Why does Arenga Micrantha insist on lying down horizontally against the ground?!

[Sandy Loam]

Hello. I have an Arenga Micrantha that is gorgeous when I successfully prop it up. However, my props always fall over after a day or two because this tree so desperately wants to grow lying flat along the surface of the ground. Is this normal? I have looked at other photos of this palm, and they all appear to be upright. Even the suckers in those photos do not insist on lying directly flat against the ground horizontally.

I am not sure what to do. I have tried using stakes to hold the Arenga Micrantha upright, but I am not very gifted at building staking contraptions and may have to build an actual upright reinforcement structure.

This is becoming annoying because this tree's fronds must be five feet long and extend across lawn areas they are not welcome. Soon those fronds will be ten feet long and multiplying in number.

Help!

[Kailua_Krish]

Hmm, maybe a soil/rooting issue? None of my 3 do this but they are still much smaller than yours

[tank]

Sandy,

You may need to sink it, basically dig it out and plant it deeper. Could you post a picture of what its doing?

[Phoenikakias]

Never occured to me in my stony/clayish soil!

Edited March 5, 2015 by Phoenikakias

[Eric in Orlando]

I have had it happen here. I just kept them stake for awhile. This happened when they were younger, maybe 2-3ft tall. But this has happened with me with other related palms; Caryota gigas/obtusa, Wallichia disticha, Arenga pinnata, etc. the sandy soil doesn't offer good support until the palm develops a bigger supporting root system.

Once they get larger Arenga micrantha gets huge leaves that are very heavy. our biggest A. micrantha has a main trunk 6-7ft tall with 10ft leaves.

[tank]

I have had it happen here. I just kept them stake for awhile. This happened when they were younger, maybe 2-3ft tall. But this has happened with me with other related palms; Caryota gigas/obtusa, Wallichia disticha, Arenga pinnata, etc. the sandy soil doesn't offer good support until the palm develops a bigger supporting root system.

Once they get larger Arenga micrantha gets huge leaves that are very heavy. our biggest A. micrantha has a main trunk 6-7ft tall with 10ft leaves.

Eric,

Please show some pics of your Arenga micrantha when you get the chance. I haven't seen one as large as what you're describing and would love to know what they will start to look like. I've only seen those blurry pics on the RPS listing.

Thanks,

Jason

[Sandy Loam]

Sure, I can post a photo when I get back.

Eric, me too -- I would love to see what yours looks like currently, but ideally with a person in the photo for scale. I looked at several arenga micrantha photos today but it is hard to understand what they are like as they mature without a person (best) or something else for scale.

Many thanks!

[Sandy Loam]

.

Edited March 5, 2015 by Sandy Loam

[gyuseppe]

anche my is slightly tilted to one side, I think it is natural for this species ?

while arenga engleri is not tilted

as you can see from the photos

made this summer ,while I was doing odd jobs in the garden

arenga micrantha

arenga engleri

[Eric in Orlando]

This is the largest specimen of Arenga micrantha at Leu Gardens. It was planted in Nov. 2003, from a 3 gal. pot about 3ft tall. The photo is from July 2013, I'll get a current one up later.

[Phoenikakias]

How tall can it get (clear trunk) prior to blooming? I have some agony that mine will start blooming, though it has a clear trunk only at breast level. Maybe palms in colder climates bloom at a shorter height...

[Phoenikakias]

I have had it happen here. I just kept them stake for awhile. This happened when they were younger, maybe 2-3ft tall. But this has happened with me with other related palms; Caryota gigas/obtusa, Wallichia disticha, Arenga pinnata, etc. the sandy soil doesn't offer good support until the palm develops a bigger supporting root system.

Once they get larger Arenga micrantha gets huge leaves that are very heavy. our biggest A. micrantha has a main trunk 6-7ft tall with 10ft leaves.

10 ft leaves aint huge for this kind of palm. 10 ft equal slightly above 3 m... THIS IS NOT WHAT I WOULD EXPECT from a plant with 6-7 ft clear trunk. Mine is much lower and its leaves are about 5 m (16.4 ft) long.

Edited March 6, 2015 by Phoenikakias

[Eric in Orlando]

Here is a current photo.

Arenga micrantha has larger leaves and leaflets that A. engleri but doesn't seem to form as thick of a clump. This one has one main stem and 4 offshoots. I would not be surprised if it starts flowering in the next year.

[Eric in Orlando]

[Alicehunter2000]

That's nice! would almost be better as a single.

[Eric in Orlando]

I've always thought that too. A hardy Arenga pinnata substitute. Maybe leave one sucker growing so when it decides to flower there is a replacement trunk.

[tank]

Eric,

Thanks for the photos.

[Frond of Palms]

IMG_20150306_133814.jpg

Hello Eric,

Is the Arenga micrantha in your post planted under a heavy canopy where it gets filtered light?

I just planted one about two feet off the east wall of my shed in rich soill. It will get morning to noon sun and then filtered light as the day passes

I hope it's the right spot.

[Eric in Orlando]

Yes, it is growing under high tree canopy. It gets bright, filtered light all day.

