Let's say I'm crazy enough to plant a Cyrtostachys renda in the ground..

[Palmlover]

Phil, what if you kept the C.Renda indoors and use the self watering pot to help with the humidity and moisture? Will this help? Of course indoors near the window and temps never dip 50 degrees

Edited November 17, 2011 by Palmlover

[rprimbs]

Thank you guys for the advice about the fungicide. I'll have to get some and treat mine.

I have gotten one cold night here in the last couple of weeks and it completely defoliated my poor little mangosteen, but it had no effect on my lipsticks. I think that I might be able to make it through the winter at least as houseplants. If I plant one in the ground I'll do it in the spring.

[rprimbs]

I thought that you would be interested to know that the picture of the Cyrtostachys renda below was taken AFTER they had been through several weeks of night time weather supposedly down to the 30's fahrenheit (Yes, only a little over 0 celsius!). Remember I live in Escondido on a hill north of the Wild Animal Park -- and just above the "frostline". Heat rises so the valleys are the coldest, and that's one of the reasons they grow avocados up on the hillsides.

So I'm a little puzzled by the fact that some people have had theirs die when the temperature got below 50 fahrenheit (10 celsius). Incidentally I do have a little mangosteen that is looking close to death (Totally defoliated). The C. renda's can definitely take the cold better.

[Sutter Bob]

Thanks for the update. Keep us posted.

[SoTropiCal Ben]

Give it a few more months of winter...

Edited November 22, 2011 by SoTropiCal Ben

[rprimbs]

Give it a few more months of winter...

I chickened out and brought them inside. I'm going to repot them in self-watering pots tonight.

[Jim in Los Altos]

I keep mine in a self-watering pot (2.5 gallon) on top of a reptile heated "rock" inside and they love it. The electrically heated "rock" keeps the water at 80F or slightly higher and the soil as well for pennies per month. My plants are about 18 inches tall right now.

[joe_OC]

Jim,

I always thought that those heat rocks used a lot of electricity...

[joe_OC]

Jim,

I always thought that those heat rocks used a lot of electricity...

[Sutter Bob]

Jim,

What kind of lighting do yours get?

I keep mine in a self-watering pot (2.5 gallon) on top of a reptile heated "rock" inside and they love it. The electrically heated "rock" keeps the water at 80F or slightly higher and the soil as well for pennies per month. My plants are about 18 inches tall right now.

[Jim in Los Altos]

Jim,

I always thought that those heat rocks used a lot of electricity...

It's not bad. It's an approximately 8 X 12" one that uses less energy than a 40 watt bulb. My aquarium heaters use more energy than that.

[Jim in Los Altos]

Jim,

What kind of lighting do yours get?

I keep mine in a self-watering pot (2.5 gallon) on top of a reptile heated "rock" inside and they love it. The electrically heated "rock" keeps the water at 80F or slightly higher and the soil as well for pennies per month. My plants are about 18 inches tall right now.

Bob, I have mine near a south facing window that also faces a shaded part of my garden so I supplement light with an LED grow light rated at 30 watts.

[Central Floridave]

I've tried this palm a few times and come to the conclusion...impossible for Central Florida or anywhere non-tropical. But, if I did have a greenhouse with a heated pond I would have a red sealing wax palm in it!

Just joking here, but you are better off on buying an areca palm and painting the crownshaft red.

[jimjpr]

I had a potted c renda that was 6 feet tall outside when I lived in Key West. Was doing great. A beautiful palm! Then I moved north to Ft Lauderdale and ONE night in the forties and it was dead in a week. It was too big to bring inside. I would not even think about planting it outside unless you live in Belize or Indonesia!!

[Jeff Searle]

Over the years, I had many of these exposed to 40's and really had no damage, maybe very minimal. But were talking a night or two and then temp's get back up near 80F. It's the prolong, drawn out cold weather that will do these in. I also noticed that palms in general have a much higher rate of showing some kind of damage when sitting on a concrete sidewalk, versus sitting on the black ground cloth that we use in the nursery. The concrete stays much colder and has an effect for sure.

