Oraniopsis appendiculata

[realarch]

Thought I’d post a couple of recent photos of this Australian palm that’s been in the ground for 14 years. It’s been a steady grow here in East Hawaii and is robust in stature. Might be a few years yet before it starts trunking. Check out the shove for scale. 

Richard posted photos of his sprouts a few weeks ago, the transition is slow, but well worth it. 

Tim

[happypalms]

Wow incredible palm. From a tiny little white sprout to one of the most gorgeous looking palms out there in the plant kingdom 

[quaman58]

Beautiful Tim.. Wish I could grow them here; I've certainly tried. But they want warm. Yours looks awesome.

[tim_brissy_13]

One of the best from Aus. Seems under appreciated in general, I suspect because of the slow growth and the fact they did if they slightly dry out. Certainly cold hardy though, no issues well below zero and extended cool winters. I also suspect there would be more interest in them if they were called Ceroxylon, which they may be in the future. 

[happypalms]

1 hour ago, tim_brissy_13 said:

One of the best from Aus. Seems under appreciated in general, I suspect because of the slow growth and the fact they did if they slightly dry out. Certainly cold hardy though, no issues well below zero and extended cool winters. I also suspect there would be more interest in them if they were called Ceroxylon, which they may be in the future. 

Thanks Tim a new sales pitch for my ones I got growing oraniopsis appendiculata sub sp ceroxylon Tim Brisbane var 😂

[SubTropicRay]

I'd love to find some seed of this.  Seedlings and/or seed have become scarce to non existent in the western hemisphere.

[realarch]

Thanks for the comments Richard, Tim & Ray, Come to think about it, I haven’t seen or heard of these being available in awhile. 

Bret, if this palm would have grown in your garden, I suspect your new hardscaping would look a bit different. Even as a young palm it has always had a presence and large spreading habit. I can’t imagine how old those with significant trunks must be, Hundreds of years I suspect.

Tim

[Tyrone]

11 hours ago, SubTropicRay said:

I'd love to find some seed of this.  Seedlings and/or seed have become scarce to non existent in the western hemisphere.

Pretty much impossible to find in their country of origin too. 

[Jonathan]

11 hours ago, Tyrone said:

Pretty much impossible to find in their country of origin too. 

Unless you're @happypalms

Richard seems to have every seed known to man, and some unknown! Will have the best palm nursery in the country in a few years.

[happypalms]

5 minutes ago, Jonathan said:

Unless you're @happypalms

Richard seems to have every seed known to man, and some unknown! Will have the best palm nursery in the country in a few years.

Iam working on it thanks for the sales pitch you now get a discount. On mail order when I can send to Tassie legally. I cannot believe you can’t import live plants into Tasmania. I would move state just so I could buy plants. Iam also building another greenhouse so I can grow more palms.

[happypalms]

17 hours ago, realarch said:

Thanks for the comments Richard, Tim & Ray, Come to think about it, I haven’t seen or heard of these being available in awhile. 

Bret, if this palm would have grown in your garden, I suspect your new hardscaping would look a bit different. Even as a young palm it has always had a presence and large spreading habit. I can’t imagine how old those with significant trunks must be, Hundreds of years I suspect.

Tim

You’re welcome there one of my holy grail palms. 

[KrisKupsch]

On 11/21/2024 at 9:47 AM, Tyrone said:

Pretty much impossible to find in their country of origin too. 

Very easy to find

[KrisKupsch]

19 hours ago, Jonathan said:

Unless you're @happypalms

Richard seems to have every seed known to man, and some unknown! Will have the best palm nursery in the country in a few years.

….his considerate friend that is 

[KrisKupsch]

Here today 

[happypalms]

5 hours ago, KrisKupsch said:

….his considerate friend that is 

And let be know it shall not be forgotten! 

[John hovancsek]

I had some pest issues but seems to be fine. One slow grower 

[Jonathan]

On 11/22/2024 at 5:06 PM, KrisKupsch said:

Here today 

IMG_4193.MOV

Very nice Kris! 

