Needle Palm Seeds?

[FRITO]

I couldn't find when needle palm seeds usually ripen. (what timie of year)

I want to try to collect some from local populations.  the only information I could find is that they flower in spring.

also About how many seeds per plant is expected, I believe its a relatively low number.

thanks!

[Dave-Vero]

A young plant on the north side of the Kohls store at Viera (Melbourne), Florida had green seeds about 3 weeks ago.

[ron@springhammock]

Luke,

I would start checking now.  Once they start blushing a little red, they seem to disappear (and it ain't me!).

Here's some wild fruit near my house.  Photo taken 12/01/2005.

[metalfan]

I have tons of mature needles (15-20 year old) on my 5 acres, but I have never noticed when they seed. I also have tons of seedlings everywhere, so I know they blow all over and germinate on their own. If anyone is interested in seeds I would go out and look for them for you

[ghar41]

(metalfan @ Sep. 20 2007,21:18)

QUOTE

I have tons of mature needles (15-20 year old) on my 5 acres, but I have never noticed when they seed. I also have tons of seedlings everywhere, so I know they blow all over and germinate on their own. If anyone is interested in seeds I would go out and look for them for you

Metalfan, this sounds really cool.  Ive always though R hystrix is a great looking palm, especially when they are kept to a single trunk.  Mine looked like they just arrived from a florist after the freezes last year.

I'd love to see some pics of the Needles growing all over your property!  

Oh, and yes, I'd be interested in seeds.  Are you in Nor CA or So CA?

[paulgila]

there are a few plants scattered around balboa park in san diego but i have never seen them in seed.

i keep checking,tho,just in case ::  

[metalfan]

I am not in CA I am in FL. I am not certain I can send seeds to CA.

I did find some of my palms with seeds. They are BIG!

I will see if I can harvest some and take a photo

[paulgila]

you can expiriment by sending ME some seeds,gina!

i like needle palms,kinda like a dangerous rhapis.

[PalmGuyWC]

Luke,

I have some Rhapidophyllums growing in N. Calif. Mine rarely produce seeds, but when they do, the fruit usually is ready for harvest in Jan or Feb. The fruit turns brown and smells like rotten cheeze when ripe.

Rhapidophyllum seed germinate much faster if they get a winter chill. Best results can be obtained if the seeds are cleaned, then soaked for a few days in water, then dryed. After they have dried, the outer shell can be eaisly removed.  Then they should be put in moist sand and refigerated for about 6 weeks. Using this method, mine germinated in two or three months with bottom heat. The unchilled ones took over a year, or not at all.

The ones I have seem to thrive in my climate, but they require a good bit of shade from mid day sun. They make a great understory palm, and I don't know why more aren't grown in Calif. They make a great accent to a garden and look something like a huge Rhapis, of which they are related. Since they are an understory palm, they should be planted in a wind protected area, or the fronds get broken up. An added bonus.....Rhapidophyllum is the the most cold hardy palm on earth, but in order to grow, they need summer heat.

Dick

[FRITO]

thanks Dick and everyone for the information.  I will be on the hunt for these.

It looks like less than 20 seeds per seedbract? (is that the correct term?)

Gina, do you have photos of your mature clumps?

[FRITO]

I collected a few seeds from a wild Needle palm. found them already cleaned at the palms base.

I soaked them for a day a also a quick soak in 95% water / 5% bleach solution  to kill anyfungus.

The next step is a 6 week period in moist sand in the refrigerator then Dick? after that I can give them 90 degrees in my oven germination technique.

regarding the palms themselves I noticed there are diffrent amount of leaflets on the fronds that vary plant to plant.

cleaned seeds

8 leaflets (seed gathered from this variety)

5 leaflet palm

and a picture from floridata showing a comparision photo of 14 leaflet and a 8 leaflet.

does my prospective germination technique look good? I only found about 26 seeds is this a typical # of seeds per plant?

Luke

[FRITO]

bump.

[tjwalters]

(FRITO @ Jan. 02 2008,01:54)

QUOTE

I collected a few seeds from a wild Needle palm. found them already cleaned at the palms base.

I soaked them for a day a also a quick soak in 95% water / 5% bleach solution  to kill anyfungus.

The next step is a 6 week period in moist sand in the refrigerator then Dick? after that I can give them 90 degrees in my oven germination technique.

regarding the palms themselves I noticed there are diffrent amount of leaflets on the fronds that vary plant to plant...

Needles are somewhat variable in both leaf form and how readily they produce pups.  They also seem to come in male, female and mixed forms, and sometimes seem to change sex from year to year.

You can check out some north-eastern needles on my web site: Needle Palm

[MrTropical]

Waking up this thread after nearly 17 years, some useful information here.

I collected Needle Palm seed along the Riverwalk in Wilmington, N.C. - now I want to bring more Needles into this world!

12-30-2024