What are the Rarest Palms?

[Kumar]

I'm interested to know what palm growers of experience consider as rare palms and ones that they would want to add to their collection, or have been unsuccessful in finding, without including the climate as a factor. Perhaps this will help me appreciate those more should I come across them.

Please list your candidates.

[Palm crazy]

Hyophorbe amaricaulis is one of the rarest and very expensive to buy its endanger in its native land and only hardy to I think z11.

But then again red coconut palms are pretty rare but are making a big come back.

Edited September 1, 2010 by Palm crazy

[Xenon]

Double Coconut

[Zeeth]

Medemia argun is one rare one that you can still buy seeds from. Voanioala gerardii is also very rare, but is much harder to acquire

[kylecawazafla]

Some of the rarer ones would be:

Hyophorbe amaricaulis (only 1 left!)

Pritchardiopsis jeanneneyi (I don't know of any outside of New Caledonia!)

Paschalococos disperta (extinct )

There are also many palms in Madagascar that are in peril of becoming extinct. The book Palms of Madagascar does a good job in informing which ones those are!

[Palmaholic John]

I've only been collecting for a few years but I've often wondered this too. I hesitate to say this....but, it seems to me that nothing is really very rare anymore. Here are my thoughts:

• Maybe I'm wrong....but, it seems that all palms are becoming more obtainable....even the ones often described as being 'rare'. All it takes is a little bit of searching....somebody somewhere is growing it! The only exception that I know of is Hyophorbe amaricaulis....I think there's only one remaining.
• What's rare for one may not be rare for another. For example: I now have my holy grails which I once thought would be utterly impossible to get my hands on....such as Orania trispatha and Orania ravaka. However, others out there are probably growing large groves of these.

So, could it be that nothing is extremely rare anymore (with few exceptions)?. What do you think....am I delusional?

[JD in the OC]

kylecawazafla, there are 3 Pritchardiopsis in cultivation (outside of habitat).

I presume Hyophorbe americaulis is the undisputed "rarest palm" because there is only one left.

However, the rarest palm would have to be the one we have yet to discover

[Moose]

If you got a gopher infestation in your garden, all palms seem rare.

[ariscott]

Anything from Borneo will be rare anytime soon

Regards, Ari

[Gbarce]

From my experience some Licualas, Chamaedoreas, Pinangas and some Cuban Palms always seed to be out of reach. I have many species from these Genera on my wish list.

You might be able to get seeds or seedlings of these palms but you don't necessarily "have" them yet. Some palms are just so hard to keep alive specially at the seedling stage, so even if you obtain a seedling the question is if you can actually get them to thrive. With other genera like Coccothrinax and Copernicia, what you are battling against is time because they are just so slow growing.

Oh and another category for rarity (and this is relative) are the palms that really can't grow in your particular environment. The Chamaerops humilis and Brahea Armata are pretty rare here because they either eventually die off or just maintian a miserable and pathetic existence here in the hot and humid tropics. Brahea Armata is sometime offered here but they always look tired and ratty. They look good when they are newly brought into the country and they are first offered for sale but as time goes on the decline in appearance and performance.

[pogobob]

Cali Coconut Seriousy, I have a Cyphokentia Macrostachya That I have been watching grow soo slowly for about 10yrs. This native of New Caledonia is one of the rarest palms in cultivation and I think its the only one in north america.

Edited September 2, 2010 by pogobob

[cfkingfish]

Here are some plants that come to mind when I get asked this question. These are some of the better known ones (actual species too)

Hyophorbe vaughnii

Tectiphala ferox - Often forgotten but so beautiful

Sclerosperma mannii

Calyptrocalyx sp. "Kainlas" - Seen in cultivation but not reproducing???

[sarasota alex]

There is a nice article about Hyophorbe amaricaulis in the latest issue of Palms. It sounds like there might have been some recent breakthrough in trying to get the seedlings to survive that hasn't been made public. I'm a little surprised that some cold hardiness data has been posted here when this palm was never in cultivation.

