Pritchardia ID request

[Fusca]

Saw this Pritchardia in a local nursery.  Worker told me that the owner grew from seed he collected in Hawaii which doesn't help much.  Any ideas?

[Matt in OC]

A bit of a shot in the dark, but Napaliensis? 

It looks in great shape and is a good looking Pritchardia.

[Fusca]

45 minutes ago, Matt in OC said:

A bit of a shot in the dark, but Napaliensis? 

It looks in great shape and is a good looking Pritchardia.

It does look a little like yours Matt.  What kind of freezes has it experienced?  We get in the upper 20's every decade or so.  That's my main concern about getting it.

[Matt in OC]

No freezes here. A couple low-30s, but that's it. If it is, this potted one looks much healthier, perhaps better watering/soil than mine.

[Harry’s Palms]

I really can’t tell the Pritchardia apart . I have a P. Hildebrandi that looks similar to that one. I brought it back from Maui as a seedling. That nursery has some nice looking palms! Harry

[tim_brissy_13]

I struggle to tell many apart at that size too. Looks to me like the abaxial surface has little/no lepidia and the fronds are deeply ridged kind of like a crinkle cut potato chip. I’d say that points towards P hillebrandii. 

[Fusca]

2 hours ago, tim_brissy_13 said:

I struggle to tell many apart at that size too. Looks to me like the abaxial surface has little/no lepidia and the fronds are deeply ridged kind of like a crinkle cut potato chip. I’d say that points towards P hillebrandii. 

Thanks Tim, I was hoping it was hillebrandii.  I believe @Josue Diaz has one in Fresno that has been through a freeze or two.  It might stand a chance here. 

[Harry’s Palms]

Mine has seen 38f low temp winters with no noteable set back at all( even when very young). Slow growing but steady . It is over 20 years from seedling and planted a couple of weeks after it got here from its island home. Harry

[Matt in SD]

I would guess p thurstonii.  Most cultivated pritchardia in Hawaii in public places are not hawaiian species.  Pacifica and thurstonii are more common - at least last time I was there maybe 10 years ago.  The solid green leaf underside and minimal tomentum on the petioles and basal leaf folds also seems more consistent with thurstonii than a Hawaiian pritchardia.  Definitely not 100% sure, but thurstonii is worth considering.   Does your friend remember how big the seeds were?

Matt

[Josue Diaz]

Yes! One is a hybrid of unknown parentage - from Kevin Weaver who thinks it may be martii or have martii in it. But I also have napaliensis and they do fine here in Fresno. (I'm in zone 9b/10a)

[Fusca]

On 11/9/2024 at 8:15 AM, Matt in SD said:

I would guess p thurstonii.  Most cultivated pritchardia in Hawaii in public places are not hawaiian species.  Pacifica and thurstonii are more common - at least last time I was there maybe 10 years ago.  The solid green leaf underside and minimal tomentum on the petioles and basal leaf folds also seems more consistent with thurstonii than a Hawaiian pritchardia.  Definitely not 100% sure, but thurstonii is worth considering.   Does your friend remember how big the seeds were?

Matt

Makes sense - I remember seeing several thurstonii during my trip to Hawaii.  Seems to me that they're more intolerant of light freezes which we experience every few years.  The guy who collected the seeds is the owner of the nursery where this palm is for sale.  He didn't remember that it was a Pritchardia until I told him.  I'm pretty sure he doesn't remember how big the seeds were.