wallichia disticha

[Mike Evans]

I have a few wallichia disticha in the garden. The oldest is ~10 years old & flowered last year w/o producing any viable seed. After this record cold winter in St Pete, FL, it has sent out 3 more inflorescence. Hopefully it will be pollinated this time. Has anyone else had experience w/ multiple flowering & produced seed with the later inflorescence?

Last pic is a smaller one that is starting to produce 2 inflorescence. It is much smaller, younger & shade grown. The cold has really started them up. How many times do they flower before the final breath?

[Mike Evans]

One more pic of the small one.

[Mike Evans]

Few more pics of the larger Mama. They are monoecious, so what gives? Anyone w/ their secrets?

[Kathryn]

Cool inflorescence Mike! I can't help with your questions, but I enjoyed the photos.

[Tampa Scott]

Mike, I do not know for sure but they may flower down the trunk (starting from the top and at each leaf) for a few years like my Arenga engleri has for three years now.

[Jeff in St Pete]

Hey Mike, according to PACSOA they flower for 4-5 years before dying.

I planted my first one last year and it has doubled in size already. I can't wait until it gets bigger.

[Eric in Orlando]

We have 2 specimens that have been flowering the last couple years but neither have set any seed yet.

[Mike Evans]

We have 2 specimens that have been flowering the last couple years but neither have set any seed yet.

That does not sound too encouraging Eric. I will post some pics as the flowers develop & hopefully will end up w/ some seed. Theses are very unique palms, that always have people asking "what is that?".

[Eric in Orlando]

We had a big Arenga pinnata flower years ago and it never set one seed, same with a couple mature W. densiflora. But several A. engleri have been flowering and they set seed heavily. Also 50ft Caryota ochlandra has just started flowering hopefuly it will set seed. A nearby C. gigas is holding some seed.

[Mike Evans]

Look what came out. The female inflorescence. I should have known. Just like the W. densiflora, there are 2 separate male/female inflorescence. Hope I have better luck pollinating than the W. densiflora. I pour gallons of pollen over these female flowers & never any seed.

Ahh, looks like a pollinator maybe trying to do some work, whatever that thing is. Last pic.

[Trava]

And what happened than?

[SubTropicRay]

Neat stuff Mike. It's a hardier palm than I would have imagined having survived last winter's blast.

[Mike Evans]

What happened??? Nothing! Just like the W. desiflora. The male flowers come out very early & the female flowers come out late. I watched the female flowers & it seems like they never developed enough to pollinate. There is always this year. It seems like they flower several years in a row, before taking the big dive.

[Trava]

Is it possible to put male flowers on ice untill female flowers finished with develop?