Corypha macropoda

[Al in Kona]

A special THANKS goes out to KRIS in Chennai for sending me some seeds of CORYPHA MACROPODA some time ago and as a result I have this nice small plant (in pot) ready to be planted out in ground. If it is like most of the other species of Corypha it is likely a slow grower when very young but that's OK as I'm just happy to have it. When I first saw a photo of this glaucous Corypha I wanted to try it and now I actually have IT! Is anyone else growing it? How much space (wide) does it need to not be crowded so that when it gets full size it can be seen and appreciated? Here's my baby!

[Walter John]

That's a collectors dream Al, man you've done extremely well

[Jeff in St Pete]

Al, my seeds sat for a year and a half until they germinated. They sprouted a year ago and are about the same size as yours now. I'm very excited to have this palm! Thanks again to Kris for sending these seeds all over the world! These palms will be enjoyed by many people in the years to come.

[Kumar]

Al,Jeff - have your seedlings begun to display petiole teeth yet - even fine ones?

[Al in Kona]

Al,Jeff - have your seedlings begun to display petiole teeth yet - even fine ones?

Kumar, yes I can faintly feel them on the newest leaf petiole. Are you familiar with this Corypha species or know anything about its growth habits? Al

[Kumar]

No. I do however have a corypha umbraculifera slighlty larger than yours. Although i bought this in feb 2011 i had been monitoring its growth from the nursery where i bought it for the last year-and-a-half (sep 09), since it was just a shoot. The owner had got a batch of 100 seeds and only two dozen germinated. I will later reproduce a photo here and you will agree that it is slow but not as slow as some of the notoriously slow palms we read about (C humilis is far slower in my climate).

I believe this is the largest corypha and most viciously toothed and therefore i was concerned for many months (and put off buying the C umb ) as it was very late in developing teeth. Even now, the teeth are gentle bumps that get larger with each new strap leaf unlike Livistona where the difference between juvenile teeth and adult teeth is in size not sharpness. Mine shows prominent ribs on the still-strap leaves though it is much reduced now.

The nursery owner has also discovered that these coryphas were struggling in clay and so i have as a special exception kept a few inches of fast draining silt above the thick soil of my pot.

[Kumar]

I also remember - sometime last year i had gone to borivili national park for a sunday morning walk - they have in one part two coryphas (can't identify the species) one of which was about to flower and a third dead stem. On the ground were many many seedlings most struggling with shade and very bad for wear, quite tattered but clinging on. It seemed to me that these must have been at least 3-4 years old but remain stagnant due to neglect and adversity. My guess is that these are very hardy but unlike say phoenix, if treated badly just stop growing completely whereas good treatment significantly speeds growth. It will be interesting to go back there and see how things are.

[Gbarce]

I also have one that I germinated from Kris' seeds. I only got one sprout out of the batch but 1 is all I need. I wouldn't know what to do with 20 coryphas--hehe

Its beautifully BLUE!! just aboutthe same size as yours Al.

I am carefully selecting a spot for it and am thinking of taking down a Cocos Nucifera to do it. The Coconut is already so tall that the falling nuts are actually dangerous already. Tis corypha will be a worthy replacement.

[Bill Austin]

Nice plant Al I just put a coryphas in the ground yesterday . Bill langer gave it to me a week ago, I couldn't believe the size of the one at his house.

[Justin]

What's the fastest growing Corypha? There's a spot in the yard that I'd like to plant one, but don't want to wait forever for something big.

[Kumar]

Here is my C umbraculifera, aged about little less than 20 months. Since this photo, it has been repotted where it will presumably stay for a few years. Thegrowth rate was painfully slow at first - I think it took a year to throw out its second leaf but since then it has been faster.

I have read Kris' description of the blue macropoda but regretfully I've never seen any corypha showing even the slightest hint of blue.

[amazondk]

I have 4 plants that resulted from the seeds from Kris. Of them I put 3 in the ground and one is still in a pot. The little plants made it through last years dry season. And, have stayed alive through the rainy season which is still in progress. But, there has been little growth. They are not dead though and I suppose there is hope. My soil is quite sandy and fast draining I am not sure if this is good or bad. The one in the pot is just now putting out a new leaf. I am going to let it get bigger before planting.

dk

[Peter Pacific]

Hi Al,

I am also a lucky recipient of seeds from Kris and I want to share my experience with Corypha macropoda. The seeds were received late 2009 and germinated in December 2009. I planted one almost immediately into the ground and kept the other seedling in a tall trash container to accommodate the roots. Here are two pictures I took this morning; the one in the ground is only four inches tall (less than 10 cm), maybe, and the other is probably sixteen inches or so (about 30 or 35 cm).

I assume that the in ground seedling is developing long roots hence little leaf growth and the roots of the other, in the pot, have already made their way to the bottom and concentrate on growing leaves. Any opinions? Peter

in ground, 14 months since germination

exactly the same age in a tall pot

[amazondk]

Hi Peter,

Yours look a lot like mine. I figured that since the ones in the ground were still alive them must be doing something. And, growing roots makes sense I guess.

dk

[Peter Pacific]

Don, it seems odd that this will become one of the largest palms on earth! Peter

[Kumar]

Peter - the one in your drum seems to be much larger - any special treatment ?

