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I am going to grow a coco de mer in Northern California

Mauna Kea Cloudforest

By Mauna Kea Cloudforest
in DISCUSSING PALM TREES WORLDWIDE

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Mauna Kea Cloudforest Grand Master

Mauna Kea Cloudforest

Posted
Posted

Well, not really, but I am curious with all the fuss about cocos nucifera, why is there almost no talk of Lodoicea maldivica? Is it another case of protectionism so it's not available out of habitat? Has anyone ever tried to grow one - in Socal? In South Florida? In Hawaii? What's the deal with this mysteriously erotic species? Seeds? $500 a piece? How hardy is that thing? Does it fry below 50F?

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Cedric Experienced

Cedric

Posted
Posted

Is it another case of protectionism so it's not available out of habitat?

I should hope so when someone in Santa Cruz wants to "try it out". There are some nice ones in Hawaii somewhere I saw them here on PT.

Cerdic

Non omnis moriar (Horace)

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Zeeth Grand Master

Zeeth

Posted
Posted

Christian Faulkner told me once that he thought it may be hardier than it's given credit for considering it's relatives, much as how Kerriodoxa is, which has a specimen doing well at the UF campus in Gainsville. After how poorly the Lodoicea performed at Fairchild in 2010, I don't know about this statement.

There are a number of them growing in Hawaii, one that I know of in Foster botanical gardens is fruiting. There are 3 small ones at Bo's old garden. The palmtalk member Waykoolplantz has a young one, and there are some at various botanical gardens in Florida, including one in Tampa at Dr. Young's atrium and an unprotected one in a bot garden in palm beach, and I think there are 2 at Fairchild. None of the ones in Florida are of any size though, though some are pretty old.

As far as seed availability, it's so slow growing and I've heard seeds take years to ripen, so this coupled with an export ban in Seychelles means seeds are very expensive even when available, which isn't often.

Keith 

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

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bgl Grand Master

bgl

Posted
Posted

Probably so little talk since it's next to impossible to get seeds. I germinated and "grew" three of them without difficulty in my old garden, and there's a handful of others here on the island as well as on Oahu and Kauai. Don't know about Maui. I know there have been a few in Florida, but probably none in SoCal.

Leilani Estates, 25 mls/40 km south of Hilo, Big Island of Hawai'i. Elevation 880 ft/270 m. Average rainfall 140 inches/3550 mm

 

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rprimbs Mentor

rprimbs

Posted
Posted

Well, not really, but I am curious with all the fuss about cocos nucifera, why is there almost no talk of Lodoicea maldivica? Is it another case of protectionism so it's not available out of habitat? Has anyone ever tried to grow one - in Socal? In South Florida? In Hawaii? What's the deal with this mysteriously erotic species? Seeds? $500 a piece? How hardy is that thing? Does it fry below 50F?

I'm going to try one when Home Depot starts stocking them.

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KennyRE317 Mentor

KennyRE317

Posted
Posted

Well, not really, but I am curious with all the fuss about cocos nucifera, why is there almost no talk of Lodoicea maldivica? Is it another case of protectionism so it's not available out of habitat? Has anyone ever tried to grow one - in Socal? In South Florida? In Hawaii? What's the deal with this mysteriously erotic species? Seeds? $500 a piece? How hardy is that thing? Does it fry below 50F?

I'm going to try one when Home Depot starts stocking them.

I'm notsure wwhat kind of coco it is but every time I've gone to the 2 major hardware stores i've seen a bunch

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rprimbs Mentor

rprimbs

Posted
Posted

Well, not really, but I am curious with all the fuss about cocos nucifera, why is there almost no talk of Lodoicea maldivica? Is it another case of protectionism so it's not available out of habitat? Has anyone ever tried to grow one - in Socal? In South Florida? In Hawaii? What's the deal with this mysteriously erotic species? Seeds? $500 a piece? How hardy is that thing? Does it fry below 50F?

I'm going to try one when Home Depot starts stocking them.

