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Yes. That is one of the identifying features of an Encephalartos princeps.

A man with a vision, I like it. Beautiful!

Yes I guess the continent of Europe’s geography and Africa allows for us to get unusually high temps as an island compared to other parts of the world. Very warm last night min of 74.3/23.5c. It’s currently feeling like Miami right now this morning! All that thunderstorm rain is just evaporating into the air.

To translate lol Is the top side of the leaflets green and the underside blue?

A nice dypsis prestonia showing some good colours. And the next generation of seedlings coming behind.

Cold is there only enemy, the rest they can handle. A true aquatic the burringbar example!

One of the most popular palms around, it needs no introduction. This little batch is showing some nice colour already. I will most likely sell this batch to a local hardware store.

Yes the Burringbar one is a great example. Not quite as extreme as the Singapore BGs example, but proof that they enjoy being saturated in the subtropics. Different story I think though when the winter average temperature is more around 10C like in my area. Would likely just invite rot.

We can help you out here, they are pretty well much one the greatest indoor palms of all time! A bright light area indoors out of direct sunlight, a good aerated soil mix. To repot or not, look at the root ball you have, can you lift the palm up by the stem and not have the root ball fall apart. If it is packed tightly with roots then yes repot in the next size container up. If possible place the palm in shaded area outside for a couple weeks if the temperature is warm enough. Water it once when you repot with sea weed extract, for vitamin B stress relief. And then indoors in a nice spot to be admired. Then every now and then rest your palm in a couple of ways, one outside if conditions permit for a rest. Or indoors place in the shower and a good washing of every thing, this will help keep mealy bugs and insects away. If its life is indoors you will need to control insects. Don’t overwater indoors it’s the biggest killer of palms indoors. Let it dry out a little before next watering. Fertilise only in summer with seaweed extract or whatever that is suitable for palms indoors, but a little goes a long way, go a little under the manufactures directions. Must the leaves with water frequently to create humidity. They look perfect in an old wooden barrel or square homemade wooden containers!

Let the guessing game begin!

A nice little tray of bells, collected the seeds through a door knock, in my local area. Time is all you need for these to germinate a year or more depending on how cool the conditions are. They are a beautiful palm indeed!

One could say that the coronata is a lot of bang for a little buck! Super easy to grow and germinate. A good old landscaper’s favourite palm. It may be common and not as great looking as some other Pinanga palms , but its good enough to stand next to them in the garden and look just as spectacular!

Variegated rhapis, and a nice little dypsis lantzeana!

Wallichia disticha leaf.

Nice one John!

They love there water, and sandy wet soil is the they love almost hydroponically. I have seen on growing at garden in a dam, up in burringbar. In a garden you have seen. And the one in Geelong botanical garden is proof that they will live in that microclimate.

They don’t like wind as you say, they get a bit tattered looking. That is one thing, the trunks on these palms get a big space restrictions as to where you plant them, they are a bargain the ones you got. They outgrow a container quite quickly and are robust container palms that need to be controlled! Richard

They are really a great palm, especially for what you’re using them for, they will create a microclimate that will be perfect for understory palms and garden that love shade, and if you have wet soil even more perfect, for the understory plants. Take out those pines, we talked about that one, and the damage they have done for you. Oh and you just snuck in the hybrid palm, the hybrid palm police are watching you, we have ways of making you talk! 🤣

I do remember Colin saying something about the yummu do well for him. So grab a few when I could and they seem to being quite well. There aren’t many dypsis that dont do well in the cool, they all do well, and so does most stuff from Madagascar in my climate, New Caledonia stuff loves it here. So I really hit the stuff from both countries as I have the sweet spot for growing them.

Small queen palm showing some nice colour.

Good photos to illustrate the difference. I think the only thing I can add is that if it is armed, even slightly, then it cannot be pure B calcarea. Brahea sp can be prone to hybridising and I think there’s still a bit of confusion in general within the genus so I can’t give any more insight.

I purchased seedlings from a reputable seller on palmtalk probably 7 years ago of Brahea calcarea ‘blue’. He stated the seeds came from a known specimen in California and differed from ‘Super Silver’. The most obvious difference being this palm is blue from the start. I unfortunately am down to one but the palm has rapidly developed over the past 2 years. Up until the last flush or so the petioles had stayed pretty much “unarmed”. A trait of calcarea. As of this last set of fronds, nubs or small teeth have started to form. The palm has a lot of similarities to Brahea armata except A)it’s fronds are flat and don’t have a crease in the center like armata B) the palm is drastically faster than a neighboring larger armata. The calcarea was probably a 3/5 gallon 2 years ago and the armata a 15 gallon when planted. Likely by the end of the growing season or early next year the calcarea will have caught up in size. I know that’s not definitive but of note. Both survived mid teens (Fahrenheit) with minimal damage. I covered the calcarea and it took no damage unlike Brahea clara that had minor burn, but was also protected similarly. Does anyone know of the origin of Brahea calcarea ‘blue’? Identifying traits? Any other useful information ? If this one is accurate then it appears to be a hybrid likely with armata. Thanks Brahea calcarea ‘ blue’ in front, armata in rear : Brahea calcarea ‘blue’ old petiole New petiole: Brahea armata petiole:crease in Brahea armata frond:Brahea calcarea ‘blue’: Brahea armata:

Here is the closest visual answer I have to how it was originally planted from November 2018. This isn't Encephalartos cupidus though. It is the cycad species on the front jacket of Loran's book.

@Foxpalms It is so hard to believe an island at 50+ degrees north latitude can get and stay that hot. Wow!