I think they need afternoon shade in FL so morning sun should be OK. But they do get large so I would move that palm out from the house at least 5 ft.

[Phoenikakias]

IMG_20150306_133814.jpg

Hello Eric,

Is the Arenga micrantha in your post planted under a heavy canopy where it gets filtered light?

I just planted one about two feet off the east wall of my shed in rich soill. It will get morning to noon sun and then filtered light as the day passes

I hope it's the right spot.

morestuff 002.jpg

Man it is to close to the building. You have no idea how big its leaves can become! Three meters is NOT their final size!

[Frond of Palms]

IMG_20150306_133814.jpg

Hello Eric,

Is the Arenga micrantha in your post planted under a heavy canopy where it gets filtered light?

I just planted one about two feet off the east wall of my shed in rich soill. It will get morning to noon sun and then filtered light as the day passes

I hope it's the right spot.

morestuff 002.jpg

Man it is to close to the building. You have no idea how big its leaves can become! Three meters is NOT their final size!

Oh gosh....more work

Well I guess once its moved I can use the hole to put in my freeze damage King palm.

[Frond of Palms]

Is that better?

[Phoenikakias]

As long, as your neighbor will not get bothered seeing its adult leaved beyond fence on his property...

Edited March 15, 2015 by Phoenikakias

[Phoenikakias]

Just kidding Nice job FM Kostas has some interesting pictures with himself as scale, showing what you have been rescued from...

[Kostas]

Went hiking into Phoenikakias's Arenga micrantha clump to help with tying some leafs away and got these nice pictures in the meantime. Just to get an idea of the size of this juvenile palm, it's barely trunking yet and leafs are massive!

Here I am holding a leaf from a very young pup and yet you see how much taller than me it is!

Main trunk. The leaflets do not even start at my height...just petioles...

This species is right up there with A. pinnata and A. westerhoutii in impressiveness and almost in size as well. It's not trunking yet, so leafs may get bigger hopefully! One of the most impressive Arenga for sure!

[Frond of Palms]

Went hiking into Phoenikakias's Arenga micrantha clump to help with tying some leafs away and got these nice pictures in the meantime. Just to get an idea of the size of this juvenile palm, it's barely trunking yet and leafs are massive!

Here I am holding a leaf from a very young pup and yet you see how much taller than me it is!

Main trunk. The leaflets do not even start at my height...just petioles...

This species is right up there with A. pinnata and A. westerhoutii in impressiveness and almost in size as well. It's not trunking yet, so leafs may get bigger hopefully! One of the most impressive Arenga for sure!

Wow !! Oh my gosh !! Phoenikakias you are right! I had no idea how big the leaves would get…these pictures are so amazing.

Kostas, thank you for posting these pictures…very important piece of information for a beginner like me…this is truly what PalmTalk is all about…I’m glad that I moved the palm. Now, judging by the size of my A. micrantha…how many years do estimate it will take to become as large as the one in your photo.?

[Phoenikakias]

It absolutely depends on how much you water it. I hope you have incorporated some water retention agent in gelly form by the time of transplant...

[Kailua_Krish]

Wow that's amazing! I hope mine gets that size!

[gyuseppe]

Konstantinos the my is to a meter from the wall, the wall is 2 meters tall, the wall is my, so I think it is fine?

currently is 2 meters high

[Frond of Palms]

Hello. I have an Arenga Micrantha that is gorgeous when I successfully prop it up. However, my props always fall over after a day or two because this tree so desperately wants to grow lying flat along the surface of the ground. Is this normal? I have looked at other photos of this palm, and they all appear to be upright. Even the suckers in those photos do not insist on lying directly flat against the ground horizontally.

I am not sure what to do. I have tried using stakes to hold the Arenga Micrantha upright, but I am not very gifted at building staking contraptions and may have to build an actual upright reinforcement structure.

This is becoming annoying because this tree's fronds must be five feet long and extend across lawn areas they are not welcome. Soon those fronds will be ten feet long and multiplying in number.

Help!

Hello Sandy Loam.

What did you end up doing to help prevent your palm from leaning over? After moving my palm from the shed area I noticed it was growing very rapidly with a thick spear…even faster then my well established A. Engleri…so as a precautionary measure I decided to install a brace around the plant incase it becomes too top heavy. In a triangle fashion I banged in three stakes…took an old bicycle tube and cut about a half inch strap and tied it around the stakes barely touching the fronds…tying the strap so it can be adjusted if need to be.

[Sandy Loam]

Hello Frond-of-Palms. I probably should have done what you did. Instead, I pushed a big rock up against the trunk base and now it appears to be sitting upright as it should.

Thanks, everyone, for your comments.

[Frond of Palms]

Hello, here is an update on my palm from my previous posts in this topic. It seems to be very happy...since planted and then transplanted it has produced one frond and now is pushing up another...the support system is not really needed because I have loosen the straps and the plant is stable and can support itself...it was installed just in case it does lean over...one thing I have noticed is that, as this palm grows it has twisted a few degrees counter clockwise, which I find very interesting. Pictures are from today.