Fallaensis from sept 2011 to july 2024

[sonoranfans]

I thought this palm history was worth a story.  I bought a copernicia fallaensis from Ken Johnson and sons in late sept 2011 and dug a huge hole for it, 5'+ across.  I dyug the hole an extra foot deep and amended that last foot of depth with half sand with the native clay the builders put near the streets to support it. put extra sand beneath the palm.  Here is the holle I dug with the ammended mix refilled under the palm

Ken arrived and he and his son unl;oaded the palm and planted it with a 2500 lb bobcat.  The rootball was limestone rock and it was too much weight for a 1500 lb bobcat.

In the ground as of sept 19 2011.

[sonoranfans]

in summer 2014 3 years later the leaves were getting larger and more numerous but height was about the same

then another shot in 2017 a couple months after hurricane IRMA hit.  It lost ~ 8 leaves on the lower crown.

 

late 2017 after IRMA hit

y 2019 it was starting to put on trunk.  Not sure that was delayed or accelerated due to the hurricane hit.  

Leaf bases were falling off no assisting them.

 

here in 2021 a year before IAN

Then IAN hit and it lost a dozen leaves mostly to windward and quite a way up the trunk, (asymmetrical losses to windward)

I didnt take a lot of pics of the damage, I want4ed to forget about it.  The damage it has sustained was from cat one max 97 mph gusts with 80 mph sustained for 3-4 hrs.

This morning the palm shows 10' clear smooth trunk @28-29" diameter (all the way up so far) and about 13-14 foot trunk including dead leaf bases. 

the crown is not fully recovered but it is doing well.  The thorns on the petioles of the newer leaves just shred the older leaves in this kind of wind.   

 

 

 

 

[sonoranfans]

Oops cant fix that title! the time was 2011 to 2024 almost 13 years since it was planted.

[kinzyjr]

9 minutes ago, sonoranfans said:

Oops cant fix that title! the time was 2011 to 2024 almost 13 years since it was planted.

Took care of the title.  The palm is growing great!

[sonoranfans]

thanks! I also corrected the photo order which somehow I managed to mix up.  Its all correct now.

[Looking Glass]

Great progress and accounting over the years!  It’s awesome when you see a nice Copernicia in a residential neighborhood.  They look very regal and unique.  Tough trees, well suited to the southern parts of Florida.   

[palmfriend]

Great documentation - thank you for sharing with us!

Lars

[FlaPalmLover]

I'm not sure if pictures can do giant yarey palms justice. Seeing them in person is really a sight to behold.

[Fishinsteeg234]

Gorgeous! Well done. 

[Merlyn]

Guesstimating from the photos, it seems like it hit maximum trunk diameter between 2014 and 2017.  With 13-14' of total trunk today, that would be about 1.4-2.0 feet of trunk per year...probably towards the lower end of that ballpark range.  That's not super-slow, and seems like a totally reasonable speed.  I'd rather that over the Queens on my West side that went from nothing to 20' of trunk in about 4 years...

Any idea how old it was when you got it in 2011?

[bubba]

What an incredible palm! You had the foresight to pick the most regal of all the Copernicia’s imho! Something about the almost surreal leaves in the crown. Not many fallaensis that big in Florida but for Fairchild that I know about.

 

[sonoranfans]

3 hours ago, Merlyn said:

Guesstimating from the photos, it seems like it hit maximum trunk diameter between 2014 and 2017.  With 13-14' of total trunk today, that would be about 1.4-2.0 feet of trunk per year...probably towards the lower end of that ballpark range.  That's not super-slow, and seems like a totally reasonable speed.  I'd rather that over the Queens on my West side that went from nothing to 20' of trunk in about 4 years...

Any idea how old it was when you got it in 2011?

ken estimated it was 12=15 years old grown in shade at 9+ feet overall..  he then root pruned it over 6 months and brought it to my place,  i waited for the root pruning.  Might have been faster growth without the transplant.

[bubba]

KJ is a great guy and incredible palm’s man. I wish he would come around here sometime! Once again, incredible palm.

[donpachino1983]

Gorgeous I can't wait for my 3 little straps  (my fallaensis seedling) to some day be that size hopefully my grandchildren will enjoy it 😂😂😂

[sonoranfans]

14 hours ago, Merlyn said:

Guesstimating from the photos, it seems like it hit maximum trunk diameter between 2014 and 2017.  With 13-14' of total trunk today, that would be about 1.4-2.0 feet of trunk per year...probably towards the lower end of that ballpark range.  That's not super-slow, and seems like a totally reasonable speed.  I'd rather that over the Queens on my West side that went from nothing to 20' of trunk in about 4 years...

Any idea how old it was when you got it in 2011?

Merlyn, max trunk diameter was later I think about 2021.  THis palm was grown in shade by the previous owner and had smaller leaves and longer petioles so I think its early life stunted growth a bit.  When I planted it the growth from 2011 to 2014 didnt include much vertical growth.  The leaves got bigger and petioles a bit shorter.  I think I actually measured it in 2019 at 25-26" diameter if I recall.  I do think the faster growth in the latter 6-7 years had a lot to do with full sun, and I mean 12 hrs a day direct sun.  My cuban Copernicia species in containers have always seemed to languish in even half day shade.