Blooming interaction on genus Phoenix

April 6, 2021

Here is another cool fact on the genus Phoenix, which I am reminded of every spring for obvious reasons... I am confident namely that when plants of both sexes grow very closely together, anthesis of the one gives a biochemical signal to the other to bloom too, even if it is not programmed (e.g. because of less exposure to sun or young age) to bloom (in this moment). In this latter case the plant not supposed to bloom produces only a single inflorescence or very few. Many people remain doubtful about my finding but I am 100% sure, as I have experienced it several times, each one being a deja vu of the previous ones. Following a latest case with my roebelifera hybrids (roebelenii x dactylifera): a male roebelifera specimen started blooming during past December (probably due to higher sun exposure), while two female specimens (known to have bloomed in the previous years) were remaining still idle. Except that the closest female one to the male specimen produced and matured a single inflorescence during past winter. When the two female specimens started finally to bloom massively during past March, the male specimen had already seemingly finished its own anthesis. BUT it produced only another one late inflorescence, which it has expanded quickly. I have tried to document the whole process in the following pictures. In the first one you may observe the male specimen with the older inflorescences and the latest one in the background. In second picture you may observe the same male specimen and in the background the well hidden among the fronds single female inflorescence which expanded during the anthesis of the male plant. In last picture you may observe another, more distant female, which bloomed exclusively during past March. Thank you for your interest!