It made it through my winter last year @ 24/25 on consecutive nights with just a sheet over it. Minimal damage. It has put out 3 new fron...Read Moreds this year. Next spring it will have been in the ground for 2 years, so I expect the growth to speed up a bit. Very fragile root system, so I cut the bottom off of the container & planted the whole thing. Seemed to do the trick.
Port Charlotte, FL (Zone 10a) | August 2010 | neutral
Just obtained a seedling, these are not easy to get. Will be interesting to see how fast it grows. I believe the seed came from Fairchild...Read More in Coral Gables.
This variety is from northern parts of Madagascar ( Sabirano) region. It has fan shaped leaves like the bismackias , but could be larger....Read More Very few are found in the wild , due to deforestation and now of over-harvesting. Truncks are as big and imposing as the roystoneas, also have a slightly spindle form in the upper parts of old or mature specimen. Seeds germinate with a long sinker , so need to sow in a very deep and large pot or sow it directly to it's permanent spot. A very rare and difficult palm to find, due to it's rareness and of the size of the seeds.
Rockledge, FL (Zone 10a) | September 2003 | neutral
There are only two fruiting Borassus aethiopum trees in the US, both being in Florida. These photos, taken in July, 2003, come from the o...Read Morene in Miami's Fairchild Tropical Garden.
This female tree located close to a male one, was totally uprooted as it was in the path of Hurricane Andrew in August, 1992.
An all-out effort to save this only fruit-bearing Borassus
aethiopum was immediately put in place. Finally, the tree
got saved but ceased fruiting. Almost miraculously, the now healthy tree started to fruit again after a few years. It is fruiting since.
Great looking palm from Africa. Can't grow it here in southern California (U.S.) with very rare exceptions of perfect microclimate exist...Read Moreence... all these surviving palms are still young and obviously struggling- our climate is too cool (not to cold, but persistently cool, which does this palm in- hundreds have tried and no successes so far), but it does great in central Florida and south. Though it has no long-term 'cool tolerance, It has quite a bit of cold tolerance as it handles frosts and even freezing temps down into the teens briefly, as long as they are quickly heated up again, as is the case in freak central Florida cold fronts. They do suffer some leaf damage from such an event, but seem to quickly grow out of it.
As a young plant it looks a bit like a Bismarckia (related genus), but very green and with very ornamental yellow and black petioles. Seeds are massive (almost as large as a coconut) but a bit tricky to germinate. Attractive as an adult, though the color can no longer be appreaciated without binoculars. Trunks are smooth and ventricose.
It made it through my winter last year @ 24/25 on consecutive nights with just a sheet over it. Minimal damage. It has put out 3 new fron...Read More
It also exists in the south of Mayotte island, on Saziley region.
Just obtained a seedling, these are not easy to get. Will be interesting to see how fast it grows. I believe the seed came from Fairchild...Read More
This variety is from northern parts of Madagascar ( Sabirano) region. It has fan shaped leaves like the bismackias , but could be larger....Read More
Has a very good likley hood of growing in California. In habitat, they like lots of water, but can do without. Better for inland CA than outside.
There are only two fruiting Borassus aethiopum trees in the US, both being in Florida. These photos, taken in July, 2003, come from the o...Read More
Great looking palm from Africa. Can't grow it here in southern California (U.S.) with very rare exceptions of perfect microclimate exist...Read More