Variation in Archontophoenix Maxima

[James B]

In light of recent posts concerning variation of Chambeyroni Hookeri, etc I’d thought I’d document how much variation there is with A.Maxima.

Palm #1: purchased from Discovery Island palms as a 20 gallon. It presents itself as much more A.Alexandrae type with light yellow green crown shaft and internodes. It has small fronds that are the least wind resistant of my Maximas.

Palm #2: also purchased from discovery island palms as a 15 gal. It too presents the lighter colored green like Alexandrae but this palm produces huge fronds with bigger wider leaflets than the first palm. To the left of it is an older Alexandrae and you can how much smaller it fronds are.

Palm #3 purchased from Multiflora enterprises as a 5 gallon. This is the most attractive of the types I have in my yard. It has a waxy green blue crown shaft that looks more green in the pic due to the angle of the sun. This palm is the fastest growing Archontophoenix in my yard by far. Growing twice as fast as some of the other Kings in similar conditions. The triple Beatricea and triple Cunninghamiana on either side were 3-4 feet taller 2 years ago when I planted it. It has caught them and it will break above the canopy this summer and above it brothers and sisters.

Palm #4: purchased from the legend DoomsDave as a 5 gal. It presents in between the previous types. It has mid green color that is darker than the Discovery Island palms but lighter than the Multiflora palm. If also has droopy leaves compared to the others. It so far has been a fast grower growing faster than a similar sized Tuckeri also purchased from Dave.

Palms #4 and 5: both purchased from Jungle music palms as Archontophoenix Teracarpa which many feel is either Maxima or a Maxima hybrid via mail delivery. Both palms arrived in rough condition and were so pale they were almost white. I followed Phil’s in instructions and gave them lots of nutrients and water and while they have darkened up it’s been a slow process that I hope will continue. The first of these palms is thinner trunked with less stiffness to the leaves. The second palm is thicker trunked with more upright leaves and reminds me of A.Beatricea.

Edited July 1, 2021 by James B

[James B]

[James B]

[James B]

[James B]

[James B]

Anyone else have multiple specimens of this species showing varying traits? Post yours!

[Dusty CBAD]

Here’s my “Teracarpa” from jungle music. I got it as 3g. Put it in half day sun for about 3 weeks since it came out of a green house. It’s now planted in full all day sun for the last 2 months and hasn’t burned at all. 
 

It definitely has a pale color to it. I went to Jungle Music specifically to pick out a Teracarpa and I was really surprised by how pale/lime green they all were. Phil told me they all start like this and will darken up. So far it’s as advertised with the no brown tipping or burning.

Don’t have any other maximas to compare it to and only some other mature archontophoenix cunninghamiana that were planted by the previous owner.

[James B]

Dusty that’s how mine looked when I received them. I’d followed the jungle music blog for years before I purchased mine. The specimens online looked greener up until about 2020. I had asked Phil if he has noticed a change in how light they are but he told me it was from being held up in a 5 gal pot for so long. As you can see on my pics they are slowly darkening up since planting 14 months ago. 

[Dusty CBAD]

Interesting about the sitting in pot thing. Mine was just a 3 gallon, the root ball slide out fine and all stayed together but I didn’t think it had been in that pot too long, seemed appropriately sized to me.
 

Also, the newest leaf had just opened up when I got it and had a faint tint of red. Once the newest spear opens up I’ll post a pic if it happens to have even a little bit of color.
 

Your teracarpas look like they hold their leaflets a little more upright than the other maximas? Might just be the photo. I got mine hoping for a robust, beefy look. King on steroids look would be ideal.

Edited July 2, 2021 by Dusty CBAD

[Dusty CBAD]

Actually I found a pic from when I first got it with the “red”. Very faint but maybe it was darker when in first opened. We’ll see with the next one.

 

Edited July 2, 2021 by Dusty CBAD

[James B]

So the thicker of my two with the more upright leaves throws very red fronds in cool weather. Two two traits are what reminded me of A.Beatricea which also throws much redder leaves than Maxima. My other palm which is a bit thinner and has slightly less stiff fronds throws more mild reddish leaves that are closer to a rust color.

[DoomsDave]

What color are the leaf reverses?

[James B]

Just now, DoomsDave said:

What color are the leaf reverses?

Which ones Dave?

[DoomsDave]

1 minute ago, James B said:

Which ones Dave?

All of them!

[James B]

I can say my Maxima specimens all are silver underneath. Some slight variation but not a ton. One of the Teracarpa I have has very faint silver and the underside is almost as green as it is silver.

[DoomsDave]

Just now, James B said:

I can say my Maxima specimens all are silver underneath. Some slight variation but not a ton. One of the Teracarpa I have has very faint silver and the underside is almost as green as it is silver.

Hmm. They sound more like tuckeri or maxima or some other type than a cunninghamiana variation. Those have plain green reverses. The real telling point will be flower color when they bloom. Kings are the only ones with purple flowers. All the rest are white.

[James B]

3 minutes ago, DoomsDave said:

Hmm. They sound more like tuckeri or maxima or some other type than a cunninghamiana variation. Those have plain green reverses. The real telling point will be flower color when they bloom. Kings are the only ones with purple flowers. All the rest are white.

Yeah I think all of my Kings that aren’t Cunninghamiana I really won’t know until they seed so I can compare based on size and how ovoid they are. Any Alexandrae will be discovered by small round seeds, Maxima slightly larger and more ovoid, Tuckeri and Myolensis even larger still.

Have you noticed your Tuckeri produces larger seeds than your Maxima Dave?

[DoomsDave]

1 minute ago, James B said:

Yeah I think all of my Kings that aren’t Cunninghamiana I really won’t know until they seed so I can compare based on size and how ovoid they are. Any Alexandrae will be discovered by small round seeds, Maxima slightly larger and more ovoid, Tuckeri and Myolensis even larger still.

Have you noticed your Tuckeri produces larger seeds than your Maxima Dave?

The palm I call maxima definitely produces smaller seeds, in tighter clusters, than the tuckeri.

[James B]

First shot is the underside of the Maxima I got from you Dave, next is one of the Tuckeri I got from you which shows even more silver. Then the two greener are the Teracarpa showing one that is very green underneath. 
My tallest Maxima has a flower spathe underneath the crown shaft. Perhaps it will seed this year.

[James B]

Pics posted out of order:

pic 1 maxima

pic 2 teracarpa

pic 3 Teracarpa 

pic 4 tuckeri

pic 5 Teracarpa 

Edited July 2, 2021 by James B