The Other "Belly Palm"

[virtualpalm]

While palms labeled Coccothrinax spissa are not uncommon in south Florida, the true Hispaniola Belly Palm is actually quite rare. Here are a couple specimens that we have growing in the field.

This first one is 12'OA:

This next one is 15'OA:

[Zeeth]

Wow, that's the fattest Coccothrinax I've ever seen!

[Peter Pacific]

virtual, I have a couple of these in my garden...quite small. Can you tell me how old are these beauties?

[Jeff Searle]

That reminds me( and probably others) of the beautiful ones we saw down in the DR during the 2008 biennial. A real statement!

[Ken Johnson]

Wow, that's the fattest Coccothrinax I've ever seen!

Over fed...

[virtualpalm]

I don't know how old they were when they went in the ground from 7-gallon size pots (probably 3-4 years), but they have been in that field for 8 years.

[Ken Johnson]

Shoot, I though I was going to see a Colpothrinax

[virtualpalm]

You thought wrong.

[PalmatierMeg]

I have a feeling I have a couple of the "faux" spissas. Definitely not fat.

[avanza]

honestly virtualpalm, i fall in love with your silver copernicia hospita.

[virtualpalm]

Me, too, Meg. I have a "faux spissa" at my house. It is a nice hybrid palm, but definitely not a true C. spissa.

[Ken Johnson]

Me, too, Meg. I have a "faux spissa" at my house. It is a nice hybrid palm, but definitely not a true C. spissa.

Some of them are very pretty. Can you get us a quick pic? Thanks.

[virtualpalm]

Most of them are very nice. Here are some representative shots:

[Zeeth]

Wow, that rootball looks like a concrete block!

[virtualpalm]

That is called marl, Keith. Our soil down here has pockets (some small and some many acres in size) of this clay-like substrate, which holds a lot of water. Most of the palm field nurseries here are in marl. In addition to holding water (which eliminates the need for irrigation), marl also holds together well to create a firm rootball and is easy to dig in.

The other soil type that we have is decomposed (or sometimes not so decomposed -- as in solid caprock) oolite, which represents ancient coral beds from a shallow sea that covered peninsular Florida. This oolite is usually broken up before planting, and it often contains small amounts of a rich, red soil that is iron-rich. Some palms do better in the rock than the marl, but it is trial and error because it is not always the palms that you would expect to do the best in one or the other.

[virtualpalm]

Come an' get em'!

[Ken Johnson]

See what I mean? Nice!