Coccothrinax that are must haves…

[Tomw]

Ok, I have a raised bed that is roughly 25 to 30 feet in diameter, and is as much as 2-3 feet and as little as 1 foot in height. I want to make this area a Coccothrinax and cycad habitat, and Im in the process of removing the good soil and replacing it with crushed limestone and silica sand. The candidates so far for this area are: C alexandrii, C borhidiana, C ekmanii, C Miraguama, C boschiana, and C crinita. Fortunately I have great vendors near me like Caribbean Palm Nursery and Holton Nursery where I can get all of these palms. Is there a Coccothrinax that I didnt list that would be a musty have for my new habitat? Any help would be appreciated.

Edited February 9, 2012 by Tomw

[aztropic]

C.montana - famous for its heavy 'burlap'

aztropic

Mesa,Arizona

[Tomw]

aztropic,

Your right about including the C montana, I failed to mention that I already have two C montana’s that adorn both sides of a paver sidewalk that leads to my front door.

Thanks for the input.

[Stevetoad]

I dont know jack about coccothrinax. does anyone know what the top 3 or 5 hardiest ones are? Im not trying to high-jack yuo thread Tom, i was just wondering...

[MattyB]

Tom,

Why are you removing your "good soil"? I would think that the Coccothrinax would perform better if given better soil. From my experience and from what I've seen out here in CA, they do not mind clay or organically rich soil.

[PalmatierMeg]

I was going to say C. montana but got beat to it. How about C. spissa, C. scoparia, C. moaensis and C. crinita brevicrinus? I'm quite partial toward the Coccos too.

Oh, and C. macroglossa "Azul". Those blue fronds are one of a kind.

[Jeff Searle]

Tom,

Why are you removing your "good soil"? I would think that the Coccothrinax would perform better if given better soil. From my experience and from what I've seen out here in CA, they do not mind clay or organically rich soil.

Your right Matt, from what I have experienced, many species of Coccothrinax will grow just fine, and in my opinion maybe faster in a more neutral or mid range pH soil. And respond to added irrigation as well too.

[Gbarce]

My personal favorites are : Moanesis, Crinita, Borhidiana, Spissa. But I guess the issue is if you can find them in the sizes that you want.

[DALION]

Must have Coccothrinax? Is there a Coccothrinax that is a must NOT have?

[MattyB]

I'm surprised that no one mentioned C. miraguama, especially the stiff leaved form.

Also, I really like C. pseudorigida

[MattyB]

Duplicate

[Mandrew968]

Camagueyensis and cupularis are great--cupularis is fast and camagueyensis is allegedly bluer than "azul".

[Tomw]

Tom,

Why are you removing your "good soil"? I would think that the Coccothrinax would perform better if given better soil. From my experience and from what I've seen out here in CA, they do not mind clay or organically rich soil.

Matty,

The reasons that I’m removing the “good soil” are two fold. The natural habitat for most Cuban Coccothrinax palms is sandy soil and lime stone, and from my conversations with Mike H and Dale H the Coccothrinax palms would do great in that type of soil. The other reason is that a lot of the South African blue cycads and Dioons would also prefer this type of soil. I’m not removing all of the soil per say, I started off by removing the soil from 1/3 of the area down to around 3 feet. The other 2/3 I removed around 1 ½ feet of the “good soil”, I’m now in the process of adding 2 parts silica sand to one part crushed limestone I then tilling this into the “good soil”. When I get a mixture of 2 parts sand 1 part lime stone and 1 part good soil, I then shovel this mixture into that 1/3 area. The plan is to do this until the whole area has this type of soil consistently down to 3 feet. So far I’ve added 2 tons of sand and one 1 ton crushed limestone. I have around 1 ½ more tons material to add.

I’m fortunate that someone augmented this property by bring in around 2 - 3 feet of great dark topsoil. When I put in the three paver walkways in I removed a lot of soil to create a good base for the walkways. I then created a lot of raised beds as a way to disposes of this good soil, and most of my plats are happy for it.

[Tomw]

My personal favorites are : Moanesis, Crinita, Borhidiana, Spissa. But I guess the issue is if you can find them in the sizes that you want.

I was considering the moanesis but it comes from an area of Cuba that the soils are derived from very old serpentine rocks, and they are "extreme" in that they are naturally loaded with lots of metals and unusual elements. The experts in my area say that this is a SLOW and difficult palm to grow, and for that reason I left it out of my list. I think that I may use the spissa in a different part of the yard. It is rally tough to pick out only 6 for this area!

[Tomw]

I'm surprised that no one mentioned C. miraguama, especially the stiff leaved form.

Also, I really like C. pseudorigida

Mike H collected seed from the pseudorigida around 1998 in habitat and in 2009 they were only 3 or 4 inches tall, pseudorigida is one of the slowest. The pseudorigida is another one that comes from an area of Cuba that the soils are derived from very old serpentine rocks, and that’s why I didn’t list it. C. miraguama is in my original list.

[Takil-Explorer]

Cocothrinax alexanderi from Eastern Cuba is a gorgoues one!

Alexander

[Davidl]

Coccothrinax will grow in many different types of soils. I have black muck mixed with sand in my yard and they love it. A wise person once told me " To much sand and you water everyday" he was right.

