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Hydriastele ramsayi in habitat, Northern Territory

Jonathan Haycock

By Jonathan Haycock
in DISCUSSING PALM TREES WORLDWIDE

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Jonathan Haycock Experienced

Jonathan Haycock

Posted
Posted

1st of 2 habitat locations visited that day. This particular spot felt like I’d jumped in a time machine and headed back to the Jurassic Period. Such a stunningly beautiful palm. 

Gunn Point.

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  • Like 18
  • Upvote 3

For those of you that frequent Facebook, I’ve set up a group called “Pommy palms”, where many of the palms I’ve seen since emigrating to Australia have been documented. If you wish to be a member, copy and paste “Pommy palms” into Facebook to view the page and click “Join group”.

Jonathan Haycock Experienced

Jonathan Haycock

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Flying Fox Creek is a well known spot for this palm, and it didn't disappoint. 

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  • Like 15
  • Upvote 4

For those of you that frequent Facebook, I’ve set up a group called “Pommy palms”, where many of the palms I’ve seen since emigrating to Australia have been documented. If you wish to be a member, copy and paste “Pommy palms” into Facebook to view the page and click “Join group”.

Hilo Jason Grand Master

Hilo Jason

Posted
Posted

Incredible habitat shots. Thanks for posting them 

  • Like 1
palmfriend Grand Master

palmfriend

Posted
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Yes, a big 'Thank you!' from me as well. I had four sprouts but I am down to one now - but that one hangs in and looks promising!

These images are definitely keeping the motivation up - what a beautiful palm!

 

Lars

  • Like 2
realarch Grand Master

realarch

Posted
Posted

Inspiring to say the least. Seeing H. ramsayi in habit…..that alone would be worth another trip to Australia.

Tim

  • Like 3

Tim

Hilo, Hawaii

Jonathan Haycock Experienced

Jonathan Haycock

Posted
  • Author
Posted
2 hours ago, realarch said:

Inspiring to say the least. Seeing H. ramsayi in habit…..that alone would be worth another trip to Australia.

Tim

I only had a rough location for them at Gunn Point, which I visited first. Drove up dirt roads trying not to forget the way as Google Maps stopped working (no mobile reception).  Can’t explain the feeling after the first sighting. A surreal and wonderful experience.

  • Like 1

For those of you that frequent Facebook, I’ve set up a group called “Pommy palms”, where many of the palms I’ve seen since emigrating to Australia have been documented. If you wish to be a member, copy and paste “Pommy palms” into Facebook to view the page and click “Join group”.

Hillizard Grand Master

Hillizard

Posted
Posted
13 hours ago, palmfriend said:

Yes, a big 'Thank you!' from me as well. I had four sprouts but I am down to one now - but that one hangs in and looks promising!

These images are definitely keeping the motivation up - what a beautiful palm!

 

Lars

Lars: Glad to learn you still have one Hydriastele ramsayi growing! In my limited experience over several years, it's one of the most challenging palms to grow outside of its natural habitat!🌴Please post a picture of yours sometime this year. 

palmfriend Grand Master

palmfriend

Posted
Posted
31 minutes ago, Hillizard said:

Lars: Glad to learn you still have one Hydriastele ramsayi growing! In my limited experience over several years, it's one of the most challenging palms to grow outside of its natural habitat!🌴Please post a picture of yours sometime this year. 

Good Morning,

 

sun came up right now, so I took a picture...

hr007-2025-01.thumb.jpg.08050f65d226ad31e993e93b16518ba3.jpg

It has some spots here and there, but overall impression is it will do fine.

 

Lars

 

  • Like 3
  • Upvote 1
greysrigging Veteran

greysrigging

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, Jonathan Haycock said:

I only had a rough location for them at Gunn Point, which I visited first. Drove up dirt roads trying not to forget the way as Google Maps stopped working (no mobile reception).  Can’t explain the feeling after the first sighting. A surreal and wonderful experience.

