Caryota zebrina

[metalfan]

One of my C. zebrina's is finally old enough to have the stripey trunk!!!!

Very exciting!

[Exotic Life]

Nice picture!

[spockvr6]

Metal-

Where did you get your zebrina? My father has been looking for one for some time.

[Kris]

Dear gena  

lovely palm and it happens to be my favouriate amoung the Caryota..but clayton york once showed us their is another caryota species which also has this same snake skin varigation..but cannot remember its name...

thanks for that hi-res still,

lots of love,

Kris  

[metalfan]

Larry, you won't believe this, but I bought it from eBay. There is a seller on there from Miami who had these for sale in the Spring of 2007. They were small seedlings. I got three for about $8 each (his opening bid). I have no idea why no one bid against me, maybe they didn't trust him because he was relatively new and had only a few sales to his record. I had bought a few anthuriums from him previously so knew he was a good guy. After folks caught on, I saw him offering them for an opening bid double what I got mine for, and selling them for over $20 each. So I think I got a bargain. I bought three.

[www.dadluvsu.com]

Good score Gina!  I hate buying from ebay...  For the record I bought my first 30 or so seedlings from there cause I didn't know of any sources...  But as much as I dislike ebay, one can buy anything there and if you know what your doing... One can get some really good deals!    Your C. zebrina looks really happy!  How did you fare through the cold weather?

[tank]

These folks are in Ocala, FL.  I have bought stuff from them on three occaisions and have been satisfied every time.  My C. zebrina from them was about 10" tall with 4 leaves.  I actually won it on one of their ebay auctions for $9.

I didn't see C. zebrina listed any longer, but they do have C. ophiopellis.

I don't know if the price for this plant is excessive or not.

http://www.eldonaccess.com/main.sc

[madagascarbob]

I remember at a So. Cal. palm meeting in Ventura about 20 years ago John Dowe showing slides of this newly discovered  .I cant  believe it took this long for people to start growing them .

[Jeff Searle]

(madagascarbob @ Jan. 08 2008,12:11)

QUOTE

I remember at a So. Cal. palm meeting in Ventura about 20 years ago John Dowe showing slides of this newly discovered  .I cant  believe it took this long for people to start growing them .

It took this long because for many years there was no one in these areas collecting seed. I think I got my first seed about 10-12 years ago. I remember when I first introduced this in South Florida and how so many people were amazed at it. This is by far the slowest specie of the genus.

Jeff

[junglegalfla]

I got mine from the same buyer on ebay as Gina. He has a 1 gal for $29 listed right now. I bought twice from them with no problems. Mine is just getting striping too. I paid $16 for two I believe! Search zebra fishtail.

[Scott Cohen]

C. Zebrina seem to take the "cold" well, we had 32.5 here in miami and My large (6ft) zebrina in the ground had 0 damage. given it was sheltered and had water on it, but it does not have a mark  

Be ware of C. opheopellis, they do great in pots for a while, then all of a sudden fall apart within a matter of days, almost everyone i have talked to has the same problem.

[Jeff Searle]

(Scott Cohen @ Jan. 08 2008,14:22)

QUOTE

C. Zebrina seem to take the "cold" well, we had 32.5 here in miami and My large (6ft) zebrina in the ground had 0 damage. given it was sheltered and had water on it, but it does not have a mark  

Be ware of C. opheopellis, they do great in pots for a while, then all of a sudden fall apart within a matter of days, almost everyone i have talked to has the same problem.

Scott,

     Any chance of showing us this 6' C. zebrina? Other pic's of your collection/garden? Thanks,

Jeff

[ariscott]

My C. zebrina never did that well in pots either. I repot, fertilise... anything you can think of... and nothing showed great results. It could only hold 1 leave at the time for me. So, I stuck it in the ground as the last resort... and then the grasshoppers attacked the last leave it had   . Not sure whether it will come back????

Learning from that, I stuck C. opheopellis in the ground too... Hopefully they do better there. I think some palms or plants in general just don't do well in pots.

Regards, Ari

[metalfan]

This one may actually get the spot soon to be vacated by the large stand of Golden crinums, LOL

[LJG]

Who else has some cold ratings on this?

I do know anyone in SoCal trying this in the ground. Does anyone know if there is?

