areca macrocalyx?

[tikitiki]

Any info on growing these? This is the next palm I would like to aquire. Is the red on the crown from the frond falling off ( ie orange crush) or are the green and red two different variations. Is there any one of you florida guys growing any for sale?

Thanks

[Tyrone]

I want to get my hands on this one too. It's meant to come from high altitudes and probably doesn't require as much heat as say catechu to grow.

I've got vestiara growing here and catechu pushing growth thru winter with protection, so macrocalyx is one I want to experiment with.

Other than that I know nothing........

regards

Tyrone

[Jeff Searle]

Areca macrocalyx does come in two forms, the red and green. I don't know if these are two seperate species ,or not. I believe one is from a higher elevation than the other. Florabunda Palms in Hawaii has a really nice mature one in the ground.

 Down here in South Fla., these are very cold sensitive to grow outside in the ground. Low 30's will kill it.

 I will have some 1gallons to sell at my next sale(late Sept.). If your close to the coast, a well protective area is your best bet.

[bgl]

I'm sure it's one and the same species, and the color difference is just difference between individuals. Maybe altitude related, I don't know. But they are different from A. vestiaria, which will maintain its color 100% of the time. A. macrocalyx will be the most colorful right after an old crownshaft falls off, and then the color gradually goes away. Here are two individuals.

[bgl]

And here's another one.

[tikitiki]

So is it possible to get a palm that never has the red color and if so at what age do they start to exibit this color pattern?

[bgl]

I have a few that never display that dramatic red, so yes, it's certainly possible. And if I recall correctly, they don't really begin to show color until they begin to form a trunk. Which means, when you buy a small plant, you just don't know. A good reason to buy half a dozen or so! The more the merrier!

[BigFrond]

Hey Bo, can you show a picture of the whole palm?  Very nice!

[bgl]

I don't have one on file, but I'll take a few later today. On my way out the door right now....

[Dypsisdean]

I had posted these two pics on the old board of an exceptionally colored individual in the garden of Jeff and Suchin Marcus. I think they are worth posting again.

One:

[Dypsisdean]

Two:

[bgl]

Here's a full view. These are the same two palms that's in my first post above. What's interesting about Areca macrocalyx, is that not only is there variability between individuals when it comes to color, there is also variability within the same individual. Sometimes a palm will have a whole lot of very dramatic red, and at other times (right after an old crownshaft comes off) it'll have considerably less. It's interesting to note that the palm on the right just lost an old crownshaft this morning, so the color you see was freshly exposed just a few hours ago. Yet, the color is very dull compared to the first photo (Post 4).

[BigFrond]

Thanks Bo and DypsisDean.  Those are awesome pictures.  This palm will now be on my wish list.  The list is growing bigger everytime you guys posted new photos.

Hey Bo, what is that nice green-trunk palm behind the areca macrocalyx?  I want that palm on my list too.

[Eric in Orlando]

They are tender. I grew one from seed and planted it out last summer. Our low this past winter was upper 30sF and it definitely wasn't happy. It is more tender than A. catechu or guppyana.

[BigFrond]

(Eric in Orlando @ Aug. 16 2006,11:17)

QUOTE

They are tender. I grew one from seed and planted it out last summer. Our low this past winter was upper 30sF and it definitely wasn't happy. It is more tender than A. catechu or guppyana.

That is not good to hear.  I may have to put an asterisk on A. macrocalyx.   My A. catechu is flourishing out here in SoCal.

[bgl]

BigFrond,

If you're referring to the palm with the thick trunk in Post #12, the one immediately to the left of the A. macrocalyx on the left, that's a Pigafetta elata. This is what it looks like. What's your location? Need a tropical environment for this one!

Bo-Göran

[Kris]

Dear Bo Goran  

Very nice pictures of palms.

thanks for sharing.

Love,

Kris.

[sebastian]

From a very old article on P.N.G palms and talking to Clayton of Utopia palms about Areca macrocalyx some time ago.

This is what i learnt.

The form of Areca macrocalyx that has a colourful crownshaft is only found on a remote small island in P.N.G at low elevation and is variable in colour.

Other forms of A. macrocalyx found in Asia generally have a green crownshaft.

Soon after germination, a slight tinge of red/pink can be seen on the emerging leaf of the colourful form, this colour then dissapears  and no colour will be seen again until much older(trunking)

I bought seeds from rarepalms.com but found this info out many months after germination,a few years latter there still to small to tell, but growing well.

[BigFrond]

(bgl @ Aug. 16 2006,13:03)

QUOTE

BigFrond,

If you're referring to the palm with the thick trunk in Post #12, the one immediately to the left of the A. macrocalyx on the left, that's a Pigafetta elata. This is what it looks like. What's your location? Need a tropical environment for this one!

Bo-Göran

Bummer, I'm in SoCal so this palm will not be on the list.

[Gileno Machado]

A. macrocalyx is a nice palm since the first leaf. In my opinion it is difficult to find a lovelier seedling...

[Gileno Machado]

Another one:

[sebastian]

Hadn't checked my Areca macrocalyx seedlings for some time was cleaning the shade house out today and what did i find.

....Not good....my so called Areca macrocalyx seedlings are all starting to clump??????

Unless I have a new clumping form of Areca macrocalyx I have something other clumping areca most probabally A. triandra

[SubTropicRay]

Even the little ones are gorgeous.  Save me one Jeff.

[Don Little]

BigFrond, where are you located and is your A catechu in the ground?  Its good to know its flourishing,  I found one at Costco about 5 years back when I had just began to grow palms and had no clue what I was doing and of course it croaked.  Would like to try again but with a little more info this time.  Those A macrocalyx are awesome to bad their more sensitive than the catechu.

[Walter John]

I've lost 3 of these babies. Don't want another unless it is more advanced. It's like the big fella upstairs telling me something, "No Wal, thou shan't grow Areca macrocalyx".

[tikitiki]

Does anyone have any seeds for sale out there?

[Utopia Palms]

Look like you guys have all the right information, the green form comes from slightly higher elevation (WAL you might be able to grow this form)  but as a rule they are a little harder to grow than A.catechu, another thing is the fruit colour in habitat there are many diffrent colours equally as attractive as the crown shaft, the red crownshaft form comes from PNG  on a small island in finschhafen.

And Jeff marcus should have some seed but might only sell seedlings.

Clayton.

[The Germinator]

OK I am sold, RPS does not have any seed right now. Where can I buy a nice small one, not pricey. It is for my yard this is an awsome Palm. I love that crownshaft.

Hey Johhny you got any down at Tropical Vibe.