Loxococcus rupicola

[TikiRick]

Yet another seedling that not only has survived, but flourished, surprisingly, is this native to Sri Lanka. 

Very slow, but fantastic emergent bronze/red frond is another pleasant characteristic. 

Standing about 24" overall, it's about 4 years old from seedling.

Its doing well even in my alkaline soils, however heavily mulched and under irrigation. 

Its nemesis is the crashing Foxy Lady fronds directly overhead. So far, no damage to the spear. 

Anyone have any experience with this monotypic genus? 

[Mandrew968]

Excellent! I hear of people killing this palm. Now that i see yours looking great, I will have to try one or two. Good job!

[PalmatierMeg]

I'm on my second - in a pot. The first croaked but this one has hung on. I should pull it out for a closeup but we are getting an unexpected downpour.

[realarch]

Rick, nice palms and steady growers here. Almost full sun and always plenty of water provided by nature. These were planted out probably back

in 2010 and are already producing viable seed. In fact I've been digging up seedlings at the base and planting them. Instant seedlings! Still have the nice color, but

not as easy to see once they start getting some size to them. 

 

Tim

[TikiRick]

Wow!!! Isn't this an endangered species?

[User00]

Any one here growing this red variety of loxos 

Photos by philippe 

Edited August 20, 2016 by User00

[Kim]

I was very surprised to see these flower when still relatively small. Evidently mine are not the red variety...

Somewhere I have a better shot of the seeds, but can't find it right now.  Seems to seed constantly now, and seed is viable (not shipping, don't ask).

[realarch]

Love the red variety, haven't seen any here on the island. 

Tim

[Cindy Adair]

Mine is tiny but someday maybe it will look like the beauties posted here. Congrats to all!

Inspirational.

[Zeeth]

I think the red variety should do well in the Palm Beach/Broward/Miami area. I don't think it grows as high elevation in habitat as the green variety. 

[PalmatierMeg]

8 minutes ago, Zeeth said:

I think the red variety should do well in the Palm Beach/Broward/Miami area. I don't think it grows as high elevation in habitat as the green variety. 

Good to know, Keith. Not that I've ever seen the red variety available.

[Zeeth]

2 minutes ago, PalmatierMeg said:

Good to know, Keith. Not that I've ever seen the red variety available.

I sprouted some seeds of it last spring that I got from User00, though I think I might be too cold for them long-term. They're not easy to find though, which is a shame because it's the nicer of the two, in my opinion. 

[comic097]

Very Nice Rick, Kim. Tim cant believe how much your have grown since I was there, great growth, that red form a beauty 

[fan palm]

A generous hawaiian pt'er sent me some loxo seeds a while back (thanks again mate) They have great colour from the get go! Not sure why they aren't more common considering they fruit so early and heavily? Kim's alone must produce hundreds of seeds...

[comic097]

Great score Harry 

[Pedro 65]

1 hour ago, comic097 said:

Very Nice Rick, Kim. Tim cant believe how much your have grown since I was there, great growth, that red form a beauty 

Ditto, and they will Crank at yours Harry.

Ahamed, yours is a  Beautiful Beast  to say the least                                    Pete

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                             

[Mandrew968]

On 8/20/2016, 4:38:00, Zeeth said:

I sprouted some seeds of it last spring that I got from User00, though I think I might be too cold for them long-term. They're not easy to find though, which is a shame because it's the nicer of the two, in my opinion. 

Always down to trade you something. 

[doranakandawatta]

Ahamed is showing the plant growing in Brief Garden. It is the most beautiful Loxococus I have seen and I am glad I got seedlings from the same source, a small nursery close to Kalawana, growing plants form their own cultivated palms.

Ahamed and I think it should be two subspecies, My friend Thabit Suby (IPS member too) says no.

Anyway I am glad that in Sri Lanka, we can chose which form we want, depending on from which nursery we get it, Samarakoon for the highland form, Mr Nugegoda for the lowland form (Brief garden).

 http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?/topic/48288-loxococcus-rupicola-two-subspecies/#comment-742014

http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?/topic/41551-loxococcus-rupicola-in-brief-garden-update/#comment-642179

[doranakandawatta]

Here fresh new pics of one of our seedlings (from Mr. Nugegoda),
Nice shades on new leaf.

[doranakandawatta]

few days after these previous pics:

 

[Missi]

On 8/20/2016, 12:26:33, PalmatierMeg said:

I'm on my second - in a pot. The first croaked but this one has hung on. I should pull it out for a closeup but we are getting an unexpected downpour.

Miss Meg! What do you think did your first one in? How is your second one doing? I got one of these in my latest Floribunda order. The form wasn't noted on the pricelist, but I reeeally hope it is the red form. Not that the "normal" form isn't lovely as well.