[PalmatierMeg]

I would reiterate that a copious spray with a mancozeb-containing fungicide once a month during cold weather helps protect them against a cold-weather fungus. I also keep their pots on wheeled dollies so I roll them indoors during cold spells. Their pots never touch concrete although I don't know if cold air beneath the dollies affects them much. Can't wait till March rising temps arrive

[pogobob]

You'd have a better chance gittin in J-loz pance

[Manolitus]

Robert,

When I started getting into palms a few years back, I too was completely enamored by this species. I went through my experimentation phase and ended up killing a number of these palms. Mind you, I live in Coconut Grove ( Miami ) a mere 5 blocks from The Kampong which is right on the bay.

I religiously applied fungicide as has been described earlier in this thread; I planted them in the most protected areas of my garden; I fed them and nurtured them and did everything possible under the sun.........And they still all died.

I don't believe there is anything that can keep this palm alive for any significant duration in the ground, no matter what you do, unless you live in the true tropics or you have it inside a bona fide green house, or inside the house in a pot. Period.

Coincidentally, I am also very enamored with the Mangosteen and with your help, a few months back, I was able to source one in Hawaii. For me, the more important element for the Mangosteen's survival is amending the soil first and foremost. Secondarily, you have to keep it warm. Go to IPS's " Tropical Looking Plants that are not Palms" and you'll see what I did to protect my little Mangosteen. The thread is titled "Mangosteen in Miami."

The ONE very big difference between putting a Mangosteen in the ground vs. a Red Sealing Wax in Miami, is that Bill Whitman did in fact get his Mangosteen to fruit many years ago here in South Florida.

So I am giving it the ol' college try !!!!!!

Be well.

Manny

[AggiePalms]

Umm. Well, anything is possible, I guess. Maybe the moon really is made of green cheese. But not everything is equally likely.

Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden in Coral Gables, Florida is very near where Manny in the previous post lives. Fairchild is one of the finest tropical botanic facilities in N. America. They have hundreds of well cared for palm species right next to the ocean, with very good success with palms since the 1930's or so. Even they do not have their C. renda's in the ground. They are in large pots in their indoor humid tropical rainforest buidling. After an unusually cold winter a year or two ago, they didn't look very good even the next summer. If they can't grow them in the ground, and Manny can't nearby...give it a try if you insist, but I agree, there is very very little chance of success. If your air temp ever gets below 45 F, C. renda will start to melt away, unless you are incredibly lucky.

Instead of dooming them to certain early death, just enjoy your Red Sealing Wax palms in pots. Then be sure to take them into a warm humid environment whenever there is a vague hint of possible slight coolness (not cold) within the next year or two.

[paulgila]

You'd have a better chance gittin in J-loz pance

thanks for putting this into "scientific" terms, pogo!

[bellotropicals]

I live here in the miami area what is the lowest temp that the red sealing wax palm can take i have one in a 7 gallon pot on my terrace which faces south with no north wind exposure and i have accordian shutters to protect it from cold weather. Someone toldme temp below 50 will kill it ????

[PalmatierMeg]

I live here in the miami area what is the lowest temp that the red sealing wax palm can take i have one in a 7 gallon pot on my terrace which faces south with no north wind exposure and i have accordian shutters to protect it from cold weather. Someone toldme temp below 50 will kill it ????

I live in Cape Coral. I have one 4-5' C. renda on a wheeled dolly that is on its 3rd night indoors because temps are set to fall below 50. Last fall I sold my 8' C. renda and 9' C. elegans because they grew too tall to move indoors. I will sell this palm too when it gets too tall and I won't get more. Cyrtos love our hot, humid summers and grow surprisingly fast. But they absolutely cannot survive winter ourdoors in Cape Coral in the ground or in pots. No place in FL is winter safe for them long term. See my post above about spraying with mancozeb (I use Dithene-45). And be prepared to move them in and out. If you have a Harbor Freight in Miami check their ads for a coupon for small dollies to save wear & tear on your back.

[paulgila]

[Jeff Searle]

I live here in the miami area what is the lowest temp that the red sealing wax palm can take i have one in a 7 gallon pot on my terrace which faces south with no north wind exposure and i have accordian shutters to protect it from cold weather. Someone toldme temp below 50 will kill it ????

