Jump to content
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT LOGGING IN ×
  • WELCOME GUEST

    It looks as if you are viewing PalmTalk as an unregistered Guest.

    Please consider registering so as to take better advantage of our vast knowledge base and friendly community.  By registering you will gain access to many features - among them are our powerful Search feature, the ability to Private Message other Users, and be able to post and/or answer questions from all over the world. It is completely free, no “catches,” and you will have complete control over how you wish to use this site.

    PalmTalk is sponsored by the International Palm Society. - an organization dedicated to learning everything about and enjoying palm trees (and their companion plants) while conserving endangered palm species and habitat worldwide. Please take the time to know us all better and register.

    guest Renda04.jpg

Jamaica coconut palms can't survive


Eric Hawaii

Recommended Posts

Hi, I spent a few months working in Jamaica, and I noticed that coconut palms usually die if you plant them on or near the beach. Hotels seem to struggle to keep their coconut palms alive, and in the western part of the island, they have turned to other species to plant on the beach, such as what appears to be a native type of sabal. The only place in Jamaica where I ever saw coconut growing successfully along the coast was in the northeast, in the parish of Portland. By contrast, coconut palm seems to grow very well in the interior of the island and even just a short distance from the beach in some areas, especially where there is forest. My conclusion (hypothesis): Phytophthera (lethal yellowing disease) continues to ravage palms along the coast due to breezes there and tradewinds. I do know that phytopthera has hit Jamaica in the past. Old photos (pre-1970's) show tall coconut palms growing along the beach in places where today they won't survive. What's weird is that the struggling palms I've seen planted today at beach hotels around Negril and Montego Bay don't seem to show the kinds of symptoms that phytopthora causes. They just seem to have yellowing lower leaves, shortening leaves, and low growth rate. What gives? I cannot find a single website that deals with this question no matter how I google it. And no Jamaicans I've spoken to about seem to know. I've heard a few say it's just the soil, but I know that's not true. The exact same kind of soil dominates other Caribbean islands where beaches are lined with coconut palms, and based on old photos, Jamaica used to be so too.

  • Upvote 1

Why not live in the tropics?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pictures would be great.  I noticed near Galveston, TX that most of the sabal palmettos were very yellow on the lower half of their foliage. This wasnt the case in Houston nor Dallas. 

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The old coconuts in Jamaica were the Jamaican tall which did fine along the beach and are actually very well adapted to growing in that sort of location naturally. The fruit of the Jamaican tall is torpedo shaped and floats very well. It is also triangular and has sharp angles, so it digs into the ground once it washes up so it can sprout and grow.

LY killed most of this variety in Jamaica, and the replacements have been Malayan dwarf and Maypan (a hybrid between the Malayan dwarf and the Panama tall). These varieties aren't as suited to growing in poor soils, and are a domesticated type of coconut, with larger and rounder coconuts bred to hold more water. They typically have nutrient problems in sandy soils and aren't as robust, so they don't grow in a beach-type setting as well. 

  • Upvote 3

Keith 

Palmetto, Florida (10a) and Tampa, Florida (9b/10a)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

First off, all coconut varieties are domesticated. Second, I am not so sure jamaican tall coconuts are how you describe them, Keith-drupe wise. I have a couple 50 footers with tons of fruit and I have never noticed what you describe-always welcome to come and do a PRA whenever you come down my way...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for that explanation, Keith. I wonder if it would now be possible to re-plant Jamaican Tall palms along the coast without having to worry about catching LY disease again after all this time. I read that in 2012 the disease had showed up again on the island but the coconut industry there was apparently addressing the issue successfully. 

Why not live in the tropics?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, Mandrew968 said:

First off, all coconut varieties are domesticated. Second, I am not so sure jamaican tall coconuts are how you describe them, Keith-drupe wise. I have a couple 50 footers with tons of fruit and I have never noticed what you describe-always welcome to come and do a PRA whenever you come down my way...

I concur with the shape of the Jamaican/Atlantic tall coco. I have one and its shape is a caricature of the "Red October" submarine in "The hunt of the Red October" movie.

 

58fff84ff0df7_Jamtall20170425_180956(10)58fff8447dd95_Jamtall20170425_180956(7)(58fff8403544d_Jamtall20170425_180956(8)(

  • Upvote 2

5 year high 42.2C/108F (07/06/2018)--5 year low 4.6C/40.3F (1/19/2023)--Lowest recent/current winter: 4.6C/40.3F (1/19/2023)

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, GottmitAlex said:

I concur with the shape of the Jamaican/Atlantic tall coco. I have one and its shape is a caricature of the "Red October" submarine in "The hunt of the Red October" movie.

 

58fff84ff0df7_Jamtall20170425_180956(10)58fff8447dd95_Jamtall20170425_180956(7)(58fff8403544d_Jamtall20170425_180956(8)(

Nice San Pedro btw ;)

  • Upvote 1

Looking for:  crytostachys hybrids, Pseudophoenix sargentii Leucothrinax morrisii, livingstona canarensis

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We used to buy coconut seed from the Jamaican coconut industry board, both maypan and green malayan. But back about 15 years ago they got sloppy, so we started buying green malayan seed from Costa Rica. When we got all the crushing cold in 2010, all the Costa Rican coconuts died. All of them, in all sizes up to about 6' of wood. The Jamaican trees didn't even have any real damage. So there are differences, even amongst trees called green malayan.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

I have 2 Jamaican Tall coconuts, a Maypan, and a green Malayan.  They all seem to do fine here with the necessary protection from our infrequent dips below 30F.  As far as overall appearance, there is just nothing like a healthy Jamaican Tall.

Lakeland, FL

USDA Zone 1990: 9a  2012: 9b  2023: 10a | Sunset Zone: 26 | Record Low: 20F/-6.67C (Jan. 1985, Dec.1962) | Record Low USDA Zone: 9a

30-Year Avg. Low: 30F | 30-year Min: 24F

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 years later...

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now



  • Recently Browsing

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...