Kerriadoxa elegans

[PsyPalm 149]

Recently visited the Volunteer Park Conservatory in Seattle and this was definitely a stand out.  Tallest fronds reached about 8' and were each around 3-4' across, simply stunning!

 

 

[PalmatierMeg 7,420]

Very beautiful palm but slow growing even in FL. My oldest (since 2010) Has leaves that reach above the eves but no sign of a trunk anytime in the future. Surprisingly hardy for a tropical palm, down to 25F. It suffers more from summer sunburn than winter cold here.

[PsyPalm 149]

@PalmatierMeg that's fascinating it so hardy, wouldn't have guessed it could go that low! This one didn't have any trunk to speak of either which was a bit surprising given it's size, slow and steady wins the race I suppose lol.

[PalmatierMeg 7,420]

My largest has flowered despite no trunk. I believe it is male (Kerriodoxa are dioecious). My smaller one in the back yard has yet to flower. So, no seeds.

[JohnAndSancho 1,632]

Random but would this work indoors to replace the Kentias that I can't stop killing?

[OC2Texaspalmlvr 1,132]

8 minutes ago, JohnAndSancho said:

Random but would this work indoors to replace the Kentias that I can't stop killing?

Stick to Chamaedorea for indoor palms =) 

T J 

[JohnAndSancho 1,632]

30 minutes ago, OC2Texaspalmlvr said:

Stick to Chamaedorea for indoor palms =) 

T J 

Noted. 

 

As one of my 2 surviving Kentias will inevitably spear pull while my Cataractarum is both trunking and flowering simultaneously

[OC2Texaspalmlvr 1,132]

Just now, JohnAndSancho said:

while my Cataractarum is both trunking and flowering simultaneously

They are such a user friendly genus especially for indoors 

T J 

[Tyrone 2,754]

They're such an impressive palm. Ive seen them in the wild growing along a jungle creek in Thailand. Awesome species. I have two growing here in pots. They will not win any beauty contests but they keep pushing spears. They're enemies are wind and low humidity. Hot dry winds just do them in. I want to create a nice hothouse for them and they may eventually get to where the one in this post is. 

[PalmsandLiszt 92]

8 hours ago, JohnAndSancho said:

Random but would this work indoors to replace the Kentias that I can't stop killing?

Try it, why not, but best establish how you are killing the Kentias first. I bought a Keriodoxa seedling toward the end of last year some time (more a seed with a green spike in a pot), and it's grown steadily (and quite quickly by my standards) without any fuss (fourth leaf now). It seems pretty tough. Like kentia seedlings until they break out of the canopy, it's an understorey plant; in all the in-habitat photos I've seen it's at the bottom of a dark forest (rather like Sabinaria, which appears a similar deal).

I won't like Texas sun in summer nor Texas cold in winter, however, so you might have to turn your living quarters into a giant tropical greenhouse in the long term. But you can cross that bridge when you come to it; that's my philosophy.

[Merlyn 2,270]

I remember seeing pictures of a huge Kerriodoxa inside in a pot. It was on here somewhere, you could try searching in this subforum.  My biggest outdoor one is about 4 feet tall with 3-4 foot diameter fans.  It took minor damage at 24-26F but was protected from frost by a big B. Alfredii right next to it and over it.

[JohnAndSancho 1,632]

1 hour ago, Merlyn said:

I remember seeing pictures of a huge Kerriodoxa inside in a pot. It was on here somewhere, you could try searching in this subforum.  My biggest outdoor one is about 4 feet tall with 3-4 foot diameter fans.  It took minor damage at 24-26F but was protected from frost by a big B. Alfredii right next to it and over it.

@OC2Texaspalmlvr is right lol. I don't need to spend money on something exotic if I'm over here murdering Kentias. 

 

@PalmsandLiszt I honestly dunno what's killing them. They push a new frond with brown tips and then the whole thing gets crispy and dies. I've got a thread somewhere on Palmtalk - I've tried more water, less water, more light, less light, they always die. 

 

My apologies for the threadjack of a gorgeous palm. 