I live in Cape Coral. I have one 4-5' C. renda on a wheeled dolly that is on its 3rd night indoors because temps are set to fall below 50. Last fall I sold my 8' C. renda and 9' C. elegans because they grew too tall to move indoors. I will sell this palm too when it gets too tall and I won't get more. Cyrtos love our hot, humid summers and grow surprisingly fast. But they absolutely cannot survive winter ourdoors in Cape Coral in the ground or in pots. No place in FL is winter safe for them long term. See my post above about spraying with mancozeb (I use Dithene-45). And be prepared to move them in and out. If you have a Harbor Freight in Miami check their ads for a coupon for small dollies to save wear & tear on your back.

I just came home tonight from a great weekend trip down to Key West. Not only did I see some of the most beautiful, tropical palms found anywhere, BUT, I saw many good size established Sealing Wax in private gardens. Even saw nice ones in Cudjoe Key, 20 miles up fro KW.

[palmsOrl]

I'd say C. renda is absolutely bulletproof in the lower Keys (as far as temps go), salt water intrusion and adequate irrigation would be the concerns. Established specimens would probably survive in the very long term in the Upper Keys too, though a prolonged chilly winter (such as '09-'10) might take these out though absolute lows wouldn't. Tavernier in the Upper Keys, for example, has an all-time record low of 37F and I have read reports of large C. renda surviving brief dips into the upper 30s. On the FL mainland, if I lived on the Miami Beach/Ft. Lauderdale Beach barrier island, I would plant a few, knowing that, unprotected, they wouldn't be forever, though they may last a number of years.

[Moose]

I live here in the miami area what is the lowest temp that the red sealing wax palm can take i have one in a 7 gallon pot on my terrace which faces south with no north wind exposure and i have accordian shutters to protect it from cold weather. Someone toldme temp below 50 will kill it ????

I live in Cape Coral. I have one 4-5' C. renda on a wheeled dolly that is on its 3rd night indoors because temps are set to fall below 50. Last fall I sold my 8' C. renda and 9' C. elegans because they grew too tall to move indoors. I will sell this palm too when it gets too tall and I won't get more. Cyrtos love our hot, humid summers and grow surprisingly fast. But they absolutely cannot survive winter ourdoors in Cape Coral in the ground or in pots. No place in FL is winter safe for them long term. See my post above about spraying with mancozeb (I use Dithene-45). And be prepared to move them in and out. If you have a Harbor Freight in Miami check their ads for a coupon for small dollies to save wear & tear on your back.

I just came home tonight from a great weekend trip down to Key West. Not only did I see some of the most beautiful, tropical palms found anywhere, BUT, I saw many good size established Sealing Wax in private gardens. Even saw nice ones in Cudjoe Key, 20 miles up fro KW.

Jeff - Of course you will be posting some Keys PRA photos with your new camera?

[Mandrew968]

My father and I will be trying an 8 footer in his backyard. The place where it is going to be planted will have permanent water at the bottom of the hole and it will be a couple feet from permanent water that is always moving. If this palm has a chance of growing, it's gonna grow in this choice little spot. Across the steps from it is a Hydriastele pinangoides and just above where the Lipstick will go is a Rhopaloblaste ledermaniana. I feel pretty confident about longterm survival as the giant Cocos nucifera not too far away, NEVER burn, in the winter.

[sarasota alex]

My father and I will be trying an 8 footer in his backyard. The place where it is going to be planted will have permanent water at the bottom of the hole and it will be a couple feet from permanent water that is always moving. If this palm has a chance of growing, it's gonna grow in this choice little spot. Across the steps from it is a Hydriastele pinangoides and just above where the Lipstick will go is a Rhopaloblaste ledermaniana. I feel pretty confident about longterm survival as the giant Cocos nucifera not too far away, NEVER burn, in the winter.

Andrew, my Hydriastele pinangoides was just exposed to lows in the low 40's for several days in a row and it hasn't even stopped actively growing. I did protect it on 12/22-12/23 when it got down to 39 (minimum temp so far this winter) with a simple frost blanket tent. I'm hoping to get a few winters out of that palm.

