Slowest Palms

[Gileno Machado]

This one here is hard to beat !!

4 years old now and about 10 cm tall (4 inches). Anyone wants to guess the species?

What is the slowest growing palm for you?

[Jim in Los Altos]

Easy question. Psuedophoenix sargentii is my slowest. I have a couple of seedlings in the ground that are only 12 inches tall after three years.

[Jeff in Costa Rica]

My slowest has to be Kentiopsis magnifica. I think they will stay small seedlings forever!

[John in Andalucia]

My slowest has to be Kentiopsis magnifica. I think they will stay small seedlings forever!

Agreed on that. I have three magnifica seedlings with new shoots that have not moved since I bought them two months ago. The oliviformis are fast in comparison. D. sanctaemarie is one slow Dypsis to sprout!

[cfkingfish]

Gileno-

Is that Heterospathe you have there?

[Walter John]

Toss up between my Kentiopsis magnifica and Copernicia prunifera (if that's what it is, I'm not confident)

[Daryl]

My Kentiopsis magnifica is a rocket compared to my Moratia cerifera...way slower than anything else here!

Daryl

[palmislandRandy]

I think all my Pseudophoenix are made of plastic!

[Chanin]

For me, I realized my 4 years Pseudophoenix ekmanii could be one of those slowest.

[Tampa Scott]

My slowest grower is Copernicia macroglossa following in close second place is my Pseudophoenix vinifera.

[Eric in Orlando]

So far it has been Nannorrhops ritchiana. This one was planted in 1997. Its still the same size, doesn't get any bigger.

[SubTropicRay]

Pseudophoenix sargentii and P. ekmanii

[John in Andalucia]

So far it has been Nannorrhops ritchiana. This one was planted in 1997. Its still the same size, doesn't get any bigger.

Eric,

Shouldn´t that Nannorrhops be in full blazing sun with just a hint of moisture? That yellowing might be too much moisture.

[Eric in Orlando]

It is in full sun. The soil is very sandy and well drained. It also doesn't get any irrigation, just our natural rainfall.

[quaman58]

Probably a suprise if you're from a warmer area, but for me nothing quite beats the snails pace of Licuala elegans. Tough as nails, slow as can be. One leaf a year (in a good year).

[TikiRick]

This is a real toss up between Pseudophoenix vinifera and Reinhartdia sp. Slow is not the word.

[Peter]

My 2 Coccothrinax win by a hair over a droopy form D. onilahensis. I get about one new frond a year on the Cocco's, while the oni. puts out a couple, although it is still just over a foot tall after 3 years in the ground. The Cocco's haven't grown upwards more than a couple of inches in 3 years. And now that I think of it, I've also got a Trachycarpus martianus that has maybe thrown 2 leaves after over 2 years in the ground.

Edited September 3, 2008 by Peter

[freakypalmguy]

At my place it's Dypsis decipiens.

[John in Andalucia]

It is in full sun. The soil is very sandy and well drained. It also doesn't get any irrigation, just our natural rainfall.

Eric,

The natural rainfall might be a hinderance, just a thought. Beyond drought-tolerant, the PACSOA website has Nannorrhops as severe drough-tolerant. The deserts of Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Arabia are it´s natural habitats. I´m growing several hundred N. arabica so I´m interested in getting the best growth rate. I found a link a while back, which suggests that a Nannorrhops can survive in an almost water-free environment. It suggest to me, that it prefers long spells of dry soil, with moments of moisture, as opposed to well-drained soil with minimum water content the majority of the time. With the climate you have in Florida, I bet you could grow one of these soil-free, in a pot full of gravel outdoors, and never have to water it. What say I pull a couple of my seedlings and do an experiment?

[surferjr]

My Kentiopsis magnifica is a rocket compared to my Moratia cerifera...way slower than anything else here!

Daryl

I'll say!!

[MattyB]

I'd have to agree that Kentiopsis magnifica is the slowest. Slower than Pseudophoenix eckmanii for me.

[epicure3]

For me, it would hqave to be a toss up between my dictyosperma furfuraceum and coccothrinax fragrans. Neither of which get enough sun.

[LJG]

Pseudophoenix eckmanii for me. I get one frond every two years.

I can also see Moratia cerifera going to be slow from what I have seen in two short months from the ones I got from suferjr. I don't remember what palm book I read it in (Probably RLR's), but they said it is beautiful but so slow no one grows it. Well, something like that...

[Kim]

I have a palm so slow that I have forgotten what it is. I've had it maybe 18 mos?, and it has not produced a new leaf, not even the hint of a spear tip. BS Man convinced me to buy this at a Quail sale ages and ages ago. I'm pretty sure it's a Dypsis something-dreadfully-slow that's supposed to be really big and gorgeous by the year 2036.

I also have 4 Dypsis baronii seedlings that remain seedlings after 3 years in the ground. Same with a Roystonea regia. Everything is green, but remains small. Small, small, small. Shoot, my Rhopalostylus baueri that was a seedling 3 years ago is growing faster than all of those mentioned, and they are said to be slow.

And I agree with others, Coccothrinax are slow, although argentea is visibly faster than fragrans.

[Gtlevine]

Slowest for me has been Brahea Moorei and Decumbens.

Gary

[Breadfruit Bill]

Psuedophoenix ekmanii is the slowest of all that is slow... I own no slower palm.

[osideterry]

I have intentionally avoided palms that are known to be slow. I do have a Hedyscepe and a Dypsis onilahensis, both 1 gallons, that look exactly like they did one year ago. I also have a hunch my 2 small Areca vestiarias aren't going to blow up anytime soon either.

