Hemithrinax ekmaniana

[Al in Kona]

My still very small Hemithrinax ekmaniana growing in the garden.  A non-demanding very slow growing Cuban palm, yet rarely seen in gardens.  It gets full morning sun till about mid day.

Anybody else growing this?  Any tips on how to speed up growth on it?     

[kwtimo]

Impressive!  They are indeed slow, but will hit a point when they tend to "speed up" a bit.  Heat and full sun make for a happy Hemi.  Whatever you're doing, it is working very well.

[Mandrew968]

We grow them a lot down in South Florida--most palm collectors have one. Like you said, they are easy--once they are out of the grass leaf stage... if you wanted to 'speed it up', I might go to the beach and collect some washed up coral and beach shells. Take them home, give them a little rinse and then wrap them up in a rag and pulverize them. Sprinkle it all around the palm--you can even use it as a mulch; the more powdery the better. If you have access to lime rock--even better(the kind that rubs off chalkiness on your hands). The trick is to increase the ph by percolating the calcium carbonate and silicates into your assumed acidic soil...

[PalmatierMeg]

I have about 15 scattered around my front garden and garden lot. The largest are the size of a basketball, the smallest the size of baseballs or softballs. Very slow but surprisingly tough given they start out as flimsy blades of "grass." My soil is alkaline like Andrew's. I couldn't find any photos from last year but did find this one from early 2014 of one of my larger ones - much smaller. I need to take more photos but right it's raining.

Hemithrinax ekmaniana, 2/14, Cape Coral

[Zeeth]

Definitely a great species! 

[Josh-O]

Ok, now I want one for my Vista garden..

 

[PalmatierMeg]

4 hours ago, Josh-O said:

Ok, now I want one for my Vista garden..

 

Very price-y at the size of those if you can find them. Seeds on FNGLA go for more than I can afford.

[Kennybenjamin]

36 minutes ago, PalmatierMeg said:

Very price-y at the size of those if you can find them. Seeds on FNGLA go for more than I can afford.

What is FNGLA? I would love the opportunity to purchase seed! Have always kept an eye out but never seen them offered for sale

[PalmatierMeg]

The rain stopped (another 3.4"), the sun came out so I grabbed my camera and took photos.

First two photos are of one of my larger and older Hemithrinax in my Caribbean Garden. Note the ladies size 8 flip-flop to the right. This palm is actually much larger than I first estimated, maybe 15" diameter but fewer than 12" tall. Second photo is a closer look at its crown.

Third photo is of a smaller, younger Hemithrinax on my Garden lot. It is about 8-9" in diameter and a few inches tall.

Last photo is of a yet smaller Hemithrinax - about size of a baseball. It is the same age as the palm in third photo. Difference in size could be result of genetics or location and sun access. Both palms are in an 8' x 8' planter box and surrounded by Livistonas.

[PalmatierMeg]

3 minutes ago, Kennybenjamin said:

What is FNGLA? I would love the opportunity to purchase seed! Have always kept an eye out but never seen them offered for sale

FNGLA = Florida Nursery Growers & Landscape Assn. It runs a website called Botanical Auctions that sells palm seeds & tropical tree seeds from Fairchild Botanical Garden & Montgomery Botanical Center. Unfortunately, it doesn't ship seeds outside the US. I bid only occasionally as rare seeds are expensive, germination rates may be low and shipping is high. I don't bid for anyone else because I was hounded every other week by people wanting me to bid for them using my Paypal account (sometimes empty), packing, filing w/US Customs, then shipping overseas for cost. Not enough hours in the day or gas in our car for that.

[bstoller]

How old is large one next to the flip-flop

i just picked up 2 small ones.  Wonder how many more years I'll have to wait to get to that size.  

[PalmatierMeg]

I believe I got that one and 4 others in autumn 2008 from the Palm Beach Sale. They were blades of "grass." I grew them in treepots (looked silly but they have extensive roots) until they were fully palmate (3-4" diameter) then planted them (2010?). All 5 survived.

I got the smaller ones as blades of grass a couple years later in a baker's dozen from a PTer in FL (he no longer grows them, so don't ask). A couple didn't survive and I sold two more at the behest of a local palm grower. I planted the rest in planter boxes on my Garden Lot in 2011. I believe 7 survive. I fertilize them 2x per year, otherwise leave them alone to do their slow growth thing.

