Yet another coconut question

[sandgroper 1,113]

G'day all, just wondering what people think about the little coconut I've got as against the big one. The big one is a golden Malay dwarf, they are quite common in northern Western Australia and mine started out about the same size as the small one I have, I planted it 8 years ago now. The small one I bought about 3 years ago, does anyone think it may be a different variety? The reason I ask is that it is much slower growing than the large one, it is also much greener, the large one has a yellow stem to each frond and always has done even when it was small whereas the small palm has a green stem. The small one has never really been looked after over winters as against the big one which has always been protected in some way, up until this winter, yet the small one always seems to sail through winter almost unscathed. The small one I bought from a backyard nursery in the next suburb across from mine, they have lots of tropical plants they sell regularly but I don't know where they get their stock from. Anyway, curious to know what anyone thinks, any opinions are appreciated, cheers.

 

2 pics of the small palm and 1 pic of the large palm for comparison. 

[GottmitAlex 2,910]

So after 3+ years, it still has bifid leaves?

[GottmitAlex 2,910]

Dave we're almost in the same latitude, albeit bipolar, so to speak. 

All I can "diagnose" as the problem would be soil.

 

[sandgroper 1,113]

Yes, but it was very spindly when it was bought but has thickened up considerably around the base.

[sandgroper 1,113]

I think it's a different type of coconut, it looks very healthy and is growing in exactly the same soil as the big one, right next to it.

Edited July 5, 2020 by sandgroper

[Zeeth 2,247]

It could be the Australian variety of tall type, which are basically a mix of the indigenous coconuts present before Europeans, more closely aligned with the un-domesticated wild coconut, and later introduced domesticated coconuts^1,2. The non-domesticated (or less domesticated) coconuts actually grow very slowly until they form trunk, so yours might lean towards this group. There's a subtype of Jamaican tall found in the Florida keys which belongs to this group that grows extremely slowly, similar to how you describe in yours. 

 

 

1: https://www.jstor.org/stable/2387847?seq=1

2: https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/25124463/a-brief-history-of-the-coconut-palm-in-australia-international-palm-

[sandgroper 1,113]

17 hours ago, Zeeth said:

It could be the Australian variety of tall type, which are basically a mix of the indigenous coconuts present before Europeans, more closely aligned with the un-domesticated wild coconut, and later introduced domesticated coconuts^1,2. The non-domesticated (or less domesticated) coconuts actually grow very slowly until they form trunk, so yours might lean towards this group. There's a subtype of Jamaican tall found in the Florida keys which belongs to this group that grows extremely slowly, similar to how you describe in yours. 

 

 

1: https://www.jstor.org/stable/2387847?seq=1

2: https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/25124463/a-brief-history-of-the-coconut-palm-in-australia-international-palm-

Thanks mate, I suppose time will tell what it turns out to be, thanks for your input.