Other than that, my 5-gallon Parajubaea sunkha looks like it's in a state of suspended animation. How big until the leaves split?

[MattyB]

Give that D. onilahensis some sun Terry, it'll speed up.

[elHoagie]

Either Pseudophoenix ekmanii or Coccothrinax "azul".

My P. ekmanii are over 3 years old, and they're about 10 cm (4 inches) tall and maybe 3 or 4 mm (1/8 of an inch) in diameter at the base.

I purchased the C. "azul" as a strap-leafed seedling about 4 years ago. It now has leaves with 3 leaflets, but it's probably 5 cm (2 inches) tall and the base is maybe twice as fat as my P. ekmaniis.

These plants have been growing in my greenhouses the entire time, I wonder how slow they'd be outdoors?

[Gileno Machado]

Gileno-

Is that Heterospathe you have there?

Yeah, you nailed it Christian: Heterospathe minor. I guess that anything "minor" I try to grow here is another disappointment (Oenocarpus does the same...). The exception seems to be Sabal minor, a non-stop grower for my climate.

I've tried to repot this Heterospathe and fert it from time to time but it sits there and does nothing...

Pseudophoenix vinifera is another painfully slow palm for me, as well as Brahea armata...

[Don Little]

I think all my Pseudophoenix are made of plastic!

For me it would have to be my 1 gal Licuala elegant sumawongii. When I bought it over a year ago it had a spear that was over half grown and it finally opened but even the complete opening was painfully slow. There is another spear growing so I can expect it to open by this time in 2012. The palm seems healthy at least but maybe needs a little more sun

[Eric in Orlando]

Ravenea xerophila comes in a close 2nd.

[Eric in Orlando]

It is in full sun. The soil is very sandy and well drained. It also doesn't get any irrigation, just our natural rainfall.

Eric,

The natural rainfall might be a hinderance, just a thought. Beyond drought-tolerant, the PACSOA website has Nannorrhops as severe drough-tolerant. The deserts of Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Arabia are it´s natural habitats. I´m growing several hundred N. arabica so I´m interested in getting the best growth rate. I found a link a while back, which suggests that a Nannorrhops can survive in an almost water-free environment. It suggest to me, that it prefers long spells of dry soil, with moments of moisture, as opposed to well-drained soil with minimum water content the majority of the time. With the climate you have in Florida, I bet you could grow one of these soil-free, in a pot full of gravel outdoors, and never have to water it. What say I pull a couple of my seedlings and do an experiment?

I will find out. I have 3 different forms of Nannorrhops germinating right now

Nannorrhops ritchiana (arabica "Silver" form from S. Pakistan and Iran)

N. ritchiana (compact form from Kashmir that gets more rain than others)

N. ritchiana

There is one at Fairchild Gardens in Maimi that is a monster. It is growing in their lowlands section next to a lagoon. This area is very low and has a very high water table. During the wet season it can almost be marshy out there and extremely humid. Look how it has grown;

[Palmgrover]

For me here in my yard its a tie... My Zombia antillarum, is slower than snails and my Colpothrinax wrightii is even slower.

I think dirt grows faster than them...

Bob

[Darold Petty]

Greetings Gileno!! This topic leads to the next question, How slow is acceptable? My slowest palm is Cyphophoenix elegans. I have had this plant for 13 years; in the ground for six years. It grows one new frond every 2 years. My summer high temperatures average 55 to 60F (12-14C) and I must assume that my climate is just too cold for this species!

[Daryl]

Pseudophoenix eckmanii for me. I get one frond every two years.

I can also see Moratia cerifera going to be slow from what I have seen in two short months from the ones I got from suferjr. I don't remember what palm book I read it in (Probably RLR's), but they said it is beautiful but so slow no one grows it. Well, something like that...

My Moratia is 17 years old and is now 3 feet tall...yeah!

Daryl

[Jeff Searle]

I have a palm so slow that I have forgotten what it is. I've had it maybe 18 mos?, and it has not produced a new leaf, not even the hint of a spear tip. BS Man convinced me to buy this at a Quail sale ages and ages ago. I'm pretty sure it's a Dypsis something-dreadfully-slow that's supposed to be really big and gorgeous by the year 2036.

I also have 4 Dypsis baronii seedlings that remain seedlings after 3 years in the ground. Same with a Roystonea regia. Everything is green, but remains small. Small, small, small. Shoot, my Rhopalostylus baueri that was a seedling 3 years ago is growing faster than all of those mentioned, and they are said to be slow.

And I agree with others, Coccothrinax are slow, although argentea is visibly faster than fragrans.

Kim,

Thats pretty funny! I can see Bill there giving you the smeeel on what a great palm it is, extreamly rare, a form never seen before, bla, bla, bla, bla(!!!!). In another words, tell Bill he should buy it back from you.

I think my two slowest in the ground would be Ps. ekmanii and Copernicia cowellii. Their neck and neck........

Jeff

[Jeff Searle]

For me, I realized my 4 years Pseudophoenix ekmanii could be one of those slowest.

Chanin,

Nice to have another palm collector from Thailand. Welcome to our big family. We would love to pics. from your garden, the city, and especially from the market on plant day.

Jeff

[waykoolplantz]

when i bought this from Jeff Searle ,Ryan told me it was 10 years old

Cocothrinax Pseudorigida...thats 1/2" labeling tape

[yachtingone]

my livistonia inermis has been vry slow in a greenhouse.