[PsyPalm 149]

Recently had the opportunity to visit the national botanical garden in DC and spotted this big k. elegans.  I don't know if I'd call it trunking but the base is looking chonkier than the one at the  conservatory here in Seattle.  Also saw my first mature c. renda in full color which was really exciting, mine is still only about 12" tall lol. 

[Missi 1,040]

LOVE! What size pot did they have it in, can you guess? I have two. My one in pot is kicking butt at life, but my one in ground is not so happy. It's one of my favorite species, so I wonder how long I can keep it potted.

[PsyPalm 149]

@Missi that's rad you have two!  From what it looked like both the specimen in Seattle as well as the one in DC were planted in a type of topsoil layer that covered the ground in both conservatories.  It was a little hard to tell as I couldn't get as close as I wanted to to poke around lol, but they were growing in the topsoil/ground cover lining the floor of the greenhouses.  I'd be very interested to see how the topsoil section is laid out and engineered to provide adequate depth for the expansion of the root systems of such big palms while also providing the necessary drainage and aeration. 

That's interesting that your potted one is outgrowing your planted one.  In my three years of experience growing palms one thing I've found to be consistently true is that palms always seem to enjoy being slightly underpotted and will continue to thrive in a pot for MUCH longer than I originally expect them to.  If your potted one is thriving you're probably good to keep it as is for quite some time.  Also, from what I've read it seems like k. elegans are rather slow growing so that's another reason to not pot it up prematurely.  If it ain't broke don't fix it

Just out of curiosity, where are you located to be able to grow one outside? Cheers!

 

[PalmsandLiszt 92]

12 hours ago, PsyPalm said:

It was a little hard to tell as I couldn't get as close as I wanted to to poke around lol, but they were growing in the topsoil/ground cover lining the floor of the greenhouses.  I'd be very interested to see how the topsoil section is laid out and engineered to provide adequate depth for the expansion of the root systems of such big palms while also providing the necessary drainage and aeration. 

I always assumed the topsoil in these types of places just merges with the natural, low-level soil and the plants allowed to grow down into it. After all, there isn't going to be much difference in temperature 4'+ down between the tropics and temperate climates. I might be wrong, but I can't see any purpose to putting in an artificial barrier.

I doubt Kerriodoxa roots go super deep, anyway; plants with super-deep roots tend to be after groundwater in very arid environments, or are simply so unnaturally enormous that everything is scaled-up (Lodoicea). In a rainforest under-storey there's plenty of water and all the nutrients are in the top layer, so it doesn't make much sense to go deep.

[Missi 1,040]

18 hours ago, PsyPalm said:

@Missi that's rad you have two!  From what it looked like both the specimen in Seattle as well as the one in DC were planted in a type of topsoil layer that covered the ground in both conservatories.  It was a little hard to tell as I couldn't get as close as I wanted to to poke around lol, but they were growing in the topsoil/ground cover lining the floor of the greenhouses.  I'd be very interested to see how the topsoil section is laid out and engineered to provide adequate depth for the expansion of the root systems of such big palms while also providing the necessary drainage and aeration. 

That's interesting that your potted one is outgrowing your planted one.  In my three years of experience growing palms one thing I've found to be consistently true is that palms always seem to enjoy being slightly underpotted and will continue to thrive in a pot for MUCH longer than I originally expect them to.  If your potted one is thriving you're probably good to keep it as is for quite some time.  Also, from what I've read it seems like k. elegans are rather slow growing so that's another reason to not pot it up prematurely.  If it ain't broke don't fix it

Just out of curiosity, where are you located to be able to grow one outside? Cheers!

 

Hi! I'm in Naples (Southwest) Florida, but more inland so I do get frosts and occasional freezes. My elegans in-ground might be receiving a tidbit more sun than it would like, but enough canopy that it is protected from frosts and even last winter's freeze. It does also get beat up my my chickens, but still...I'm surprised at how relatively poorly it's doing. I can't say it's failing to thrive. It regularly pushes new leaves, but the existing leaves do not last long. I am putting up simple fencing to keep the chickens out of that area of the garden soon.