Coconut Queen Seeds?

[J Martin]

Greetings,

 I put these Coconut Queen Palms from Jungle Jacks in the ground May 2019. Based on what I had been reading, their growth has far exceeded my expectations; and this past 6 months they've been putting out several inflorescences. They would always leave very small yellow beads behind after flowering until I discovered one stalk that had these acorn like nuts on it. Are these seeds and do they have any possibility to be viable? Thanks, Jason 

[Darold Petty]

Welcome to Palmtalk !  

The 'coconut queen' palm is generally considered to be a hybrid between Syagrus romanzoffianum (regular queen palm) and Syagrus schizophylla.  This is an F1 hybrid, between two natural species.  F1 hybrids often dispay a characteristic called 'hybrid vigor' where they are more robust growers than either parent.

  Your seeds likely will be viable, but they will be a selfing of the F1, called an F2.  F2 hybrids do not share the F1 characteristics, and are more variable,  resembling the 'grandparent species',

thus they are usually considered inferior.

  Read this entry, especially the paragraph 'Disadvantages'   Again, Welcome, your yard looks great ! 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F1_hybrid

 

[Ben in Norcal]

In my experience, F2s on Coconut Queens are always duds when an open set.  The seeds look viable enough, but there is no embryo.

Patric Schafer has, however, made some Butia crosses on my plants.

[J Martin]

Thanks for the helpful information and kind words!