I believe there is only one adult Pritchardiopsis in existence. There is also only a single adult Corypha taliera left. Bactris nancibaensis - only two specimens exist.

I would also give an honorable mention to Sabal miamiensis, an extirpated species from the Miami area and Roystonea stellata from the Guantanamo region of Cuba that hasn't been seen since it was discovered in 1939, but could still be around.

[aussiearoids]

Some of the lovely Licuala spp. like sallehana , bidentata , bintuluensis , split leaf cordata etc . And what about those un-named spp. that Utopia have pictured on line . Lotto , Fantasia , and the classic name 'Be Bop Deluxe'

I want more Licuala

[Trópico]

Rarest for me is most palms that I can't even pronounce or have seen before, which are quite a lot.

But to name a few, I have to conclude that all the other species of Cyrtostachys are rare because: 1) The C. renda stole the show, 2) The difficulty of their growing requirements, and 3) Seeds are rarely available.

[sick1166]

well for me I can tell how rare it is by the price higher the price more rare it is

[amazon exotics]

Variegation is also a rarity. Sometimes it's one in hundreds of thousands that come up variegated.

[BS Man about Palms]

I have to add the Mardy Darian Dypsis sp "White Stem" is up there with only 6 known plants...

[sarasota alex]

well for me I can tell how rare it is by the price higher the price more rare it is

I am not sure I agree. Jubaeas are expensive but hardly rare

[Kumar]

well for me I can tell how rare it is by the price higher the price more rare it is

This is not true at least in the nurseries I frequent. Most of the time the price is simply a function of demand so Bismarckias and the golden form of adonidia which are witnessing a popular surge aroud here have steep prices whereas palms relatively rare or unknown in india are sold at prices so very low, that asking for the change is embarassing. I have concluded that the nurseries here really don't care at all about botanical rarity which I why I keep going back - they are often in a hurry to dispose of "slow-moving" palms like the latans, arengas and thrinax. Also, at the seedling level, almost all palms have a uniform price.

[Walter John]

Some of the lovely Licuala spp. like sallehana , bidentata , bintuluensis , split leaf cordata etc . And what about those un-named spp. that Utopia have pictured on line . Lotto , Fantasia , and the classic name 'Be Bop Deluxe'

I want more Licuala

Totally agree here with Michael on the Licuala front plus some Pinangas which will all leave without trace as Ari has alluded to with the ongoing destruction of forest habitats. I'm talking palm species not yet cultivated so once the habitat is removed, what have we got ?

[Tyrone]

Ones that have cooked in the sun but are just lightly pink inside. Or those that have minor frost burn and are still pink inside.

[ariscott]

Tyrone... you are funny...

Regards, Ari

[aussiearoids]

This Dransfieldia micranthum [ was a Heterospathe ] is pink on the outside ,and rare , the spear rotted off , but looks like it will pull through . A few suckers appearing so I can stop holding my breath

[yachtingone]

If you got a gopher infestation in your garden, all palms seem rare.

WAY off topic!!!

[rozpalm]

What about the Devil Palm, Neoveitchia brunnea? Not sure how rare it is in habitat, but I think its rare in cultivation. Apparently, as local folklore has it, if you touch the seeds you get a fatal stomach illness. Does anyone have this palm in their collection?

[Gtlevine]

Jubaea x Syagrus

Probable only a handful of those around, and if they are as tough to produce as the experts say then they will stay very rare.

[Gileno Machado]

How about Syagrus lilliputiana? Apart from Lorenzi's adult specimen, 20 cm tall, I've never seen or heard of another one in cultivation...and the species was once considered to be extinct in habitat...

[sur4z]

Here are some plants that come to mind when I get asked this question. These are some of the better known ones (actual species too)

Hyophorbe vaughnii

Tectiphala ferox - Often forgotten but so beautiful

Sclerosperma mannii

Calyptrocalyx sp. "Kainlas" - Seen in cultivation but not reproducing???

