Archontophoenix maxima growing well at home

[happypalms]

A nice little group planting of some maxima in the garden a quick growing palm a good Australian pioneer palm for the garden.

[Keybmp]

Those look great! How old are they? I just picked up quite a few maxima seedlings the other day 

[Hurricanepalms]

Here is my largest , 12 years in the ground. Roughly 25’ or more now. Was 3ft when planted. Grow like rockets until they start seeding. 

[happypalms]

8 hours ago, Keybmp said:

Those look great! How old are they? I just picked up quite a few maxima seedlings the other day 

Yes a nice little grove planted about 23 years ago good score some seedlings a fast growing palm.

[happypalms]

5 hours ago, Hurricanepalms said:

Here is my largest , 12 years in the ground. Roughly 25’ or more now. Was 3ft when planted. Grow like rockets until they start seeding. 

Nice palm a good photo showing the palm in full glory mine never set seeds they might one there always flowering it might be the cool nights that inhibit seed set.

[Harry’s Palms]

So the Maxima is faster than Alexander’s? Harry

[happypalms]

22 minutes ago, Harry’s Palms said:

So the Maxima is faster than Alexander’s? Harry

I would say the same growth rate different climates would produce different rates for both species but it’s in there stature hence the name maxima meaning larger they are definitely a lot bigger in all proportions.

Richard 

[Harry’s Palms]

My friend has some seedlings from his that I plan on planting soon , also Purperae. So it looks like I will have two new varieties.Harry

[happypalms]

17 minutes ago, Harry’s Palms said:

My friend has some seedlings from his that I plan on planting soon , also Purperae. So it looks like I will have two new varieties.Harry

Good score I have 3 myolensis I think I only have to get the tuckeri and that’s all of the variety’s in the garden I recently purchased 20 purpurea my ones got so tall lost in the canopy so a few new smaller ones to view in the garden its amazing how popular they have become overseas to me there just common palms but still definitely worth growing.

Richard 

[James B]

2 hours ago, Harry’s Palms said:

So the Maxima is faster than Alexander’s? Harry

I also agree it depends on climate. For me Maxima is faster than Alexandrae. And one of the ways I can distinguish them as palms planted next to each other the Maxima will put in height faster but the Alexandrae will have a beefier crown shaft and proportionally look thicker. But the Maxima have the thicker base with a thinner crown shaft.

[Harry’s Palms]

My Alexandrae has a swollen base and darker green leaf with silver underside. Also , the fronds are larger and higher arching than my Cunninghamiana. My friend who has the seedlings thought it looked like it could be Maxima by the size of the palm. It was marked as “King Palm” when I bought it but clearly different than the others. Harry 

[happypalms]

3 hours ago, Harry’s Palms said:

My Alexandrae has a swollen base and darker green leaf with silver underside. Also , the fronds are larger and higher arching than my Cunninghamiana. My friend who has the seedlings thought it looked like it could be Maxima by the size of the palm. It was marked as “King Palm” when I bought it but clearly different than the others. Harry 

They are different but to the untrained eye just another power pole some Alexander palms look similar.

Richard 

[tim_brissy_13]

11 hours ago, happypalms said:

I would say the same growth rate different climates would produce different rates for both species but it’s in there stature hence the name maxima meaning larger they are definitely a lot bigger in all proportions.

Richard 

I believe the maxima name comes from the size of the inflorescence which is the largest of the genus. I don’t believe maxima is described as being any larger than the other members of Archontophoenix and honestly that matches my observations; they all seem pretty similar in terms of overall size and thickness. Obviously climate and sun/shade are factors and generally I’d say cunninghamiana might be a tad more slender than the others but that being said I’ve seen some particularly robust ones. From memory, A purpurea was actually measured as having the largest trunk girth wise but I forget where I read that so don’t quote me!

[sonoranfans]

2 hours ago, tim_brissy_13 said:

I believe the maxima name comes from the size of the inflorescence which is the largest of the genus. I don’t believe maxima is described as being any larger than the other members of Archontophoenix and honestly that matches my observations; they all seem pretty similar in terms of overall size and thickness. Obviously climate and sun/shade are factors and generally I’d say cunninghamiana might be a tad more slender than the others but that being said I’ve seen some particularly robust ones. From memory, A purpurea was actually measured as having the largest trunk girth wise but I forget where I read that so don’t quote me!

I have an alexander triple and  a maxima single.  The alexander triple is 14 years in the ground(~30 'overall) the maxima 12 years(25+ overall).  The alexanders are slightly larger and both species are in process of flowering now.  Swollen base is ~17-18" for both slight edge maybe to alexanders as might be expected 2 years more int he ground.  Here is a trunk pic of 3 alexanders(left) and maxima(right).  The fence is 7' for scale and yeah its a wide angle shot up close so its a bit distorted.  The landscaper bricks are 11" long side.  Without flower stalks these palms are indistinguishable to me.  I have a couple myolensis as well which also look very similar though a bit smaller and slower growing.

[happypalms]

10 hours ago, tim_brissy_13 said:

I believe the maxima name comes from the size of the inflorescence which is the largest of the genus. I don’t believe maxima is described as being any larger than the other members of Archontophoenix and honestly that matches my observations; they all seem pretty similar in terms of overall size and thickness. Obviously climate and sun/shade are factors and generally I’d say cunninghamiana might be a tad more slender than the others but that being said I’ve seen some particularly robust ones. From memory, A purpurea was actually measured as having the largest trunk girth wise but I forget where I read that so don’t quote me!

You can notice the difference in the inflorescence it’s much wider  shape look but definitely a difference between all the species as I said to the untrained eye they just look like any other palm in the genus and growth conditions definitely determine the shape and size my climate is basically mid way in the archontophoenix grow range with many different size Alexander and purpurea out of there  habitat range showing many different characteristics.

[happypalms]

7 hours ago, sonoranfans said:

I have an alexander triple and  a maxima single.  The alexander triple is 14 years in the ground(~30 'overall) the maxima 12 years(25+ overall).  The alexanders are slightly larger and both species are in process of flowering now.  Swollen base is ~17-18" for both slight edge maybe to alexanders as might be expected 2 years more int he ground.  Here is a trunk pic of 3 alexanders(left) and maxima(right).  The fence is 7' for scale and yeah its a wide angle shot up close so its a bit distorted.  The landscaper bricks are 11" long side.  Without flower stalks these palms are indistinguishable to me.  I have a couple myolensis as well which also look very similar though a bit smaller and slower growing.

You can definitely see the difference in the inflorescence in shape and colour climatic growing conditions definitely play a role in growth rates for all species cool climates you would expect slower growth rates an$ would most likely produce a slightly different looking palm it’s only to the trained eye the difference between all species.