Palms' growth rate

I recently purchased some new palms, most of them about 2-3' high and a few years old, and I'd like to ask for help regarding their speed of growth in mediterranean climate. They will all receive lots of sunlight (except maybe the chamaedorea), regular watering and specialized palm fertilizer. My new palms are :

1) Dypsis decaryi
2) Livistona decipiens
3) Butia capitata
4) Chamaedorea radicalis
5) Sabal mauritiformis
6) Parajubaea torallyi
7) Syagrus picrophylla

Thanks!

Long time no see basilio,
First of all, the C. radicalis can adapt to some sun in some climates (possibly 2nd in sun tolerance behind plumosa).
Are these palms going to stay in pots or go into the ground. I think I remember you have a pot garden (the legal kind).
Some palms may pick up speed when they no longer have their strap/single leaves. Are some past that stage?

Show us picts too.
Dave

Most of them are past the "single leaves" stage, except the syagrus picrophylla (and possibly the parajubaea, because I expect to receive it next week, since it's in a separate order that is yet to arrive..). And yes, at least for the next few years all these palms are going to stay in pots (always the legal kind, I'm too old for illegal one -:) ). As for the pictures, I'll try to post some within the next few days.

The livistonia decipiens is fast grower, compared to some other palms. It has been about 2 months since i've planted mine and it has put out 4 leaves already... and that's with the lower spring temperatures! The dypsis decaryi is slower but still grows at a moderate speed. I dont have much experience with the other palms, yet!!!

Have fun with the new palms!

Tyler

My very small S. mauritiformis seems to growing quite slow, but they are supposed to be one of the fastest Sabals. Once it's acclimated to more sun, it will go in the ground and I'm sure pick up more speed.

My P. torallyi is always moving, throwing up spears left and right. I bought an aprox. 4 year old bifid leafed specimen that is now pinnate, after being in the ground for 1 year. give it a deep home.

My Butia c, went from a 2 gallon pot to the ground and back into a 10 gallon pot in less than a year. It has impressed me how fast and how much girth it got in such a short time. I traded that one for one of Radman's decaryi's. I miss her.



This message was edited Apr 19, 2008 7:43 AM

order of growth rate in Mediterranean climate

Livistona decorum (new name for decipiens) is easily the fastest there by a long shot.
I would rate Butia capitata second, though 'rate of growth' is relative... do you mean rate it which it puts out new leaves... or rate at which it gains height? Those are completely different things. Butias will put out leaves all year long and nearly one a month. but its overall height will be slower than Syagrus picrophylla.. which puts out maybe 3 leaves a year.
Parajubaea torallyi is a relatively fast plant as far as good Mediterrean palms go, but its first 4-6 years are pretty uneventfully sluggish
Sabal mauritiiformis is similarly fast, but slow when young... couldn't really say which of these two is faster.
Chamaedorea radicalis is relatively fast as a seedling, but never speeds up much... also depends if you have a tree form or not, as the non-tree forms seem much slower
Dypsis decipiens is easily the slowest of all these palms by a gazillion fold... though eventually (20 years down the road) it does pick up and grow fast

Thanks for the info palmbob...I guess I mean "rate in which the plant grows bigger", so height/size gain must be what I'm asking about. Do you have any comments regarding my choices for my climate/zone?

Here are some photos. This is my chamaedorea radicalis. Is this the trunking form??

This message was edited Apr 19, 2008 12:49 PM

Dypsis decaryi.

Livistona decipiens/decorum. Still a tiny seedling.

I forgot to mention this one. Rhapis multifida. It's a pretty slow grower, isn't it?

Sabal mauritiformis.

I forgot to mention this one, too. Syagrus romanzoffiana "litoralis". It's supposed to be pretty fast, right?

Syagrus picrophylla.

The butia and the parajubaea are on the way (haven't received them yet), so I'll post their photos as soon as I get them.

This message was edited Apr 19, 2008 12:48 PM

Palmbob, you said Dypsis decipiens instead of decaryi. People say decaryi is slow but would you say it's pretty moderate growing in a temperate climate?

sorry, I read decipiens in my mind.. dypsis decaryi is faster, and if grown in full, hot sun in nice sandy soil, it can be a pretty fast palm, second fastest on the list even... but if grown differently it will be about in the middle.

Palmbob, will any of these palms have serious problems in my climate? And also, is the chamaedorea "tree form"? Thanks!

yes, tree form. The Dypsis decaryi and Syagrus are marginal in your climate (and mine) but with some protection should do OK

Ok, thanks palmbob. By the way, some "after-freeze" data, almost 3 months from our February freeze, which was the worst that I have witnessed in my area since 1973 that I live here. Outside my house lowest temperature went to 26-27F and it stayed under freeze for 22 hours! Results :

- all papayas dead
- zamia bifurcata completely defoliated and possibly dead (although I'll wait till May-June heat to verify it)
- all bananas (sikkimensis and abyssinian) defoliated, but they're already back growing new leaves. Tough fellas...
- Bismarckia nobilis seedling's first leaf was toasted, but it seems that it's moving again. So, still alive.
- Monstera deliciosa almost completely defoliated! I have this plant for some 10 years and it's the first time I've seen it suffer from cold. Still alive though.
- Foxtail seedlings started to show great stress at around 34F (leaves slowly turning brown). I brought them inside just before the freezing temps start and they didn't display any further damage.
- Phoenix rupicola tiny seedlings (10 months old at the time) surprisingly sailed through the freeze (and snow!) without any problem.
- Ficus elastica "variegata" (2 adult plants) totally defoliated. It has happened before, though, and they've grown back from ground level to 8ft in just 2 years.
- Ficus elastica (normal) defoliated 70%. Also the first time I've seen this plant loose leaves to cold (and it must be around 15 years old or older).
- Pachypodium lamerei, absolutely no problem, already growing lots of new leaves.
- Dypsis lutescens, dead.
- Nephrolepis exaltata (fern), dead.

This message was edited Apr 21, 2008 9:52 AM

How fast do Phoenix Roebelenii grow? A couple of mine have sun burnt leaves do you think I should prune them? I was thinking about planting a Monstera. Do they tolerate low humidity very well? Is morning sun ok for them?


Mike

I can offer an opinion only about the monstera questions : my experience is that they tolerate low humidity quite well (during summer months humidity around here is between 25-60%, so rather low) and they can handle some sun without problem, although regular, full hot afternoon sun will certainly burn their leaves. But morning sun shouldn't be a problem, especially if you have somewhat cool summers.