Pseudophoenix ekmanii

[Al in Kona]

Pseudophoenix ekmanii has got to be still very fresh in the minds of those of you who attended the IPS Biennial in the Dominican Republic last October (2006).  It's habitat was so isolated and difficult to get to that we had to be dropped off by helicopter.  For many it was the highlight of the whole trip there.  Some were lucky enough to find fresh seed (some was shared) and others got a handful from seed distributed by Leon Mera.  It would be interesting to learn if anyone has had luck germinating any of that seed yet.  One thing you can be certain of is that anyone growing this beautiful palm will need PATIENCE - it is extremely SLOW growing but the rewards are great.  

How many of you are already growing this palm in your gardens?  Let's see pictures of what you have and how old is it?  I planted mine out as a two strap-leaf seedling and here's what it looks like today.  Anyone care to guess how many years ago that was?

[www.dadluvsu.com]

I'm betting your plant is at least 15yo...  Just a shot in the dark...  Mine (pictured here in a citrus tube) is about 4-5yo I think...  Do they ever start picking up speed?

[Palmarum]

That palm is very impressive AL, many here in Florida would give anything to have a P. ekmanii that large. Most plants I have seen locally are no where near that size. There is the one Fairchild keeps moving around, that is close to yours, but I have not seen it in a while.

I do remember that part of the Biennial very well, and it was the highpoint for me for sure. I would have liked to have more time to look around, but our group was given 30 minutes to absorb as much as we could then we had to get back.

- One photo of me in front of the largest P. ekmanii we found.

I would also guess about 15 years for that one you have. Even longer than that I would believe it. I haven't managed to get a hold of one yet. They do appear at palm sales, but nothing even remotely that size.

Ryan

[Jeff Searle]

Al,

  You do have a really nice size plant there. Thats about the biggest that I have seen outside a public garden. I have one in the ground, but is so small , it dosen't warrant a picture. But I am proud of my Ravenea xeropyhlla close by. Sorry for getting of subject.

Jeff

[Central Floridave]

So...basically, plant one for your grandchildren's children?

[SubTropicRay]

Al,

A second lifetime would also be useful to see these things mature.

Ray

[www.dadluvsu.com]

Ok Al... The suspense is killing me!  How tall is your plant?  Nothing good to reference off of in your pic...  and how old is it?  (Suspense is never a good thing... when talking about Psuedophoenix)

I'm sure I'll be old and gray :ghostface: before mine has a trunk...

[ViveroLaVida]

Al  I was just about to email you. My seed have begun to pop

java script:emoticon('') Yesterday I noticed a bit of soil was lifting and under closer examination there were 2 seeds germinating, yeah, now I just have to wait 10+ years for mine to get the size of yours.  I bet your seed is about to pop as well.

Nice plant by the way.

oscar

[ViveroLaVida]

Oh I forgot to mention they have been on a thermostaticaly controlled heating mat @ 90-100 F.  since returning from the dominican republic.

Oscar

[ViveroLaVida]

ok I can't resist here is a pic of the mom and myself.

enjoy

[Jeff Searle]

What a great picture! Looks like your going for a ride.

Jeff

[SubTropicRay]

What amazing plants.  I can't believe I miseed this trip.

[Kris]

First of all i like to thank Al in kona for starting this thread

and also posting a beautiful still of my favouriate palm_

Dominican cherry palm  

Dear Ryan_that still is fentastic & 15 to 20yrs of time for the size

your standing beside is simply worth the wait & pains.

and your avatar icon simply rocks_Man ! terrefic work..

Dear Viverola Vida_ i often commented that this palm distinctly

appears to me like a Wild Zebra.and you my friend has even

ridden this wild animal that was driving me crazy !

great effort_Pal  

I have a small suggestion if you guys have accesses to the

wonder drug that Negil spoke in one of the threads why

not try this chemical NAA & Vitamin B1(hormone treatment)

to make this baby grow fast & stout !

Think about it !

Thanks & Love,

Kris  ???

[Ken Johnson]

Did anyone get a picture of the one the guide cut open in the DR? Who ate some of it?

