Lodoicea maldivica

[palmtreesforpleasure]

These pictures where taken at the Palmetum in Townsville

Walked around a corner and suddenly there they where, 3 of them

How long to they take to fruiting?

Does any one have any other photo's

regards

colin

[palmtreesforpleasure]

another

[palmtreesforpleasure]

another

[bgl]

Colin,

I took this photo in Aug 07, and probably posted it at that time. We also happen to have 3 Lodoicea maldivica, all planted at the same time (seed went in the ground in Nov 99). They all germinated in early 2001, but this particular individual has been somewhat faster than the other two (even though all 3 are doing great). From what I can see, the one(s) in Townsville may be a year or so older, but they seem to be fairly close in size (and age) to ours.

As far as I know, it'll be about 30-35 years before they're mature. (I guess we can count from 2001...). And then of course you need a male and a female. And then if pollination is successful it's another 7 years before the seed is ripe. Needless to say, I'm not holding my breath for this to happen....

Bo-Göran

[palmtreesforpleasure]

another, a nice size for a small one

regards

colin

[fiji jim]

Here's one in Singapore Botanical Garden. It flowers but I don't know the age.

[palmtreesforpleasure]

Hi Bo

sounds like you will have to leave them to your grandchildren, hope you are around

to see them mature for yourself

regards

colin

[ariscott]

You have seen the one in Darwin, haven't you? If not, I can see whether I got any photos. I know Wal posted one after his last trip to the Top End. I think the ones in Darwin are a bit bigger than that.

Regards, Ari

[aussiearoids]

Ardy has a little one in Whyanbeel I think ..

tro many other bigger and better things to take pictures of around there .. like the trunking Stumpy etc.

[chris.oz]

Arguably the worlds best collection is at Paradeniya   in Sri Lanka, Colin,  but its good to know that there are some in Townsville and in Darwin.  Thanks for sharing.  I took some shots in 2003 when I was in Sri Lanka.

[chris.oz]

Fruiting sized palm.  Female

[chris.oz]

Male inflor (part of)

[chris.oz]

Sign board with some interesting info

[ZoneTenNut]

(palmsforpleasure @ Oct. 07 2007,23:24)

QUOTE

another, a nice size for a small one

regards

colin

Colin,

Love the pic  with someone in it for scale. You just don't comprehend the massive size of this palm and its leaves, until you see it this way. Thanks.

Roger

[Jason in Orlando]

We may have discussed this before, but are there any specimens in the continental United States (i.e. Florida)?

Jason

[fastfeat]

Jason--

Fairchild has two small ones listed as growing on their website. Apparently they require acid soil, making them difficult in SoFla.

[Eric in Orlando]

There is a small one in the ground outside at Fairchild, it is near the conservatory in a bed with some mature Attalea. I don't have a photo of it.

There is a nice specimen at Flamingo Gardens. that is growing well. The photo was taken last Aug. ('06) so it looks beat up from the hurricanes

Here is one in the Climatron at MOBOT in St. Louis;

here is one at Garfield Park Conservatory in Chicago

[palmtreesforpleasure]

Hi Ari

hopefully we will get to see it when Wal , Mike, Daryl, Andy myself and a few other arrive next month

Chris, nice pictures of the flower, interesting palm to read about and see

regards

colin

[Walter John]

Darwin preview, these pics are a few years old now.

We'll be there in about 7 weeks to take some fresh pics and I remember exactly where this group of 3 are. How could one forget. Lodociea, the Lord of Palms, that's why you bow to it's magnificence   .  You do too, so awe inspiring, I bet they miss me.

[fiji jim]

Really none of these pics of the palm in cultivation really do it justice.

The pic here is about 11 years old with Marijani in front for size. It was taken in the Seychelles, the home of to Lodoicea maldivica.

Apologies for the quality as we had to scan an old photograph (remember those) and print them and then take the digital shots.

However still a real stunner !

[fiji jim]

This pic is of their home valley taken from near the top end.

The Valle De Mai is on Praslin Island in the Seychelle Islands and is 19.5ha, within Praslin National Park that is 324ha.

It is a Natural World Heritage Site

The main vegetation type within the valley comprises an intermediate palm forest characterised by the endemic palm coco-de-mer Lodoicea maldivica  (bearer of the largest seed in the plant kingdom). The high canopy reaches up to 30-40m. All six endemic palm species to the Seychelles occur in the valley, and all belong to a monospecific genera; Deckenianobilis , Phoenicophorium borsigiana , coco-de-mer, Verschaffeltia splendida , Roscheria melanochaetes and Nephrosperma van-houtteana. The palm forest is intermixed with broadleaved endemic species.

[Walter John]

(fiji jim @ Oct. 09 2007,00:56)

QUOTE

This pic is of their home valley taken from near the top end.

The Valle De Mai is on Praslin Island in the Seychelle Islands and is 19.5ha, within Praslin National Park that is 324ha.

It is a Natural World Heritage Site

The main vegetation type within the valley comprises an intermediate palm forest characterised by the endemic palm coco-de-mer Lodoicea maldivica  (bearer of the largest seed in the plant kingdom). The high canopy reaches up to 30-40m. All six endemic palm species to the Seychelles occur in the valley, and all belong to a monospecific genera; Deckenianobilis , Phoenicophorium borsigiana , coco-de-mer, Verschaffeltia splendida , Roscheria melanochaetes and Nephrosperma van-houtteana. The palm forest is intermixed with broadleaved endemic species.