[Mandrew968]

My father and I will be trying an 8 footer in his backyard. The place where it is going to be planted will have permanent water at the bottom of the hole and it will be a couple feet from permanent water that is always moving. If this palm has a chance of growing, it's gonna grow in this choice little spot. Across the steps from it is a Hydriastele pinangoides and just above where the Lipstick will go is a Rhopaloblaste ledermaniana. I feel pretty confident about longterm survival as the giant Cocos nucifera not too far away, NEVER burn, in the winter.

Andrew, my Hydriastele pinangoides was just exposed to lows in the low 40's for several days in a row and it hasn't even stopped actively growing. I did protect it on 12/22-12/23 when it got down to 39 (minimum temp so far this winter) with a simple frost blanket tent. I'm hoping to get a few winters out of that palm.

It's great looking! Every little piece of it is choice--cool you have one.

[sarasota alex]

My father and I will be trying an 8 footer in his backyard. The place where it is going to be planted will have permanent water at the bottom of the hole and it will be a couple feet from permanent water that is always moving. If this palm has a chance of growing, it's gonna grow in this choice little spot. Across the steps from it is a Hydriastele pinangoides and just above where the Lipstick will go is a Rhopaloblaste ledermaniana. I feel pretty confident about longterm survival as the giant Cocos nucifera not too far away, NEVER burn, in the winter.

Andrew, my Hydriastele pinangoides was just exposed to lows in the low 40's for several days in a row and it hasn't even stopped actively growing. I did protect it on 12/22-12/23 when it got down to 39 (minimum temp so far this winter) with a simple frost blanket tent. I'm hoping to get a few winters out of that palm.

It's great looking! Every little piece of it is choice--cool you have one.

Thanks Andrew! It sure is an awesome looking palm!

[sashaeffer]

Hate it when people say don't try....

Here is a idea for you. This is what I do for one of my two smaller lipstick palms. Indoor hobby greenhouse. Just make sure you secure it to the ground with something like 4ft long rods of rebar you can buy at box store. Not sure how cold your soil temps go in the winter, but in talking to growers of these indoors, humidity isn't as important as keeping them in standing water and warm so not sure how you'd manage that. Also in my mini greenhouse I have a 4 inch fan attached to a timer that turns fan on 15 minutes every hour for air circulation. Mine also are not only in standing water but sitting on top of a heated grow mat that keeps water warm it's sitting in. Does just fine. Other one is in tub of water with a submersible fish tank heater in it to keep water at 85F This palm sits in open air, not surround by greenhouse.

[Josh-O]

nice set up Scott!!

[SoulofthePlace]

Will it survive Azores? We get slightly below 50F a few nights a year, usually 48F but one night was 46F.

[Cluster]

Try it out maybe it works:), I am not sure how demanding the lipstick is in terms of high temperature requirements, but in terms of low temperatures requirements seems to be doable for Azores near the sea.

Edited August 20, 2015 by Cluster

[Gregg L. Friedman MD]

After losing my first Cyrtostachys renda I learned a few tricks that I can share with others. First, the Lipstick Palm is an equatorial, low altitude, swamp plant in Malaysia. It needs A LOT of water, and high humidity conditions. It hates strong winds and low temperatures. I live in Golden Beach, FL which is zone 10B-11. My home is about 750 feet from the Atlantic Ocean with annually rainfall in our area of 58 inches. I started my second tree from seeds. The first thing to remember is these palms grow super slow for the first 3 years and then they really take off and grow fast. For the the first 3 years I kept my Lipstick palm in Full sunlight with frequent watering. I always took it indoors if the temperature went below 58 Degrees. But remember the humidity indoors tends to be low so you need to mist the tree with water while indoors. I also took it indoors during Hurricanes. The Lipstick Palm is Not Hurricane tolerant. It cannot handle winds above 35 mph. After 4 years I now have a beautiful 8 foot Lipstick Palm in a 100 gallon pot. It is now too large and heavy to move indoors so I put a rotating space heater next to the tree and cover the whole thing with a large farm growers cover to make a mini-green house. This works well to keep it warm and toasty but you have to put several pots of water inside the cover to prevent the palm form drying out from the heater. I also boil pots of water and pour it onto the soil to warm the roots. Be VERY careful and remember that water and electricity do not mix well. It is a lot of work but well worth it. I meet the guy who wrote the article on the Fungal issue with these palms at Fairchild Tropical Gardens. I have never used a Fugal treatment on my Palm and it is doing ok. My tree also likes Canadian Peat moss which I mix into the soil. I used to live in Southern California and I do believe that it is possible to grow Cyrtostachys renda there but you might also want to invest in an outdoor mister/humidifier. Keep trying because if you can get it to grow you will be rewarded with one of the most beautiful palms in the world. By Gregg L. Friedman MD