[Creekside]

Len, my zebrinas saw 30.4 degrees and had ice (not frost) on their leaves - with no obvious damage.   (These are in 3-gal pots in a screen house.)  Next to them, Caryota obtusas also had no damage, but the C. cataractarums that sat on the other side of them have light to moderate leaf damage.   If anyone's looking for one, I do have some extras...PM me if you're interested.

[LJG]

(Creekside @ Jan. 09 2008,13:22)

QUOTE

Len, my zebrinas saw 30.4 degrees and had ice (not frost) on their leaves - with no obvious damage.   (These are in 3-gal pots in a screen house.)  Next to them, Caryota obtusas also had no damage, but the C. cataractarums that sat on the other side of them have light to moderate leaf damage.   If anyone's looking for one, I do have some extras...PM me if you're interested.

Interesting. I think I might try one of these outside here in SoCal. I think if I add another sprinkler zone and have it water often to keep it wet and humid, I think I can get it to grow if it indeed can handle an occasional 30 degrees. These are too nice of a plant to not try ore here.  

[Gileno Machado]

Nice one Gina.

Zebrina and ophiopellis are not easy sprouting Caryota seeds. This zebrina germinated in january 2006, exactly two years ago and has been a steady grower ever since, under filtered 70% shade cloth and in organic based soil. I've put 10 fresh ophiopellis seeds to germinate 4 months ago but no signs of life yet.

[Palmetro]

(spockvr6 @ Jan. 08 2008,09:23)

QUOTE

Metal-

Where did you get your zebrina? My father has been looking for one for some time.

RPS is selling seeds right now.. check the link!

http://www.rarepalmseeds.com/es/pix/CarZeb.shtml

[calyptrocalyx&licuala freck]

(Jeff Searle @ Jan. 08 2008,13:14)

QUOTE

One of my C. zebrina's is finally old enough to have the stripey trunk!!!!

Very exciting!

(madagascarbob @ Jan. 08 2008,12:11)

QUOTE

I remember at a So. Cal. palm meeting in Ventura about 20 years ago John Dowe showing slides of this newly discovered  .I cant  believe it took this long for people to start growing them .

It took this long because for many years there was no one in these areas collecting seed. I think I got my first seed about 10-12 years ago. I remember when I first introduced this in South Florida and how so many people were amazed at it. This is by far the slowest specie of the genus.

Jeff

Hi Gina,

Put it in, In spring and watch the stripes/Band really

appear, nice pic.

Cheers Mikey

Hi Jeff,

Just abit of info for you (and others growing C. zebrina)

as well as C. orpheopellis.

With These don't forget around them in the wild they live on limestone,

or it's always close by,plus very rich volcanic soil.

eg; Taro we know grows to about 2ft, In Tanna I saw

plants 2mtrs plus, thats the very rich soil again.

Because of soil conditions many have(what they want is'nt there.)

We could compare say C. obusta to C zebina,If  both

where grown from seed,(with C.zebina getting lime from

early days) Same as (C.or) You'd see C.zebina grow in leaps and bounds

And seed before the C.obusta.

Coming from 1000mtr plus they'll handle some very harsh

conditions. I use old bags of cement thats gone off(hard).

This is something all should try, And really see a difference

In your palms. I like both of the striped Caryotas ,

And Each has got stand out colours, For me to see

the colours still present on a dieing plant of C. orpheopellis,

was a stunning sight. Hope this helps out.

Regards, Mikey  

Here's a couple pic's from Claytons, For everyone to see.

!st is C.zebina, And 2nd pic is C. orpheopellis.

Cheers all.

[calyptrocalyx&licuala freck]

Young plants, as well.

[LJG]

Mikey, what do you mean you use old bags of cement? You dump the mix as a mulch?

Do you think amending the soil three feet down and around with Lime would be smart?

[deezpalms]

Here's the stripes on my little guy

And a much bigger one in Hawaii

[osideterry]

Dave, yours is nice but that one in Hawaii has me salivating.

Because they are slow, I would assume they take much, much longer to flower?

(Maybe that's why Len is all of a sudden interested in a Caryota.)

[LJG]

(osideterry @ Jan. 09 2008,19:28)

QUOTE

Because they are slow, I would assume they take much, much longer to flower?

(Maybe that's why Len is all of a sudden interested in a Caryota.)

You are wise beyond your years Terry.

[Scott Cohen]

WoW, Look at that salacca magnifica in the background! Any closeups of that Dave?

