Arenga micrantha

[Palmy 17]

2 feet tall. No damage to report. at 21F

[tank 368]

That's good news!

I am planting a couple here in Gainesville, FL this spring.  

Gives me hope that it stands a decent chance.

Please let us know if it starts showing damage.

[Palmy 17]

Very little damage has shown up. It was glazed over with ice totally. It seemed to hold up pretty well. I would say even a little better than my queen, which suffered some damage at 15 feet tall.

[PalmGuyWC 1,486]

No damage at 23/24F, light overhead protection. Now if it would only grow....one frond a year.

[PalmGuyWC 1,486]

I'm sorry to report that one of my A. micranthas is suddenly showing significant damage from the freeze of 23/24F.  The emerging sphere looks fine.  Another the same size and planted not to far away has more overhead protection and it looks ok, with just slight brown tipping.  Maybe they are not as hardy as we thought. They are both 5 gal. size.

Dick

[Palmy 17]

Really?

Mine are both doing great. I see very little damage. Mine are about 3 gallon size and they are all doing great.

Thats to bad of a loss. They are extremely hard to find for me. Hope they do alright. In the wild I hear that they take frost and sometimes snow.

[PalmGuyWC 1,486]

Hi Zack,

Keep a close eye on your A. micrantha.  Mine showed no damage until I noticed yesterday that the two lower fronds had gone into rapid decline and it only has 3 fronds.  The damage showed up in only the last couple of days.  I didn't give either of my A. micranthas any protection, since I assumed they were more cold hardy.

From the lack of reports, I assume not many have A. micrantha.  If anyone has one, please send in a report.

Dick

[ghar41 207]

I have one that did fine in the freeze.  I am noticing that some of my palms are on the dry side, including my A. micrantha, so I have had to water more than I am used to this time of year.

Almost no rain here in January.

[DavePoole 1]

So far no temps below 0C (32F) this winter, but last year mine (4ft+) took a -3.8C (25F) drop undamaged and coped with 10 days when temps were -2C (28F) at night rising to only 4 or 5C (38 - 40F) by day.  It produced 2 complete leaves last year and a new spear is currently 6" long and growing.

[DavePoole 1]

Sorry folks - I jumped in bleary-eyed thinking this related to general cold damage in palms grown everywhere, without realising it referred to the big freeze you had recently.  Therefore the above is irrelevant as are my inclusions for Chamaedorea plumosa and C. costaricana.

[Palmy 17]

I appreciate the post.

[tank 368]

In north Florida.

Low of 21 F, 10 hours at freezing temps.

3 days of freezing temps.

Substantial overhead protection.  Little or no frost.

15 mph winds.

90% with all mature leaves pretty much toast.  As described above, damage takes a couple of weeks to really show up.

New unopened spear, which is about the same lenghth as the last mature leaf, appears to be undamaged.

This plant is about 4ft OA.

Hopefully this one will recover in the summer.  Last summer it produced 3 new leaves.  

Also, temps were into the low 80s(F) the week before and the new spear was pushing out.

If plants do indeed "harden" off, this plant was probably "soft".

[edbrown_3 3]

I had this one grwing in Jax... I lost it in 99,   we had a fortnight of freezes (day after day)  with a low of 21 F.  Like Dicks experience it succumbed later.  

I replanted ( a few years ago). hoping for better times but it grows real slow.

Best regards,

Ed

[tank 368]

Rob,

It seems this advective freeze was a bit harsher on my marginal stuff.  I have Agave augustifolias that usually only show damage in the upper teens (F) showing some damage.  The damage on my agaves didn't show up until two weeks later.

I should note that this A. micrantha has seen temps down to 22F in a radiational freeze and showed no damage.

Now the spear is looking a bit "odd" but one leaf still is looking more or less alive.  The spear actually looks like it started growing again during the warm weather we had this past week.

[tank 368]

Pic of the plant, 3 weeks after freeze-

[tank 368]

Spear pulled yesterday.  Plant has some green on but I thinking its probably a gonner.

Also,

Ed, sorry for calling you ROB.  I noticed it awhile ago but not quick enough to edit it.

[edbrown_III 311]

Hang in there,   I think Rob will take offense for being called me.

A. engleri have come back from 10F ---- These make big beautiful clumps

[tank 368]

My A. micrantha survived and has put out its first new leaf since the freeze.

[mppalms 5]

Congrats, Jason. This certainly isn't a palm to lose. I don't have a good freeze story for this one, but I can say that it is weed-whacker-resistant. One of the guys who trims our hedges decided that palm = hedge and turned this one into a stump. Why? I have no clue. But, it is throwing a new leaf after looking pretty dead for a couple of months.

Jason

My A. micrantha survived and has put out its first new leaf since the freeze.

