How rare are Arikury palms?

[Gottagrowemall]

I saw one at a local garden center for 85$ in a 5 gallon pot. It's only about 2.5 feet tall. I thought that price was crazy but I've also never seen any in my area north of Daytona Beach and never seen them in any garden center before.

 

I have a hard time passing on anything rare and unusual that can handle temps below 32...

[Johnny Palmseed]

The rarity can only be determined by you since it is based on your location. Obviously since you have never seen one before, it is rare for you. And that is reflected by the price. Unless you are willing to travel, it may be your only way of getting one. And the cost of travel will surely outweigh the savings by buying one from a grower down south. My recommendation is: if you really want it and don’t have other options, get it and don’t worry about the price. If you are not sure you want it but are only getting it because it’s there, don’t.

[Central Floridave]

btw, the Arikury is the most stupidest easiest palms to grow.  I can't kill them and they pop up as volunteers.  

 

I'm surprised they are still considered a rare palm.  

 

Pretty and easy to grow.  

[idontknowhatnametuse]

They are a holy grail palm here in Mexico, never seen one.

[Gottagrowemall]

1 hour ago, idontknowhatnametuse said:

They are a holy grail palm here in Mexico, never seen one.

geez that makes me want it even more.

[Gottagrowemall]

2 hours ago, Central Floridave said:

btw, the Arikury is the most stupidest easiest palms to grow.  I can't kill them and they pop up as volunteers.  

 

I'm surprised they are still considered a rare palm.  

 

Pretty and easy to grow.  

interesting, i need to think of a spot to plant one now. I've used up A LOT of space already

[flplantguy]

We had one in a nursery in largo for years completely ignored and it just did it's thing. Was over 6 feet tall in the pot and had been sitting there long enough the pit was falling apart. I had no idea at the time what it was but now I never see them.

[meridannight]

And the botanical name is...?

[Harry’s Palms]

Syagrus Schizophylla , I just looked it up.

[Gottagrowemall]

10 hours ago, flplantguy said:

We had one in a nursery in largo for years completely ignored and it just did it's thing. Was over 6 feet tall in the pot and had been sitting there long enough the pit was falling apart. I had no idea at the time what it was but now I never see them.

Yeah in all my years of driving through Palm Coast, Flagler Beach, Ormond, Daytona I don't think I've ever seen one. I'll probably buy it and grow it out in a 15 gallon for a good while.

[Scott W]

Problem is their cold hardiness this far north in Florida, as my understanding they don't like temps under 28F.  Not to mention the wicked thorns on the petioles, doesn't make it a landscape friendly palm for most.

With that,  I do have 8 seedlings growing here in Jax, will most likely be potted plants for easy protection during cold snaps.  

I know @edbrown_III said in an older thread they won't survive out in the open, at least in Jax.  

[SubTropicRay]

On 2/28/2024 at 8:40 AM, Gottagrowemall said:

Yeah in all my years of driving through Palm Coast, Flagler Beach, Ormond, Daytona I don't think I've ever seen one. I'll probably buy it and grow it out in a 15 gallon for a good while.

You can grow this one in a pot forever.  At about the 25-30 gallon size, it will never know the difference.

[Brian M]

I remember seeing this one at a local nursery here in Jax a couple years ago. This is the only one I ever saw around here. Not sure if it died there or some one bought it and it died at their house but I'm sure it died wherever it ended up. 

[Gottagrowemall]

10 hours ago, Scott W said:

Problem is their cold hardiness this far north in Florida, as my understanding they don't like temps under 28F.  Not to mention the wicked thorns on the petioles, doesn't make it a landscape friendly palm for most.

With that,  I do have 8 seedlings growing here in Jax, will most likely be potted plants for easy protection during cold snaps.  

I know @edbrown_III said in an older thread they won't survive out in the open, at least in Jax.  

oh wow. I was under the impression they had similar cold hardiness to queen palms. I may still experiment with one

[PalmatierMeg]

Back in the mid-2aughts our local HD carried seeding Aikurys in rows of pots. I picked up two "aborted" orange seeds off the concrete floor and now have two palms planted in my Backyard Jungle. They are very slow for me, have never flowered or seeded but they are in mostly shade. But they didn't catch the fusarium wilt that wiped out my queens, mules and Washy in the mid-2teens. But during the years-long Great Recession all the less common palms, i.e., Carpoxylon, Kentia, rarer Dypsis & Chamaedoreas, Ptychosperma spp, S. aikury, even the occasional Heterospathe & Hydriastele disappeared from the BBs and never seen again. They were replaced by the usual suspects of today: Ravenea rivularis, coconuts, golden canes, cat palms, Chamaedorea elegans, and, of course, wilt magnets like queens, Phoenix and Washies.

[jreich85]

My neighbors here in east Jacksonville planted a few that were seeding. I germinated a few of my own from those seeds but I believe many perished (probably my fault). From what I recall, the palms survived last winter but took a little damage and seem to be a little less cold tolerant than queens.

[SoFlo]

I only know of three public places where these are planted. Our municipal botanical garden has two nice ones on either side of a sidewalk under high canopy. I think they look best in some shade. Mine is starting to produce fruit for the first time. I got seed from Palm Beach years ago. The leaves have stayed fairly short in full sun. Under canopy they are striking.

[Scott W]

On 2/29/2024 at 8:26 PM, Gottagrowemall said:

oh wow. I was under the impression they had similar cold hardiness to queen palms. I may still experiment with one

Oh yeah, absolutely!  Again, just keep it potted for easier protection during the extreme cold snaps.

[Scott W]

21 hours ago, jreich85 said:

My neighbors here in east Jacksonville planted a few that were seeding. I germinated a few of my own from those seeds but I believe many perished (probably my fault). From what I recall, the palms survived last winter but took a little damage and seem to be a little less cold tolerant than queens.

That would've been from the Christmas cold snap we got.  Curious if they recall what temps they were exposed to.

[LennyG]

I bought the only one I've ever come across from a guy who sold palms out of an old school motel here in Tampa (now home to a Wawa....). Been in the ground for probably 15+ years. And yes, low maintenance palm. Has been fine after a few nights in the upper 20's over that time.