Pseudophoenx sargentii Dwarfs? Cape Coral FL

[PalmatierMeg]

Last night my husband and I went to downtown Cape Coral to listen to a Buddy Holly tribute singer at a night club. On the way in I saw a small landscaped area that contained several stocky, short palms that looked like dwarfed Pseudophoenix sargentii. And they were dropping red fruit all over. One was scarcely taller than I am - about 5'5". None of my Pseudophoenix ever looked like this or seeded while so short and stocky.

What's going on? Are there such a thing as a dwarf Pseudophoenix? Is this some variety or cultivar that found its way to Cape Coral? We took photos and collected about 200 seeds that hadn't yet fallen but the ground is covered with them. Have I found something truly interesting or just more same-old, same-old. I'm going to germinate some of these seeds of those chunky palms. Is anyone else interested?

Pseudophoenix sargentii (dwarf?), Cape Coral FL, 1-20-2021

[Palmarum]

Cool looking specimens, makes it easier to collect seed that's for sure.

I do not think they are dwarfs, but more likely just very old plants that were not grown in ideal conditions. They might have been grown in containers for a long, long time and never gained much trunk height before being installed. Planted while extremely root-bound, i.e. all white roots and not a speck of dirt.

Did the landscaping look new from your point of view? The photos seem to indicate a mounded 'bowl' of top soil around the base of the palm, created to aid in channeling water. It hints at recent installation and the size of the buried root ball, either from a large pot or dug out of the field.

Ryan

[PalmatierMeg]

Makes sense. It was dark out and I'm not sure how new that plot is but Cape Coral has been spending taxpayer money on beautifying its "Old Town" location with lights, landscaping, brick sidewalks and roundabouts. Maybe one of the horticulturists came upon a deal for these long neglected sargentii and took them. It is a neat looking design and the palms really are  healthy and robust in their new home. 

[96720]

I would love to find some neglected sargentii palms like those it’s hard to find any out this way 

[aztropic]

1 hour ago, 96720 said:

I would love to find some neglected sargentii palms like those it’s hard to find any out this way 

I once grew a batch of sargentii from seed here in Arizona. VERY slow growers until a trunk is established...

 

aztropic 

Mesa,Arizona

[NOT A TA]

From palmpedia   " Under harsh conditions, it grows very slowly such that mature individuals have trunks less than 50 cm tall. "

Sending a PM Meg.

 

[quaman58]

Funny, looks exactly like my 20 year old specimen (although no fruit yet). Growing in a 10a zone. They grow a lot quicker vertically in southern Florida of Hawaii, that's for sure.

[aztropic]

This seems to be one of those species where each plant is actually a unique individual. I have 4 mature (flowering) examples,same exact age,all growing within 15 feet of each other,with trunks varying between 2 and 5 feet. 

 

aztropic 

Mesa,Arizona

 

[redant]

Love these palms. that's a cool little one.

[aztropic]

Here's a 5 ft clear trunk growing in Mesa,Arizona.(they do surprisingly well here) Same tree as my avatar. Once a trunk has formed,this one adds about 4 or 5 inches a year. 

 

aztropic 

Mesa,Arizona

Edited January 24, 2021 by aztropic

[aztropic]

A little shorter,but developed an interesting character belly bulge...

Easy to grow species in the Arizona desert!

 

aztropic 

Mesa,Arizona

 

[quaman58]

Great looking palm in the second picture Scott! How's your P. eckmanii doing in the desert?

[aztropic]

Pseudophoenix ekmanii is NOT a good choice for the Arizona desert... I have 4 still alive planted from a batch of seeds started 20 years ago.They are all only a little taller than 2 feet after all those years...  Started a new batch last spring as I was in the DR ekmanii forest and seeds were there for the taking. I already knew the future outcome - not growing any better than the first batch!

 

aztropic 

Mesa,Arizona

 

[Tracy]

6 hours ago, aztropic said:

Here's a 5 ft clear trunk growing in Mesa,Arizona.(they do surprisingly well here) Same tree as my avatar. Once a trunk has formed,this one adds about 4 or 5 inches a year. 

 

aztropic 

Mesa,Arizona

I guess it depends on climate.  This one started forming trunk several years ago.  Pretty slow in California coastal zone, but I still love it.

[quaman58]

Looks great Tracy! Where did you originally get it?

[Tracy]

2 hours ago, quaman58 said:

Looks great Tracy! Where did you originally get it?

I don't remember exactly when I got it but sometime before this photo in October 2013.  This was something George Sparkman had brought in from Florida.  He had some of the "regular" Pseudophoenix sargentii as well as this Pseudophoenix sargentii ssp saonae var navassana.  All were Florida grown plants.  I put a regular form in a less tha ideal spot in Carlsbad that was smaller.  It is still alive but just really slow, not getting enough sun and my personal attention.