Ravenea hildebrandtii...anyone grow this in Florida?

[Cape Garrett]

I acquired this palm about 4 years ago as a one gallon seedling.  Moderate grower for me here.  Just repotted it.  I really like the look of this palm but I never see then in the landscape.  Is anyone growing this one in the ground in Florida?   Really a nice small palm just afraid to plant it out in case the limestone, calcareous soil I have kills it.  Thoughts?  

[RedRabbit]

I’d love to give more Ravenea species a try in my area, but I’ve never found anyone selling them. (Other than rivularis, obviously.)

[Cape Garrett]

@RedRabbit I agree.  Another looker to me is glauca.  The finer leaf variety. 

[redant]

I have 1 or two, mine have been really slow but my glauca is outstanding. 

[RedRabbit]

3 hours ago, Cape Garrett said:

@RedRabbit I agree.  Another looker to me is glauca.  The finer leaf variety. 

Do you have glauca too? That’s the other one I’ve been looking for for years to no avail.

I actually like a lot of the Ravenea species. Moorei is another one I’d buy if I had the opportunity.

Edited April 3, 2020 by RedRabbit

[Cape Garrett]

7 hours ago, RedRabbit said:

Do you have glauca too? That’s the other one I’ve been looking for for years to no avail.

I actually like a lot of the Ravenea species. Moorei is another one I’d buy if I had the opportunity.

Glauca would be great too!  Don't have that one.

[Cape Garrett]

10 hours ago, redant said:

I have 1 or two, mine have been really slow but my glauca is outstanding. 

Can u post a pic of your glauca for us?

[redant]

5 hours ago, Cape Garrett said:

Can u post a pic of your glauca for us?

To the best of my recollection, this is glauca  

[necturus]

Eric in Orlando has written about these before. Said they were good growers for him there. Yours looks great!

I bought one from Floribunda a couple years ago. It has grown well for me in a pot under a pine tree for the last two years with quite a bit of neglect. Other palms and plants back there have died from underwatering, but this one keeps on ticking.

[Cape Garrett]

5 hours ago, redant said:

To the best of my recollection, this is glauca  

Beautiful. What is your soil like there?

[Cape Garrett]

4 hours ago, necturus said:

Eric in Orlando has written about these before. Said they were good growers for him there. Yours looks great!

I bought one from Floribunda a couple years ago. It has grown well for me in a pot under a pine tree for the last two years with quite a bit of neglect. Other palms and plants back there have died from underwatering, but this one keeps on ticking.

I think the soil in Orlando is more acidic than here.  That's my question for planting out.  If calcareous soils are ok for this palm.

[The Palm Nut]

Not sure if this is a hildebrandtii, or glauca but great species and fast grower.  

[realarch]

Garrett, that little palm looks fantastic in that pot. Perfect patio plant.

Tim

[redant]

On 4/3/2020 at 6:56 PM, Cape Garrett said:

Beautiful. What is your soil like there?

Super white sand with a big thick topping of pine needles. I do use lots of horse manure for fert as the soil is terrible.

[Eric in Orlando]

It grows well in Orlando with shade, moist soil and mulch. Here is one at Leu Gardens.

 

 

[Eric in Orlando]

Also, they are growing well at Fairchild so they should be able to handle a higher soil pH.

 

 

[Johnny Palmseed]

10 hours ago, Eric in Orlando said:

It grows well in Orlando with shade, moist soil and mulch. Here is one at Leu Gardens.

 

 

Looks fantastic. Do you know what the soil pH is in that area?

[Cape Garrett]

On 4/4/2020 at 2:24 PM, realarch said:

Garrett, that little palm looks fantastic in that pot. Perfect patio plant.

Tim

Thanks Tim.  I may have to leave it in a pot.  I don't want to kill it.  Nice grower too.

[Tracy]

On 4/4/2020 at 11:24 AM, realarch said:

Garrett, that little palm looks fantastic in that pot. Perfect patio plant.

