Planting Pigafetta Palms in Puerto Rico

[Cindy Adair]

I first saw this genus at my first Biennial at Nong Nooch in Thailand. 
 

I recall a long row of very tall stunning palms. Sorry can’t find the photos.
 

Eventually I got RPS seeds which germinated nicely BUT they were on my first farm. 
 

I was gifted a few seeds at the HI Biennial 2 years ago and they too germinated very well. However birds pulled out all but one baby while I was away before I added bird netting. 
 

The remaining one grew great and thrived in the ground until a lot of rhino beetles ate through the spiny stem. 
 

The mess was landslides from Hurricane Ernesto last August. 
 

You can see the decline with the brown leaf and by then spear pull. 

 

October 2023 I received 10 more RPS seeds which quickly germinated. I shared a few and today planted 5 in a location far from the beetle rich area.

 

They all got dosed with imidocloprid and I will keep a close watch as likely I will need to retreat every 3-4 months hopefully stopping when they trunk. 
 

This area is sunny and steep so lots and lots of work to clear invasives and use a shovel to terrace it enough to walk and plant. 

Top of the slope is a continuation of my long paved driveway past my house. 
 

At the bottom is a nearly flat expanse of grass where there is a solo Bismarckia and Copernicia baileyana plus some Mauritia flexuosas and the ubiquitous coconuts and Roystonea borinquena.

 

 

Lots of shade loving palms beyond the grassy area. 
 

I really like the Pigafetta filaris with the white spines best. Any leads on seeds appreciated. 
 

Please post about your own experiences with this genus!

[Harry’s Palms]

Very nice Cindy! I could see a picnic there. Fingers crossed with your newly planted Pigafetta. Harry

[realarch]

I must say Cindy, you are quite determined. Eating bullets for breakfast can really toughen one up. Those damn beetles, I can’t even imagine having to deal with that pest at every turn.

I used to have Pigafetta, four of them. Like ‘Jack and the Bean Stalk’ fast growth wise. The only caveat was the shallow root system susceptible to high winds. I found out the hard way, lost three of them in a tropical storm and I removed the other one as a precaution. They are so large and capable of doing some serious damage. Good luck.

Tim

[sofiamyrriam]

Hello. Can you tell us a little about your germination method? Did you germinate them separately in a bag or box, at a temperature and humidity level with the sun or shade? Or did you sow them directly into the ground with peeled fruits? Thank you.

[Cindy Adair]

8 hours ago, realarch said:

I must say Cindy, you are quite determined. Eating bullets for breakfast can really toughen one up. Those damn beetles, I can’t even imagine having to deal with that pest at every turn.

I am forever hopeful and certainly happy to see that once trunking my palms seem safe from the ox beetles. 

 

8 hours ago, realarch said:

I used to have Pigafetta, four of them. Like ‘Jack and the Bean Stalk’ fast growth wise. The only caveat was the shallow root system susceptible to high winds. I found out the hard way, lost three of them in a tropical storm and I removed the other one as a precaution. They are so large and capable of doing some serious damage. Good luck.

Tim

I didn’t know this Tim about Pigafettas having shallow roots, but too late now! Thanks for the warning and if a strong hurricane is predicted I might try staking them ahead of time. 
 

Happily with gravity, hurricane force winds might cause mine to fall downward onto the grass below with no cars or buildings imperiled and relatively easy access for clean up.

Maybe some wind protection from the slope itself too?

[John hovancsek]

I grew this one from seed that was collected at a garden in Hilo and was labeled filaris. This thing has been a rocket and it has been close to 7 years from seed. It is taller not but can’t find a good picture of it recently and it is poring rain right now but one of my favorite palms

[happypalms]

Absolutely beautiful I cannot grow them it’s to cold for them in my garden. From what I read it will grow faster than interest rates on a bank loan. Your garden is amazing so green. 

