Jubaea Chilensis

[palmofmyhand]

Is there anyone on here who has successfully grown one of these from seed? Such a remarkable and unique palm tree variety. Also if anyone has one or is growing one I would love to hear or see about your experience, thanks.

[Jubilation]

I am in GA too and I was thinking of purchasing two of these but according to one site I read they do not like heat and humidity nor cold rainy winters which my 8a area has. I am still interested however. I think they are beautiful.

[Jim in Los Altos]

Wonderful palms but remember, it takes about 100 years from seed to get to the size of those pictured in the right climate which ideally is dryish mild/warm with cool nights in summer and cool/mild winters with lots of rainy periods. 

[Marius]

I had bought 20 seeds of which 2 germinated. This was about 8 years ago. One died after about two months. The other is still growing well. My climate is hot with rain in summer and cold and dry in winter. 
The light snow in the first pic doesn’t happen often. 

[Jonathan]

I threw maybe 20 seeds out into a garden bed after giving up on germination after two years...a couple of years later I noticed a bunch of seedlings under a bamboo... Jubaea!

I dug them up and now have a bunch in pots and a few in the ground. Clearly they liked the natural variation in temperature outside in my climate.

They grow well here but slooooowwww...

[sonoranfans]

Yep as Jim said its a generational palm, for the next generation or even the one after that.  They are among the most magnificent of all palms IMO.

[palmofmyhand]

1 hour ago, sonoranfans said:

Yep as Jim said its a generational palm, for the next generation or even the one after that.  They are among the most magnificent of all palms IMO.

yea everyone has the Pindo Palms here and I really am not a big fan of them unless there is more than one arranged nicely they just look kind of weirdly out of place. Those have fat trunks too but the frond color and stuff just kind of throws me off.

[Jubilation]

Do any large or mature specimens exist out East (Florida, SC etc?)

Are the butia x jubaeas crosses faster growing / maturing?

The few bigguns I've read of stateside are from Cali or Oregon I think.

[palmofmyhand]

8 hours ago, Jonathan said:

I threw maybe 20 seeds out into a garden bed after giving up on germination after two years...a couple of years later I noticed a bunch of seedlings under a bamboo... Jubaea!

I dug them up and now have a bunch in pots and a few in the ground. Clearly they liked the natural variation in temperature outside in my climate.

They grow well here but slooooowwww...

do you think I would have luck if I bought a potted seedling and planted it in the ground?

[palmofmyhand]

Just now, palmofmyhand said:

do you think I would have luck if I bought a potted seedling and planted it in the ground?

I found a site selling potted seedlings

[Banana Belt]

Yes, I did.   Current picture of Palm.

 

[Banana Belt]

14 hours ago, Jubilation said:

I am in GA too and I was thinking of purchasing two of these but according to one site I read they do not like heat and humidity nor cold rainy winters which my 8a area has. I am still interested however. I think they are beautiful.

Try a Jubaea X Sygrus,  they grow very well in North Florida and look very similar to a Jubaea.

[kinzyjr]

4 hours ago, Jubilation said:

Do any large or mature specimens exist out East (Florida, SC etc?)

@Scott W has a nice one coming along in JAX. 

https://www.palmtalk.org/forum/topic/69381-growing-jubaea-chilensis-in-florida/

[Banana Belt]

@Jonathan  I read the climate data, location and latitude of your area.  I live at the 42 degree latitude in Northern Hem, next to Pacific Ocean with wet winter temps. low ~ 35-43 F, and summers that are dry with temps. 60 to 80 F.  Jubaea love this type climate and I imagine that Chile has some similar type climates at the 42 parallel.

[Jubilation]

6 hours ago, kinzyjr said:

@Scott W has a nice one coming along in JAX. 

https://www.palmtalk.org/forum/topic/69381-growing-jubaea-chilensis-in-florida/

 

I actually found another thread with a mature (?) jubaea or butaee from a long time ago, you linked the google maps addy

 

 

[kinzyjr]

51 minutes ago, Jubilation said:

I actually found another thread with a mature (?) jubaea or butaee from a long time ago, you linked the google maps addy

Yeah, the ID on that one is in question, so I didn't post it on this thread since it was about Jubaea chilensis.  Gorgeous palm though!

[Jonathan]

7 hours ago, Banana Belt said:

@Jonathan  I read the climate data, location and latitude of your area.  I live at the 42 degree latitude in Northern Hem, next to Pacific Ocean with wet winter temps. low ~ 35-43 F, and summers that are dry with temps. 60 to 80 F.  Jubaea love this type climate and I imagine that Chile has some similar type climates at the 42 parallel.

Hi, yeah, our climates look to be pretty similar! From memory the area around Valdivia in Chile has the same sort of climate again...along with the Basque region and the northern end of the NZ South Island. Luckily for us southerners, we never have continental freezes to worry about, so our average minimums are a pretty accurate reflection of the absolute low temps.