[Peter Pacific]

No, Kumar, they both get exactly the same care and they're only about 25 feet from eachother, the same water, the same sun. It has to be the root system being contained. Peter

[amazondk]

Peter,

I have been concerned if the ones in the ground were going anywhere. Maybe I should not be so concerned about them. Near the same area I have planted a group of Bismarkias. I also have a bunch of the same age in pots. The ones in the pots are much larger. Maybe this also is because the ones in the ground are pushing out more roots. They are growing faster than the macropas though.

dk

[Kumar]

Do you find this logical - that a plant in the ground does not grow above the surface because its roots are growing? This could be a poor example but many of my dicot trees were very poor growers so long as they were potted. Once planted though, they have done very well.

Maybe it could be that the ground soil is too thick whereas the pot mixture allows good drainage. Also, fertulisers in a pot would notbe dissipated as fast as in the ground?

[Walter John]

Maybe it could be that the ground soil is too thick whereas the pot mixture allows good drainage. Also, fertulisers in a pot would notbe dissipated as fast as in the ground?

Very good thinking Kumar. This may apply to younger plants only though. Once the in ground palms have readied their root system then stand back, watch out, lock up your Dypsis, here comes the mighty Corypha invasion.

[amazondk]

Wal,

From what you are saying we should see a quick jump in growth at some piont then?

dk

[Peter Pacific]

Al, we're pretty much wondering the same thing you are!

Kumar, actually, my situation would be the reverse. The ground is just volcanic sand (I live on the beach) the pot, however, was filled with black dirt or a mix of sand and soil. So it could be that the Coryphas prefer top soil but I thought they needed a more sandy medium.

Peter

[Al in Kona]

Why do some palm seedlings grow faster in a container than they do when placed directly in the ground is somewhat of a mystery I guess. I was told (by some Florida growers) that this is the case with Copernicia macroglossa, another very slow growing palm in its early years. Perhaps at some point they catch up with each other, I don't know - does anyone know?

I have seen cases when a large size container palm was placed in the garden to have immediate show in the landscape. Then another small 1-gallon size of the same species was planted next to it and in time it overtook (outgrew) the other. So maybe those Corypha seedlings that appear to be growing very slow when planted directly in ground are doing more growing below the ground (roots) rather than above (as in a container) and the two will catch up with each other in time or maybe one will eventually outgrow the other? Time will tell but how much time!!! In the meantime enjoy your Coryphas, think of them as a beautiful dwarf, a palm you can appreciate as you look down on it and let your children or grandchildren look up to. LOL

As for Corypha macropoda, I hope Kris might still have a photo of one to show us again to re-remind us what it looks like.

[Kumar]

Al, we're pretty much wondering the same thing you are!

Kumar, actually, my situation would be the reverse. The ground is just volcanic sand (I live on the beach) the pot, however, was filled with black dirt or a mix of sand and soil. So it could be that the Coryphas prefer top soil but I thought they needed a more sandy medium.

Peter

I have also been advised this - i.e. slightly less dense medium, more on the drier side.

Here is a link to a discussion on C. macropoda, with some good photos.

Edited April 15, 2011 by Kumar

[Kumar]

Here are a few more corypha (though not macropoda) photos from my Thailand trip -

The borassus dwarfed on the left is itself a respectable sized palm in its own right

Flowering specimen

Another one, obscuring a caryota gigas in the distant background

A slightly different species but equally large

[amazondk]

Thanks Kumar,

I sure hope to see mine get big.

dk

[Gbarce]

Here's mine . still small but very very blue

[Gbarce]

looks like the next leaf is becoming more palmate

[Gbarce]

It also looks like I have to repot this or put it in the ground soon.

[Peter Pacific]

Kumar, are the pictures in post #25 from the Botanical garden? Nong nooch? (sp?)

[Kumar]

Peter - that is right.

[Tingtongthai]

Here are a few more corypha (though not macropoda) photos from my Thailand trip -

The borassus dwarfed on the left is itself a respectable sized palm in its own right

Flowering specimen

Another one, obscuring a caryota gigas in the distant background

A slightly different species but equally large

Kumar just saw your photo, this is at Nong Nooch i took seed off this Corpyha ( your flowering photo) and am trying to identify it, do you know which one it was? we must have been there at a similar time?

I have just asked on the forum which Corphya it was. I think oyur last photo is lectomii because of the dark petiole margins?

[Jeff in St Pete]

How are everyone's Corypha macropoda doing? I recently visited a friend's garden and he pointed out the C. macropoda that he got from me a few years ago. The seeds Kris sent me germinated in early 2010 if I'm not mistaken. The palm looks great although it was hard to photograph as the harsh noon sun was directly above us.

[Explorer]

I found this video of Corypha macropoda. Must be an awesome sight!

Alexander

[Jeff in St Pete]

Thanks Alexander! I think Kris made that video.