In Appreciation: Pinanga caesia

[Kim]

From Sulawesi, Indonesia, Pinanga caesia is a very colorful, very attractive palm at all stages. Like many palms, dropping a frond gives you a bold shock of color on the trunk. Dropping a flower spathe will reveal a stunning and delicate pink inflorescence.  The leaves are beautifully mottled. All this in one palm! 
Are you growing this Pinanga? Share a photo or several. 
 

Below, the rings revealed today

 

Still young and leaning toward the sun

 

Below: looking up at the underside of the leaf

 

Another angle of the entire palm  

 

[peachy]

That is almost too pretty for words apart from envy, avarice et al. Going by it's place of origin and just the mere idea of me really wanting one can only mean one thing, not a bloody chance of it surviving here. (even with my many hectares of undulating paradise)

Peachy

[Brad52]

I planted a group of 7 but not really colorful yet.

[TropicsEnjoyer]

I love the dark colors and the contrast with the streaks of yellow on the fronds. Never seen this one before either.

[Kim]

@Brad52 A group of 7 looks just about right! “Not really colorful yet”? Some here may disagree with that. That’s a killer palm patch and will only get better with time. 😍

[Brad52]

I have them lining a pathway with a couple other Pinanga and K elegans with my usual piles of aroids and bamboo mixed in.  

[mike in kurtistown]

Kim, Here are my entries. First, two planted in July 2013. Flowering and seeding. In back of the one to the left, on the left side, is a volunteer. On the right side is my Sabinaria. Behind, one can see the stilt roots of one of my Socrateas.

 It's a bad p

The first one I planted was in July 2010. It's a bad picture because one of my neighbors' tree falls on my property during a windstorm, hampering my access.

[Dr. George]

Thinking that they would be small to moderate height palms like the clumping Pinangas I planted some out (5 gal, 2009) next to a group of Clinostigma samoense  to give some variation in height along with some color. Well, I learned that they grow tall - almost keeping up with the Clinostigma.

gmp

 

[Brad52]

3 hours ago, Dr. George said:

Thinking that they would be small to moderate height palms like the clumping Pinangas I planted some out (5 gal, 2009) next to a group of Clinostigma samoense  to give some variation in height along with some color. Well, I learned that they grow tall - almost keeping up with the Clinostigma.

gmp

 

I’d be fine with mine staying short!  But if no can, no can…

[Kim]

😮 I didn't realize they will get that tall either! My first one is getting somewhat tall, guessing about 12 ft. or so? But nothing like a Clinostigma... yet.  But whatever they end up doing later, I'm enjoying them now.

In the books they are described as a medium-size palm, and on Palmpedia "to 3 meters." Hmm, I guess not.

[Brad52]

Mine were planted in about the only shade I have and that area is now shadier so will they stretch or be more compact?  Dunno…

[Jonathan Haycock]

Probably my favourite Pinaga. I've seen a few on my travels to North Queensland, but never got the timing right for ripe fruit unfortunately. Definitely on the wish list. Pictures from Cairns Botanical Garden.

[realarch]

The inflorescence on this palm always gets your attention with its colorful flowers. Getting viable seed is actually a rare occurrence in my garden and sporatic. 

These palms can get fairly tall, I’ve seen some at least 25’ tall.

Tim

[peachy]

Wow, that is so pretty.  I have only tried a couple of  the single trunk Pinanga here and they can't croak fast enough. The other times were when I thought they were single but turned out to be clumping species. Of course those things couldn't be killed with a flame thrower.

Peachy

[happypalms]

Iam tempted to get a couple now @Kim I can dream, that’s a beautiful palm but some are just out of my grow league temperature wise.