Can palms "feel"

[newtothis]

I know this sounds rediculous but consider the source, can trees "feel" when they are close to another plant or structure? If so, is it with roots or leafs? Or do newly planted palms just tilt?

I ask because I've planted a number of palms close to a hedge and they are all tilting away from it. The same with one close to the house. The hedge is about the same height as the palm so it's not blocking any sun. The palms that are not planted close to anything are growing straight up.

[newtothis]

Or maybe I should ask another way. If I planted 2 palms and all other things were equal (water, sun, ferts, etc). One was out in the open and one was right in front of a very tall thick hedge (or fence or house or whatever). Would the one next to the thick hedge always lean away because there was no room for the fronds?

[John in Andalucia]

I suppose the same applies to palms planted in groups, i.e. triple plantings. I have no idea what triggers them to grow away from each other.

[peachy]

Their auras of course......sheesh I even knew that !!

Peachy

[newtothis]

why is this here, i put it in the beginners area to save myself from embarassment and snark attack

[Rafael]

:floor:

[Got Palms]

Scott, not all palms lean for instance, queens will not lean on the other hand kings and a lot if not most of the dypsis will lean away from each other or any object in close proximity. But as to why dunno, your guess is as good as mine.

[DoomsDave]

NTT:

This is a really cool, potentially profound post!

Such an obvious, and often-ignored question!

I have no idea, but I'm curious, now.

[Kostas]

From my experience growing palms till now,palms lean when something touches their leafs or blocks some amount of sun more on the one side of the plants. They then lean away from it,the amount of lean depends on the amount of pressure and sun blockage but also on the species. If they have sun blocked equally from all sides or if they are touching objects symmetrically from all sides,then they grow straight. The same if grown with no abstructions. Seedlings tend to lean much more easily than trunking or trunked palms. The latter tend to lean their leafs but leave the growing point growing straighter or with less lean that they would as seedlings and hence the trunk doesnt develop too much lean in some species.

Now as to what bio-mechanism exactly triggers their leaning,i have no idea and i am sure very interested in learning if anyone has a reliable source on that

[Dundo]

Mechanism is called phototropism. There are some other mechanisms but this one is essential.

Some other tropisms:

Chemotropism: movement or growth in response to chemicals

Geotropism: movement or growth in response to gravity

Hydrotropism: movement or growth in response to water

Phototropism: movement or growth in response to lights or colors of light

Thermotropism: movement or growth in response to temperature

Thigmotropism: movement or growth in response to touch or contact

Edited April 18, 2010 by Dundo

[Dundo]

One more pic of relation between hormones and leaning towards light. If u find this interesting i could find some time in future and write more about plant hormones and tropisms.

Edited April 18, 2010 by Dundo

[Moose]

Their auras of course......sheesh I even knew that !!

Peachy

Palms not only feel, they listen as well.

That is why I talk to mine.

If they could not listen, then that would prove I am Coconuts!

Ron.

[DoomsDave]

HELLOW!

YOU'RE GONNA AHVE TO SPEAK UP!

[Walter John]

Palms like music. Different species like different sounds I find. The faster the grower , the rockier the music it prefers. For example, Carpies like AC/DC, Pearl Jam and Aerosmith, Kentiopsis like James Taylor, Fleetwood Mac and The Eagles, Copernicia like Radiohead, Enya and Sarah McLachlan.

I hope this helps.

[Got Palms]

Palms like music. Different species like different sounds I find. The faster the grower , the rockier the music it prefers. For example, Carpies like AC/DC, Pearl Jam and Aerosmith, Kentiopsis like James Taylor, Fleetwood Mac and The Eagles, Copernicia like Radiohead, Enya and Sarah McLachlan.

I hope this helps.

Thats Hilairious!

[fan palm]

stretching for light? structures and other palms would be blocking light. if plants fall over, it dosnt take long for them to bend to the sun.

[Jonathan]

One more pic of relation between hormones and leaning towards light. If u find this interesting i could find some time in future and write more about plant hormones and tropisms.

Thanks Dundo,

thats all very interesting, I'd be keen to know a bit more about it if you can find the time.

Cheers,

Jonathan

[palmtreesforpleasure]

thanks Dundo

regards

colin

[Kris]

Washies,Phoenix & the coconuts tilt to the direction where its leaves get maxium sunlight.

And my baby washy filifera has started to turn straight out towards the sun,westwards !