[Charles Wychgel]

Ken

Your wish is my command.

Was just about to take a bite when this critter came out.

[Charles Wychgel]

Here is my P.ekmannii....7 years old, just planted last week.

[RainForestt Robert]

Charles, those leaflets sure are spread out a lot.  Seedling P. ekmannii usually have extremely stiff leaflets that are very close together.  Do you think you may have P. vinifera there?

Robert

[BS Man about Palms]

Charles, I have to agree. It doesn't look like an Eckmanii to me. WAY to long of fronds.

BS

[Charles Wychgel]

You guys could be right...

It was labelled P.ekmanni when I bought it, it was also grown in a shadehouse

(hence the stretched look?)

I had my doubts as well so I planted it next to a P.sargentii to compare.

Given a year or two it will be easier to tell what's what.

Anyways what should one do when receiving seeds/plants that are wrongly labeled, if you can only find out years later?

[tank]

I would also guess about 15 years for that one you have. Even longer than that I would believe it. I haven't managed to get a hold of one yet. They do appear at palm sales, but nothing even remotely that size.

If understand this correctly, the palm in the first pic is estimated at 15 years old.  So how old could the larger ones in Palmarum's photo be?

[LJG]

(Charles/Portugal @ Feb. 21 2007,04:56)

QUOTE

Ken

Your wish is my command.

Was just about to take a bite when this critter came out.

There must be some story to this? Or is this just blatant destruction of beautiful tree?

[MattyB]

Here's my 5 year old.  Anyone notice these things getting sunburned?  Mine did when I moved it into sun and I was very surprised.  I put it back in the greenhouse under 50% shade and it's happier now.

[www.dadluvsu.com]

You can see I did the same thing with mine, gave it a full sun test and it got burnt as well...  I put my baby back in the shade tent too!  :cool:  

edit:  Thinking about it... the plant sheds leaves as it grows new ones, this looks similar to the sunburn...  hmmmm.....

[Ken Johnson]

Len, As I understand it they cut the palm to eat it. To the DR people this is cool.

[Tad]

where is palmguywc when you need him most??

i dig some braheas(super abundant) in mexico and get the beat down of a lifetime over the deal,

and you guys are making trail mix out of one that grows slower than dirt  and its all chill and good because ? ? ? ? ? ?

[ViveroLaVida]

Actually It was not chill and cool with me when our guide started to cut one open.When we said something his reply was that it did not "hurt" the plant and they would continue living. Even though this is true all the older cut up palms showed signs of stress and I'm sure this injury would invite fungal attacks.

At first he said we could not venture off the beaten path nor could we collect seed,  but when he started to hack at a plant I promptly disapeared into the desert and half an hour later came upon the momma in the pic before. If i remember correctly there was only one other ripe tree found during this trip.

But I guess when you see thousands of these trees every day you don't think thay are that special anymore.

[Jeff Searle]

(Charles/Portugal @ Feb. 21 2007,07:59)

QUOTE

Here is my P.ekmannii....7 years old, just planted last week.

Charles,

    Sorry..... , but like the others said, this ain't no P. ek. I hope you did'nt pay the big bucks for it.

Jeff

[Davidl]

Charles/Portugal your palm looks like Pseudophoenix sargentii or another Pseudophoenix. http://www.plantapalm.com/vpe....dlg.JPG

[Charles Wychgel]

D%$#&    

I always get this "collector greed flu" when I see a label of a rare plant  

Paid € 40 for a plant (P.sarg.) I already have.

Older & wiser? Not me, no sirree!

[Al in Kona]

Re:  post #1 Pseudophoenix ekmanii photo - that plant is about 10 years old.  I purchased the tiny seedling and planted it directly in the ground placing some good sized rocks around it for protection.  The first 5 years or so were especially painfully slow in growing.  

Each new leaf is a little larger than the previous one.  The newest leaf measures about 50cm  (20") long.  The height of the plant now is about 38cm  (15").  

Here's a pic of a very young plant in habitat in the Dominican Republic.  I wish mine was even that size already!

