Copernicia cowellii : Habitat pics from Cuba

[aztropic]

Just returned from a trip to Cuba. Saw thousands of Copernicia cowellii in habitat and think it's an amazing looking palm.What do you think?

aztropic

Mesa,Arizona

[George Sparkman]

Thank You very much for the pictures.

[aztropic]

30 + people were taking pictures but these are probably the only ones to be posted.

aztropic

Mesa,Arizona

[Zeeth]

Great! It's a shame it's such a slow grower.

[avanza]

Very very beautiful.

Thanks for the pictures.

[Kumar]

Lovely photos, thanks again for sharing. All your cuba threads were first-class

[kevin m]

i have 6 of these in the ground ,and they are very slow im 36 now i hope to see mine get that size one day but i doubt it lol , great pictures my favorite palm

[Mandrew968]

What if any other species of Copernicia were growing close by the cowellii, and did you see any hybrids? Thanks for posting.

[aztropic]

Cowellii was very isolated and there were no other Copernicia species growing around it in habitat.Coccothrinax pseudoridgida,miraguama,and macroglossa did grow alongside cowellii though.

aztropic

Mesa,Arizona

[Mandrew968]

Interesting... are you speaking for just this population, or the species in general? Coccothrinax is a whole other matter... camagueyensis, azul, and macroglossa (and some miraguama) are very much obfuscated, taxonomically, to me.

[Jeff Searle]

Scott,

Thanks for sharing some amazing pictures of this palm in habitat. Mine has been in the ground between 8 and 10 years now and although produces a leaf, maybe two in one year, these examples in your pictures must be 50,75, maybe a 100 years old. Who really knows. At the rate mine is growing, it might be another 25 years before it's 2-3' tall (???). But a great looking palm for sure! The other beauty from down there is Hemithrinax, this is a winner and would like to get my hands on some seed.

[Jeff Searle]

Scott,

I'm just curious, is that a train track in the background of a couple of your pictures? If so, were you near a town maybe? And in the second pic, there's some much taller Copernicia that appear to be a different species. Can you elaborate more on this area?

[aztropic]

As far as copernicias in habitat, they were all very isolated from any other copernicia except baileyana / gigas which intermingled.

Aztropic

Mesa, Arizona

[Mandrew968]

Scott,

I'm just curious, is that a train track in the background of a couple of your pictures? If so, were you near a town maybe? And in the second pic, there's some much taller Copernicia that appear to be a different species. Can you elaborate more on this area?

Good eye, Jeff-those palms in the background answers my initial question, and the follow up. Hopefully, cowellii picks up speed as it grows larger, like Pseudophoenix ekmanii does.

[aztropic]

Scott, I'm just curious, is that a train track in the background of a couple of your pictures? If so, were you near a town maybe? And in the second pic, there's some much taller Copernicia that appear to be a different species. Can you elaborate more on this area?

In the second pic, that was at a womans farm and I'm not sure that the other copernicias around cowelli weren't planted. 2 other populations of cowellii in the wild, they grew next to coccothrinax but I don't remember any other copernicias next to those.

Aztropic

Mesa, Arizona

[aztropic]

The other beauty from down there is Hemithrinax, this is a winner and would like to get my hands on some seed.

Here ya go Jeff.

http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?/topic/42072-hemithrinax-ekmaniana-seeds-from-mbc-being-auctioned-off/

aztropic

Mesa,Arizona

[MKIVRYAN]

Very nice palm. Thanks for the pictures Scott.

[Creekside]

Here are a few more pics from Juanita's farm. The coweliis grew alongside Coccothrinax pseudorigida, which we saw together in at least one other area.

This pic was taken in another location. These are gorgeous palms, with that intense silver under the leaves.

[mike in kurtistown]

At Juanita's farm, the fields were shared with Copernicia hospita, as well as with the common, widely-distributed Coccothrinax macroglossa. Here are some cowellii pictures:

Here are some of the hospita pictures:

I think there were hybrids at most of the Copernicia locations we visited except the fallaensis location, although I don't recall any at this cowellii location. It doesn't necessarily mean that there aren't monospecific locations, just that these locations were convenient to visit on a road trip.

[DoomsDave]

more more more

pant pant pant

licky licky licky

[aztropic]

Along the trip,I collected seed from many of the Coccothrinax and Copernicia's that we saw.Here are some cowellii already popping,planted less than a month ago.Fresh seed has it's advantages!

aztropic

Mesa,Arizona

[aztropic]

Add 2 weeks and most of these cowellii sprouts are now 3 inches tall.I know this has been reported to be an extremely slow growing palm,but for me,the first seed leaf at least seems to grow like a rocket.Less than 2 months ago,these seeds were still growing on the trees in Cuba.

aztropic

Mesa,Arizona

[ybhari2]

Hi,

Cuba! Dream place for me to see the copernicias.I wonder whether you manage to get some seeds of those palms. If so, would you share?

Thanks a lot.

Hari, indonesia

[aztropic]

As you can see in the previous posts,all my collected seeds are already planted and growing.Young Copernicias hate root disturbance and probably would not survive shipping.Often,european seed sellers carry this species(they have good relations with Cuba) and would be your best bet.

aztropic

Mesa,Arizona

[ybhari2]

Hi,

Thanks for your rply.

Yes, I did nitice your posts after i sent message to you. Too excited knowing Someone been to cuba.

Can you recommend who are seed seller i can contact to for c.cowellii? I hv been hunting this seeds for sometime already.

Thanks

Hari

[aztropic]

amazonia-online.com out of Barcelona,Spain currently has them in stock.

aztropic

Mesa,Arizona

[Moose]

On ‎5‎/‎25‎/‎2014‎ ‎3‎:‎18‎:‎25‎, Zeeth said:

Great! It's a shame it's such a slow grower.

Brutally slow. Those habitat palms have to be very old

[aztropic]

Agreed. Here's what some of my seedlings look like after 7 years of growth...

 

aztropic

Mesa,Arizona

[yeye]

Scott

Do they took temperatures below zero during winter ?

[Frond-friend42]

21 hours ago, Johnny Palmseed said:

That is very cool in its own right. So bizarrely slow it makes you wonder how they can live like that. I have mixed feelings about growing plants like these. Definitely different from the standard but I know I will not live long enough to see them in their prime.

Well...even as a seedling or a single strap, I find it beautiful...and it's cool to think it will eventually turn into that stunning lollipop...maybe when you are old or for someone else after you are gone. 

[aztropic]

16 hours ago, yeye said:

Scott

Do they took temperatures below zero during winter ?

Yes. They have survived -2,3C without any protection or damage.

 

aztropic

Mesa,Arizona