Still of that later...

Love,

kris

[Kostas]

Thanks Dundo!

I knew about Phototropism and a few of the others as well but i didnt know about Thigmotropism,that supports my observations as well. I would be very interested to know which of the 2 is more important in palms. I mean,when a palm contacts something,this object doesnt always cut light from the palm. For example,when weeds grow under a palm and touch its lowest leaf undersides,if its more towards one side,it leans(at least seedlings do) although the weeds do not cut light from any of the upper surfaces of its leafs,only a little from below maybe. Another situation where contact can happen with much light being cut is when a palm rests its old leafs on an object below its crown level. The leaves on that side will be kept higher that the other as the object supports them but the light cut would be very minimal and only from the lowest row of leafs as the newer leafs rest on them from example.Would a palm then lean?

For leaning due to phototropism,is it important what light reaches the spear or the whole crown of the palm?

[Moose]

Palms like music. Different species like different sounds I find. The faster the grower , the rockier the music it prefers. For example, Carpies like AC/DC, Pearl Jam and Aerosmith, Kentiopsis like James Taylor, Fleetwood Mac and The Eagles, Copernicia like Radiohead, Enya and Sarah McLachlan.

I hope this helps.

Additional observations:

Chamaedorea are really into the Beatles. Pritchardia can't get enough of listening to Miles Davis.

[Walter John]

Chamaedorea are really into the Beatles

Except for Chamaedorea metallica.

[palmislandRandy]

Chamaedorea are really into the Beatles

Except for Chamaedorea metallica.

[newtothis]

Thank you Dundo! The shrub (and palms) runs East to West, full overhead sun all day and is not taller than the palm, but I suppose there is less light on the shrub side. I'm guessing thigma fits here?

[PalmatierMeg]

While plants lack nervous systems that we associate with animals, research is showing that they are able to "communicate" chemically. About a year ago there was a show on one of the Discovery Channels called "Revenge of the Plants" or something like that. It showed that many plants are capable of a kind of "behavior" in an effort to protect and promote themselves and that they are capable of a form of "perception" and "memory". The most memorable example to me was the incidence of antelope die-off on the African savannahs. Necropsies showed that the animals died of digestive problems and their stomachs contained parts of acacia trees. Scientists discovered that overpopulation of antelope resulted in many of them stripping new growth from acacia trees. The damaged acacias sent out chemical distress signals that nearby acacias picked up. Those acacias changed the content of their leaves/branches to increase chemicals that would be deadly if the antelope consumed large amounts of them. The resulting antelope die-off reduced their impact on the acacias. This was a really cool program and well worth seeing again.

Here in S FL the imported melaleuca tree has become a serious invasive that crowds out virtually all native plants and animals. I have walked through a melaleuca forest and it is eerily silent - I call it the sound of death. Absolutely nothing grows there but melaleuca, which offer nothing of substance to birds, mammals and reptiles to live on. I'm sure that tree is able to somehow "choke" or "snuff out" all other forms of vegetation. It must have the ability to physically or chemically attack, repel and kill anything that isn't melaleuca. To me, that qualifies as a form of perception and behavior. To my knowledge no scientists have studied how melaleuca does what it does and laid out a pathway to how these things occur. But I've seen this tree in action and I know something is going on.

[John in Andalucia]

Walking stilt palms with the ability to "communicate". That's when you need to start paying attention.

[sick1166]

SON sometimes you have to figure it out for yourself by the way music works place a speaker where you want it to lean back too and crank away and it should straighten up in a few days OH YEA NO RAP MUSIC

[Mike in LW Florida]

SON sometimes you have to figure it out for yourself by the way music works place a speaker where you want it to lean back too and crank away and it should straighten up in a few days OH YEA NO RAP MUSIC

Maybe this explains why I lost 75% of my Latania loddigesii this winter, I listen to only 2 types of music!!! Country and Western.

[Walter John]

SON sometimes you have to figure it out for yourself by the way music works place a speaker where you want it to lean back too and crank away and it should straighten up in a few days OH YEA NO RAP MUSIC

Maybe this explains why I lost 75% of my Latania loddigesii this winter, I listen to only 2 types of music!!! Country and Western.

Latania loddigesii don't want no C and W. Try playing some Delta blues initially and as the plants sprout more leaves, transplant the sounds of some of those Chicago blues players (especially Little Walter) and then lay down some slowhand, this will be the key to success to your blue latans.