Are yours palmate? If not, you'll have a wait while your grass grows. If you have them in deep pots, let them stay until they have sturdy root systems and at least several healthy palmate leaves. With palms this rare and expensive you don't want to push things. They take the same conditions as Coccothrinax: sun, heat, humidity and summer rain. My winters here don't faze them at all but I have no idea what you get in St. Pete.

 

[bstoller]

Both of mine are about 7" tall in 2 gallon pots.  I leave them in full sun and will bring them in the greenhouse if the weather gets too cold.  

I was planning on leaving them in pots for quite some time  

thanks for the info   Brad

 

[PalmatierMeg]

Nice little palm

[LJG]

2 hours ago, PalmatierMeg said:

The rain stopped (another 3.4"), the sun came out so I grabbed my camera and took photos.

First two photos are of one of my larger and older Hemithrinax in my Caribbean Garden. Note the ladies size 8 flip-flop to the right. This palm is actually much larger than I first estimated, maybe 15" diameter but fewer than 12" tall. Second photo is a closer look at its crown.

Third photo is of a smaller, younger Hemithrinax on my Garden lot. It is about 8-9" in diameter and a few inches tall.

Last photo is of a yet smaller Hemithrinax - about size of a baseball. It is the same age as the palm in third photo. Difference in size could be result of genetics or location and sun access. Both palms are in an 8' x 8' planter box and surrounded by Livistonas.

Those look well grown Meg.

[Al in Kona]

5 hours ago, PalmatierMeg said:

I believe I got that one and 4 others in autumn 2008 from the Palm Beach Sale. They were blades of "grass." I grew them in treepots (looked silly but they have extensive roots) until they were fully palmate (3-4" diameter) then planted them (2010?). All 5 survived.

I got the smaller ones as blades of grass a couple years later in a baker's dozen from a PTer in FL (he no longer grows them, so don't ask). A couple didn't survive and I sold two more at the behest of a local palm grower. I planted the rest in planter boxes on my Garden Lot in 2011. I believe 7 survive. I fertilize them 2x per year, otherwise leave them alone to do their slow growth thing.

Are yours palmate? If not, you'll have a wait while your grass grows. If you have them in deep pots, let them stay until they have sturdy root systems and at least several healthy palmate leaves. With palms this rare and expensive you don't want to push things. They take the same conditions as Coccothrinax: sun, heat, humidity and summer rain. My winters here don't faze them at all but I have no idea what you get in St. Pete.

 

Meg, your plants look really good.  Thanks for sharing.  Do you know what the pH of your soil is, is it on the alkaline side?  I believe mine is about neutral.  I'm wondering if I should maybe add some lime to up the pH a bit.  Also, when you fertilize them what kind of fertilizer do you use?  I have never fertilized mine yet. 

[PalmatierMeg]

11 hours ago, Al in Kona said:

Meg, your plants look really good.  Thanks for sharing.  Do you know what the pH of your soil is, is it on the alkaline side?  I believe mine is about neutral.  I'm wondering if I should maybe add some lime to up the pH a bit.  Also, when you fertilize them what kind of fertilizer do you use?  I have never fertilized mine yet. 

I don't know exact pH but my soil is highly alkaline. That's why the Caribbean palms grow so well. Your palm looks really healthy so I suggest you not try to fiddle with the pH. I believe these thatch palms can deal with neutral or slightly acid soil better than acid-loving palms can deal with the reverse. I fertilize them 2x per year with slow release fert with N - P - K ratio of High-Very Low-High with micros (FL has high phosphate soil so I don't need to add much more to pollute groundwater). I also toss them a bit of Southern Ag's Essential Minor Elements in granular form for extra micros as my soil is nutrient-deficient. Some people have told me these Caribbean thatch palms don't need any fertilizer but I don't buy into that. But they don't need an abundance like some fertilizer hogs.

I've been using Lesco fertilizer - something like 8-0-10 - I get at the blue BB. My husband is a disabled vet so we get a 10% discount with his VA card. We use about 10 50lb bags 2x per year to feed palms/trees on our .61 acre lot so the discount really helps. Otherwise I let FL sun, heat and rain do their magic.

[Mandrew968]

My biggest. Taken this morning.