[Cindy Adair]

12 hours ago, sofiamyrriam said:

Hello. Can you tell us a little about your germination method? Did you germinate them separately in a bag or box, at a temperature and humidity level with the sun or shade? Or did you sow them directly into the ground with peeled fruits? Thank you.

I soaked the seeds in water for a couple of days and then put them into a community pot with my usual peat and perlite based potting mix. 

In the mountains of Puerto Rico the humidity is always high with tropical breezes making it comfortable for humans. 

Then the seedlings went into the sunniest corner of my shadehouse with some bird netting draped loosely over the pot. 
 

Once I saw a couple of leaves I separated them into individual pots continuing the bird netting until a few inches tall and gradually moved them into full sun.

[Cindy Adair]

John your palm is lovely and amazing growth for 7 years! Thanks!

Happypalms, I am sorry they are too tropical for you to grow. Definitely not ideal as a potted plant with its fast growth and many spines on the leaves…

[palmnut-fry]

Just yesterday  saw a utube show talking about the origin of that genus name i.e. he was one of many explorations of the tip of S  America that he described the people of Patagonia-giants like these palms! 

[Kaname-kun]

I'm looking forward to the growth of the Mauritia flexuosa. They are majestic palms and I hope they do well for you. I have two in my garden in Fort Lauderdale doing pretty well. (And one more in a huge tub, that I can't fit into my yard  

[peachy]

I planted one many years ago at my old house and practically had to jump backwards to get out of it's way. It went from 30 cm, to 1.70 in a couple of months but at the first touch of cold weather it moved on to Croak City.  I get away with amazing zone pushing here a lot of the time but the Piggy was one zone too far I am afraid.  Sorry to miss you while you were here but I am sure Colin gave you a good time and showed you the sights.

Peachy

 

[peachy]

On 11/15/2024 at 5:47 AM, happypalms said:

Absolutely beautiful I cannot grow them it’s to cold for them in my garden. From what I read it will grow faster than interest rates on a bank loan. Your garden is amazing so green. 

A member who used to post regularly had lovely mature Pigafettas growing at his place inside the caldera of Mt Warning. Your place is too cold for them and so is mine but halfway between us the damn things thrive.

Peachy

 

[happypalms]

3 hours ago, peachy said:

A member who used to post regularly had lovely mature Pigafettas growing at his place inside the caldera of Mt Warning. Your place is too cold for them and so is mine but halfway between us the damn things thrive.

Peachy

 

I haven’t even purchased one to try yet. I know it will die first winter, but then  again there’s always a zone push in there somewhere 🤣

[KrisKupsch]

Recently planted 3 more here in far nensw Australia where I’ve killed many and have none established but will keep trying because I know it’s possible ! 

[KrisKupsch]

On 11/18/2024 at 1:14 PM, peachy said:

A member who used to post regularly had lovely mature Pigafettas growing at his place inside the caldera of Mt Warning. Your place is too cold for them and so is mine but halfway between us the damn things thrive.

Peachy

 

That was Pete and it would be interesting if his are still alive. It gets cold out there. More than here and I’ve lost about 12 Pigafetta elata with most dying after 2-3 years but one got over my head before drying out. They require or at least like heaps of water. 

[peachy]

2 hours ago, KrisKupsch said:

That was Pete and it would be interesting if his are still alive. It gets cold out there. More than here and I’ve lost about 12 Pigafetta elata with most dying after 2-3 years but one got over my head before drying out. They require or at least like heaps of water. 

Pete just seemed to fade out of sight.  He was always asking me to go down there to have a stickybeak but I never got around to it. He used grow palms there that never had a hope here.

[Cindy Adair]

KrisKupsch, I love seeing the baby pictures and hope to see follow ups as they grow huge.

Really looking forward to the distinctive spineless trunks if I can keep mine from becoming rhino beetle food.

I have read that sun is essential, but that they do like water too. 
 

Does anybody have photos of the row of adults at NongNooch?