[PalmatierMeg]

18 hours ago, Missi said:

Miss Meg! What do you think did your first one in? How is your second one doing? I got one of these in my latest Floribunda order. The form wasn't noted on the pricelist, but I reeeally hope it is the red form. Not that the "normal" form isn't lovely as well.

Three strikes - It's out! I knew from the first this would be a difficult grow but thought maybe I had the "touch" to keep it alive and happy long term. Wrong. First, it comes from a higher altitude almost cloudforest environment where it rains almost daily and nights are shrouded in mist. It needs warmth but not heat blasted from the 7th circle of h*** followed by nights of relentless swelter. Nor can it stand cold, dry north winds and drought.  Second, it requires rich acidic soil and coastal FL's alkaline dreck is probably deadly.

I managed to keep a couple of them alive for a year or so in pots tucked under deep shade all summer and shuttled indoors during major cold spells in winter. They never really grew or thrived, just lingered a while before giving up on life. Too bad because it's really a lovely palm.

Here's hoping you have the "touch" with this species.

[Missi]

2 hours ago, PalmatierMeg said:

Three strikes - It's out! I knew from the first this would be a difficult grow but thought maybe I had the "touch" to keep it alive and happy long term. Wrong. First, it comes from a higher altitude almost cloudforest environment where it rains almost daily and nights are shrouded in mist. It needs warmth but not heat blasted from the 7th circle of h*** followed by nights of relentless swelter. Nor can it stand cold, dry north winds and drought.  Second, it requires rich acidic soil and coastal FL's alkaline dreck is probably deadly.

I managed to keep a couple of them alive for a year or so in pots tucked under deep shade all summer and shuttled indoors during major cold spells in winter. They never really grew or thrived, just lingered a while before giving up on life. Too bad because it's really a lovely palm.

Here's hoping you have the "touch" with this species.

Oh dear! Another one I'll try to not get too attached to. Thank you for sharing your growing experience!

[atlantisrising]

I have 2 of these in the ground here in Key Largo and they seem to be established, one is from the first attempt 2 years ago and the second from this year.  I killed 2 getting to this point. Both of these are in my beds where all rock has been removed to 30" depth and filled with topsoil and silica sand, so very good soil, in shade and daily irrigation. I also think it is the summer heat that is their nemesis here, both of the croakers died very quickly in mid summer, one in the ground and one in pot. I recommend getting the one gallon size if you want to try them, so far doing much better with the one gallons than the 4 inchers I got the first time. I am curious if anyone in the area has had long term success with these, mine are too early in the game too tell yet for sure.

[Matt in OC]

I had two that "lived" after a winter in the ground in partial sun, but were so hideous and damaged the next season that I ripped them out. A beautiful palm!

[doranakandawatta]

today:

 

[Mandrew968]

On 8/20/2016, 4:38:00, Zeeth said:

I sprouted some seeds of it last spring that I got from User00, though I think I might be too cold for them long-term. They're not easy to find though, which is a shame because it's the nicer of the two, in my opinion. 

If you wanna trade for one or two, I know I have something you would want...

[Eric in Orlando]

I previously grew  several of these outside here (Floribunda source). But they were killed following the prolonged 2009-10 winter. I got a couple again last summer and they survived this past winter, one night at 28F .

 

 

[Zeeth]

36 minutes ago, Mandrew968 said:

If you wanna trade for one or two, I know I have something you would want...

I'd take you up on the offer, but I ended up losing the labeling on these and a bunch of other crownshafted palms, so I'm not sure where they are in my container ranch at the moment. I'll let you know once things grow out a bit more if I end up finding them again though. 

[Mandrew968]

Sounds good-we are due for a PRA, next time you are down my way...

[Cindy Adair]

Hurricane Maria stole the label, but I believe this is my small Loxococcus rupicola?

Seems happy finally in the ground with partial shade and lots of rain, but on a slope.

[Kailua_Krish]

Looks like mine!

[Cindy Adair]

5 minutes ago, krishnaraoji88 said:

Looks like mine!

Good to hear! Thanks!

[doranakandawatta]

today:

[John hovancsek]

I just planted one and am really excited to see how it does for me

[colin Peters]

Good luck John.

One of my favorite, for sure. Here is a shot of my five in a row, under my large seeding red areca macrocaylx. In very tight quarters, hopefully, I

won't have to remove a few. 

[realarch]

Wow Colin, the A. macrocalyx are looking good! Getting pretty tall as well. Hmmmmm........time for another Areca macro. thread.

Tim

[colin Peters]

Thanks Tim, got seven 4 inch macrocaylx from their  seed to plant in between the old ones to make the layered look.

aloha

[Hilo Jason]

I love the color of the new leaf when it opens on these. Almost a blue-ish tint to it. 

[realarch]

Ha ha, all you Loxococcos guys, you"d think we were in Sri Lanka or somewhere tropical.

Tim