Fattest trunks

[sarasota alex]

I like clean fat trunks. And I mean really fat. A Roystonea or a S. causiarum are not going to be fat enough for me. My comfort zone starts at about 80cm in diameter (about 32 inches). So far I know of 3 palm species whose trunk I've witnessed to exceed that magic number - Jubaea chilensis, Washingtonia filifera and Copernicia baileyana. I'm pretty sure a Corypha would fall into this category, but I've never seen one without persistent leaf bases.

The question I have is - What other palms am I not thinking of?

[Stevetoad]

How about caryota gigas. San Diego zoo has a couple with some really beefy trunks.

Edited June 4, 2011 by Stevetoad

[DoomsDave]

Roystoneas in Cali get real fat on the base, like those inflatable punchy-things mom and dad bought my brother and me as kids.

Hmm. Some Caryota gigas can get about 36" across, particularly in habitat, some get even larger.

I've been told that parajube tor tors get to be 36" across with time.

Interesting question!

[Pedro 65]

One of our bismarks 34'' at base, and still a baby

[Tyrone]

Ravenea rivularis can get quite large.

[sarasota alex]

Wow looked at some pictures of Caryota gigas and didn't realize how huge they get. I don't think think I've seen one in person and kind of thought it was comparable in the size of the trunk to C. urens. Boy, was I wrong. Also I've never seen a Parajub tor tor, except on pictures.

There are a lot of palms that get thick at the base, but what I really think is impressive is diameter at the hugable height. I like the monolithic columnar look

[bubba]

If looking for the "monolithic clean columnar" look, I believe the suspects in your area are either Copernicia baileyanna or Copernicia fallaensis.The California Royals I have seen on the Board definitely look corpulent but I wonder if they get better treatment in California as compared to Florida. Although the two Copernicia specimens are much thicker than Royals, they are extremely slow growing and you may have to wait many years to see results.

Accordingly, I believe if you looked into methods to baby and fatten the fast growing Florida Royal and treated them like Royalty, that is your best bet. I believe a nursery somewhere in Homestead claims the thickest Royals. They must have a special formula. You should look into and copy their method.

[Xenon]

How fat do Borassus trunks get?

[Palmə häl′ik]

I remember seein' a H. lagenicaulis on a canal somewhere down in Punta Gorda that was soooo-o swollen up....

Short, and fat. With endless supply of canal water to drink...

[MAPU 1]

I know of three Borassus aethiopum in Palm Beach County that are about five feet in diameter.

[pindo]

Butijuba. Copernicia, Corypha, Tahina, Borassus .......

[Wanderanwills]

Jubaea chilensis gets pretty fat

At Camden Park Camden, it is a very old specimen

Some more down the paddock

oops, pretty fat trunk but not a palm. The Prison tree (Adansonia) at Derby in Western Australia.

Regards

Wanderanwills

Edited June 5, 2011 by Wanderanwills

[trioderob]

JUB with little triode

Edited June 5, 2011 by trioderob

[Wanderanwills]

Corypha umbraculifera can get pretty fat too..

Not as fat as trioderob's Jub.

Regards

Stephen

[trioderob]

just for the record thats not my JUB

on the other hand the kid is

(the Corypha umbraculifera is pretty fat)

Edited June 5, 2011 by trioderob

[DoomsDave]

bleah

[bubba]

I still believe Alex's best bet is a babied Royal if he is looking for the clean columnar look. Unfortunately, those Jubaeas, which blow away any Copernicia, have no chance in Florida. I am particularly enamored with Trioderob's specimen ( Extremely attractivus femalia). Stephen's Baobob is surreal.

Corypha grow well here but have not seen any that thick. I have seen some mind blowing Borrasus in this area but have not seen any 5 feet thick! I believe it, I just want to see it.

Unfortunately, Borrasus are slow grows for heighth (like Copernicia) and I do not think Alex wants to wait that long.I have seen some very thick Hyophorbias (particularly Bottles)but they lack heighth. I never knew Tahinas get thick.

Investigate how to make fast growing Royals fat (see Homestead). That's my best guess.

[sarasota alex]

Thanks for the info everyone! Bubba, unfortunately at this point I simply dream of growing something like this. No room or budget at the moment. But it does sound like an extra fat Roystonea is my best bet.

I love Borassus, but I haven't really seen any in FL with a clean trunk that was over 2' thick. So I would love to see those 5' ones as well. Trioderob's Jubaea there is one of the thickest I've seen and it's about 4.5' thick at the eye level, so I can't image a thicker Borassus. Maybe a young one at the base with leafbases still on?

[Alan_Tampa]

I have seen royals of remarkable girth. Easily 36" in diameter. Monsters. Like Bubba said there is a nursery some where down south with a reputation for giant trunked monsters.

Alan