Christian- Can you post a picture of a Tectiphala ferox please. Thanks

[Gileno Machado]

Here are some plants that come to mind when I get asked this question. These are some of the better known ones (actual species too)

Hyophorbe vaughnii

Tectiphala ferox - Often forgotten but so beautiful

Sclerosperma mannii

Calyptrocalyx sp. "Kainlas" - Seen in cultivation but not reproducing???

Sclerosperma mannii?? Well, not in my backyard...I have 5 of these here...

[yachtingone]

Here are some plants that come to mind when I get asked this question. These are some of the better known ones (actual species too)

Hyophorbe vaughnii

Tectiphala ferox - Often forgotten but so beautiful

Sclerosperma mannii

Calyptrocalyx sp. "Kainlas" - Seen in cultivation but not reproducing???

Sclerosperma mannii?? Well, not in my backyard...I have 5 of these here...

Nice topic! I like to multi guote when not needed!

[kelen]

I think in Brazil is Syagrus graminifolia blue form, It occurs in just one montain in Goiás.

[Gileno Machado]

I think in Brazil is Syagrus graminifolia blue form, It occurs in just one montain in Goiás.

Wow, Kelen...these are spectacular photos. Did you germinate any seeds of this species? I saw a couple of them, cultivated at the Instituto Plantarum...marvelous little palms...by the way, did the S. botryophora seeds germinate for you in RGS?

[Alberto]

I think in Brazil is Syagrus graminifolia blue form, It occurs in just one montain in Goiás.

Kelen,Kelen!!!.... Você me deixa louco com essas fotos!!! :drool:

(You drive me crazy with this shots)

[Alberto]

I think in Brazil is Syagrus graminifolia blue form, It occurs in just one montain in Goiás.

Kelen,Kelen!!!.... Você me deixa louco com essas fotos!!! :drool:

(You drive me crazy with this shots)

BTW My rarest palms are the hybrids I make:

B.eriostaha X Syagrus oleracea, B.eriospatha x Jubaea, etc

The seeds of B.eriospatha x S.glaucescens are ripening......

[cagary]

Some of the lovely Licuala spp. like sallehana , bidentata , bintuluensis , split leaf cordata etc . And what about those un-named spp. that Utopia have pictured on line . Lotto , Fantasia , and the classic name 'Be Bop Deluxe'

I want more Licuala

This ebayer sends out some great Licuala palm seedling. Have you tried getting some from him?

Mod Edit: Please do not post links to growers unless they are IPS Members

[sarasota alex]

How about Syagrus lilliputiana? Apart from Lorenzi's adult specimen, 20 cm tall, I've never seen or heard of another one in cultivation...and the species was once considered to be extinct in habitat...

According to the Kew Checklist, it's now merged under S. graminifolia

[Gileno Machado]

How about Syagrus lilliputiana? Apart from Lorenzi's adult specimen, 20 cm tall, I've never seen or heard of another one in cultivation...and the species was once considered to be extinct in habitat...

According to the Kew Checklist, it's now merged under S. graminifolia

I guess Kew Checklist is not correct in this case and this confusion needs to be updated. These are two completely different species and according to Lorenzi & Noblick's new book, Syagrus lilliputiana is native to extreme west Mato Grosso do Sul state, near the border with Paraguay, and Syagrus graminifolia, as shown by Kelen, occurs in the extreme east of Goiás state, near the town of Cristalina, more than 1000 Km away from each other's habitat. The two palms look totally different too...We've seen both species cultivated at the Plantarum Institute in São Paulo during the IPS Biennial Post tour.

[ErikSJI]

well for me I can tell how rare it is by the price higher the price more rare it is

Or what region of the world you are in. Rare for me is not rare for someone else who might live in the area where it grows.

[kelen]

How about Syagrus lilliputiana? Apart from Lorenzi's adult specimen, 20 cm tall, I've never seen or heard of another one in cultivation...and the species was once considered to be extinct in habitat...

According to the Kew Checklist, it's now merged under S. graminifolia

It's impossible. They are absolutely different palms one another!!!