1st Satakentia liukiuensis

[pg6922]

Howdy Yall,

I have been wanting one of these for a while and to my surprise they had 2 of them at HD today. I'm so glad Morningstar Nursery is getting these on the market. I want 2 more to add a trio in the back yard. I think I will wait till after hurricane Ike passes before I plant it though. How many years before its gets a trunk?

PG

These are the ones 5 minutes from my house at Cape Harbor that put them on my short list.

[Tyrone]

I love this species. Mine are doing fine here.

Best regards

Tyrone

[palmislandRandy]

I could use a few more! Do I have to stand in the line with the plywood people?

[palmislandRandy]

I pulled back the mulch & mine has 6 inches of trunk!

[BS Man about Palms]

I'm jealous again.

[Walter John]

Satakentia and Neoveitchia, what can I say, black is black, I want my baby back. If you see these guys for sale, melt your plastic card and get them all. They are both tough, handle many conditions.

[PalmatierMeg]

Great find, Patrick. Did you find them at the HD on Veterans? I found a Hydriestele beguinii there last week. I also got a seedling from Floribunda in the spring, but it is still a seedling.

[DoomsDave]

Ken Johnson, if my memory serves, has a bunch.

Shoot him a PM, and I'm sure he'll be glad to give you the 411 . . . . .

[ariscott]

I like them... just wish they were a little tad faster . My seedlings still remain seedlings....

Regards, Ari

[Tyrone]

Yes they are slow Ari. So if they are that slow in Darwin, mine are probably feeling quite at home. Down in the cooler climes it's just assumed that most things tropical take their time to do anything because of the average temps being somewhat lower. With Satakentia it's just the way they are. My planted one puts out 1.5 to 2.5 leaves per year. The others I have in my tropical tunnel grow considerably quicker but not quick.

Best regards

Tyrone

[ariscott]

I guess I am used to 'fast' things... The longer they have to stay in pots, the more agitated I get . Like my roystonea... I reckon they grow about at least 1m a year...

Regards, Ari

[Walter John]

I guess I am used to 'fast' things... The longer they have to stay in pots, the more agitated I get . Like my roystonea... I reckon they grow about at least 1m a year...

Regards, Ari

The longer my palms stay in pots the increase in chance of death occurs. I have two Satakentias in pots and one Neoveitchia, these will go in the ground somewhere in about 6 weeks I should think, maybe sooner.

[Dave-Vero]

My two spent their first year in the ground busily making new leaves--and killing off older leaves at an alarming rate. They're holding leaves longer now in their second year and the plants really are quite a bit larger.

A third succumbed to undetermined disease.

Anyhow, it's really surprising to see them at HD.

D'Asign (having their second open house sale Sept 12-14) likely has them, as does GTC Palms in Brevard County.

[Jeff Searle]

PG,

Just to share some info. with some of our readers in hurricane prone areas, this palm is one of the toughest palm species that hold up to strong winds. Many of them went through hurricane Wilma here 3 years ago with no damage at all. Their extreamly wind resistance, tough palms. And their beautiful!

Jeff

[cfkingfish]

I would definitely emphasize what Jeff said. As long as yours are rooted in the ground they are a tank against tropical weather. Even trying to dig your Felcos into a dying frond is a feat in itself.

[TikiRick]

I love mine...It's getting up to about 8 feet overall now and I have grown it from a seedling. As mentioned, a real Hurricane trooper. I wish I had planted more than just one. There is one mature one here in Ft. Lauderdale that is over the roof line and seeding. I should post some photos of this great palm.

[PalmatierMeg]

Hello, Satakentia afficiandos. Today I went to the HD in Cape Coral and talked to a garden center named Laura. The center had put in an order this day with representative from Morningstar. She also showed the "availability" list Morningstar faxed to her store. Mostly the usual suspects but also Satakentia, Pinanga coronata, Licuala spinosa & Sumawara, Siphokentia beguinii. All sell for $69. Delivery is every other Thursday.