[PalmatierMeg]

They are such nifty palms. I'm glad so many people are growing it in FL. They were just a dream for me not so many years ago.

[Jeff Searle]

1 hour ago, PalmatierMeg said:

They are such nifty palms. I'm glad so many people are growing it in FL. They were just a dream for me not so many years ago.

This is so true......

[Palmaceae]

Yes this is the next palm I want for my collection.

[Zeeth]

1 hour ago, Palmaceae said:

Yes this is the next palm I want for my collection.

Let me know if you want to start from seed. I'm trying to get a group of people together to do a group buy of seeds the next time Montgomery auctions them off. 

[Palmaceae]

17 minutes ago, Zeeth said:

Let me know if you want to start from seed. I'm trying to get a group of people together to do a group buy of seeds the next time Montgomery auctions them off. 

Hello Keith,

Thanks for asking but I am getting too old to grow one of these by seed. I would like to find a larger plant if possible, if I can afford it .

[nitsua0895]

34 minutes ago, Zeeth said:

Let me know if you want to start from seed. I'm trying to get a group of people together to do a group buy of seeds the next time Montgomery auctions them off. 

I'd be interested in doing a group buy and starting one from seed. 

[PalmatierMeg]

Keith, count me in on some seeds.

[Zeeth]

9 hours ago, nitsua0895 said:

I'd be interested in doing a group buy and starting one from seed. 

 

8 hours ago, PalmatierMeg said:

Keith, count me in on some seeds.

Got it. I've been keeping my eyes open every time a new auction opens, so I'll let both of you know the next time I see them up for auction.  

[Jeff Searle]

11 hours ago, Palmaceae said:

Hello Keith,

Thanks for asking but I am getting too old to grow one of these by seed. I would like to find a larger plant if possible, if I can afford it .

We have hem at the Extravaganza Sales each time and usually at different sizes. We sold the largest one known to exist in a pot at the October sale(was not mine). So please check us out at the upcoming sale in march.

[Palmaceae]

5 hours ago, Jeff Searle said:

We have hem at the Extravaganza Sales each time and usually at different sizes. We sold the largest one known to exist in a pot at the October sale(was not mine). So please check us out at the upcoming sale in march.

Thanks Jeff, will do.

[Moose]

On ‎1‎/‎17‎/‎2016‎ ‎9‎:‎17‎:‎52‎, Jeff Searle said:

We have hem at the Extravaganza Sales each time and usually at different sizes. We sold the largest one known to exist in a pot at the October sale(was not mine). So please check us out at the upcoming sale in march.

 

On ‎1‎/‎17‎/‎2016‎ ‎3‎:‎02‎:‎50‎, Palmaceae said:

Thanks Jeff, will do.

Randy - speak to Pops, the Searle Patriarch, he is a spiritual man. 

[Palmaceae]

45 minutes ago, Moose said:

 

Randy - speak to Pops, the Searle Patriarch, he is a spiritual man. 

Thanks Moose, I have a few times when I was at the nursery, good man.

[ThunderSRQ]

Just an fyi for any local (SW Florida) folks, I have a few well-started one gallons that I've decided to sell (please send me a private message if interested). 

 

Tim

[Mandrew968]

Update on mine with gundlachii on the left (Tillandsia edithae hanging).

[ThunderSRQ]

Yours look great!

Mine are all still in pots & need to be bumped up - but seeing yours doing so well is definitely an incentive to go ahead and get a couple of them into the ground now that the druoght here appears to finally be over (then I'm going sell the rest).

 

Tim

[Jupiter1]

On 1/17/2016, 9:17:52, Jeff Searle said:

We have hem at the Extravaganza Sales each time and usually at different sizes. We sold the largest one known to exist in a pot at the October sale(was not mine). So please check us out at the upcoming sale in march.

Super cool palms I was gasp by the price. Here are the ones from Searles most recent ganza!! Hope he doesn't mind me sharing 

[Jupiter1]

[kurt decker]

Help is on the way.

[kwtimo]

That is sweet looking! Nice to see George doing a little moonlighting.

[Josue Diaz]

@Zeeth same, ccount me in

[Mandrew968]

Update on the Montgomery Botanical Center palms.

[BPK Palm Addict]

19 minutes ago, Mandrew968 said:

Update on the Montgomery Botanical Center palms.

Just wow.  Does anyone know how old these guys are?