Jubaeas grow well here, although I only know of a couple of mature specimens in Tasmania. Here's a nice one at the local botanical gardens in Hobart.

[happypalms]

Yes I have grown them from seed. Taking a long time almost two years super slow to germinate. Set and forget with these seeds and don’t be in a hurry. Some how I don’t think I will see my ones setting seeds in my lifetime. I did get told from @tim_brissy_13 to crack them open and remove them from there little comfy home but I don’t worry about that just patiently wait for them. 

[Tassie_Troy1971]

Here is my Jubaea grown from seed in 2009

[Banana Belt]

2 hours ago, Jonathan said:

Luckily for us southerners, we never have continental freezes to worry about

Your right!, every so often we can get one of those Arctic Blasts that move down through Canada, pushes over the Rocky Mountains, blows across the high plateau of Eastern Oregon, sneaks through gaps in the Cascade Mtns. and slides down and over the Klamath Mtns. and then is absorbed by the cool marine air of the Pacific Ocean.  Back in the last century these Arctic blasts were more common and would reach as far south as San Diego, California destroying all the Orange crops.  Last 30 years or during this century the Arctic Blasts seem to move south or southeast to Texas and Florida and not towards the west.  Seattle and Portland however seem to be getting Arctic air on regular basis during last 10 years or so.  The above are my observations only and I have no idea why or what is the reason. 

That picture of the Jubaea in Hobart is a real beauty and looks very happy with its home.  Thanks for the information about the 42 degree parallel.  While back on palmtalk a guy in Spain posted a picture of two really big and tall Jubaea growing near the 42 parallel and close to the ocean, which confirms everything you said.

[Foggy Paul]

There are quite a few around SF, including this beauty in Salesforce Park that is itself only maybe 6 years old. No idea where they got it but they must have craned it into place (this is four tall stories in the air). Little brother to the right.

[Merlyn]

@Jubilation I have a couple of JxB and BxJ hybrids.  I would say that they are slower than standard Butia.  They are extremely slow in pots and sped up dramatically in the ground.  But even ~5 years after planting the biggest one is only 5 or so feet tall overall.  I don't know how they compare to Jubaea, I haven't attempted them here.

[Jim in Los Altos]

10 hours ago, Foggy Paul said:

There are quite a few around SF, including this beauty in Salesforce Park that is itself only maybe 6 years old. No idea where they got it but they must have craned it into place (this is four tall stories in the air). Little brother to the right.

Paul, that Jubaea is WAY older than six years old or did you mean it was transplanted to that position six years ago. A true six year old would still be at least ten to fifteen years away from forming any trunk. 

[happypalms]

Here’s the few I managed to germinate. The community pot ones sown on the 5/3 2023, the  other ones are five years old, so slow growing. I got advised to put the bigger ones in sunny spot out of the greenhouse. 

[Banana Belt]

@happypalms   Big things have small beginnings.   From my observations Jubaea grow at linear speed in three stages.  First is the baby or child stage that is very slow but steady over 20 years, then the middle or pre-adult where the leaves grow significantly larger as the palm expands at twice the speed of the child stage.  Towards the end of the middle stage the base of the palm begins to grow bigger and wider while the leaves get significantly larger.  Then the Palm begins to grow a trunk where the rate of vertical growth doubles its speed to between 30 and 45 cm per year depending on growing conditions.  During the palms entire life it is best not to cut any living leaves, as the cut can invite disease and pests but also because the green leaf provides energy and growth to the palm.  Dead and brown leaves can be cut leaving a stub.  Stubs should be left on the palm until the palm expansion stretches the stubs dead attachment fibers allowing it to fall off on its own.  Pulling or forcing the stubs off the trunk can cause tears and eventually deep wounds into the Palm which is very bad.  I have learned the above things by observation over the decades and by making many mistakes.

[quaman58]

I have grown a bunch of these from seed over the years. Frankly, the easiest way to do it is simply to throw them in a part of the garden and forget about them. Germination usually takes the better part of the year or more. But the germination rates are usually very good. The one that I’ve kept for myself is about 15 years old from seed, and has a base of about 8 inches now. It’s definitely on its way. As someone else has noted, they definitely pick up speed as they get ready to start growing vertically. The big ones planted here in San Diego around Mission Bay were planted probably about 1960 or so, and I assume they were all probably 10 or 15 years old by that point in time. I have absolutely no interest in mine growing faster, it’s definitely in a place that it shouldn’t be. I’ll snap a picture this afternoon.

