Pinanga "Blue Seed"

[Wai`anae Steve]

Found this last month at Ko`olau Farms in Kailua.  Hey local guys check there from time to time you'd be supprised as to what you might find.  Check Kane`ohe store also.

Anyway I put it in the ground today.

[ariscott]

It is not P. kuhlii, is it? Mine looks exactly like that...

Regards, Ari

[Wai`anae Steve]

(ariscott @ Apr. 03 2008,16:24)

QUOTE

It is not P. kuhlii, is it? Mine looks exactly like that...

Regards, Ari

No not P. kuhlii,  Jeff at Floribunda says it might be P. adangensis.

[TikiRick]

I too purchased one in a 1 gallon container from Jeff Searle labeled "Pinanga blue seed." However, mine is not mottled like the photo here. Does anyone have a clue about the species....or a mature photo? Mine is doing well and appears to be a fast grower.

[XYZ]

Guys:

There appear to be two spp. involved in what is commercially known as "Blue seed". I have quite a few seedlings and young palms from both RPS and an Oz  friend's collection (who collected them in N Borneo) and there is quite a bit of variation between the two accessions. Amongst the dozen or so three year-old palms that I have from RPS, the new leaf color varies quite a bit, both at emergence and when they harden off. IMO, the very best clones are extremely handsome plants...buyer beware, however, since it is common knowledge amongst dealers that these pinangas invariably lose their vivid leaf color as they grow past the meter mark (3'+). One nurseryman urged me to blow them all out the door when they're about 75 cm (30") tall and still very showy.

Tweaking the pH of their growing media towards neutral and a steady feed at low contrations of NPK seems to visibly improve vigor and contrast in the mottling. Very acid media (<5.50) and starvation tend to leave them distinctly "white" and susceptible to frond die-back. Have never trialed them in bright sunlight, but would assume that it would not do much to enhance their leaf color.

Cheerio,

Jay

[Wai`anae Steve]

Thanks Jay,

  Floribunda reported that they would loose the molting as they age.

[www.dadluvsu.com]

I don't have a great photo of the specimen isolated, but you can see it making things real jungle like in my teeny yard....  (Excuse the cold burn spots and the brown tips - I planted this in December)

The younger leaves have the mottling...

And so do older ones...

The largest spike has yet to open...  It is just doing so currently, I t reaches to about 4.5 feet overall...  I can already see it is emerging with a hint of pinkish coloration and a slight mottling...  I will try to remember to catch a series of photos as it does....  

:cool:

[TikiRick]

Very nice William....is this in full afternoon sun?

[www.dadluvsu.com]

At best (when the sun is highest in the sky) it will recieve about 2 hours of morning sun and 3-4 as the sun sets...

Edit: Oh and for the record this one came from Searle also...    When it seeds, I will grow it!

[Wai`anae Steve]

William,

  Is that Licuala spinosa in the picture.  If so it's gonna get really crowded there in a few years.

Steve

[XYZ]

To clarify:

What we have been discussing is actually termed sp. "blue fruit"...the seeds are brown.

The pics of William's larger plant say it all...I mean, this is pretty much a mainstream-looking P. The kids can be amazing-looking.

Jay