Ravenea glauca propensity to hybridize with other Ravenea species?

[Tracy]

A question popped into my mind when I noticed what I believe is a male inflorescence emerging from a Ravenea glauca.  In that this species is dioecious, I wondered if hybridization with other species within the genus is very common when species are grown in close proximity.  I was trying to think if there were desirable characteristics that one might want to pull from two different Ravenea species in a hybrid.  Anyone seen examples of hybrid Raveneas or experimented with them?  

[quaman58]

Tracy,

 

Matt in SD has a Ravenea that was sold to him as a hybrid glauca/ hillibrantii. He told me that were it not for the fact that the person selling it told him what it was, he would have no idea that it was a hybrid. There was nothing, for me at least, that looked obviously hybridized. But I would not be surprised to find out that they (Ravenea) couldn't mix it up a bit.

[howfam]

On 6/14/2019 at 1:09 PM, Tracy said:

A question popped into my mind when I noticed what I believe is a male inflorescence emerging from a Ravenea glauca.  In that this species is dioecious, I wondered if hybridization with other species within the genus is very common when species are grown in close proximity.  I was trying to think if there were desirable characteristics that one might want to pull from two different Ravenea species in a hybrid.  Anyone seen examples of hybrid Raveneas or experimented with them?  

 

What is the cold hardiness for R.Glauca?

[Jim in Los Altos]

22 minutes ago, howfam said:

What is the cold hardiness for R.Glauca?

They are hardier than R. rivularis by two or three degrees as far as I know. They grow at about 1/3 the rate of rivularis however. 

[gilles06]

A cross with rivularis would be interesting...

[DoomsDave]

On 6/14/2019 at 10:09 AM, Tracy said:

A question popped into my mind when I noticed what I believe is a male inflorescence emerging from a Ravenea glauca.  In that this species is dioecious, I wondered if hybridization with other species within the genus is very common when species are grown in close proximity.  I was trying to think if there were desirable characteristics that one might want to pull from two different Ravenea species in a hybrid.  Anyone seen examples of hybrid Raveneas or experimented with them?  

Your plant looks great, and I think it's a male.

Dunno about hyb-ing with other species, excellent question.

Dunno about hybrid Roystoneas, either.

[howfam]

On 6/15/2019 at 7:39 PM, Jim in Los Altos said:

They are hardier than R. rivularis by two or three degrees as far as I know. They grow at about 1/3 the rate of rivularis however. ses

Thanks for the information.  R. xerophyla is also hardy and super slow growing.

[howfam]

18 hours ago, gilles06 said:

A cross with rivularis would be interesting...

I think Ravenea might hybridize with other genera, which ones I don't know. Any accounts of intergeneric hybrids, Ravenea x_____ ?

[Tracy]

11 hours ago, howfam said:

R. xerophyla is also hardy and super slow growing.

That actually was one I was thinking it might be interesting to hybridize.  A cross that retained Ravenea xerophyla's characteristics, but was faster growing due to a combination of hybrid vigor, and crossing with any of the other Ravenea's which all grow faster than xerophyla would be desirable.  Beyond the genetics, it might be challenging though in that xerophyla doesn't want to be overwatered, while most others will appreciate an abundance of water.  It could prove interesting though! 

[Tracy]

On 6/14/2019 at 10:09 AM, Tracy said:

I was trying to think if there were desirable characteristics that one might want to pull from two different Ravenea species in a hybrid.  Anyone seen examples of hybrid Raveneas or experimented with them?  

 

I'm still wondering about this question of hybridizing Ravenea within the genus.  Seeing that instead of one inflorescence I will have a bundle of them this Spring prompted me to thing about this again.

[akamu]

Great looking Palm Tracey when my glauca flowered last time the flowers smelled like some exotic spice it was quite nice Now we just need to get Ravenna glauca and xeroohila  in the same yard with some Barry White and a bottle of wine and see what happens lol

[-2 brian]

On 6/14/2019 at 10:09 AM, Tracy said:

A question popped into my mind when I noticed what I believe is a male inflorescence emerging from a Ravenea glauca.  In that this species is dioecious, I wondered if hybridization with other species within the genus is very common when species are grown in close proximity.  I was trying to think if there were desirable characteristics that one might want to pull from two different Ravenea species in a hybrid.  Anyone seen examples of hybrid Raveneas or experimented with them?  

The crown on your glauca looks  massive compared to mine? Thought I saw somewhere that there may be two different types of glauca (maybe mine is a different)? The fronds on mine are probably only about 4' - 5' long; I've got about 5' of clear trunk then maybe another 4' - 5' of crown and the spread is nowhere near as large. Possibility of it being because the close proiximity to the other palms but they were all planted as small palms about 19yrs ago. Gets plenty of sun. Maybe just variance amount the species? 

[Tracy]

On 2/29/2020 at 6:44 PM, -2 brian said:

Thought I saw somewhere that there may be two different types of glauca (maybe mine is a different)? The fronds on mine are probably only about 4' - 5' long; I've got about 5' of clear trunk then maybe another 4' - 5' of crown and the spread is nowhere near as large. Possibility of it being because the close proiximity to the other palms but they were all planted as small palms about 19yrs ago. Gets plenty of sun. Maybe just variance amount the species? 

Yours looks nice.  While there is a little difference in appearance between your R glauca and mine, it could have to do with how many leaves mine is retaining versus yours.   On the different "types" both of our would fall into the Isalo National Park "type".  There is a thread on it by our forum member LJG who visited both habitats.  They clearly are different species sharing the same name, as the Isalo and Andringitra are really different species.

Read Len's post on the "Andringitra Ravenea glauca" for a better clarification:

 

[joe_OC]

I just got seeds off a palm labeled as Ravenea moorei.  The closest Ravenea palm to it was a Ravenea hildebrandtii.  The seeds are rather small and orange/red.  If I am successful germinating them, it will be interesting to see what they will look like.  I would guess a palm that will in between the size of the two parent plants.  

[Tracy]

On 2/29/2020 at 6:08 PM, akamu said:

Great looking Palm Tracy when my glauca flowered last time the flowers smelled like some exotic spice it was quite nice Now we just need to get Ravenna glauca and xerophila  in the same yard with some Barry White and a bottle of wine and see what happens lol

So I've got the bottle of wine, the pollen and am willing to travel, just need a receptive female xerophila and the Barry White!  Interesting about the smell.  Since mine is planted right next to my Alphonso Mango which has fragrant flowers, I must have missed the smell or it got lost with the overpowering smell of the Mango flowers.  I'll have to pay attention this time since the first inflorescence just opened exposing the flowers.

[Tracy]

On 3/8/2020 at 10:11 PM, joe_OC said:

I just got seeds off a palm labeled as Ravenea moorei.  The closest Ravenea palm to it was a Ravenea hildebrandtii.  The seeds are rather small and orange/red.  If I am successful germinating them, it will be interesting to see what they will look like.  I would guess a palm that will in between the size of the two parent plants.  

Joe what happened with your seeds?  Any viable?

It is flowering season again with my one known male Ravenea glauca.  Still waiting to see the sex of either of my other two that are a little behind this one in growth.