Elaeis guineensis Whole Leaf Variety

[PalmatierMeg]

If you hate this species, best you move on. I got this whole leaf African oil palm from TJ Walters in MD. I planted it in my back yard palm jungle in the hope it would eventually replace some of the canopy I lost when I lost all my queens to wilt. It has done that admirably to shield my two Howeas that hate my summers. It has remained whole-leaf these past several years. It is probably 8-10' tall, all of it leaves but is hard to photograph because my jungle is so dense.

Elaeis guineensis Whole Leaf Form

[DoomsDave]

Like a giant Joey

[Mandrew968]

Looks like a Salacca!

[Zeeth]

Very cool!

[Rusty on Pine Is.]

Wow, love that leaf. Can't wait to see what it looks like when it gets some size!

[Walt]

I can't remember when my African oil palm was a juvenile just how long it took to get full character leaves, so I can't speak to that. But what I can speak to, is that your African oil palm, if it grows like mine does -- is going to displace all those palms planted in proximity of it!  I happen to like this species, notwithstanding that it isn't really cold hardy for my location. Other than my palm, I only know of one other Elaeis guineenis in all of Highlands County. That palm is growing up in Sebring on the N.E. shore of Lake Jackson and has about 10 feet of trunk.

I estimate my palm is at least 30 feet across (frond tip to frond tip) on the most horizontal lowest fronds. The photos below really don't reflect that distance. Earlier this year I had to remove about 20 of the lowermost fronds just to get around the palm better. As you may know, this species produces fronds fast. My palm, many, years back was mostly defoliated from hard frosts, yet new fronds grew back at such a rate that by year's end you would hardly know it was ever defoliated. Fortunately, my palm hasn't been defoliated now the past four winters.

Last winter we got some high N.W. winds and it actually bent over my oil palm, and fronds on the windward side got moved around to the leeward side.

At first I thought my palm might have a disease or was being attacked by palm weevils. My fear became greater when I started seeing fronds turning brown (newer fronds). But I eventually realized the frond leaves were being sunburned due to the change of their positions due to the leaning, as the undersides of the leaves, which never got direct sun were now getting direct sun. 

Above photo: View looking at the south side of my African oil palm.

Above photo: View looking at the north side of my African oil palm

Above photo: View of the developing and unbooted trunk of my African oil palm

[PalmatierMeg]

Nice palm, Walt. I'm pleasantly surprised to it growing so far north. I like this species' "Jurassic Park" look.

[Walt]

3 hours ago, PalmatierMeg said:

Nice palm, Walt. I'm pleasantly surprised to it growing so far north. I like this species' "Jurassic Park" look.

Yes, this palm would most likely have been killed back in 2010 had I not protected it. You may recall how I protected the meristem and emerging trunk with about 25 jugs of water and insulation blankets. I posted pics showing it. The E. guineensis up in Sebring was cold damaged, but survived.

And I discovered a very important thing. Both January of 2010 and December of 2010 had very long cold spells. December was slightly worse. That January I did not protect my oil palm and it was totally defoliated. I thought it was dead as the first new frond didn't start to emerge until sometime in May. Further, the first three fronds were very, very stunted (each one just a little longer than the preceding frond), then subsequent fronds returned mostly to normal size.

Since my oil palm survived, I vowed I would protect the meristem if we ever got such a cold event again. When December 2010 came and we got a dreadful forecast of 11 days of sub normal low temperatures, I went into action and protected my oil palm with water jugs and insulation. Good thing, because my low dropped to 20.8 degrees. Yes, the fronds got mostly defoliated, but the meristem was never cold damaged. New fronds started to emerge by the end of February (as opposed to May), and all of the new fronds were of normal size!

As much as I'm getting tired of protecting palms, I will continue to trunk and meristem protect my E. guineensis and Cocos Nucifera.

[Palmaceae]

Meg, I really like that palm, and I am one of the few who like Elaesis as like you said, they have that Jurrasic look.