Anyone in U.S. try Lanonia dasyantha in ground yet?

[Missi]

I’ve had mine for years and it is growing along and even suckering but it just doesn’t seem happy in a pot in the roofed lanai. The leaves often get necrotic starting at the edges and working inward so I think I want to try her in the ground but since it is hard to replace, I don’t want to do anything too risky. All experienced advice is welcome!

[Alberto]

Not in the USA, but southern Brazil. subtropical climate, wet year round, acid loamy soil, fresh to cold winters, some freezing temperatures at night. The ones in full shade grow the best.

[RiverCityRichard]

1 hour ago, Missi said:

I’ve had mine for years and it is growing along and even suckering but it just doesn’t seem happy in a pot in the roofed lanai. The leaves often get necrotic starting at the edges and working inward so I think I want to try her in the ground but since it is hard to replace, I don’t want to do anything too risky. All experienced advice is welcome!

Yes. Have one in Central Fl, z9b. Been in the ground for a couple of years, slow but steady grower in the shade. It’s in a wet spot, and hasn’t had an issue with cold down to 27ish in 2022. Bought it from Redland in Homestead, and was told any fertilizer with nitrogen would cause it to lose mottling. The flower bed it’s in gets liquid miracle grow and that has in fact muted the mottling.

[Xenon]

I have one in the ground in the 9a/b tundra since late 2021. It's a fairly steady grower and easy to protect on the handful of cold nights. I have it in morning sun and shade for most of the day, gets some filtered light in the early afternoon. 

[Merlyn]

@Missi I've had the same problem in pots in shade.  I bought a tray of seedlings from a PTer, and they have struggled to gain any size.  It didn't help that a mouse decided to bite the tops off and nest in there during the winter of 2022...  I also bought some larger ones from Floribunda in May 2022 for about $10 each in 4" pots.  I planted one last summer on the East side along a pathway.  It gets AM mixed sun and pretty much full shade by 11AM from Caryota Mitis and B. Alfredii canopy.  It's in mostly sandy soil with some old oak leaf litter mixed in, and seems pretty happy!  Here it is at 11:30 still with a bit of direct sun.

From left to right Chuniophoenix Hainanensis, Licuala Sumawongii behind, Lanonia Dasyantha bottom center with some mottling, partially hidden by a bronze flushing Zamia Vasquezii, and then a taller Chuniophoenix Nana on the right.

[Matt in OC]

I've had one in the ground for years. Super slow for me in full shade.

[Jim in Los Altos]

Mine’s tripled in size since getting a it in the ground a year ago as a very tiny seedling. It gets some morning sun and then shade the rest of the day. It’s far from perfect looking but growing well otherwise. I have a very small second one that will go in the ground soon. 
 

[realarch]

The only things I can add is they do better in shade here in Hawaii, so they would definitely need cover on the mainland. High humidity year round and lots of moisture would be a must as well. As far as temperatures go, I really can’t attest to anything lower than 60* f (15.5c) and highs in the 80”s f. (26c to 31c)

They go crazy with those conditions, so much so they need to be trimmed back. Not gloating, I’m glad to see you giving them a go in various climates. 

Tim

 

[peachy]

12 hours ago, Xenon said:

I have one in the ground in the 9a/b tundra since late 2021. It's a fairly steady grower and easy to protect on the handful of cold nights. I have it in morning sun and shade for most of the day, gets some filtered light in the early afternoon. 

Does the sun affect the maculation at all please ?

Peachy

[Xenon]

21 hours ago, peachy said:

Does the sun affect the maculation at all please ?

Peachy

It does look a bit washed out, but I'll take if it means it grows a bit faster. Not going to be in town to take a pic till September, hopefully it's having a growth spurt with all the rain lately. 

[peachy]

On 7/27/2024 at 5:57 AM, realarch said:

The only things I can add is they do better in shade here in Hawaii, so they would definitely need cover on the mainland. High humidity year round and lots of moisture would be a must as well. As far as temperatures go, I really can’t attest to anything lower than 60* f (15.5c) and highs in the 80”s f. (26c to 31c)

They go crazy with those conditions, so much so they need to be trimmed back. Not gloating, I’m glad to see you giving them a go in various climates. 

Tim

 

Cold doesn't bother mine. Our coldest nights this year so far have been 2c, usually 3 or 4c.  No damage or discolouration.  One is sending a up a new spear. They are in bright light but no direct sun at all.

Peachy

[tim_brissy_13]

Got one in the ground in Melbourne, Aus. Seen temperatures ranging from -1.3C/30F to above 40C/104F with no issues. It’s deeply shaded and kept moist. Not fast at all, but looks pretty good. Still only a seedling just starting to send out split fronds. 

[Missi]

On 7/26/2024 at 7:55 AM, Alberto said:

Not in the USA, but southern Brazil. subtropical climate, wet year round, acid loamy soil, fresh to cold winters, some freezing temperatures at night. The ones in full shade grow the best.

Ah, thanks so much for the tips! This is encouraging ☺️

[Missi]

On 7/26/2024 at 8:57 AM, RiverCityRichard said:

Yes. Have one in Central Fl, z9b. Been in the ground for a couple of years, slow but steady grower in the shade. It’s in a wet spot, and hasn’t had an issue with cold down to 27ish in 2022. Bought it from Redland in Homestead, and was told any fertilizer with nitrogen would cause it to lose mottling. The flower bed it’s in gets liquid miracle grow and that has in fact muted the mottling.