[Davidl]

Coccothrinax will grow in many different types of soils. I have black muck mixed with sand in my yard and they love it. A wise person once told me " To much sand and you water everyday" he was right. I do not have any more names to add they are all good to me. C. borhidiana

Edited February 12, 2012 by Davidl

[Takil-Explorer]

In Cuba they often grow on pure sharp coral rock, well the ones wich grow close to the coast. Sharp as knives!

Alexander

[Tom in Tucson]

Coccothrinax hiorami(http://www.palmpedia.net/wiki/images/c/c4/Coccothrinax_hiorami_%281%29.jpg) looks like is worth adding to the mix.

High 63F, Low 52F - some drizzle

[Tomw]

Coccothrinax hiorami(http://www.palmpedia.net/wiki/images/c/c4/Coccothrinax_hiorami_%281%29.jpg) looks like is worth adding to the mix.

High 63F, Low 52F - some drizzle

Wow cool looking palm, but I’m having a difficult time finding good information on the Coccothrinax hiorami.

The Coccothrinax palms are easy to fall in love with; I only wish that I had more room on my property so that I wouldn’t have to limit my choices!

Edited February 13, 2012 by Tomw

[Moose]

Coccothrinax hiorami(http://www.palmpedia...ami_%281%29.jpg) looks like is worth adding to the mix.

High 63F, Low 52F - some drizzle

Wow cool looking palm, but I’m having a difficult time finding good information on the Coccothrinax hiorami.

The Coccothrinax palms are easy to fall in love with; I only wish that I had more room on my property so that I wouldn’t have to limit my choices!

Tom - Mike Harris (Caribbean Palms) has Coccothrinax hiorami which I believe he may have "wild collected". I got mine from him. I know of one growing in St. Pete and another in Tampa (Ray in Tampa) that are in the ground. Both made it through the 2010 winter in very good shape. Amazing considering its habitat origin. Ray posted on another forum that he considers this species "tough as nails".

In my opinion, it definitely deserves to be included in your "must haves" catagory!

[Tomw]

Moose,

Thanks, I will add it to my list and evaluate the area for spacing of 7 trees instead of 6. I may end up putting the Coccothrinax crinita in an area of my yard where I currently have a hedge. Mike at Caribbean Palms is where I’m sourcing most of these palms anyhow; I’ll ask Mike about it at our next meeting. I’m surprised how little information (on the web) there is on the C. hiorami.

[Cedric]

Are these Coccothrinax?

I spotted them at the bird market, I was going to start a new thread then saw this one ........ I decided I like them and by chance saw three old potted ones with trunk for sale a week later, then saw this thread and......

These are rare, at least here I have never seen them before but they look a bit like they might be Coccothrinax maybe?? Charming little palms I just wonder how tall they will grow as I need medium tall shade into light, three toghether because I think the crown wont get very big so for height proportion?

I noticed they grow in sun or shade the leaves droop charmingly in the deeper shade.

[Mandrew968]

Trachycarpus, not Coccothrinax...

[Cedric]

ooops I think its Trachycarpus fortunei, no wonder its rare here but growing very well, sorry for the intrusion TomW, I didnt know fortunei had a bare trunk like this only seen fluffy ones in the Euro Zone. Hmmm very exotic.

[Cedric]

Thanks Mandrew must have been writing the above as you were answering. Incredible how familiar palms can look so different completely out of their climatic zone..well I suppose we are close to China. Maybe they dont need all that fluff in the sub-tropics.

[Moose]

Moose,

Thanks, I will add it to my list and evaluate the area for spacing of 7 trees instead of 6. I may end up putting the Coccothrinax crinita in an area of my yard where I currently have a hedge. Mike at Caribbean Palms is where I'm sourcing most of these palms anyhow; I'll ask Mike about it at our next meeting. I'm surprised how little information (on the web) there is on the C. hiorami.

Tom - many Cocothrinax get confused. I've had people invite me to their gardens asking me if I could identify their Coccothrinax palms. Of course there are some that are easy but most are not until they are mature. Usually all you can tell them nice Coccothrinax, you should not have lost the tag. Now you gotta wait ...

That being said, I know the C. hiorami I mentioned growing in St. Pete and Tampa are the real deal. The St. Pete one came from Mike Harris for sure. Ray (Ray in Tampa) I believe got his from Mike Harris at the Palm Beach Palm & Cycad Society Sale the same time I did.

Best regards,

Ron

[palmislandRandy]

Moose,

Thanks, I will add it to my list and evaluate the area for spacing of 7 trees instead of 6. I may end up putting the Coccothrinax crinita in an area of my yard where I currently have a hedge. Mike at Caribbean Palms is where I'm sourcing most of these palms anyhow; I'll ask Mike about it at our next meeting. I'm surprised how little information (on the web) there is on the C. hiorami.

Tom - many Cocothrinax get confused. I've had people invite me to their gardens asking me if I could identify their Coccothrinax palms. Of course there are some that are easy but most are not until they are mature. Usually all you can tell them nice Coccothrinax, you should not have lost the tag. Now you gotta wait ...

That being said, I know the C. hiorami I mentioned growing in St. Pete and Tampa are the real deal. The St. Pete one came from Mike Harris for sure. Ray (Ray in Tampa) I believe got his from Mike Harris at the Palm Beach Palm & Cycad Society Sale the same time I did.

Best regards,

OK Ron,

You can stop by & help ID my Cocothrinax anytime. (fortunately my C hiorami still has the original tag)