Jubaeopsis caffra Growth Rate

[Sabal Steve]

This has been a slow grower for me.  I planted it from a one gallon that I bought from George Sparkman, six or seven years ago.  It’s been pretty durable in the clay soil.

Who else is growing one of these?

Edited October 23, 2020 by Sabal Steve

[Jim in Los Altos]

Mine are painfully slow but gaining steam somewhat now. They are in mostly shady conditions though with just an hour to two hours of direct sun in the fall/winter and nearly none in later spring and summer. I’ve had mine about fifteen years from a tiny seedling. 

That’s a double under the big Howea palm. 

[GottmitAlex]

16 minutes ago, Jim in Los Altos said:

Mine are painfully slow but gaining steam somewhat now. They are in mostly shady conditions though with just an hour to two hours of direct sun in the fall/winter and nearly none in later spring and summer. I’ve had mine about fifteen years from a tiny seedling. 

That’s a double under the big Howea palm. 

Magnificent palms Jim

[Josue Diaz]

Mine's doing great in Fresno - planted in really sandy soil, and irrigated plenty to help it cope with our hot temps. Heavily mulched and fertilized regualry

[Josue Diaz]

[Austinpalm]

1 hour ago, Josue Diaz said:

Mine's doing great in Fresno - planted in really sandy soil, and irrigated plenty to help it cope with our hot temps. Heavily mulched and fertilized regualry

How long ago was it planted there and what size then?

[Josue Diaz]

On 2/10/2017 at 11:56 AM, Jdiaz31089 said:

If you guessed jubaeopsis caffra you were absolutely correct! This baby has been patiently waiting to go in the ground all winter long. We're expecting a steady lineup of sunny, 70 degree days coming up so i thought now would be a good a time as any to get this puppy in the ground. 

February 2017! Is that a 7 gal pot maybe? It came from George Sparkman like Steve's did. 

[JubaeaMan138]

Here are mine one has not split yet . 
don’t mind the weeds 

[Brett in Mission Viejo]

Mine split twice so has 4 growing points. 14 years old from a 5 gallon. Loves heat and water.

[Sabal Steve]

2 hours ago, Brett in Mission Viejo said:

Mine split twice so has 4 growing points. 14 years old from a 5 gallon. Loves heat and water.

I didn’t know you were growing one of those.  That’s a really nice specimen.

[Brett in Mission Viejo]

Thanks! Patients pay off in the long run.

[Josue Diaz]

2 hours ago, Brett in Mission Viejo said:

Thanks! Patients pay off in the long run.

gotta appreciate those beautiful yellow petioles 

[Josue Diaz]

[GottmitAlex]

1 hour ago, Josue Diaz said:

Wowowow!

They look like golden coconuts! 

[pietropuccio]

Seed germinated 24 years ago, in pot for several years (I do not remember exactly), three dichotomous divisions (the last one this year), medium fast:

 

 

[Palm Tree Jim]

16 hours ago, Brett in Mission Viejo said:

Mine split twice so has 4 growing points. 14 years old from a 5 gallon. Loves heat and water.

Very nice Brett!

[WaianaeCrider]

Planted first one from 1 gallon pot in 2005.  Three years later:

 

Planted another in 2009 before I realized the first would double.

2015 looking from the other side of planting.

Today.  Tallest is a bit over 6' high.

 

 

[GottmitAlex]

This thread begs the question: 

In general consensus, would you say these are the slowest growing pinnate palms out there (beside Jubea Ch.)?

They are true beauties and look like golden coconuts.  

 

[Brett in Mission Viejo]

30 minutes ago, GottmitAlex said:

This thread begs the question: 

In general consensus, would you say these are the slowest growing pinnate palms out there (beside Jubea Ch.)?

They are true beauties and look like golden coconuts.  

 

I am thinking Pseudophöenix Eckmanii is probably the slowest pinnate palm, at least in California coastal areas.

[GottmitAlex]

6 minutes ago, Brett in Mission Viejo said:

I am thinking Pseudophöenix Eckmanii is probably the slowest pinnate palm, at least in California coastal areas.

Ok. Thanks! 

[Brett in Mission Viejo]

3 minutes ago, GottmitAlex said:

Ok. Thanks! 

They are also slow in the tropics, for the first 10-15 years, then they take off. Apparently, from a hardiness standpoint, they can take down to 30-32F. I know a few in So Cal that have some knee high versions that are many years old.

[JubaeaMan138]

Can anyone explain why some of these have more orange and some are a yellow petiole ? I’ve been told 2 different variety’s . One of mine is very yellowand one is very orange 

[Brett in Mission Viejo]

6 hours ago, JubaeaMan138 said:

Can anyone explain why some of these have more orange and some are a yellow petiole ? I’ve been told 2 different variety’s . One of mine is very yellowand one is very orange 

Good question. I have no idea if the orange petiole look is a local climate thing or a genetic trait or what. My petioles seem to get oranger the older palm is. The orange also seems to intensify a bit end of summer/fall. 

[GottmitAlex]

59 minutes ago, Brett in Mission Viejo said:

Good question. I have no idea if the orange petiole look is a local climate thing or a genetic trait or what. My petioles seem to get oranger the older palm is. The orange also seems to intensify a bit end of summer/fall. 

They're gorgeous!

Uber tropical looking

[Brett in Mission Viejo]

The 70 year old version of this species are huge. The trunkal region is very cool. Found this old 2008 thread. These are now supposedly about 82 years old!

 

[GottmitAlex]

10 hours ago, Brett in Mission Viejo said:

The 70 year old version of this species are huge. The trunkal region is very cool. Found this old 2008 thread. These are now supposedly about 82 years old!

 

Those are massive!!

Whoah!

[JubaeaMan138]

I will have to dig up pictures from a month ago . The ones they put in at the Huntington around the ponds are phenomenal . I don’t believe they had trunk but man they were massive. Didn’t realize they got that big . In my opinion best looking plants there . They also planted a few young dypsis that weren’t common they didn’t look all that good but glad to see them planted there . 

[Blueman]

Anyone have experience growing these in southern FL?  

[Zeeth]

23 minutes ago, Blueman said:

Anyone have experience growing these in southern FL?  

It's possible but not super easy. They need shade when young and more water than you would expect. I started a seed batch several years ago and got one to make it to about 3 feet tall with fully pinnate leaves. It ended up dying about a year after I planted it into the ground at the Kopsick Palm Arboretum. There have been successes though, as UA Young grew them for several years in Tampa, and there was one at Kopsick that made it to maturity before dying unexpectedly in 2009.