[Al in Kona]

Another much larger one in habitat growing in that dogtooth limestone.

[www.dadluvsu.com]

(Al in Kona @ Feb. 22 2007,04:48)

QUOTE

Another much larger one in habitat growing in that dogtooth limestone.

What exactly is dogtooth limestone?  Is the stone in the pic from Post #30 the dogtooth stone?  Looks like theres plenty of sand around there also...   I am getting ready to plant some P. ekmanii seeds and would love to give em a good soil mixture...  I was thinking 25% peat, 25%sand, 25% coarse perlite, and 25% crushed coral... ??? Al, it looks like you have some lava rock around it your specimen... Did you amend the soil with it?  Anyone have any soil composition suggestions?

[Kris]

(PiousPalms @ Feb. 22 2007,10:50)

QUOTE

I am getting ready to plant some P. ekmanii seeds and would love to give em a good soil mixture...  I was thinking 25% peat, 25%sand, 25% coarse perlite, and 25% crushed coral... ??? Al, it looks like you have some lava rock around it your specimen... Did you amend the soil with it?  Anyone have any soil composition suggestions?

Yes William  

the ingredients that you have quote are not easily avaliable

here  

But i can tell you what i use for my plants & for all my palms_

max content in composition of my soil mix is washed river

sand,12 to 15 % red sand which is very popular with the

local nursery guys.and last but not the least is the cow dung

manure which is about 18 to 20 % in total soil composition.

And in this the plants all grow like a charm.

ANd as you have asked your doubt about dog tooth lime,

even i have read this word in the dominican republic bienieal.

even i wish to know what this limestome is ?

Love,

Kris.

[MattyB]

 I am getting ready to plant some P. ekmanii seeds and would love to give em a good soil mixture...  I was thinking 25% peat, 25%sand, 25% coarse perlite, and 25% crushed coral...  Al, it looks like you have some lava rock around it your specimen... Did you amend the soil with it?  Anyone have any soil composition suggestions?

I think you should replace the peat w/ fine orchid bark.  These things don't need any peat in their mix....too wet.  Also, add a handful of Dolomite/Lime to the mix per a 1 gallon plant.  I used 50% crushed lava, 30% perlite, and 20% palm/cactus mix (along w/ some Dolomite/lime) and it seems to give the desired dry substrate these guys like.  That's just my novice opinion though.  Here's a thread I started about P. ekmanii soil.

Pseudophoenix ekmanii soil mix thread

[www.dadluvsu.com]

That link helped answer some of my questions... and as usual, fueled a couple more...  I appears that these plants really like the lime that you all are adding...  I'm thinking I'm going to up the amounts of crushed coral (purchased from a local aquarium shop) in my mix...  Everything I find on the web says that my crushed coral is just limestone...    So maybe more like 50% crushed coral, 30% orchid mix, 20% sand... certainly not the cheapest mix, but it sounds like what these palms are looking for...   ???  :cool:

[MattyB]

Sounds like the coral is similar to the dog tooth limestone.

[Wai`anae Steve]

Just had to through in my 2 cents, well at least a pic of my BABY.  Check the link:

Wai`anae Steve's P. eckmanii

[Al in Kona]

My understanding is that it is called dogtooth limestone because the limestone rock extrudes, often with quite sharp dog tooth like points.  Heavy duty shoes recommended if walking on this surface!  The below picture gives you some idea of what it looks like in some places where both Pseudophoenix ekmanii and Coccothrinax ekmanii grow in habitat.  These palms can grow right out from pockets or small openings in the limestone.  My guess is that coral rock (any size mixed into the soil) would be what these palms would like.  Dolomite or lime added to the mix or even after the palms are established might be beneficial as well.  I did lime my tree a couple years ago.  I think now I'll sprinkle with dolomite around the palm and water it in and see if that will doble the growth this year!  Ha ha!

[MattyB]

I was pondering that maybe our high TDS and high pH water here in SoCal might actually be good for this palm, which usually isn't the case.

[BS Man about Palms]

Hey Steve,

From my perspective, any palm that has attained the girth of a Corona bottle is a beautiful thing!

BS