worth building a hot house for, (for the cold climate dudes). If it gets too big, sell it, start again.

palms rule

geez it's cold today brrrrr.

I totally agree! Everybody should grow coconuts, no matter where you are!

I just germinated a bunch from the supermarket, just like a very large Lytocarium!

[cagary]

I got mine off of ebay over a year ago. It spends the winter here in southern CA inside my heated greenhouse and summers outside. I'll try to get a photo posted.

[Z4Devil]

Wal & Kai: thank you. Indeed, I love all species of the Coconut palm, and - of course - the Wedding palm. In Germany they say Mini-Coconut-Palm sometimes.

To be honest ... certainly I will never have the chance to travel to Australia, Thailand, Hawaii and all the other palm paradises ... I would, if I could ... but it is a matter of time, money and vacancy. I have my husband and 3 children ... the rare time for holidays belongs only to them ... I am so sorry.

It is a nice idea to meet so much of users of this forum ... but my time is not mine.

Generally ... there is question left over:

What advantages does a membership of the IPS have? Sometimes ... in the 90ies, I was member of the IPS, but except the quarterly journal I could not use it effectively.

Is there - as a member - an option to buy some palms / seeds / seedlings to a preferential price? And does a member of the IPS has exclusive acces to special offers on palms? Questions over questions.

Thanks in advance and best regards,

Verena

Edited June 12, 2009 by Z4Devil

[gcyao]

If all Macapunos were sterile, then I doubt if there would be any, and they have been around for a long time. Dave Ramsey (I think that's his name) in S. Florida is the coconut expert and he has many different kinds. I bet he would know about Macapunos if someone asked him. He lives out in the boonies out toward Homestead. He also has the "Red Spicata" coconut which is very rare. It's a very dwarf tree and the small coconuts form on only one strand. The tree has bright orange color with red highlights on the petioles and the mature nuts are orange/red.

Again, TikiRick has one because I insisted he buy one at a palm sale 2 or 3 years ago. I think he got his from Mr. Ramsey. If the name is not right Ken Johnson would know who I'm talking about.

Dick

Dick,

Macapuno is not sterile. The nuts have living embryos. It's just that those that are Macapuno do not have the ability to utilize the "gelatinized" endosperm and so they cannot germinate, or if they do, they die due to lack of nutrition. In the past, a Macapuno tree can also produce regular nuts. Such nuts will germinate. Some of these nuts will contain the Macapuno mutation, while some will not. Those regular nuts with the Macapuno mutation will go on to become trees that produce a mixture of Macapuno and regular nuts, some of which will have the Macapuno mutation and the rest will be normal. The regular nuts without the Macapuno mutation will not produce Macapuno nuts.

In the past, Macapuno trees were reproduced through this chancy way, until a technique was developed wherein the embryos of Macapuno nuts were excised and grown in the lab. The trees that grew from these were sure to produce Macapuno nuts, but only a certain percentage. Through crossing Macapuno trees with Macapuno trees, the scientists were able to bring the percentage up gradually until it is now almost 100%. The nuts from such trees are almost all Macapuno, and so if you get one and try to germinate it, chances are it will not germinate.

[Philpalm]

If all Macapunos were sterile, then I doubt if there would be any, and they have been around for a long time. Dave Ramsey (I think that's his name) in S. Florida is the coconut expert and he has many different kinds. I bet he would know about Macapunos if someone asked him. He lives out in the boonies out toward Homestead. He also has the "Red Spicata" coconut which is very rare. It's a very dwarf tree and the small coconuts form on only one strand. The tree has bright orange color with red highlights on the petioles and the mature nuts are orange/red.

Again, TikiRick has one because I insisted he buy one at a palm sale 2 or 3 years ago. I think he got his from Mr. Ramsey. If the name is not right Ken Johnson would know who I'm talking about.

Dick

Dick,

Macapuno is not sterile. The nuts have living embryos. It's just that those that are Macapuno do not have the ability to utilize the "gelatinized" endosperm and so they cannot germinate, or if they do, they die due to lack of nutrition. In the past, a Macapuno tree can also produce regular nuts. Such nuts will germinate. Some of these nuts will contain the Macapuno mutation, while some will not. Those regular nuts with the Macapuno mutation will go on to become trees that produce a mixture of Macapuno and regular nuts, some of which will have the Macapuno mutation and the rest will be normal. The regular nuts without the Macapuno mutation will not produce Macapuno nuts.

Hi George

Thanks for Your explanation of the Macapuno, that is exactly how it is> a mutation!! We have many Macapuno trees growing here. The Macapuno bearing trees are a mixture really,,some trees bearing only Macapuno and others Macapuno/Normal. All comes down to the mutation genes as you say. Personally I love the Macapuno you can make many deserts from it.

Here in Laguna/Batangas farmers dont have the capitol to buy the Lab type Macapuno as they are very expensive coming out at 500 to 800 pesos each around $13 US a tree. This is a big capitol output for the people here so hasnt really taken off. On the local market however the Macapuno nut is nearly double the price as the normal one.

The Macapuno trees show now variations to the normal coconut trees. However the shape of the the kernel seems to be more oval and of course alot heavier.

cheers

Jerry.

In the past, Macapuno trees were reproduced through this chancy way, until a technique was developed wherein the embryos of Macapuno nuts were excised and grown in the lab. The trees that grew from these were sure to produce Macapuno nuts, but only a certain percentage. Through crossing Macapuno trees with Macapuno trees, the scientists were able to bring the percentage up gradually until it is now almost 100%. The nuts from such trees are almost all Macapuno, and so if you get one and try to germinate it, chances are it will not germinate.

[Moose]

Bump for all the California Coconuts

[Palmsbro]

On 9/13/2006, 11:03:38, redant said:

"The Macapuno coconut of the Philippines is famous for having no milk cavity. The jelly-like flesh fills the middle and can be eaten with a spoon."

 

That would be a great coconut to have.

Sounds like it would be great to have also delicious, too. 

Also, @TikiRick, how's that coconut?

 

 

[Xerarch]

Yet another thing I never knew I wanted but now is a must have, or at least a must witness in person. 

[GottmitAlex]

3 hours ago, Moose said:

Bump for all the California Coconuts

Honestly, I'm not crazy about this particular coco. 

[Zeeth]

Here's a group of Macapuno at Fairchild. The trees are beautiful!

[ned]

I am in the usa how do I get this tree or seedling to plant