From a post I made in 2020 on a local FB gardening page :
"For some fantastic bio diversity, one only needs to venture out to Gunn Point, and take some tracks off Salt Water Arm road and Leaders Creek road...... you can experience monsoonal vine forest, tropical woodlands, open tropical savanna, riparian forest on fast flowing freshwater streams, melaleuca swamps, mangroves forests, coral reefs,
All of this in a relatively small area.
The stand out tree found out this way is the Hydriastele ramsayi palm, endemic to the Top End and extremely rare in cultivation. The natural stands found here are the closest to Darwin that I know of. There are a few in cultivation in Darwin gardens ..... one of the reasons for its scarcity in captivity is its extremely low germination rate of seeds, then slow growth in the early years. Also it stubbornly refuses to be dug up and transplanted. Young plants have a long delicate taproot that if damaged will cause death in the plant."
 

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  • Like 3
tim_brissy_13 Grand Master

tim_brissy_13

Posted
Posted

Amazing pictures thanks Jonathan. To me H ramsayi almost looks out of place in its natural setting. Such a tropical looking pinnate crownshafted palm amongst drought tolerant Cycas, Livistona and Eucalyptus. I visited these areas when I was about 12, after I had started to get bitten by the palm bug but too young to fully appreciate or look out for H ramsayi. Will need to go back one day. 

  • Like 2

Tim Brisbane

Patterson Lakes, bayside Melbourne, Australia

Rarely Frost

2005 Minimum: 2.6C,  Maximum: 44C

2005 Average: 17.2C, warmest on record.

Hillizard Grand Master

Hillizard

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, palmfriend said:

Good Morning,

 

sun came up right now, so I took a picture...

hr007-2025-01.thumb.jpg.08050f65d226ad31e993e93b16518ba3.jpg

It has some spots here and there, but overall impression is it will do fine.

 

Lars

 

Thanks for posting this picture Lars! I hope this means steady growth for your palm over the coming years! 🤞

  • Like 1
Jonathan Haycock Experienced

Jonathan Haycock

Posted
  • Author
Posted
8 hours ago, greysrigging said:
From a post I made in 2020 on a local FB gardening page :
"For some fantastic bio diversity, one only needs to venture out to Gunn Point, and take some tracks off Salt Water Arm road and Leaders Creek road...... you can experience monsoonal vine forest, tropical woodlands, open tropical savanna, riparian forest on fast flowing freshwater streams, melaleuca swamps, mangroves forests, coral reefs,
All of this in a relatively small area.
The stand out tree found out this way is the Hydriastele ramsayi palm, endemic to the Top End and extremely rare in cultivation. The natural stands found here are the closest to Darwin that I know of. There are a few in cultivation in Darwin gardens ..... one of the reasons for its scarcity in captivity is its extremely low germination rate of seeds, then slow growth in the early years. Also it stubbornly refuses to be dug up and transplanted. Young plants have a long delicate taproot that if damaged will cause death in the plant."
 

94906153_3466134526736625_8522784114061869056_n.jpg

Wish I had seen that before my trip Doug. It would have made locating the Hydriastele a lot easier. Mind you the search was half the fun. 

For those of you that frequent Facebook, I’ve set up a group called “Pommy palms”, where many of the palms I’ve seen since emigrating to Australia have been documented. If you wish to be a member, copy and paste “Pommy palms” into Facebook to view the page and click “Join group”.

tropicbreeze Grand Master

tropicbreeze

Posted
Posted
5 hours ago, Jonathan Haycock said:

Wish I had seen that before my trip Doug. It would have made locating the Hydriastele a lot easier. Mind you the search was half the fun. 

https://www.palmtalk.org/forum/topic/63078-hydriastele-ramsayi-inhabitat/

The easiest way to find locations of Hydriastele ramsayi is on the iNaturalist website. Whilst not a comprehensive list (there are many many more locations not shown) but it does provide accurate location data.

