Chamaedorea nubium - all forms

[XYZ]

There always seems to be interest in this palm here, so a few notes below from my experience with the species for those looking to grow it.

Chamaedorea nubium is an attractive clustering cloud forest palm that occurs throughout much of upland Mesoamerica from eastern Guerrero, Mexico through to the Lempira Department, western Honduras and into the Chalatenango Department of northern El Salvador. It occurs from ~1,300 m to >2,900 m (~4,200’ to >9,400’), but is most common between ~1,600 m and 2,400 m (5,200’ and 7,800’) on both Caribbean and Pacific versants. As would be expected from a highland palm with such a wide elevational and geographic distribution that it shares with a large number of regional microendemic chamaedoreas, it can be rather variable from locality to locality. Palms from the western end of its range tend to be comparatively robust; tall and ornamental with fairly thick stems to ~4.5 m (~15’) tall and glossy green undersides of their leaves. Plants from the opposite extreme in and near Celaque NP in Honduras are notably short-statured (=<2 m/6.5’), with pencil-thin stems, few-branched female inflorescences and relatively small, bifid leaves that are also glossy green on both surfaces. The north-central Guatemalan populations are fairly tall with large leaves that in some localities have their undersides chalky or glaucous. All populations share a tightly clustering habit initially, which is a plus for growers in that it gives this species a small “footprint” in pots or gardens for a couple decades. This as opposed to similar-looking, rambling cogeners from the region like C. stolonifera and C. brachypoda. Very old colonies can, however, cover quite a bit of real estate when taller and their long, slender stems begin to lean outward.

There are a couple very distinctive ecotypes known from sites in south-central Chiapas, Mexico through to the Zunil Ridge in Quezaltenango, Guatemala that have distinctly thick-textured, fully pinnate leaves (to just over a dozen pinnae per side) tipping older stems and that grows to about 2.50 m (8’) tall. The western Guatemalan population was originally segregated as C. skutchii by Standley and Steyermark in 1947. While Hodel somewhat reluctantly recognized this as a valid species in his monograph on chamaedoreas, it was subsequently sunk in synonymy with C. nubium in 1995 by Henderson, Galeano and Bernal. Having recently examined two specimens of a female clone of the Chiapan pinnate form grown at the University of California Berkeley’s botanical garden, I was struck by how different the leaves looked and felt when compared to plants from Guatemala and Honduras that I grow. I suspect there may be more than one species involved in all these collections. In particular, closer examination of the Honduran population and/or additional molecular work on the genus may result in a carve out of at least one undescribed species.

I have grown quite a few C. nubium from seed over the years and find it quite trouble free in the garden. It does require excellent drainage and plenty of moisture at all times and is rather prone to spider mite infestations in the greenhouse if left unattended. It is not recommended as an indoor plant due to this vulnerability as well as its ultimate height, which can be reached in about six years from seed under optimal conditions. Depending on the ecotype, this species may be tolerant of temperatures significantly below 0 C (32 F), although leaf damage is expected to occur there. For those interested, a search for other posts dealing with this species on the IPS forum discuss its response to freezing temperatures. While somewhat sun tolerant, they do not look their best when exposed to direct midday/afternoon sunshine as is evident below in images taken at the UCB botanical garden this past weekend.

Information available online suggest this species is still uncommon in cultivation in the US, although there appears to be material being grown in a few private collections here presumably originating from UC Berkeley, Hodel and Castillo, and Whitelock accessions. Some of the seed RPS listed on their website in past years must have also generated cultivated plants in the US and the EU. I am currently growing two young adult male clones at the shady end of a cool greenhouse in South San Francisco, California that originated from a seed collection made some years back east of San Pedro Copan, Honduras at ~1,600 m (5,200’). This form clusters vigorously, flowers reliably in youth and like its near lookalike from Chiapas, C. stolonifera, stays quite compact when compared to C. nubium originating from central Guatemala and southeastern Mexico. One of the advantages this species and its close relatives from the region have in cultivation is the ease with which “cut and paste” divisions of aerially-rooted stolons can be established for propagative purposes. I have not trialed it outside in California, but would expect it to do well in a moist, shady spot. I am still unsure how tolerant this palm is to high summer temperatures or to fully warm tropical conditions such as those experienced in Hawaii or northeastern Queensland, but plants transplanted to the Pacific lowlands of Guatemala several years back have not flourished. Both plants in my collections in California and Guatemala occasionally experience occasional daytime surges to >32 C (90 F) with no visible signs of stress. Plants growing in gardens in southern California probably experience temperatures in excess of 38 C (100 F) during several months every year.

Fruiting female C. nubium and Geonoma undata edulis, Baja Verapaz, Guatemala

Potted C. nubium from San Marcos, Guatemala (and company) growing in Guatemala City.

"Miniature" clone (~1.10 m/3.5' tall) of Honduran C. nubium growing in San Francisco. Light Mg deficiency caught up with it recently. Just repotted.

Leaf detail on Honduran plant

Basal growth on Honduran plant

"Skutchii" form of C. nubium growing at UCB BG

Newer stems and developing female inflorescences.

Leaf detail of "Skutchii"/pinnate leaf form of C. nubium at UCB BG

Cheers,

J

 

 

 

 

 

[Pal Meir]

Great information!

[gyuseppe]

very interesting 

[Palm Tree Jim]

Thanks for some great plant pictures.

[Mandrew968]

Now... Where do I get one?

[Palms4Steve]

Nice info. I have a few one and two leaf seedlings. Seed was from RPS. Germination so far was about 40%.

[palmtreesforpleasure]

Thank you for the info on this Chamaedorea species.

The seed for me came from RPS.

Some are now planted in Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney and some at home.

The ones planted in lower light levels are much slower than the ones in bright light and would only be 1/3 the height.

They appear to enjoy warm temperate to sub tropical temperature. Much of Queensland is to hot for them survive properly and in much of Quensland they would not survive at all.

The form growing in the garden looks quite different to my brachpoda and stolonifera, will have to see if that changes over time..

I have recently got seed from another source so look forward to seeing which form they are

Thanks again

Colin

[Jeff Searle]

Always an adventure. Thanks again.

[Mandrew968]

Too hot for them? Maybe thats why I have not seen any around...