I'm notsure wwhat kind of coco it is but every time I've gone to the 2 major hardware stores i've seen a bunch

It is a pretty sexy coco! :D

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Mauna Kea Cloudforest Grand Master

Mauna Kea Cloudforest

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Well, not really, but I am curious with all the fuss about cocos nucifera, why is there almost no talk of Lodoicea maldivica? Is it another case of protectionism so it's not available out of habitat? Has anyone ever tried to grow one - in Socal? In South Florida? In Hawaii? What's the deal with this mysteriously erotic species? Seeds? $500 a piece? How hardy is that thing? Does it fry below 50F?

I'm going to try one when Home Depot starts stocking them.

Me too!!! No matter what they say on PalmTalk... :floor::floor::floor::floor::floor::floor::floor::floor:

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Mauna Kea Cloudforest Grand Master

Mauna Kea Cloudforest

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Well, not really, but I am curious with all the fuss about cocos nucifera, why is there almost no talk of Lodoicea maldivica? Is it another case of protectionism so it's not available out of habitat? Has anyone ever tried to grow one - in Socal? In South Florida? In Hawaii? What's the deal with this mysteriously erotic species? Seeds? $500 a piece? How hardy is that thing? Does it fry below 50F?

I'm going to try one when Home Depot starts stocking them.

I'm notsure wwhat kind of coco it is but every time I've gone to the 2 major hardware stores i've seen a bunch

Hey Kenny, if you find a coco de mer at home depot, let me know and don't tell anyone else which home depot it is. :hmm:

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MattyB Grand Master

MattyB

Posted
Posted

Clark had a few seeds that his wife smuggled home in her bathing suit. I saw them in his greenhouse. Never heard of they germinated or not.

  • Upvote 1

Matt Bradford

"Manambe Lavaka"

Spring Valley, CA (8.5 miles inland from San Diego Bay)

10B on the hill (635 ft. elevation)

9B in the canyon (520 ft. elevation)

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Mauna Kea Cloudforest Grand Master

Mauna Kea Cloudforest

Posted
  • Author
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Clark had a few seeds that his wife smuggled home in her bathing suit. I saw them in his greenhouse. Never heard of they germinated or not.

Wife + 2 coco de mer + bathing suit, enough said...

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trioderob Grand Master

trioderob

Posted
Posted

Clark had a few seeds that his wife smuggled home in her bathing suit. I saw them in his greenhouse. Never heard of they germinated or not.

better than if Clark tried to smuggle them in his trunks ................. :bemused:

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MattyB Grand Master

MattyB

Posted
Posted

I wish we still had that picture on the forum. Maybe employ Moose to do an epic bump

Matt Bradford

"Manambe Lavaka"

Spring Valley, CA (8.5 miles inland from San Diego Bay)

10B on the hill (635 ft. elevation)

9B in the canyon (520 ft. elevation)

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BS Man about Palms Grand Master

BS Man about Palms

Posted
Posted

Clark had a few seeds that his wife smuggled home in her bathing suit. I saw them in his greenhouse. Never heard of they germinated or not.

UUmmm the honorable Mike Harris has the answers to your query.. :D and the results..

Zone 10a at best after 2007 AND 2013, on SW facing hill, 1 1/2 miles from coast in Oceanside, CA. 30-98 degrees, and 45-80deg. about 95% of the time.

"The great workman of nature is time."   ,  "Genius is nothing but a great aptitude for patience."

-George-Louis Leclerc de Buffon-

I do some experiments and learning in my garden with palms so you don't have to experience the pain! Look at my old threads to find various observations and tips!

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JEFF IN MODESTO Mentor

JEFF IN MODESTO

Posted
Posted

I had one but my lipstick palms choked it out.

Modesto, CA USDA 9b

July/August average 95f/63f

Dec/Jan average 55f/39f

Average lowest winter temp 27f

Record low temp 18f

Record high temp 113f

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sarasota alex Veteran

sarasota alex

Posted
Posted

There are 2 Lodoicea maldivica growing at the Montgomery Botanical Center. And another seed in the ground there waiting to sprout. It grows sloooooooooooowly there.