[mnorell 469]

Very small (6" tall) specimen, planted in a slightly wind-protected area. The worst so far this year being an advective, 14.5-hour event bottoming out at 24.1F. 100% leaf damage, dessication showed up about 4-5 days after the freeze. It had been fine through a similar 27F event. I assume a good spear will push as it was mulched above the crown. A community pot of seedlings placed near the output of the heating unit was untouched. Damage to the in-ground specimen was worse than on my most exposed A. engleri/Taiwan form, and was located somewhat near two other similar engleri that are spotless. For comparison: a tiny x Wodveitchia (arecina) growing in a somewhat more protected spot five feet away was untouched. I think this Himalayan "cold-loving" palm is not as hardy as we all might like to believe.

[tank 368]

~20F, possibly a little lower torched the one "good" leaf produced last summer on my A. micrantha. Spear appears to be fine.

Nursery down the street was selling 35 gallon A. engleri's, big full plants about 10 ft OA in the pot for $200. A friend of mine picked one up one of these on one of the 80F days we had right before the worst freeze of the year. His A. engleri was under canopy and not touched.

will not plant any more A. micranthas out up here.

[PalmGuyWC 1,486]

I have written off A. micrantha for my climate. Not only are they not that cold hardy, but I had one with a nice spear about to open last summer, and we had a heat wave and the spear was cooked, and that in part shade too. It had taken a year to grow the damn spear. I think they like warmer nights and higher humidity than I have.

Dick

[tank 368]

Low of 14F. 14 days straight of below freezing temps. 80% overhead protection. ~30 Plants in pots (1gal to 3gal). Left these in the cold to fend for themselves. 25 appear to be toast. Most lost all of their leaves but a few are pushing out new spears. Gonna see if more return from the dead.

[Austinpalm 238]

Two 3-gallon sized plants in the ground under live oak canopy. Ultimate low of 16F with multiple nights in upper 20's and lower 30's. Both plants were fried but one has just put out a new spear. Nothing from the second plant as of yet.

[fdrc65 21]

My 1 leaf seedling survived to -7' C in the greenhouse. Now another leaf is on, a slow grower but pretty hardy!

Regards

[JasonD 304]

I have written off A. micrantha for my climate. Not only are they not that cold hardy, but I had one with a nice spear about to open last summer, and we had a heat wave and the spear was cooked, and that in part shade too. It had taken a year to grow the damn spear. I think they like warmer nights and higher humidity than I have.

Dick

Arenga micrantha at the San Francisco Botanical Garden is slow but very successful. They are planted in shady spots, have flawless dark green leaves, and appear undaunted by the light frosts experienced (probably have seen 28F minimum). They put out 2 leaves per growing point per year. Much better than A. engleri, which sits unmoving all year until it finally collapses.

I think this plant tolerates cool humid nights very well, whatever its other tolerances may be. Hot and dry sounds lethal.

Jason

[ghar41 207]

I have written off A. micrantha for my climate. Not only are they not that cold hardy, but I had one with a nice spear about to open last summer, and we had a heat wave and the spear was cooked, and that in part shade too. It had taken a year to grow the damn spear. I think they like warmer nights and higher humidity than I have.

Dick

Arenga micrantha at the San Francisco Botanical Garden is slow but very successful. They are planted in shady spots, have flawless dark green leaves, and appear undaunted by the light frosts experienced (probably have seen 28F minimum). They put out 2 leaves per growing point per year. Much better than A. engleri, which sits unmoving all year until it finally collapses.

I think this plant tolerates cool humid nights very well, whatever its other tolerances may be. Hot and dry sounds lethal.

Jason

Mines not doing well here either Dick. New spears open and look good, then are burned by both frost or the slightest amount of sun getting through.

[scl113074 3]

I have several hundred all from seed and they are doing well for me. they have seen 24 with no protection and 18 x 3 nights with a blanket over them.

[daxin 178]

My first palm planted was a 5g Arenga micrantha in Mar. 08 in my previous garden. It is facing east and backs against a two-story house. Since then it has been growing very well and is beginning to put out suckers this year. However, it is not seriously tested in terms of hard freezes. I think Dick's plant might be in too much shade and having lots of root competition. Here are two photos of my dearly missed Arenga micrantha from 2008 and last month.

[Caryota_gigas 10]

I find this a very hardy palm in Auckland, NZ.

Mine has been down to around -2.5°C many times and sits in full sun and has never been damaged by anything.

Possibly the toughest palm I grow.

[Sutter Bob 27]

Two outside with medium cover.

Had 3 mornings to 23 and 3 to 24F in December.

So far so good (also seemed to tolerate summer heat well with plenty of water).

Edited January 16, 2012 by Sutter Bob

[Sutter Bob 27]

Update.

Had a low of 20F in January.

Lost one below Italian Cypress far from house.

One close to south side of house looks good, pushing new spear.