Areca macrocalyx

[realarch]

I was lucky enough to find a couple of these and they've been in the ground for about

5 months now. One has a much more intense red than the other, but they are both beautiful palms.

I've been impatiently waiting for the leaf sheath on this one to come off and it finally did. Wow!

[palmislandRandy]

Owwww...Tim very Nice! Mine didn't make it past last March.

Randy

[realarch]

Here's a pic of A. macrocaylx at a friends garden and they only get more beautiful.

[Kim]

Areca macrocalyx is a spectacular palm, and yours is looking very nice, Tim! Are they quite variable? Is the color obvious from an early age?

[Walter John]

These are a tough to nigh impossible grow here. I just look at the pics, like lipstick palms for me.

[LJG]

I like this palm a lot. I received a red form of this like yours from JM a few months back. I know it is just a greenhouse grow here, but worth it to me.

[ariscott]

They are in my wish list... The next time I am in Cairns, I will ask around... Very nice, Tim. I am jealous

Regards, Ari

[PalmatierMeg]

I had a chance to buy one a couple weeks ago. But they get tall and are so cold-sensitive I chickened out. Those beautiful photos almost make me reconsider.

[peachy]

You lucky old possum. I have been trying to find one of those for years. Can I have it when you die ? Beautiful photo btw

Peachy

[Matt in SD]

I planted one a couple months ago in San Diego. I'm not expecting it to make it through the winter, but it did do well through two winters in my cold frame, getting as low as 40F. I was really surprised that it survived my colframe given the reports from here about how cold sensitive these are.

Matt

[Tyrone]

This is one species I love but will never grow here. One to put into the "if I move to Darwin" section in my mind.

[Jeff in St Pete]

Just beautiful Tim! Another one I need to order seeds of... but I promised myself NO MORE SEEDS!

[ariscott]

Yes.... I don't buy seeds... usually, but I think I NEED this one..

Regards, Ari

[MikeL]

Regarding Kim's question about the variability of this palm: I always suspected that the color in the crownshaft became a bit richer after being exposed for a while, unlike most palms which seem to fade with time. So I tried to observe how the color changed on my tree in the days immediately after an old leaf sheath fell off. You can see in the pictures below that there might have some subtle changes over the first three days. Obviously I should have kept up the close observation a little longer, but then I remembered I had a job and other things to do and so I abandoned the experiment.

Has anyone else thought that the crownshaft color gets a little darker with time?

Mike

[MikeL]

Oh, and I guess I should add a picture of the complete tree since it really is quite beautiful.

Mike

[ariscott]

Hi Mike,

Haven't heard from you for a while... Beautiful areca and beautiful garden, from what I can see... More pics, please.

Regards, Ari

Edited September 15, 2010 by ariscott

[Kumar]

All these photographs are wonderful. I watch in envy.

[tikitiki]

I have killed a few seedings but I kill most seedlings. I have not had the chance to buy a larger plant.

[www.dadluvsu.com]

Saw this one while in the Hi-State!

[realarch]

Randy, thanks lucky to live where I do.

Kim, I bought it as a 5 gal and the red was so obvious at that size. I've never seen seedlings or smaller plants, so I'm not sure. The other one

I bought wasn't as red and of course the price reflected that as well. I think they both are Sullivan offspring and least red one may be a cross.

Wal, anytime you feel you need a 'red' fix', just give me a ring.

Len, good luck! If I needed a greenhouse, I'd be growing it too.

Ari, I would think these would be available in Cairns, so save up your money. The only ones I've seen here are in full or partial shade. Mine gets full

sun for a few hours in the afternoon and seems to like it.

Meg, I don't think these are rockets like A.catechu and if the weather cooperates you should be able to enjoy it's small stature for many years.

Peachy, it's yours, but you better make sure this 'old possum' is REALLY dead.

Matt, keep plugging along, it might look good in the house too when it gets really cold.

Tyrone, your minds' 'Darwin' section must now be a sizable portion of your grey matter. You do need to make room for this one though.

Jeff, what can I tell you? To seed or not to seed! This would be a killer of a good grow in your climate!

MikeL, great pics, how old is that palm?

Kumar, if I ever run across any seed, I'll let you know.

tikitiki, hold out for something larger, might be pricey but worth it.

Bill, nice photo!. Hope mine is going to look like that.

[Dr. George]

... Is the color obvious from an early age?

A. macrocalyx pics taken Spring 2010 (both pics same plant), planted as a 5 gal Spring 2009.

Have 2 the same size obtained same time, same place and had no apparent coloring of either one at the time of planting. - gmp

[MikeL]

Tim, I'm sorry I can't tell you exactly how old the tree is in my picture since it already had a foot of trunk on it when I bought it from Jeff Marcus a couple of years ago. It would be great if it ever gets to look as red as the one in Bill's picture but I doubt it will. Mine has always seemed to be a bit more pale.

And hello to you, Ari. I don't post very often 'cause I'm just kind of quiet. But I have some nice pictures of my garden that I will try to put up when I get some time this weekend.

Mike

[ariscott]

Tim,

won't go to cairns till probably next year. My 15mths old don't like road trip yet. I am very patient though, you'd better ask me how long I waited for amherstia.

Mike,

it would be great if you can post some more.. It will a while before I can visit you in Hawaii

Regards, Ari

[DoomsDave]

Whoa!

That is spectacular!

ALas, only in a greenhouse for me . . . .

[Trópico]

They are reputedly more tender than C. renda...?

[palmsOrl]

I've also killeed a seedling of this species. It was putting on new growth and looked extremely healthy then in the period of a week, it just collapsed. I plan to try again in the future and will treat it like my Cyrtostachys renda.

-Michael

[Xenon]

Awesome shots!

[hanapalms]

Tim,

Do all Areca macrocarpa look that way (show red)? Or is that a certain variety. My seedlings are still gallon size and show no red at this point.

[realarch]

William, there is A. macrocaylx and A. macrocarpa. The two A. macrocaylx in my garden are showing different intensities of red coloration and

they were both purchased as 5 gal.

I bought and planted a 1 gal. palm labeled as A. macrocarpa earlier this year and it's showing a

bright red band at the base. I'm thinking it was mislabeled and could be A. macrocaylx and is showing color at an early age.

It's also a pretty fast grower.

Here are a couple of photos of the little one.

[cassowaryhill]

Tim,

won't go to cairns till probably next year. My 15mths old don't like road trip yet. I am very patient though, you'd better ask me how long I waited for amherstia.

Mike,

it would be great if you can post some more.. It will a while before I can visit you in Hawaii

Regards, Ari

Hi Ari. So this post is quite old. Did you ever find these guys in Cairns?? Also did you get Amherstia ???

[ariscott]

Yes... I got 2 from Cairns.... my other half picked them up for me. And I already have Amherstia :). PM me if you want to know more...

Regards, Ari

[cassowaryhill]

Yes... I got 2 from Cairns.... my other half picked them up for me. And I already have Amherstia :). PM me if you want to know more...

Regards, Ari

Hi Ari

Send me a PM instead.. It says I cant PM you. Argh!

[cassowaryhill]

[ariscott]

he he he... I will clean up my inbox.....

[aussiearoids]

Mark Daish had some nice big macrocalyx recently .

[fan palm]

the ones Mark is selling aren't the 'mariae' type, he calls them 'red crownshaft' from a palm in his garden. Apparently they don't show the red as consistently as the mariae. Saying that, my three look identical to tims post above?

[Peter Pacific]

Tim, this is a gorgeous palm...perhaps it's time for an update!

Peter