Hydriastele beguinii ' Obi Island'

[realarch]

These were available awhile ago and I'm wondering how they are doing in others gardens. I acquired these back in the summer of 2011 in 4" containers, so It's been

a few years. Starting picking up speed once they went into the ground and they still have a nice faint mottling visible within that light green color. So, how are yours doing?

I planted three and here are a few pics.

Tim

[Jeff Searle]

Tim,

I've been growing these for a few years now. It's one of my favorite palms too. A few years back they were marketed as the solid leaf form of Hydriastele beguinii. I have several that are in the 6-8' range now, but they don't keep an entire leaf. Actually they get one split in the leaf, and always in the same section of leaf. I did loose my first planted one back during our severe cold weather in 2010( 32 degrees F briefly) and was approx. 8' tall. I have since planted another and is now approaching 10'.

[realarch]

Oh man Jeff, that must be beautiful. Does it keep the light green color, or does it revert to the typical dark green? Thanks.

Tim

[Jeff Searle]

I would consider it a dark green.

[doranakandawatta]

In Dorankanda , they do like this:

It's quite early to tell how they'll grow and leaves 'll change, but I'll post pics after planting these 8 babies!

[Cindy Adair]

Here are my two in two different microclimates. Neither looks as good as yours Tim. A very nice species though and I'm happy to have them!

[doranakandawatta]

I don't know if they are Obi's form or any other Hydriastele beguini and I wonder from where they come but these plants make me dream!

Here in Samarakoon's garden:

Here in Thabit's garden, pics form last year until last august: nice growth! ( Cindy, you and me, having mostly babies, we can hope!)

[palmislandRandy]

This one was described as an "Obi" form & had entire leaves, but now they are beginning to split. Even now the Obi for is distinctly different then the other more common form which seems to also have longer petioles.

[realarch]

Thanks for pics Philippe and Randy. Shorter petioles, now that sounds interesting. Randy, has this been slow for you or about the same as the type H. beguinii? My other two beguinii are steady growers, but not all that fast.

Tim

[LilikoiLee]

Tim,

I am thrilled beyond words, we finally have a palm that has done better that yours! I think we got them at the same time and the same place. Ours is now about 4' and doing very well considering it is planted on a pile of rock. We rarely fertilize but that doesn't seem to have slowed it down any. I recently purchased another one. It was about 4' and has not grown an inch. We're fertilizing, watering and pesticiding but it doesn't improve. I will ask Mike to take photos.

If anyone wonders why Mike takes all of the pics, it is because he used to be a professional photographer both commercially and in Vietnam. Having him take the pictures has fostered his interest in palms - of which he had none when we began planting them.

Lee

[realarch]

IILee, how is the one I gave to you about a year ago? I So glad these are doing so well for you.........a picture perhaps?

Tell Mike we need him to show us his skills.

Tim

[LilikoiLee]

IILee, how is the one I gave to you about a year ago? I So glad these are doing so well for you.........a picture perhaps?

Tell Mike we need him to show us his skills.

Tim

Oh boy, I don't remember that at all, but you know how lousy my memory is. We only have two in the ground. The healthy one was from Biil. The struggling one is from another nursery. Whaty size was the pot? I don't remember repotting any Obis so it may be among the 30,000 other pams still in pots. Or (I hope not) it may have passed on while we were at Nong Nooch.

Lee

[doranakandawatta]

a picture perhaps? ..... We only have two in the ground.....

can we enjoy seeing these two? Please....

kindest regards

Philippe

[aussiearoids]

Got some rippers from Mikey ages ago .

It's his mature 1 on PACSOA

[realarch]

Lee, I gave you a 1 gallon about a year ago......it was a nice one too. Dang, I hope it's still alive.

Nice photo Michael, stunning palm.

Tim

[palmislandRandy]

First seeds I hope some are viable.