Now that's truly paradise. How about those species, what an amazing six pack of palm species. Wowza, words elude me. Thanks very much for posting Jim.

[bgl]

Jim,

Those are great pictures! But the Lodoicea in the photo with your wife must be at least 50 years old I'd think. It'll be a while before most of the ones in cultivation get that size!

Bo-Göran

[Kris]

Dear Friends  

thanks for the visual feast...i must tell & accept that this palm is a very close contender for the top favouraiate palms that i wish to plant in my huge garden pits...

though the fruits are bit scary like the coconuts but iam shure it will take many years for one to see that stage !

Jim,Colin,Chris,Wal,Bo_special thanks to you all for the lovely visuals...those palms are awe inspiring.

thanks & Love,

Kris  

[fiji jim]

Don't hold  your breath on that wish Kris as the last time I heard about availability of seed (except dead ones for souvenirs) was that they are not being sold at present. Before that I saw they for 600USD each.

Crazy hey.

[Kris]

Dear Jim  

i have an merine engineer friend whose liner visits muruthious,maldives and seashells islands often and in his photos i has seen a palm something like that double coconut but i miss took it for talipot palms.i must approach him for seeds...but the problem is that he got married and i see very little of him in my city..

but had shown lots of stills of the plams in the wild in seashells..if i see him chances are that i will have those seeds too !

And jim thanks for the information...

lots of love,

Kris  

[JimR]

There is also one growing in the San Antonio Botanical Garden in Texas.

[www.dadluvsu.com]

Here's a couple pics of one at Fairchild...

That is gonna be a big palm tree one day! :cool:

[bgl]

Bill,

That's interesting. I'm inclined to believe that that one might be a sibling to the 3 I have. The background is thet DeArmand Hull, who lives in Miami, went to the Seychelles in the fall of 1999, specifically to bring back viable Lodoicea seeds. I bought 3 from him, but he certainly shipped back quite a few more. This might be one of them, based on its size.

Bo-Göran

(Edit: mine is in post #4)

[www.dadluvsu.com]

They do look similar, I agree...  Your example looks about what I would expect in growth difference between the two climates...  I have a feeling this incredibly slow grower probably comes to a halt in our coolest months whereas those in around Hilo must just keep right on truckin' (at a snails pace) thru your winters....

Still have my name on your list for viable seed?  Should I get that deposit wired to your account? :laugh:

[Gileno Machado]

Gee...

The pictures are all amazing, especially Colin's # 5 and Jim's # 20.

I've heard the story of a certain Brazilian lady who travelled to Seychelles a few years ago and managed to bring back to Rio, in her own jet plane, 5 viable Lodoicea seeds, and all of them have germinated by now. These are probably the only palms of this species existing in the country...I guess I'll have to wait for Bo's generosity in the next decades...

I've posted this picture a few times before...I love to see my son's sudden interest in palms while handling Darold Petty's seed in San Francisco:

[tikitiki]

What about the one in Tampa?

[chris.oz]

Here are a couple more shots from Paradeniya

[Brad-Tampa]

(tikitiki @ Oct. 11 2007,18:04)

QUOTE

What about the one in Tampa?

It is still here, alive but not particularly thriving. It puts out a leaf every 2-3 years and would probably like more light. A couple of years ago, before I took over care of the garden, it got quite dry during a prolonged drought and drawdown of the ground water table. It has recovered but the fronds are so long lasting that the damage is still evident. It gets regular deep watering now and is slowly putting out a new leaf. I believe it would bust open the atrium like an overblown baloon if it looked like some of the beautiful specimens in this thread. This is a picture from about a year ago.

Brad

[chris.oz]

Lets not get too excited by the male inflor,  here is an advanced palm and a sapling holding a good number of leaves.  Unfortunately many palms in  Paradeniyaare being attacked by termites .  Lets hope these palms are p[rotected.

[chris.oz]

This close up shows how many potential double coconuts will be produced by this palm.  No doubt its a mouth watering sight for many who would like to grow this palm.  

Unfortunatley IMO its really a palm that is so slow, and even today rare,  it should only be grown in permanent collections where ongoing care can be assured.

Because it takes many years to flower and its dioecious,  a plan to grow at least 3-5 is essential,  and even then theres a small chance the gender of all palms will be the same,  not to mention the possible absence of the type of insect which will pollinate it.

[Kris]

Dear chris  

thanks for such great stills which are very explainatory and your stills are fabulous..

And are these gardens seen in your stills,is it near colombo_(Srilanka) ?

lots of love,

Kris  

[chris.oz]

(krisachar @ Oct. 12 2007,11:59)

QUOTE

Dear chris  

thanks for such great stills which are very explainatory and your stills are fabulous..

And are these gardens seen in your stills,is it near colombo_(Srilanka) ?

lots of love,

Kris  

Kris,

From Columbo take the road to Kandy in the hills.  

About 15 minutes on the Columbo side of Kandy you find the Peradeniya university and Botanical gardens.

[bgl]

Chris - great pictures!

Decided to take a couple of up-to-date photos of our 3, and here are the other 2. The first one (post #4) has been somewhat faster than these two, and is about one frond ahead. Keep in mind, they only open a new frond once every 10 months or so. At least in our location.

[Eric in Orlando]

To me Lodoicea is the ultimate of all plants not just palms, the most desired "holy grail" plant to grow.