Areca Vestiaria in SoCal

[MattyB]

I've had some luck with this notoriously cold sensitive palm.  I got a batch of seeds from Dypsis DeanO about 6 years ago and only 1 survived in the community pot after the first winter in my greenhouse.  So after a couple years I planted it out as a small seedling.  It's survived 3 winters so far and despite my lack of attention to fertilizing it, it's growing steadily.  If it makes it through this next winter I'll start fertilizing and see if it'll grow up to be a real palm someday.  Anyone else have luck growing this palm in less than tropical conditions?

Edited October 23, 2019 by MattyB

[Stevetoad]

yeah but i find that they grow to quickly for my taste. I keep cutting them down but the just keep growing back. I just cut them down 5 min ago so dont ask for pics. 

[Matt in OC]

This was a large 1gal. from Floribunda that has been in the ground since July 2016. These pictures are from this past August.

I also had a 4" from Floribunda in a neighboring spot that had been hanging on since 2015 but I pulled it just a few weeks ago as it wasn't looking so hot after our awful winter. I have a one gallon from Jeff still in a southern exposure. It's burned and looks ratty but still hanging on.

[Palm Tree Jim]

Zero luck with them.

[Rickybobby]

Beautiful palm fertilize that baby lets go!

[palmad Merc]

 Got a few in pots doing good in coastal Sydney, red and orange form, seeds acquired from Dean 3 years ago 

[Matt in OC]

An old leaf sheath fell off today! 

[Matt in OC]

Last year's flower didn't do much, but this year looks good!

[realarch]

Good grief Matt, power on! Looking darn good.

Tim

[Silas_Sancona]

Agree w/ Tim,  Nice to see an update.. 

Perfect timing too since this Areca sp.  could be a stand out option for either of these recent, So. Cal. -related  threads / discussions .." Must have " Palms for S. Cal.,  and " Best Palms for full shade / filtered light " 

Fingers crossed that by the next update, there will be some ripe seeds hanging off of it.   Even better?  = a nice, healthy batch of So. Cal started, Next Gen. seedlings starting to pop
 

[Hurricanepalms]

I am impressed! I have some palms thriving that are supposed to difficult in my area, but I have had no luck with these. They are slow and always decline or get some sort of leaf fungus. Happy to see others succeed outside the tropics!

[Matt in OC]

I do think this one is a bit of a mutant in an ideal spot. I've tried a few others and while a few have clung on they haven't been as robust.

[mnorell]

GBIF shows specimens collected at elevations from near sea level to about 7500'...I don't know whether the color-forms relate to elevation ranges, but perhaps successes in SoCal (also failures in FL) may have a relation to the elevation of a population that found its way into cultivation. I've often wondered about this species because I could never keep them alive in the Keys (red, orange or yellow) and I also have failed here in the desert, with consistent collapse (on the orange form)...not in winter, but in mid-summer.