[aztropic]

I started my seeds exactly like this. I collected the seeds by chance from the one blue Jubaea in the mission bay grove (was the ONLY tree dropping seeds at the time in November 2016). Just threw a bag of them into an unused corner of my yard,and a year later,I had a lot of sprouts. I let them be for a couple more years, then dug them all up and transplanted them into 5 gallon pots. I don't think I had any losses from digging, as they seem to transplant very easily. After a couple more years growing and establishing, I sold off dozens at this size for $100 each. There were even a few surprises from that seed batch as 2 of the seedlings developed into the highly coveted JxS cross (last 2 pics). You can see how much faster they were growing than the standards in the first seedlings pic. Now, the few standards I have left are in 15 gallon pots with 4" plus bases after about 9 years of growing, and are now selling for $250 each. It's actually a good long term project (if you have the space) that can help you make your palm hobby pay for itself. 👍

 

aztropic 

Mesa, Arizona 

[quaman58]

Here’s mine, about 4’ overall in height. Bordered by my new retaining wall. What could possibly go wrong?😑 

[aztropic]

3 minutes ago, quaman58 said:

Here’s mine, about 4’ overall in height. Bordered by my new retaining wall. What could possibly go wrong?😑 

I have one planted in ground about the same size and questionable confines in Mesa, Arizona. Even though it gets blazing hot here,with summer lows hovering in the low 90's F, up to 120F highs, they still keep chugging along. Very tough and durable palm once established.

 

aztropic 

Mesa, Arizona 

[quaman58]

Looking great Scott.. there seems to definitely be a limit on how much heat they can take, so you must have the right mix. Randy (inland palms) is in Beaumont, California, and grows them with ease. However, he has a friend, I believe in Hemet which apparently is considerably hotter during the summer due to its lower elevation. Anyway, he had a medium large one that was declining, so he let Randy come in and dig it up. Due to its size, it was almost a bare root plant by the time they finished, which Randy thought was certain death. But after a year or so in the ground in Beaumont, it came roaring back. Very rugged plants.

[Inland Palms]

Hey Bret,

 The Jubaea in question came from DC (Desert Palms) in Indio, CA. The heat in the summer there took a toll and it never looked very healthy. It always had desiccated and dying leaves. The plant and root ball were so heavy, we had to use a hose with a spray-jet attachment to lighten it up a bit. I wasn't very optimistic when I planted it out.  

 

Dug out 4-30-21

 

 

[Inland Palms]

Rootball, prior to planting on 5-1-21

[Inland Palms]

Planted in a chicken wire cage for gopher protection.

 

[Inland Palms]

My Jubaea this morning, 3-17-25. Almost 4 years in the ground now.  Not much taller, 5' total but the fronds are deep green and healthy. They new leaves started out a little stunted but it seems to be growing out of it.   At some point, hopefully in my lifetime, the Queen palms in the background will be edited out 

Tough plant.

[tinman10101]

here is mine next to my chamaerops volcano.  i call this my david and goliath pic.  it was planted in 2009 in a 20 gallon.  it has just started to find its stride.  leaves are about 8ft long.

i live in the high desert 9b so we get snow and really hot 115F during summer.  in any case, this was one palm that every socal person should grow just because its just so majestic.  i am so glad i planted it small because my hoa would not approve of it now.  in fact, my whole garden was planted small so my hoa never thought that in 15 years it would be a jungle.  my poor new neighbor is struggling to get hoa approval to plant a small 3ft citrus tree in his front yard.  if i had to do it again, i would definitely not live in an hoa establishment.  

cheers 

tin

 

 

 

 

[tinman10101]

On 3/15/2025 at 4:03 AM, Tassie_Troy1971 said:

Here is my Jubaea grown from seed in 2009

nicely grown aloe pollphyla. this tells me you live in a very cool climate and hence why you have one of the most perfect hedyscepe i have ever seen. thanks for sharing pics of your garden.

tin

[Tassie_Troy1971]

12 hours ago, tinman10101 said:

nicely grown aloe pollphyla. this tells me you live in a very cool climate and hence why you have one of the most perfect hedyscepe i have ever seen. thanks for sharing pics of your garden.

tin

Thanks tin our climate could be called cool frost free Mediterranean 

[Merlyn]

@Jubilation here is my largest JxB hybrid from Patrick Schaefer.  I bought them as large strap leaf seedlings in early 2019 and they struggled to grow in pots.  This one was planted in November 2020 as a barely pinnate seedling, and ended up getting a lot of shade for several years.  I recently cleared it some space, and it's now about 8 feet tall overall. 

As a comparison, the towering Beccariophoenix Alfredii fronds on the right side were 5' tall overall in June 2018, and are now about 20 feet tall...maybe a little bit more.

[Jonathan]

11 hours ago, Tassie_Troy1971 said:

Thanks tin our climate could be called cool frost free Mediterranean 

Frost free? Maybe at your place Troy...not at mine!

Although we certainly get less than we did 20 years ago.

[Jubilation]

@Merlyn 

Wow thanks for showing me.  Its very pretty plant.

Does Patrick Schaefer still sell palms? I've seen that name on this forum but no links or website.