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/365379-Hydriastele-ramsayi

  • Like 2
mike in kurtistown Mentor

mike in kurtistown

Posted
Posted

Beautiful palms, thanks for posting. They look perfect in their wild setting - no dead fronds hanging down or other things to detract from their appearance.

  • Like 3

Mike Merritt

Big Island of Hawaii, windward, rainy side, 740 feet (225 meters) elevation

165 inches (4,200 mm) of rain per year, 66 to 83 deg F (20 to 28 deg C) in summer, 62 to 80 deg F (16.7 to 26.7 Deg C) in winter.

realarch Grand Master

realarch

Posted
Posted

So Jonathan, just curious about what appears to be a dirt track at Gunn Point and how accessible it is. The road seems to peter out the farther north you head, what is the condition and how far can one reasonably travel? Thanks.

Tim

Tim

Hilo, Hawaii

Jonathan Haycock Experienced

Jonathan Haycock

Posted
  • Author
Posted
On 1/6/2025 at 1:16 AM, tropicbreeze said:

https://www.palmtalk.org/forum/topic/63078-hydriastele-ramsayi-inhabitat/

The easiest way to find locations of Hydriastele ramsayi is on the iNaturalist website. Whilst not a comprehensive list (there are many many more locations not shown) but it does provide accurate location data.

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/365379-Hydriastele-ramsayi

Thanks for the link Zig, I will try it next time. I did use a similar site, but the coordinates were purposely approximate so I still had to go searching. 

https://bie.ala.org.au

  • Like 1

For those of you that frequent Facebook, I’ve set up a group called “Pommy palms”, where many of the palms I’ve seen since emigrating to Australia have been documented. If you wish to be a member, copy and paste “Pommy palms” into Facebook to view the page and click “Join group”.

Jonathan Haycock Experienced

Jonathan Haycock

Posted
  • Author
Posted
1 hour ago, realarch said:

So Jonathan, just curious about what appears to be a dirt track at Gunn Point and how accessible it is. The road seems to peter out the farther north you head, what is the condition and how far can one reasonably travel? Thanks.

Tim

No problem in the dry season Tim, but imagine it would be hit and miss in summer depending on the rains. There hadn't been anything too heavy prior to my visit so many dirt roads were passable in my 2 wheel drive hire car, but there were still some dodgy parts I probably should not have attempted. If I were to do it again, a 4 wheel drive is a must. 

For those of you that frequent Facebook, I’ve set up a group called “Pommy palms”, where many of the palms I’ve seen since emigrating to Australia have been documented. If you wish to be a member, copy and paste “Pommy palms” into Facebook to view the page and click “Join group”.

tropicbreeze Grand Master

tropicbreeze

Posted
Posted

That's the Salt Arm Road and leads to the Salt Arm Boat Ramp, a popular well developed boat ramp used throughout the year. From the Gunn Point Rd (which is sealed to just past the turn off) take the right hand turn towards Leader's Creek. That's a well maintained gravel road. A number of kms along there's the right hand turn to Salt Arm. The advantage of the wet season is you're not travelling through other peoples' dust. On the Salt Arm Rd the creek crossing (Leader's Creek) can sometimes flood, otherwise the culvert crossing is good.

The side tracks off those roads are another story. They're only wet season trafficable where they follow stoney ridges, and that's only for very short distances. These are used by 4WD adventurers who are equipped with full recovery gear, with accompanying other 4WD vehicles. So whilst there's a lot of H ramsayi out there, you'd still see plenty within 100 metres of the Salt Arm Rd, minus the 4WD adventure.

  • Like 2
  • Upvote 1
realarch Grand Master

realarch

Posted
Posted

Thanks Doug, Zig, and Jonathan, for the very helpful info.

Tim 

  • Like 1

Tim

Hilo, Hawaii

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