Jubaea Palm fruit to seed

[Banana Belt]

Today the first fruit and seeds finally produced off the Jubaea Palm I planted from seed in 1984.  It took 40 years from seed to mature Jubaea to produce the fruit and seed.  40 years is a long time to get a crop, but thats the way.  By the way, can anyone tell me where which eye has the embryo?  There are two eyes close together and a third further away.

[Fusca]

53 minutes ago, Banana Belt said:

It took 40 years from seed to mature Jubaea to produce the fruit and seed.  40 years is a long time to get a crop, but thats the way.  By the way, can anyone tell me where which eye has the embryo?  There are two eyes close together and a third further away.

That's impressive, well done!  The only palm I have grown from seed to flower and produce fruit was a Chamaedorea radicalis and only took 3 years!  I don't think it matters - the embryo probably emerges through whichever eye is most convenient for it.

[kinzyjr]

Quite an incredible example of perseverance over the years! 

[Banana Belt]

2 hours ago, Fusca said:

That's impressive, well done!

Thank you.  I had no idea it would take 40 years, but most of the literature about Jubaea says it does.

[SailorBold]

That is awesome!  

[CascadiaPalms]

Great work!

[Dwarf Fan]

Thank you for your dedication and follow through, few can say they stayed the course on a 40 year endeavor. Please take some time to do something to celebrate this milestone if you haven’t already.

Respect and regards sir. 

[Scott W]

Congrats!

[Las Palmas Norte]

Awesome! 

[Banana Belt]

@Las Palmas Norte@Scott W@Dwarf Fan@CascadiaPalms@SailorBold@kinzyjr@Fusca  Thanks to all for such kind words and thoughts.  To be honest I had no idea what I was doing 40 years ago when after buying small plot of land here on the Harbor Bench, that two sprouted Jubaea would ever grow into trees and produce seed nuts.  I was told that when the seedlings went into the ground to be sure and give them plenty of room because when they get older they take up space.  I planted both seedlings in their own 20 by 20 foot space, and they used every inch of it.  The Palms were fertilized twice a year for the first 20 years, after that I stopped fertilizing as the palms were getting bigger and fertilizing them was getting expensive.  Without doubt of all the trees, plants, fruit and gardening my wife and I have done, these two Jubaea are the most precious of all.  There is never a day that goes by that we don't look and enjoy these two beloved Palms, and that is something all Palm lovers understand.

 

[ABQPalms]

Congratulations on this milestone!

[Jubaea]

40 years is a long time Congrats.  I have a 16-17 year old Jubaea that I grew from seed so it looks like I have a ways to go until it fruits.  Your palms look great especially with you giving them the space that they need.

[Banana Belt]

8 hours ago, Jubaea said:

I have a 16-17 year old Jubaea

I would love to see a picture of your Jubaea.  17 year old Jubaea should begin its fast growing stage with a trunk soon to follow.  Remembering back when our Jubaea were 17 years old the size and length of the leaves began to increase significantly along with the diameter of the base.  It was not long after that when the Palms started growing verticle with a trunk at a very fast growth rate. 

[Jubaea]

Here are a few pictures of my Jubaea.  Things are a bit crowded so taking pictures is becoming more difficult. 

[Banana Belt]

On 11/28/2024 at 3:10 PM, Jubaea said:

Here are a few pictures of my Jubaea.

That is a fine Jubaea, it should start trunk growing soon.  When it does some Jubaea's will lift the base of the trunk exposing roots.  If that happens you can pile fill around the base to cover the roots, this is what happened to both of my Jubaeas.  I was told by the owner of Palm Island Nursery in California that Jubaea tolerated fill very well and seem to enjoy it.  In the case of our two Jubaea, I piled rocks and soil around the Palms for several years for a total of a foot before the Palms settled down on the fill and stopped lifting.

[Jubaea]

1 hour ago, Banana Belt said:

That is a fine Jubaea, it should start trunk growing soon.  When it does some Jubaea's will lift the base of the trunk exposing roots.  If that happens you can pile fill around the base to cover the roots, this is what happened to both of my Jubaeas.  I was told by the owner of Palm Island Nursery in California that Jubaea tolerated fill very well and seem to enjoy it.  In the case of our two Jubaea, I piled rocks and soil around the Palms for several years for a total of a foot before the Palms settled down on the fill and stopped lifting.

It's good to know that they tolerate fill around the base well.  I mistakenly planted it a bit high thinking that drainage would be important and I have since learned that that was a mistake.  I have been thinking about adding some more soil for the past few years but have not done so.  I will start working on that next year as I want it to be stable especially if it will start trunking and growing up soon.