Laccospadix in Florida

[SubTropicRay]

Has anyone successfully grown Laccospadix to maturity in Florida. I can't recall ever seeing a big one here so my gut tells me it's not the easiest thing to pull off.

Ray

[Jeff Searle]

Hens teeth?

[edbrown_III]

I saw one at Norm Moody's garden in W Palm Beach that s the only one I ever saw -- I grew one for a few years but lost it --- it took 25 or so --- I forget what killed it --- not a freeze --- some rot or something

Ed

[Daryl]

From memory there are three forms...

1. Single stem with red new leaf

2. Clumping highland with red new leaf

3. Clumping with green new leaf

I've been told the third form grows from the mountains down to lower elevations, so is more suited to a lowland, humid environment. The other forms are from mountains and like it a bit cooler. None of them likes it too dry. They prefer canopy and all the ones I've seen in the wild were in good shade.

I just lost my largest single stemmed one just as it got its first inflorescence...fussy palms!

Daryl

[Eric in Orlando]

I have found them to grow well here but very slow. They need shade and moist soil. Here on our sandy soil they have very little tolerance for dryness. They tolerate upper 20sF with little or no damage, they burn below 28F. The big one here at Leu Gardens suffered no damage after the winter of 2009-10, they tolerate long periods of cool. It did suffer moderate damage in Jan. 2003 after a night of 27F.

It was planted back in 2000 and is now about 7ft tall with about 4ft of clear trunk. The new leaves open a scarlet red. This one started to sucker when it was young but the offshoots shriveled off and it has never produced any since. It is getting ready to flower for the first time. I have planted a few more in the last couple years

I used to have one growing at my mom's house near downtown. I planted it back around 1996. It grew well and was about 6ft tall. The hurricanes of 2004 took out trees in my mom's yard. The palm had been in shade but was suddenly in full sun. It got sunburned badly. I moved it to shade a few weeks later but it did not survive.

[Eric in Orlando]

[Central Floridave]

My palm is about 15 years old and has never flowered.

[Central Floridave]

_{Sorry about the sideways photos. For some reason posting on a smartphone they do that.}