I concur, very nice in a pot.  It is funny that Ravenea glauca isn't readily available there in Florida as they are relatively easy to get here.  They also reach reproductive maturity when relatively young as this male R glauca I have exhibits.  I have another in my front which is just behind this one, so I should be finding out whether I have a matching female in another year or so.

[Eric in Orlando]

12 hours ago, Johnny Palmseed said:

Looks fantastic. Do you know what the soil pH is in that area?

Its under a big southern live oak canopy so it probably is acidic. But the ones at Fairchild are growing on alkaline soil.

 

 

[redant]

12 hours ago, Tracy said:

I concur, very nice in a pot.  It is funny that Ravenea glauca isn't readily available there in Florida as they are relatively easy to get here.  They also reach reproductive maturity when relatively young as this male R glauca I have exhibits.  I have another in my front which is just behind this one, so I should be finding out whether I have a matching female in another year or so.

Mine has never flowered 

[Tracy]

50 minutes ago, redant said:

Mine has never flowered 

That is surprising given the size of yours.  It is very curious.  I wonder what it is that holds yours back and if others in Florida don't flower but grow well due to some specific climate need.  If it is true of others in Florida, that may explain why they aren't readily available there. 

[byuind]

Hey wanted to revisit this one: anyone know where to procure a specimen in Florida?

[Cape Garrett]

On 4/2/2020 at 7:40 PM, Cape Garrett said:

I acquired this palm about 4 years ago as a one gallon seedling.  Moderate grower for me here.  Just repotted it.  I really like the look of this palm but I never see then in the landscape.  Is anyone growing this one in the ground in Florida?   Really a nice small palm just afraid to plant it out in case the limestone, calcareous soil I have kills it.  Thoughts?  

just some updated images after repotting 3 years later...

[Cape Garrett]

Well 3 and a half years later...hey everyone.  Been a long time.

[Brad52]

Yours is beautiful!  I can attest that they do NOT like being planted too high with not enough soil, in full sun and perpetually underwatered - but 2 of 3 survived and are being teated a bit better now, hoping they look like yours one day.

[Cape Garrett]

1 hour ago, Brad52 said:

Yours is beautiful!  I can attest that they do NOT like being planted too high with not enough soil, in full sun and perpetually underwatered - but 2 of 3 survived and are being teated a bit better now, hoping they look like yours one day.

Thanks Brad.  About 8 years old now from a small seedling.  Never took the chance on putting it in the ground.  Looks like she is making a nice potted palm for me.  Healthy and happy.  Part sun at different times  throughout the day for me here.  Fertilize 1x per year with Sunland palm fertilizer from Lowe's.   Good water...sprinkler 2x a week but occasionally supplement in the hottest and driest days too.

[Looking Glass]

@Cape Garrett, yours is fast and robust!
 

 I got 4 of these guys as 4 inchers from Floribunda.  
 

April 2021….
 

I put the two weakest in the ground recently, and uppotted the other 2 to 3g which I moved out of the bushes to the pool, so I would stop neglecting them.   They do well here, it seems, with little fuss.   They take drying out from time to time.   
 

November 2023…

 

Edited November 22, 2023 by Looking Glass

[Looking Glass]

@Cape Garrett it looks like you’ve got yours is a lot of sun.  I always thought of these as not wanting heavy sun.   Perhaps that’s not exactly true.   Was yours grown in a lot of sun?  

[Cape Garrett]

49 minutes ago, Looking Glass said:

@Cape Garrett it looks like you’ve got yours is a lot of sun.  I always thought of these as not wanting heavy sun.   Perhaps that’s not exactly true.   Was yours grown in a lot of sun?  

It always had half day sum but different times of the day.  Some direct sun, then shade, then more sun.  I would say a part sun location.  More sun than shade but shaded during the hottest part of the day by other palms.

[Brian]

I have one in the ground surrounded by several Encephalartos and a bird of paradise so its protected from full sun and grows very well.  I have a few others in pots that are close to the same size however only the one in the ground produces flowers. Location is west coast Mexico and clayish soil amended for better drainage.