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Chamaedorea radicalis (arborescent form)


ghar41

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Handled the following temperatures without damage

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Glenn

Modesto, California

 

Sunset Zone 14   USDA 9b

 

Low Temp. 19F/-7C 12-20-1990         

 

High Temp. 111F/43C 07-23-2006

 

Annual Average Precipitation 13.12 inches/yr.

 

             

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Gotta love em.

About there only drawback here is they look there best with a little afternoon shade in the summer.

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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In the winter of 2010/11 mine handled 3 consecutive nights 20,19,21 with 27 consecutive hours below freezing with no damage. There were many other freezes that year into the upper 20s as well. It is one tough little palm.

In my post I sometimes express "my" opinion. Warning, it may differ from "your" opinion. If so, please do not feel insulted, just state your own if you wish. Any data in this post is provided 'as is' and in no event shall I be liable for any damages, including, without limitation, damages resulting from accuracy or lack thereof, insult, or any other damages

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Very cool....need to get more. It would be cool to start trying to hybridize them with larger/faster growing Chamaedorea sp.

David Simms zone 9a on Highway 30a

200 steps from the Gulf in NW Florida

30 ft. elevation and sandy soil

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They are advertised as a 15 degree palm, whereas chamaedorea microspadix has the reputation of being a 18 degree palm. They both survive fine in my yard without any winter protection in Gainesville, Florida, which is similar to your northern gulf coast climate and nothing like our friends down in tropical southern Florida. I have several of the trunking form of chamaedorea radicalis and, fortunately, I didn't have to wait for mine to grow tall. I bought them at almost my own body height deliberately.

Note that they seem to like any kind of soil from wet clay to sandy soil. They even seem to tolerate drought conditions, perhaps because they come from Mexico. The only drawback is that they remain small and will probably only ever grow to be little more than perhaps 3 or 4 feet taller than me. They are for small spaces and will never be a large centrepiece in your landscape. Apart from that, however, they are stunning. C. Radicalis in its trunking form is far more interesting to look at than even the largest C. Microspadix. The trunks look almost like buddha belly bamboo. I regularly have those moments when I think to myself, "I just can't believe that I can grow this in my climate." The single-trunk specimens look better than the suckering ones because they seem to have more trunk.

If you're planning to be in the Miami area at some point, I seem to recall that there were several 3 gallon C. Radicalis chin-height for sale at Action Theory Nursery in the Homestead area south of town -- a place where cold-hardy palms are useless because the weather is permanent summer anyway.

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They look to be IPS members as well.

David Simms zone 9a on Highway 30a

200 steps from the Gulf in NW Florida

30 ft. elevation and sandy soil

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Note that they seem to like any kind of soil from wet clay to sandy soil.

I thought I'd heard that radicalis doesn't like the nematodes in Florida's sandy soils. I have recently planted one, but it's next to my house's foundation in an area which has clay fill. Microspadix does well here throughout the yard, which is very sandy.

Woodville, FL

zone 8b

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  • 4 years later...

I had two forms of arborescent Ch. radicalis. A robust neon green form I believe nicknamed "king kong" and a much more svelte pale green form.  This past winter, an ultimate low of 14-15F with 36 consecutive hours below freezing resulted in the death of all "king kong" forms in my yard. However, the svelte form (I believe it was formerly known as Ch. pringleii) survived without any noticeable damage. Neither form was protected and all were scattered around my yard, sometimes immediately next to the other form.

  • Upvote 1

Clay

South Padre Island, Zone 10b until the next vortex.

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We had a temperature one night this past winter that dipped briefly to somewhere between 23 and 24 degrees Fahrenheit (January 2018).  It was our coldest temperature since 2010, I think.  None of my chamaedorea radicalis were damaged in the least.  Their trunks are the dark green type, not the bright neon green variety which you have referred to, Austinpalm.  Your 14-15 Degree low is impressive and is a testament to how cold-hardy this palm is.

I would also like to take this opportunity to revise my previous advice above regarding soil requirements for this palm.  I have had two chamaedorea radicalis die in wet clay soil.  By comparison, my chamaedorea radicalis which are growing in builder sand seem to be fine. Others growing in my soil have not been happy, whereas those in clay pots have always been fine, regardless of how rootbound they become. My soil does not offer enough drainage for chamaedorea radicalis.  They seem to really prefer sandy or coarse/rocky soil which fully dries out before its next watering.  They don't like to sit in wet muck. 

 

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