Never planted this palm, just noticed it coming up in part of the garden. It's very slow growing, but the fact that it doesn't get any TLC might be a contributing factor.The leaflets on the fronds appear rather curly. And the last frond hasn't come right up out of the ground.
So, I'm not sure whether I have a 'curly' palm species, or just a deformity. But the plant seems too healthy looking to be deformed. Just wondering whether anyone knows what it might be.
looks like a temporary deformity... seed probably germinated a bit deep in the ground and now the plant's bud is too far underground, and these leaves are coming up deformed because of that... but as plant gets older (if it makes it) and the bud gets above ground it will probably make normal leaves eventually.
I dug the soil out from around the small palm tree (see photo) and exposed the trunk. Appears that some time back something must have fallen on it, there's a bend in the trunk over a large root from a nearby Yellow Flame Tree, Peltophorum pterocarpum.
Despite its situation the palm and its fronds are reasonably healthy looking. There's remains of some older fronds attached to the trunk.
Anyone care to suggest an ID. To me it looks like some sort of Livistona.
Thought I'd resurrect this thread again. The palm is growing but still quite slowly. Now's the growing season so hopefully it might soon get to an identifiable size. My betting is still on it being a Livistona.
Did you cover it back up with dirt?
The roots are covered but the trunk I exposed is still exposed. So it's actually sitting in a slight hollow. But the ground drains rapidly so even through the wet season it's never really waterlogged. It's taking its time to grow, but still looks very healthy.
Resurrecting this thread again for a progress report.
The plam has improved a lot since I exposed the trunk a little. However the wet seasons have washed soil back into the hollow. Doesn't seem to have adversely affected the plant though. The curliness seems to have gone from the leaflets.
At this stage I'm pretty sure it's a Livistona humilis. Probably from a seed dropped by a bird. They're very slow growing so I don't think it'll become more prominent in a hurry. But at least it seems to be thriving.
Nice plant you have there!
I myself am discovering several different plants in my yard this year... either from bird or squirrel I suppose.
Thanks. Guess we're not the only gardeners on our places, LOL.
Another update on this one. Todays photo. Not a real lot of change, but the palm is still looking very healthy. It's been 3 years since I "helped" it out of the ground a little.
I like! And good to see the fronds have straightened out.
Barb
Thanks Barb. I have a few of them growing naturally on my place. One of them is about 5 metres tall.
There were 2 clumps of Golden Canes growing either side of this one but I moved them to another spot. The Golden Canes are fast growers and I have dozens of clumps all over the place. The Livistona humilis are very slow growing and not easy to move without killing them.
Nice to see a volunteer you might keep.
Dean, my place is a major bastion for volunteer palms. Carpentaria acuminata grows like lawn in many parts of the garden. Another volunteer had me puzzled for a while until a week ago I found a larger plant which now looks like the green form of Bismarkia nobilis. The coconuts can't be mistaken, they're just too obvious. And I have a lot of Ptychosperma macarthuri coming up everywhere. But even though having a few mature Livistona humilis there's still not many volunteers, especially near the parent plants. So this one I'm happy to leave. A couple of others will have to be moved. The earlier the better as they don't like root disturbance.
Good to know. Yes, move them before that tap root goes to deep.
About what zone do you live in? Zone 10 or higher?
We're about 12 or 13 here. Winter before last we were a 13 but then had one of our coldest last year which would have dropped us down to a 12. Start of winter in a week and we've already been down to 13.8C. I moved closer to the Equator to get away from that.
Great! Good luck hope it doesn't get to cool. LOL
Yeah, it's not cool to be cool! (Sorry, couldn't resist.)
