Rhapsis Help

[Jcalvin]

Yesterday, I bought a Rhapsis from a local nursery for $20. He has several healthy plants, but he wants more than I’m willing to pay. 

Does anyone have any advice on getting this thing healthy looking again? He had it in full sun, and I’m not positive it received enough water. I added some liquid copper Fungicide to the stalks that the spear pulled to try revive any potential life that remains in them. You can see where some of the stalks  are starting to push new growth. The roots were exposed, so I covered them with potting soil. I also put it in a shady spot, and sprinkled some slow release fertilizer on it. I believe it’s Scott’s 8-6-8 Palm Fertilizer with nutrients. I was going to dilute some Root Boost and add to it, but didn’t want to overdue it. I’m going to try and keep the soil moist. 
 

And, although the pictures aren’t that great, can anyone give an ID in this also? I believe it’s excelsa. If so, isn’t excelsa the least cold hardy out of the three popular varieties sold here in the states? 

[oasis371]

Lady palms make superb containerized palms, one of the top five in my opinion.  Yes, I agree with your identification, R. excelsa.  I have that species and R. multifida and R. humilis..., so I have a sub-addiction within my general palm obsession.  I overwinter some of my Rhapis palms in the house, and others in a frost free loft garage turned cool/cold greenhouse.  Not sure how they rank cold hardiness wise, but frankly do not notice much of a difference.  I generally do not buy palms with health issues, once a palm show noticeable decline, it's usually too late.  Having said that, yours do not look too gone and they should recuperate.  I know, they ARE frequently expensive, but they LAST. Be sure you do not miss waterings, they are less drought tolerant than most palms and can go into sudden decline if watering is neglected.  Also, watch out for midday, direct sun, they will burn, and EASY on any feeding (half strength at best) until you see new growth. This species makes a virtually impenetrable hedge in the tropics (from ground level on up, not too many palms do this).  Good luck!

Edited July 4, 2021 by oasis371

[Jcalvin]

1 hour ago, oasis371 said:

Lady palms make superb containerized palms, one of the top five in my opinion.  Yes, I agree with your identification, R. excelsa.  I have that species and R. multifida and R. humilis..., so I have a sub-addiction within my general palm obsession.  I overwinter some of my Rhapis palms in the house, and others in a frost free loft garage turned cool/cold greenhouse.  Not sure how they rank cold hardiness wise, but frankly do not notice much of a difference.  I generally do not buy palms with health issues, once a palm show noticeable decline, it's usually too late.  Having said that, yours do not look too gone and they should recuperate.  I know, they ARE frequently expensive, but they LAST. Be sure you do not miss waterings, they are less drought tolerant than most palms and can go into sudden decline if watering is neglected.  Also, watch out for midday, direct sun, they will burn, and EASY on any feeding (half strength at best) until you see new growth. This species makes a virtually impenetrable hedge in the tropics (from ground level on up, not too many palms do this).  Good luck!

It’s a hobby of mine, but sometimes to a fault. I buy most of my plants on a reduced rack, unless it’s a unique plant or a tropical that’s harder to find. I’m usually a bit more cautious with palms. 
 

I have a huge live oak I believe I can place it under once I see a little more improvement. I might wait until next year to put it in the ground. 
 

I read somewhere on here last year where a few people were discussing the hardiness of  rhapsis varieties. I want to say r. humilis was the most hardy, r. excelsa next, and then r. multifida. There’s a huge probability I’m wrong about that, though. 

[Manalto]

I've had Rhapis excelsa defoliate at 17 degrees Fahrenheit and regrow from its roots.

Last winter, the low was 28 and foliage showed some minor damage to the tender new growth. New shoots have begun to appear from the base.

Palm is up against the east side of the house, affording it some protection from winter wind.

Hope this helps.

[Fusca]

Same here.  Mine completely defoliated after experiencing ice and 9F this past February with no protection.  It's just now regrowing from the roots after over 4 months.  I had just about given up hope for it!  Others I've seen around town showed new growth much faster.  Better late than never I suppose.

Edited July 4, 2021 by Fusca

[Jcalvin]

45 minutes ago, Manalto said:

I've had Rhapis excelsa defoliate at 17 degrees Fahrenheit and regrow from its roots.

Last winter, the low was 28 and foliage showed some minor damage to the tender new growth. New shoots have begun to appear from the base.

Palm is up against the east side of the house, affording it some protection from winter wind.

Hope this helps.

Thank you. 
 

Was it the frost that did the damage to the new growth? Did it have any overhead protection? 

[Jcalvin]

51 minutes ago, Fusca said:

Same here.  Mine completely defoliated after experiencing ice and 9F this past February with no protection.  It's just now regrowing from the roots after over 4 months.  I had just about given up hope for it!  Others I've seen around town showed new growth much faster.  Better late than never I suppose.

Is it safe to say, with humidity being a factor, that excelsa defoliates around 19-20f? I have another excelsa (what I believe in an excelsa), but it’s under a large ligustrum with plenty of canopy. It’s seen 21f, 22f another year and 23f the next year with no damage at all; albeit, it was only briefly at those temps for a couple hours early in the early morning. 

[SeanK]

I'm a bit off topic here, but wasn't there a lady about 20 years back that sold variegated R.excelsis down in south Texas? Does she still sell plants?

[Fusca]

4 hours ago, Jcalvin said:

Is it safe to say, with humidity being a factor, that excelsa defoliates around 19-20f? I have another excelsa (what I believe in an excelsa), but it’s under a large ligustrum with plenty of canopy. It’s seen 21f, 22f another year and 23f the next year with no damage at all; albeit, it was only briefly at those temps for a couple hours early in the early morning. 

I'd imagine a bit less than that but I haven't seen those temps before last winter.  No damage previously but only saw 26F as the lowest temp.

3 hours ago, SeanK said:

I'm a bit off topic here, but wasn't there a lady about 20 years back that sold variegated R.excelsis down in south Texas? Does she still sell plants?

I seem to remember that but I never contacted her.  I think she was around Corpus Christi somewhere.

[Keys6505]

Here's mine on March 4th, about 2 weeks after 15 degrees.  It was protected with a moving blanket draped over the top and plastic over that.  I had trimmed off the burnt tips before taking this photo, but not bad for 15deg.

1 hour ago, Fusca said:

I seem to remember that but I never contacted her.  I think she was around Corpus Christi somewhere.

Yup, by Corpus if I'm thinking of the same person.  I came across their website not too long ago after seeing it mentioned in an old post.  The website says they shut down because USPS got too expensive and they were having too many issues with shipping.  Can't remember the name of the business at the moment though.

[Manalto]

17 hours ago, Jcalvin said:

Thank you. 
 

Was it the frost that did the damage to the new growth? Did it have any overhead protection? 

I assume the damage was done by frost. No overhead protection, but quite close (4') to the house.

It looks like, because the tender new growth was damaged by frost (I think), that the plant was unable to continue growing from those points and sent up new growth from the base. One nice thing about this is that it sent out a horizontal root (tiller?) about 2 ft long and there's a shoot coming up at the end of that. I severed the connection to the mother plant, waited a few weeks, and dug up the pup. Now I have another rhapis I can plant elsewhere. This is one of my favorite palms. It's quietly elegant and plays well with others.

Edited July 5, 2021 by Manalto