Dr. Noblick said that this one was planted by Colonel Montgomery himself. So considering that Col. Montgomery passed away 60 years ago you can see just how "fast" the rate of growth has been. Maybe that spear will open up in time for the Biennial :rolleyes:

post-3501-0-32199100-1373464814_thumb.jp

This one just recently sprouted:

post-3501-0-80495100-1373464817_thumb.jp

And this one is still in the process.

post-3501-0-29140100-1373464816_thumb.jp

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Mauna Kea Cloudforest Grand Master

Mauna Kea Cloudforest

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Now I know who I can sell my 200 acres of oceanfront swampland property in Antarctica to.

As long as there's a Home Depot near by...

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rprimbs Mentor

rprimbs

Posted
Posted (edited)

There are 2 Lodoicea maldivica growing at the Montgomery Botanical Center. And another seed in the ground there waiting to sprout. It grows sloooooooooooowly there.

Dr. Noblick said that this one was planted by Colonel Montgomery himself. So considering that Col. Montgomery passed away 60 years ago you can see just how "fast" the rate of growth has been. Maybe that spear will open up in time for the Biennial :rolleyes:

attachicon.gifIMG_3342_mod.JPG

This one just recently sprouted:

attachicon.gifIMG_3352_mod.JPG

And this one is still in the process.

attachicon.gifIMG_3351_mod.JPG

Darn, I think that I'd need a greenhouse and a time machine to grow one of those to a respectable size in California. Maybe I should just stick to having a tiny little Tahina.

Edited by rprimbs
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Mauna Kea Cloudforest Grand Master

Mauna Kea Cloudforest

Posted
  • Author
Posted

There are 2 Lodoicea maldivica growing at the Montgomery Botanical Center. And another seed in the ground there waiting to sprout. It grows sloooooooooooowly there.

Dr. Noblick said that this one was planted by Colonel Montgomery himself. So considering that Col. Montgomery passed away 60 years ago you can see just how "fast" the rate of growth has been. Maybe that spear will open up in time for the Biennial :rolleyes:

attachicon.gifIMG_3342_mod.JPG

This one just recently sprouted:

attachicon.gifIMG_3352_mod.JPG

And this one is still in the process.

attachicon.gifIMG_3351_mod.JPG

Darn, I think that I'd need a greenhouse and a time machine to grow one of those to a respectable size in California. Maybe I should just stick to having a tiny little Tahina.

I'd be happy to get my hands on a fresh seed just to get to taste it. Although I hear it's kinda un-interesting.

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tropicbreeze Veteran

tropicbreeze

Posted
Posted

They've got a number of them in the botanic gardens in Darwin. Last time I was there they were fruiting but the fruits were still only little bigger than a coconut. But they get huge numbers of them. Don't know where all the fruits end up (maybe in the coconut smoothies they sell at the kiosk there :floor: )

I'll have to try dig out the photos I took of them.

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Jeff Searle Grand Master

Jeff Searle

Posted
Posted

Why am I that stupid to even look at this topic? I need my head examined......

Ahhh, remember that picture of Clark's wife well. Something about it left quite the memories.

And one of those seeds that Clark brought in did indeed end up in the beautiful garden of Mike Harris here in south Florida.

Searle Brothers Nursery Inc.

and The Rainforest Collection.

Southwest Ranches,Fl.

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Hammer Grand Master

Hammer

Posted
Posted

dont eat it

try to germinate it for Gods sakes

Here here...weren't we just talking about conserving endangered species on another thread?

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Moose Grand Master

Moose

Posted
Posted

I wish we still had that picture on the forum. Maybe employ Moose to do an epic bump

:bemused: Am I getting picked on ? :crying:

Coral Gables, FL 8 miles North of Fairchild USDA Zone 10B

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Stevetoad Grand Master

Stevetoad

Posted
Posted

I wish we still had that picture on the forum. Maybe employ Moose to do an epic bump

:bemused: Am I getting picked on ? :crying:

Moose, if anyone can find an old thread its you. you should be honored :P

"it's not dead it's sleeping"

Santee ca, zone10a/9b

18 miles from the ocean

avg. winter 68/40.avg summer 88/64.records 113/25

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