comparing the cold hardiness of Areca catechu vs Areca macrocalx
By
John of Ponce, in FREEZE DAMAGE DATA
-
Similar Content
-
By PalmatierMeg
Our first day of fall ushered in some drier if not cooler air. That drier air was heralded by a wind and rain storm that managed to do more damage and knock over more things than TS Sally a couple of weeks ago. Among the things blown over were two enormous pots of Areca catechu dwarf and semi-dwarf. We couldn't help but notice that both pots were rootbound. Having no larger pots to move these palms to we decided to bite the bullet and plant them in our back yard jungle. So, yesterday and today we did. We also had to sacrifice two nice plastic pots to free them. I have several other large pots of dwarf Arecas and have made plans to put them in the ground this fall. But planting a very large rootbound palm every few days is all we can manage at our age. We will spend the whole winter trying to catch up to everything that got away from us this past growing season.
Naturally, I took photos.
Areca catechu, Semi-Dwarf - While not the coveted fully dwarf version of this species, this is quite a special palm in its own right. It is about 7-8' tall and has nicely scrunched leaves.
Note: I took closeups of the scuffed/abraded crownshaft and trunk. That occurred when the storm pushed over the pot into a Beccariophoenix. I treated the wounds with hydrogen peroxide. Does anyone have any suggestions on what else I can do to prevent infection?
Notice scrapes on crownshaft and trunk
Areca catechu Dwarf - Dwarf Arecas occur along a spectrum from extreme to semi. This palm is quite dwarf, although it has distinct 1-2" petioles. We planted it in place of a fading Satakentia
Petioles approx 1-2" long
Areca catechu Normal - This typical Areca catechu is planted close to the dwarf and semi-dwarf in the jungle. It is going into its 2nd winter in the ground and took down to 37F with little damage last winter.
-
By Geeth
how to make dwarf betel nut( Areca catechu)palm?? VeitchiaXAreca catechu hybrid??? please help
-
By PalmatierMeg
Earlier in the week I noticed my oldest Areca catechu Dwarf on the back lanai was not in good shape. But I was unable to address its issues because I was laid up with crippling migraines that have plagued me since the holidays. And the weather had turned back to January levels. Yesterday afternoon I was able to don a jacket, look at my palm and formulate a plan. The palm hadn't been repotted in 4-5 years and its potting mix looked plain nasty. It was also too wet, as days in the 80s had ended in 2" of rain and a drop of 20 to 30 degrees. I feared root rot, so I wrestled the palm from its large pot and rinsed off all potting mix. But, surprise, the roots were white and healthy. Still, I soaked them in a tub of hydrogen peroxide for 1+ hour. As it was getting dark and colder, I rinsed the roots off, wrapped them in a wet towel, then let the palm spend the night in a bathtub indoors.
This afternoon I dusted the roots with fungus powder, sprayed the poor thing's groady foliage with insecticidal soap to get a jump on pests, then repotted it in fresh, coarse potting mix. I took the following photos of this little guy and hope someone with better eyes than mine can suggest what troubles it. There are rusty brown spots - fungal disease? But the leaves also look tattered and unhealthy and I wonder if I am also dealing with spider mites. Arecas get them and badly. My eyesight is poor and I couldn't tell. I took the following photos. I hope I've gotten to my little palm in time.
Poor, stricken little Areca catechu Dwarf, Cape Coral, FL
Newest leaf looks pristine
-
By PalmatierMeg
I have decided to part with three of my dwarf Areca catechus that I grew from seeds. Each palm is approx. 18 months old, 19-20" tall, petioles 1" to 1.5" long and show the "scrunched" shortened leaves of dwarf Arecas. Dwarf Arecas occur along a spectrum from semi-dwarf to extreme dwarfs with little to no petioles. Extreme dwarfs are exceptionally hard to find. Palms for sale are one small step removed from extreme and may or may not achieve that goal as they grow larger. But they can't be mistaken for anything else. They are outgrowing their 3g pots. They are currently growing in full FL sun (sun grown dwarf Arecas keep shorter petioles than shade grown). To grow and look their best, they require sun, high heat & humidity and plenty of warm rain. If you provide that they are fast growing. They are not drought tolerant, cool tolerant or cold tolerant. Dwarf Arecas are reputedly hardier than normal Arecas (zone 11) but I wouldn't bet the rent on it, so I estimate their hardiness at z10b/11. I keep my dwarfs potted and outdoors unless temps fall below 40F. Then they come indoors until the cold passes. While dwarf Arecas are common on HI, they are very rare in the mainland US. I have only these 3 palms available this year.
Please see info below:
One (1) Areca catechu Dwarf: $60.00 each, including shipping. Palm will be sent without pot and soil with roots wrapped in damp orchid moss, clear wrap and foil.
Shipping via Priority Mail. No shipping overseas. No shipping to Hawaii.
Payment via Paypal
Send me a PM if you are interested. Please do not try to contact me via Status Update - I will not respond.
Photos:
Group photos
Dwarf Areca #1
Dwarf Areca #2
Dwarf Areca #3
-
By BPK Palm Addict
Got this great Areca macrocalyx from Jeff Searle. I think this one is gonna be a winner.
-