I've seen them a couple of times on Mt Lewis...that place is magic.

[realarch]

On 11/21/2024 at 8:06 PM, KrisKupsch said:

Here today 

Short and sweet, I liked it. Mahalo Kris.

Tim

[Tracy]

On 11/19/2024 at 4:56 PM, quaman58 said:

Beautiful Tim.. Wish I could grow them here; I've certainly tried. But they want warm. Yours looks awesome.

Bret it looks like you just need a stream coming down your hillside to plant it in based on Kris's habitat photos.  I can see why they don't do well here. 

 

On 11/21/2024 at 10:06 PM, KrisKupsch said:

Here today 

Kris, as a follow up question to your wonderful habitat video:  what size are these when they begin setting seed?  Do they need mature trunk or do they set seed before developing trunk.

[Jonathan]

22 hours ago, Tracy said:

Kris, as a follow up question to your wonderful habitat video:  what size are these when they begin setting seed?  Do they need mature trunk or do they set seed before developing trunk.

Tracy, I assumed that video was taken at Kris's home in Nth NSW,  but could be wrong.

I wouldn't have thought lack of heat would be a problem for you, they seem to grow OK at least as far south as Melbourne in Australia. I imagine humidity is important to keep them happy.

From memory, and its a few years ago now, they pretty much grow right up to the summit of Mt Lewis, so around 1200m, whereas A purpurea and Linospadix stop a bit further down the mountain. It was distinctly cool up there, when we were there, though would never get cold as such. They were mostly in pretty deep shade under the canopy, but a few were on the edges of openings along the road. Very dense rainforest mostly, hard to get a good photo, easy to get lost!

[Tracy]

46 minutes ago, Jonathan said:

Tracy, I assumed that video was taken at Kris's home in Nth NSW,  but could be wrong.

I wouldn't have thought lack of heat would be a problem for you, they seem to grow OK at least as far south as Melbourne in Australia. I imagine humidity is important to keep them happy.

From memory, and its a few years ago now, they pretty much grow right up to the summit of Mt Lewis, so around 1200m, whereas A purpurea and Linospadix stop a bit further down the mountain. It was distinctly cool up there, when we were there, though would never get cold as such. They were mostly in pretty deep shade under the canopy, but a few were on the edges of openings along the road. Very dense rainforest mostly, hard to get a good photo, easy to get lost!

My suspicion as to why Bret and others here have experienced challenges is more due to the dry climate and apparent affinity they have for a wet environment. My proximity to the ocean does increase the humidity even compared to where Bret is most days. It would still take enormous amounts of water in my fast draining soil to give them wet feet like shown in Kris's video.   I haven't tried growing it so this is my armchair speculation. 

Based on your information,  I agree that temperatures are probably not the limiting factor here.

[BS Man about Palms]

3 hours ago, Tracy said:

My suspicion as to why Bret and others here have experienced challenges is more due to the dry climate and apparent affinity they have for a wet environment. My proximity to the ocean does increase the humidity even compared to where Bret is most days. It would still take enormous amounts of water in my fast draining soil to give them wet feet like shown in Kris's video.   I haven't tried growing it so this is my armchair speculation. 

Based on your information,  I agree that temperatures are probably not the limiting factor here.

Late to this party, but a long time ago I had found a large 5 gal sized one I planted next to my driveway.  It was there a couple years doing very well in my clay soil. THEN one day @Matt in SD stopped and noticed it was planted BETWEEN my big curley and slick willy. (bef and prestoniana) with maybe 3' seperation from each. Oops! I tried to transplant it a month or so later and it was not happy about that at all and was dead within the year.

[PlantMorePalms]

There are a few of these growing in the San Francisco Botanical Garden near a bunch of Rhopalostylis and tree ferns in the shade, so they're definitely fine with cool temperatures.

[tim_brissy_13]

I can also confirm they are fine with cool and a certain degree of cold. Mine is one of the few flawless palms I own and I’m much colder than So Cal. They do hate drying out though, I once killed a seedling which must’ve only gone without a watering for a day or two in hot weather. 
 

