Northern California: Areca vestiaria in unheated sunroom

[Hillizard]

I got this Areca vestiaria years ago as a germinated seed from RPS. It's the only one of a group that's thrived. It's always been indoors in a room that only gets morning light/heat (i.e., my sunroom faces east). Some of the offshoots from the main stem declined and I've had to spray for scale now and then, but otherwise it's done OK under a relatively low-humidity, shady, highly variable temperature regime. It's my suspicion, beyond mere acclimation, that success with certain palm genera under less than ideal [challenging?] growing conditions may be dependent on the specific genetics of an individual palm. 

[XYZ]

As a subset of an ecotype, usually. This species has been collected at varying altitudes on Sulawesi. Notwithstanding comments on Palmpedia, I always found the maroon or red cs and flush types markedly more cold tolerant than the orange or yellow cs forms. I believe that latter color forms a uniform bust as garden plant at ~1600 m in Guatemala, whereas maroons thrive in both the lowlands and highlands.

J

[Hillizard]

3 hours ago, stone jaguar said:

As a subset of an ecotype, usually. This species has been collected at varying altitudes on Sulawesi. Notwithstanding comments on Palmpedia, I always found the maroon or red cs and flush types markedly more cold tolerant than the orange or yellow cs forms. I believe that latter color forms a uniform bust as garden plant at ~1600 m in Guatemala, whereas maroons thrive in both the lowlands and highlands.

J

Stone Jaguar: That makes a lot of sense, thanks for sharing. I may be spending too much time with my palms and seeing each one as an individual! LOL

[topwater]

A. vestie is a heartbreaker to grow. Pics from my indoor atrium, where I suspect they die because the temps hit well over 100f. 

[topwater]

Potted on the patio. 

[topwater]

Of all the Areca species, I can grow macrocalyx, dwarf catechu, ipot (barely), but the vesties have embarrassed me. 

[topwater]

On 8/19/2017, 12:48:06, Hillizard said:

I got this Areca vestiaria years ago as a germinated seed from RPS. It's the only one of a group that's thrived. It's always been indoors in a room that only gets morning light/heat (i.e., my sunroom faces east). Some of the offshoots from the main stem declined and I've had to spray for scale now and then, but otherwise it's done OK under a relatively low-humidity, shady, highly variable temperature regime. It's my suspicion, beyond mere acclimation, that success with certain palm genera under less than ideal [challenging?] growing conditions may be dependent on the specific genetics of an individual palm. 

Knock out orange, my favorite of the three. 

[XYZ]

Interesting that you can grow macrocalyx but not vestiaria "Maroon". I have found that they thrive under same conditions...both quite tolerant of heat if they get cooled off at night. They are all much trickier in pots indoors than in the ground or on a shady patio.

[topwater]

I have one that looks okay, and yes its a maroon. I can tell you for sure they are much less tolerant of sun than the oranges, but then again, neither can take any TX sun at all, they just croak faster.  About the heat,you may be right, under weed barrier, both are in full shade, and the red does look better than the orange and yellow.  

 

[topwater]

On 8/26/2017, 8:42:39, stone jaguar said:

Interesting that you can grow macrocalyx but not vestiaria "Maroon". I have found that they thrive under same conditions...both quite tolerant of heat if they get cooled off at night. 

I think you just nailed my problem.  In my atrium, temps can push 120f during August, and it only drops down to the mid 80's at night, it never really cools off. Maybe that's what the vesties hate, I lost count of how many I've lost in there, whereas the two macrocalyx took off on the first try. The catechu needed shade cloth the first summer, now it's totally happy in full sun. 

[Missi]

On 8/27/2017, 12:21:30, topwater said:

I have one that looks okay, and yes its a maroon. I can tell you for sure they are much less tolerant of sun than the oranges, but then again, neither can take any TX sun at all, they just croak faster.  About the heat,you may be right, under weed barrier, both are in full shade, and the red does look better than the orange and yellow.  

 

FWIW, mine takes filtered S. FL sun. 

On 8/28/2017, 2:26:39, topwater said:

I think you just nailed my problem.  In my atrium, temps can push 120f during August, and it only drops down to the mid 80's at night, it never really cools off. Maybe that's what the vesties hate, I lost count of how many I've lost in there, whereas the two macrocalyx took off on the first try. The catechu needed shade cloth the first summer, now it's totally happy in full sun. 

What if you also ran a ran at night? 

Edited August 29, 2017 by Missi
TYP-OH!

[topwater]

I do, the other top corner has an exhaust fan running on a thermostat, I'm sure it'd be much hotter without it. I hate to say this, but your not going to like going from 10a to zone 9,  its coconuts to alfies    Half a grow zone is huge. I don't mind cus it's all I've ever known, you however, have been spoiled living in palm paradaise. 

[Missi]

Boy, I'm glad you knew what I mean lol "Ran a ran"? 

I know I'm not going to like it, but I have to find the warmest growing area out of my only options  Actually, where I live in inland Naples, you can't even grow coconuts because every few years we get a freeze  In Naples, it's only 10a west of Interstate 75.

[Missi]

22 hours ago, topwater said:

 you however, have been spoiled living in palm paradaise. 

Hey I was born and raised close to Chicago, so I put in my time!