[colin Peters]

Tim here is a shot of mine today. Probably from about the same time frame, 2011 4 inch from Jeff. Stuck it in the ground right

out of the shipping box. Really like this form, they are available from floribunda again, plan on getting a few seedlings.

aloha

[PalmatierMeg]

So gorgeous. I want one now.

[Cindy Adair]

You absolutely need one of these.

[realarch]

Geeze Colin, I'm gonna have to show mine a photo of yours and them to get with it! Good job man, that's growing into a beauty.

Tim

[doranakandawatta]

Rare Palm Seeds is selling seeds of H. beguini Obi's form these days....

[doranakandawatta]

Obi or not Obi, that's the question:

Here in Samarakoon's garden:

Here in Doranakanda garden:

Here in Thabit's garden:

[Kumar]

Those H begunii look very robust Phillipe, how old are they, do you know? Do they start accelerating after they form a trunk?

Here are two photos of mine, taken a few months apart, in each case a few days after a new leaf. The light green colour stays for two weeks. It manages one leaf in ten weeks but vertical growth is slow.

Edited May 18, 2014 by Kumar

[doranakandawatta]

Kumar,

I believe we can enjoy the palm before it grows and trunk.

You can see the growth of the plant in Thabit's garden (post 7) from november 2010 (first picture) until last year, it's quite fast!

[realarch]

Philippe, Kumar, beautiful photos. I took a few pics today for an update. They've grown steadily in less than a year.

Tim

[PalmatierMeg]

I'm still thinking of getting one of these to go with my H. beguinii on the lanai. I've tried H.b. in the ground twice and winter got both of them. Is Obi Island relatively slow growing?

On a side note, I have a fabulous H. dransfieldii that almost reaches the vaulted top of my screened lanai and will probably exceed it this growing season. Then I must decide: plant it under deep canopy or move its pot outdoors and figure out how to protect it during winter. What is the cold tolerance of this palm?

[comic097]

Not sure if this little guy is 'Obi Island' form, hopefully in the next couple of years I will know, so far no split in the leaf.

[NApalm]

This thread is ridiculous! Great palms all round

[NApalm]

Edit: double post

Edited May 20, 2014 by NApalm

[doranakandawatta]

This thread is ridiculous! Great palms all round

Please post pictures of these and your great palms all round.

Thanks

[NApalm]

Hang tough phillipe. The mulch is nearly all down, gotta get out there with a camera now

[Kumar]

New leaf caught in action. Reminds me of Ari's avatar - minus the variegation!

[Walter John]

I believe this is Obi one. Photo taken on biennial at a private garden, Key West.

[palmislandRandy]

Yeah Wal, that one is an Obi variety. This is a pic I took of the same sweet palm.

The second is a photo of my Obi.

-Randy

[doranakandawatta]

I love seeing Obi's pictures.

Looking forward to next pictures

[doranakandawatta]

New leaf caught in action. Reminds me of Ari's avatar - minus the variegation!

Kumar,

Is this one in your garden?

WOW!

how old?

[realarch]

Cindy, you never cease to amaze me. You must have at least one of everything!

Kumar, Randy, nice pics, they are beauties.

Wal, dang, I missed that garden. I must have been down at the micro-brew trying to beat the heat.

Tim

[Kumar]

Kumar,

Is this one in your garden?

WOW!

how old?

Thanks Phillippe, It is a little more than 4 years old. Not too fast but it doesn't feel slow. Now to see whether the new leaf also has a split like the earlier two

[Moose]

Yeah Wal, that one is an Obi variety. This is a pic I took of the same sweet palm.

The second is a photo of my Obi.

-Randy

Hope this was one of the palms you took with you Randy.

[palmislandRandy]

Yeah Wal, that one is an Obi variety. This is a pic I took of the same sweet palm.

The second is a photo of my Obi.

-Randy

Hope this was one of the palms you took with you Randy.

Yup! It's with me. I also dug 3 reg begunii & they all repotted without skipping a beat!