Kris’ video is definitely from his place in northern NSW. He’s done an amazing job setting up the planting spots to mimic habitat and as a result has a number of impressive Oraniopsis (among many other species)!

[Jonathan]

1 hour ago, tim_brissy_13 said:

I can also confirm they are fine with cool and a certain degree of cold. Mine is one of the few flawless palms I own and I’m much colder than So Cal. They do hate drying out though, I once killed a seedling which must’ve only gone without a watering for a day or two in hot weather. 
 

Kris’ video is definitely from his place in northern NSW. He’s done an amazing job setting up the planting spots to mimic habitat and as a result has a number of impressive Oraniopsis (among many other species)!

Did you take any pictures Tim? And if so would Kris be OK with you posting them? Would love to see more of his place if the Oraniopsis gully is indicative!

[tim_brissy_13]

1 hour ago, Jonathan said:

Did you take any pictures Tim? And if so would Kris be OK with you posting them? Would love to see more of his place if the Oraniopsis gully is indicative!

Kris has given me his blessing to post pics but somehow looking back on my photos I’ve only taken this one of Oraniopsis. Honestly I was a bit awe struck so the photos weren’t always of the best quality and half the time I was too distracted to take photos at all apparently!

[KrisKupsch]

On 11/20/2024 at 5:57 AM, realarch said:

Thought I’d post a couple of recent photos of this Australian palm that’s been in the ground for 14 years. It’s been a steady grow here in East Hawaii and is robust in stature. Might be a few years yet before it starts trunking. Check out the shove for scale. 

Richard posted photos of his sprouts a few weeks ago, the transition is slow, but well worth it. 

Tim

Looks like competition release scenario or something. It’s growing far better than in Australia !

[KrisKupsch]

On 11/24/2024 at 8:54 AM, Tracy said:

Bret it looks like you just need a stream coming down your hillside to plant it in based on Kris's habitat photos.  I can see why they don't do well here. 

 

Kris, as a follow up question to your wonderful habitat video:  what size are these when they begin setting seed?  Do they need mature trunk or do they set seed before developing trunk.

It’s in my garden on the farm. I planted them. Not too sure re those questions 

[KrisKupsch]

On 11/25/2024 at 9:49 PM, Jonathan said:

Did you take any pictures Tim? And if so would Kris be OK with you posting them? Would love to see more of his place if the Oraniopsis gully is indicative!

I have about 25 Oraniopsis inground. I started planting them in 1999 when some where gifted to me by the then head of the Atherton Tablelands National Parks Ranger. I’ve since germinated hundreds and began experimenting where to plant them but all accounts illustrate they need shade and water. Other places around the world like north land NZ can put them in more sun as the climate is tempered. When planted in red soil they grow quite fast. 

[KrisKupsch]

On 11/25/2024 at 9:49 PM, Jonathan said:

Did you take any pictures Tim? And if so would Kris be OK with you posting them? Would love to see more of his place if the Oraniopsis gully is indicative!

Visit one day my friend ! The longer you wait the better it will be !

[Jonathan]

1 hour ago, KrisKupsch said:

Visit one day my friend ! The longer you wait the better it will be !

I'll take you up on that one day Kris, would be a pleasure!

[Tyrone]

On 11/22/2024 at 2:01 PM, KrisKupsch said:

Very easy to find

Is it?

[tim_brissy_13]

5 hours ago, KrisKupsch said:

I have about 25 Oraniopsis inground. I started planting them in 1999 when some where gifted to me by the then head of the Atherton Tablelands National Parks Ranger. I’ve since germinated hundreds and began experimenting where to plant them but all accounts illustrate they need shade and water. Other places around the world like north land NZ can put them in more sun as the climate is tempered. When planted in red soil they grow quite fast. 

Growth rate in northland NZ is truly amazing with these. I saw specimens I was told were 12 years after planting that must’ve been 6-7m tall and about to produce clean trunk. Here’s one at Landsendt east of Auckland which surely is a bit older but still huge (sneaky Geonoma undata in the background which are scattered all over the property!)