[Utopia Palms]

Hi All

Normally both C.zebrina and C. ophiopellis grow as understorey palms and don’t really grow in the full sun, but having said that both species seem to grow quite well in full sun. Please note that both species come from Very rich soils and benefit from added fert, and mulch as well as lime, with the lime we have found that raw cement normally just a block the size of a 6” pot is enough to slowly leech enough lime that is needed to keep them happy, C.ophiopellis does have much better colour of the two and holds the colour for the life of the plant unlike C.zebrina! In habitat Caryota Zebrina is found above 1000 meters alt, I think we will all be very surprised how much cold this palm can tolerate.

Ps I think it will be some time before we have these seeding in cultivation, the largest ones in Australia are just starting to make a trunk I’m not sure about the ones in Thailand and Hawaii but it would be at least 10 or more years I would say before they are even close to flowering.

Clayton.

[calyptrocalyx&licuala freck]

(deezpalms @ Jan. 09 2008,22:20)

QUOTE

Here's the stripes on my little guy

And a much bigger one in Hawaii

Hi Len,  

Over here bags of cement are 25kg bags, (once rock

hard) all you need for say one plant I'd use one quarter

of that bag, and yes below would be fine.

It will leach slow enought, and won't harm other plants.

The roots get right down, passed and surround that

bit of cement. And with mulch on top,that cement will

feed for years, Huge benifit for Those palms then.

Cheers Dude,

Mikey.  

Hi Dave

Great photo's , you can see the rich volcanic soils do wonders for these 2 'sp', love the colouration.

[Scott Cohen]

how do you post pics? any advice?

[Kris]

Thanks to all who have given fentastic visuals of such a beautiful palm...

love,

Kris  

[ariscott]

I don't know they like lime as well... I told Scott to let cement go off so I can put some next to joey, but he wouldn't hear it...  I was thinking that I might have to move his bag of cement outside by mistake...     . So I can put a little bit on my joey, some on my caryota & some on my cambeyronia....

Regards, Ari

[aussiearoids]

Ari , some broken Besser blocks , or even broken up concrete will do . But I think the set cement would be a richer source . Lucky me , there is 2 bags at work and I have about a 1/4 here as well , plenty for the time being .. I'm gonna plant mine in much brighter light now after seeing that pic from Hawaii , my soils is just as rich and I get even more rain .. wohoooo

[ariscott]

Lots of broken concrete... I can certainly do that. The builder left a lot of mess when he finished, including concrete everywhere.. Scott had to clean them up with a crowbar.

He has plenty of cement, Michael, but he has plenty of jobs around the place too.... So, he just pretend not to hear me   . How big is your caryota?

Regards, Ari

[tank]

Mikey,

Thanks for the lime tip.

[deezpalms]

(Scott Cohen @ Jan. 09 2008,20:14)

QUOTE

WoW, Look at that salacca magnifica in the background! Any closeups of that Dave?

Hey Scott, I do have a photo of the Salacca. I'm at work but I'll try to post a pic of it later  

[deezpalms]

Hi Dave

Great photo's , you can see the rich volcanic soils do wonders for these 2 'sp', love the colouration.

Hello Mike. Yeah, I think many species of palms are happy to be in Hawaii

[aussiearoids]

Mikey supplied me with my zebrina , I have posted pics before of the few I supplied the nursery I work in.

They grew very well and had 5 leaves at one stage , one person bought both .

[ariscott]

5 leaves?? You did well, must be the lime. I will have to try it... there is still hope.

Regards, Ari

[Gbarce]

Would pulverized concrete hollow blocks mixed in with the potting mix work as well or is there a drawback to that ?

[calyptrocalyx&licuala freck]

Hi Tank, were always glad to pass on info, No sercets here. ( Well a couple) :laugh:  :laugh:  but not regarding the health of anyone palms.

Cheers Mikey  

Hi Gene,

That would be cool, Some down the bottom for drainage

and alittle into your potting mix, Say 70% soil a good mix

and of course 30% of P/blocks, the only draw back,

my be your back depending on pot size of course.

No worries if going in ground, But raise your bed up.

Catch -up, later,

Cheers Mikey.

Hi Deezpalms,

It sure has, got many beautiful collections, Even though we don't have you beautiful

soil on the Coast here in Cairns,  But Were lucky like you

guys so many types of Families love it here.

Cheers Mikey.