Edited February 1, 2019 by Gregg L. Friedman MD
spelling

[sashaeffer]

Love reading success stories like that Dr. Friedman.    I to have a larger Lipstick but because I live in Nebraska have to keep mine indoors all year. Since I bought mine lager I was amazed at how fast it would grow indoors, but it does slow down in the winter even with 24/7 LED light on it.  While mine sits in a tub of water with water heated I'm not convinced that low humidity will do the in. In the winter the most I can create around the palm is low 40% and doesn't seem to mind at all. Now maybe enough humidity from the warmed water "waftes" up close to the palm?  not sure. I do know that when i had a smaller one in the master bath with higher humidity most of the time, but far less direct light it didn't last long at all, so think direct light is more important than higher humidity.

[rprimbs]

I wonder if the Cyrtostachys would do better in non-draining pots -- with peat moss in the bottom.  

Curiously those two that I tried actually lived through the winter, but then slowly died.

I've grown a durian to six feet tall (In Encinitas).  I was covering it with a frost blanket, and heating it with  a space heater.  It died when I got a short -- which tripped the GFCI -- the space heater was off for too long.

I had a mangosteen live for three years.  I grew it in a self-watering pot and took it in during the winter.  I forgot about it when I went to Vietnam, left it outside completely unprotected for the winter -- and it died.

I'm hoping I have better luck with the King coconut that I am growing in a garbage can.  I moved it into our unheated garage when it got the coldest this winter.  I think it is doable.

 

[PalmatierMeg]

11 hours ago, rprimbs said:

I wonder if the Cyrtostachys would do better in non-draining pots -- with peat moss in the bottom.  

Curiously those two that I tried actually lived through the winter, but then slowly died.

I've grown a durian to six feet tall (In Encinitas).  I was covering it with a frost blanket, and heating it with  a space heater.  It died when I got a short -- which tripped the GFCI -- the space heater was off for too long.

I had a mangosteen live for three years.  I grew it in a self-watering pot and took it in during the winter.  I forgot about it when I went to Vietnam, left it outside completely unprotected for the winter -- and it died.

I'm hoping I have better luck with the King coconut that I am growing in a garbage can.  I moved it into our unheated garage when it got the coldest this winter.  I think it is doable.

 

I kept my two Cyrtostachys sitting in trays of water. You must never, ever let them dry out. And your very low humidity is likely also lethal. I sold my green and red lipsticks years ago when they reached the top of my birdcage. Won't try them again as they get too huge to maneuver into/out of the house in winter.

[SoulofthePlace]

Beautiful, heroic attempts and excellent results.

[JANAIY]

Here I am, another crazy new owner of a  7 gallon lipstick palm bought in Homestead. I did my research and several owners here are pretty lucky growing them. One I think in Boca Raton is very successful and it stands meanwhile in full sun. I was told morning sun only, not colder under 40 F , lots of water, humidity and using mancozeb  (dethane) in the winter month. 

Now mine here I am constantly moving after noon (still in pot) but this is quite a mission already. Why can’t it sit in full sun? Maybe it should be grown full sun to see if it tolerated it? I have a few questions about a few yellow leaves with spots. Normal, fungus, insects or deficient soil?  I got it like that and am a little scared if I chose the wrong one. I have it since 4 days. What you guys think? The guy at the nursery seemed very acknowledged and I trust him . However I would like to hear opinions please. 

Edited February 28, 2019 by JANAIY