What a beauty! Thank you for sharing! I give all my potted palms Nutricote and the mottling has not muted on this species. I wonder if it might be due to it being in a location that receives very bright filtered sun?

[Missi]

On 7/26/2024 at 11:36 AM, Merlyn said:

@Missi I've had the same problem in pots in shade.  I bought a tray of seedlings from a PTer, and they have struggled to gain any size.  It didn't help that a mouse decided to bite the tops off and nest in there during the winter of 2022...  I also bought some larger ones from Floribunda in May 2022 for about $10 each in 4" pots.  I planted one last summer on the East side along a pathway.  It gets AM mixed sun and pretty much full shade by 11AM from Caryota Mitis and B. Alfredii canopy.  It's in mostly sandy soil with some old oak leaf litter mixed in, and seems pretty happy!  Here it is at 11:30 still with a bit of direct sun.

From left to right Chuniophoenix Hainanensis, Licuala Sumawongii behind, Lanonia Dasyantha bottom center with some mottling, partially hidden by a bronze flushing Zamia Vasquezii, and then a taller Chuniophoenix Nana on the right.

Wow! Thank you for sharing your experience with the species. I can’t wait to get mine in ground!

[Missi]

You guys are AWESOME!! I can’t thank you enough for sharing your experiences and findings. I feel completely secure putting mine in ground now. I got mine as a 4” from Floribunda I don’t know how many years ago. Mine still hasn’t pushed split leaves and it’s in a 5 gallon pot. 🤔 it’s kind of like a little sumawongii in that sense. I’m sure as soon as it is free to be wild in ground it will start pushing splits. I’ll try to remember to get a pic tomorrow!

[RiverCityRichard]

1 hour ago, Missi said:

What a beauty! Thank you for sharing! I give all my potted palms Nutricote and the mottling has not muted on this species. I wonder if it might be due to it being in a location that receives very bright filtered sun?

Thanks! And you’re probably right. The Chambeyronia behind it has opened a new leaf over top of it since this photo, and the Lanonia has responded by darkening a tad which brings out the mottling. Next time I think of it I’ll snap an updated photo 

[realarch]

Interesting about the fertilizing and mottling on this species. Way back when, maybe seven or eight years ago, someone who was growing this in Australia said that fertilizing would diminish the mottling characteristic. Since then I have never fertilized mine, but I’ve always been a bit skeptical if there was any truth to that. I should give it a go and see for myself. 

As far as mottling, I planted five in the same location and believe me, they are variable. One had no mottling, another had faint spots, and three have this very striking pronounced color and pattern. I removed the two and kept the three which was a good thing because of their current size. When the palms matured, they seeded once, quite prolifically, but have not done so in a few years now. I wonder if that has any connection to not providing any fertilizer? The off spring all have that pronounced mottling as well. 

Here are.a few photos…….a star in the garden. 

Tim

[happypalms]

Iam not living in Florida but they have a good one in Sydney royal botanical gardens in Australia I have one in my garden takes temperatures as low 2 degrees Celsius with widespread frosts in my area and took a battering in a hail storm and just shrugged it of as another day in the office one tough palm just water it a lot in summer.

[happypalms]

15 hours ago, realarch said:

Interesting about the fertilizing and mottling on this species. Way back when, maybe seven or eight years ago, someone who was growing this in Australia said that fertilizing would diminish the mottling characteristic. Since then I have never fertilized mine, but I’ve always been a bit skeptical if there was any truth to that. I should give it a go and see for myself. 

As far as mottling, I planted five in the same location and believe me, they are variable. One had no mottling, another had faint spots, and three have this very striking pronounced color and pattern. I removed the two and kept the three which was a good thing because of their current size. When the palms matured, they seeded once, quite prolifically, but have not done so in a few years now. I wonder if that has any connection to not providing any fertilizer? The off spring all have that pronounced mottling as well. 

Here are.a few photos…….a star in the garden. 

Tim

I have about 400 tube stock of dasyanthas and all are showing different characteristics in mottling and I don’t fertilise my dasyantha I did read that.

[Kim]

I have 3 in the ground; 1 in fairly deep shade, 1 in partial shade (gets sun when the angle is low) and 1 getting quite a bit more sun. They can scorch some in sun, for sure, at least when young, but I expect they will grow out of that. 

As far as mottling, none of mine approach the beauty of Tim's astonishing specimen! Only my oldest one exhibits definite mottling, but on the modest side. The one in sun doesn't show much, if any, and the one in deep shade is modestly mottled. Go figure!

 

[-2 brian]

I have one in the ground in a shady spot, coastal Southern California. It is a slow grower for me; no issues with the cold, but im assuming it doesn't get the as much heat or length of heat season to grow very fast. Love how it looks and the the latest opened frond is the nicest one yet.

 

 

I keep a stake in front of it so the dogs don't end up running through it or pouncing on it when they are barking at the occasional squirrel in the tree.

 

 

[edbrown_III]

I grow em here in Jax