Need ID On This Pinnate Palm

[Jim in Los Altos]

Hope someone can ID this palm. Actually, I'm sure one or more of you can because I think it's probably fairly common. I bought it three years ago a a big box store and it was labelled Areca cetachu and had two trunks at the time. One trunk died in the 2007 freeze but the other faired well and has grown steadily. I can't grow any Areca in any microclimate in my yard since they rot during our damp cool winters but this one never stops growing, albeit slowly. What is it?

[JD in the OC]

King Palm. Prob Archontophoenix cunninghamiana.

[Wanderanwills]

I agree, it does look like Archontophoenix.

Regards

Stephen

[peachy]

Jim are the leaves green underneath as well as on top ? If so its a bangalow (A.cunninghamia) but with so much mottling on the trunk, it could well be A. purpurae. A 3 year old banglow would be much bigger than that. (in my experience) One little tip tho, get it in the ground. Any of the archontophoenix of that size will perform much better when its planted.

Peachy

[Jim in Los Altos]

Jim are the leaves green underneath as well as on top ? If so its a bangalow (A.cunninghamia) but with so much mottling on the trunk, it could well be A. purpurae. A 3 year old banglow would be much bigger than that. (in my experience) One little tip tho, get it in the ground. Any of the archontophoenix of that size will perform much better when its planted.

Peachy

Peachy, I suspected Archontophonix since I have forty of them in the ground, the oldest being twenty years old and huge, but none of them had the mottling on the stem like this one that I remember.

The second stem that died was definitely Areca though , with very wide bifid leaves. Oh well, another Archy to add to the collection. That's fine though. They're really attractive when they get some size on them.

[JASON M]

It looks like cat or majesty palm, i dont see a crownshaft

[Jim in Los Altos]

It looks like cat or majesty palm, i dont see a crownshaft

Hi Jason,

At this stage in a Majesty palms life, all the fronds would have petioles originating near the base of the palm and it wouldn't have a stem yet. Cat palms have somewhat smaller deeper green leaves and clustering trunks, even at an early age. Crown shafts are pretty small at this age and much more prominent when the trunk begins to form.

[JASON M]

It looks like cat or majesty palm, i dont see a crownshaft

Hi Jason,

At this stage in a Majesty palms life, all the fronds would have petioles originating near the base of the palm and it wouldn't have a stem yet. Cat palms have somewhat smaller deeper green leaves and clustering trunks, even at an early age. Crown shafts are pretty small at this age and much more prominent when the trunk begins to form.

You're right... I should know... I have 4 at my house xD

[peachy]

Well Jim, I had to put the floodlights on (how to be a good neighbour at 3am) and have a look at one of my young A.purpurae and sho' nuff, its mottled like yours. I can't imagine having 40 ordinary bangalows or alexs, but I don't care how many purpurae I get. They grow at half the speed of the more common types, but its worth the wait when the crownshaft turns purple. If I can ever figure out how to work my damnable digi cam, I will take a photo of mine. (had it nearly 6 months and cant even get it to start up yet)

Peachy

[BS Man about Palms]

I am still WAITING for the day Peachy posts a pic! It will be a grand time in Toontown that night!!