Ceroxylon quindiuense in Northern California?

[Palmy]

Is it even possible up here? What is the lowest temp this palm can take, I love this palm, and it would be awsome if I can grow this one. Of course it wont be planted small, and will likely stay in a pot for a while. Can this one take light frosts? Thanks

[tim_brissy_13]

I would imagine you wouldn't have a problem with C. quindiuense in winter as long as you don't get a night with frost and well below freezing.  They like cool weather, mine grow more in winter than summer, although mine have never seen below 2C/36F

[BS Man about Palms]

Zachary, I think you stand a decent chance of success.

[DoomsDave]

Try one.

Bet it'll rock more than the Big One of 1906 . ..

dave

[PalmGuyWC]

Zac,

I've wasted enough time and effort trying to grow Ceroxylons.  It's to hot and to cold on our side of the Oakland hills for them to grow, much less live.  They are only suited for the west side of the hills.  Amazing with all of our micro-climates what a couple of miles can make.  Of course they thrive in San Francisco, but there are darn few of them.

Dick

[JEFF IN MODESTO]

(PalmGuyWC @ Jan. 03 2007,06:16)

QUOTE

Zac,

I've wasted enough time and effort trying to grow Ceroxylons.  It's to hot and to cold on our side of the Oakland hills for them to grow, much less live.  They are only suited for the west side of the hills.  Amazing with all of our micro-climates what a couple of miles can make.  Of course they thrive in San Francisco, but there are darn few of them.

Dick

Dick....Then how does my Ceroxylon do so well here in Modesto.? We are hotter in the summertime than anywhere in the bayarea.

I think the key is to plant them in the partial shade, then allow them to grow into full sun...or nearly so.

Jeff

[DoomsDave]

Hmm.

Jeff, you raise an interesting point.

I can't get them to grow in the ground here at my place.

They're good in pots, but not the ground.

Any ideas on their soil preferences?  Or if they hate Cedrus deodar roots?

dave

[Guest]

Even Ceroxylon quindiuense in habitat will not grow as a young plant in the sun.  They are seen in cleared areas thriving as adults but the only regeneration in beneath trees or other shade.  In nature they grow as forest understory until enough trunk is formed to emerge above the canopy.  The natural adaptation for this is seen in their very upright crowns when young which allow for easier growth through the forest trees.  At the stage where they can tolerate full sun the crown relaxes into the beautiful round crowns of the adults.  I remember one plant of this species planted in full sun in a very foggy cool area of San Francisco which actually had a spreading crown as a juvenile, probably because of the coolness and cloud cover.

    I believe there are specimens of C.quindiuense in the San Francisco bay area which have endured low 20's F and survived.  But just as important as cool weather (especially at night), is humidity.  They need moist air and a very humus-filled soil, like natural forest compost, which is kept very wet but well enough drained. I have seen large specimens in habitat which were growing right out of streams with several inches of moving water surrounding the base.  I suppose the movement of the water could provide the oxygenation to the roots which standing water wouldn't do. It has been suggested that the roots of ceroxylons might require root fungi from natural humus soils in order to take up nutrients.  I remember when I was first starting seedlings in the early 1970's I got them to grow well only when I added forest humus to the planting mix.  Once the roots have been innoculated this way, movement to other soil types seems to be OK.

[PalmGuyWC]

Jeff,

All I can say is.....I've killed at least half a dozen of various Ceroxylon species, mostly from cold temps, but they don't like summer heat either.  They require a very special "nitch" of climate and that is found in San Francisco, the most ideal climate for Ceroxylons in the USA.

Dick

[JEFF IN MODESTO]

My C. Alpinium is planted in the partial shade of my Macadamia nut tree.... Once the emerging spear got to about 6 ft high... it started to get full sun , part of the day in the summer. That could be the key... Plant in semi shade... mulch well, slowly aclimate it to some sun.

Jeff

[MattyB]

I remember when I was first starting seedlings in the early 1970's I got them to grow well only when I added forest humus to the planting mix.

Garrin, did the humus have to be specifically from a natural forest?  Or could you just add any bagged humus/compost etc...?

[ghar41]

I have contemplated growing one of the species in this genus but unfortunately have none in the ground.  Hats of to Jeff for getting ahead of the curve here.

NoCal folks, the success stories we know of are (as far as I know)   are in Sunset Zone 17:

The  grouping of C. quindiuense at the Strybring BC in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco.  I haven't seen them in a couple of years but they were still in the pre-trunk stage (which is huge!) and looked great.

At the NorCal meeting recently at Inge Hoffman's (Sunset Zone 17, San Leandro, which is in the East Bay) we saw a spectacular pre trunk C. quindiuense.  

The SoCal specimen on page 43 of the So Cal Journal, issue 85 is at Pauleen Sullivan's in Ventura, Sunset Zone 24.

Sunset quotes 17 as "...wet...frequent fog..." and 24 as almost "...completely dominated by the ocean..."  Both areas lacking the heat and "Santa's Ana's" of Dave in So Cal's glorious 23.

Here in 14 they should absolutely love our "Tule Fog" this time of year and if anybody can get them through our dry 100's of summer, it'll be Jeff in Modesto.

Other successes out there?

[Palmy]

Isnt this a high altitude palm? I would think it would be similair to the parajubaea species that are at high elevations. Thanks for the info, Im going to go for it in shade and protect from frost.