Perhaps all of you could find a helpful HD garden center employee and ask them if they could obtain some of these rarer palms. Go with a palmnut colleague. If HD realizes it could be sitting on a goldmine of desirable palms (poor metaphor, I know) it might go to more effort to provide them. Can't hurt.

[glbower]

Satkentias do very well in Southwest Florida. I planted a big seedling 2 and 1/2 years ago, and it has been growing like crazy, easily keeping up with a nearby Veitchia. It's 8 or 9 feet tall already.

The Home Depots in this area are doing some wild and crazy things, lately. Last weekend, I was on my way out of the Burnt Store Road HD, and something unusual caught my eye out on the sidewalk -- a gorgeous Arch. purpurea and and equally winsome Chambeyronia, not to mention some nice Syagrus schizophylla, all 5 feet or so in size. The Syagrus was $49, the purpureaa $59 and the Chambeya $69. I picked up the latter two, since the ones I have in ground aren't that big yet but I have a nice-sized and healthy S. schizophylla. I always look up the garden shop manager to compliment him when I find something unusual. He basically said it was an accident that the palms showed up; he also said they're not moving too well because people have never heard of them.

[PalmatierMeg]

HD at Veterans had a passel of Syagrus schizophylla, some with ripening seeds. Laura said she wished she could "get rid" of them.

[BS Man about Palms]

I remember seeing a 5 gal Syagrus schizophylla at a HD out here once. But at something like $109 for a 5 gal it sat for a LONG time.

[PalmatierMeg]

These I'm talking about are 10g at least, almost as tall as me. I'd need a forklift (or a weightlifter) to move one.

[MattyB]

Anyone growing the Satakentia here in SoCal? I'm wondering how much sun it'll take here.

[pg6922]

Ok, I could not wait to plant it. Ike looks as though its not gonna slam us, so I went for it. I cant wait till the coconuts and the Satakentia form a canopy. Just to make sure I staked it at least until it sets roots.

PG

[palmislandRandy]

It may fry a little. I've seen Morningstar's nursery at Atlantic Blvd & the Turnpike. Most of their "exotic" palms are shade grown. It may need time to adjust.

[BS Man about Palms]

Anyone growing the Satakentia here in SoCal? I'm wondering how much sun it'll take here.

I told you Matty, just do it. You got a Carpoxylon under your belt, whats the big deal?

[Jeff Searle]

Hello, Satakentia afficiandos. Today I went to the HD in Cape Coral and talked to a garden center named Laura. The center had put in an order this day with representative from Morningstar. She also showed the "availability" list Morningstar faxed to her store. Mostly the usual suspects but also Satakentia, Pinanga coronata, Licuala spinosa & Sumawara, Siphokentia beguinii. All sell for $69. Delivery is every other Thursday.

Perhaps all of you could find a helpful HD garden center employee and ask them if they could obtain some of these rarer palms. Go with a palmnut colleague. If HD realizes it could be sitting on a goldmine of desirable palms (poor metaphor, I know) it might go to more effort to provide them. Can't hurt.

I hate to say it but, at my HD store here in Weston, these palms just sit and sit. I was there again just today and saw some of the SAME palms that were delivered a couple of months ago. No, I can't be 100% sure that the same exact palms are still there, but I'm 99.9% sure, just because I'm in there all the time and I have noticed how their general state of condition has gone down. I saw one Archontophoenix purpurea, a couple of kerriodoxa's, a couple of Chambeyronia's and I think one Licuala spinosa. Oh, also a Dioon. These palms are not selling very good. Maybe in other parts of the state, or country, but here,no.

Jeff

[pg6922]

Hey Jeff,

I agree with you you about most of their exotic palms. I have bought my share there, but most of their stuff sits for months. Like you said, I've seen the kerriodoxa elegans the purple kings, beetle nuts, areca catechu, Prechardias sit since before summer. The only thing HD has going for it is the pure volume of customers that look through their palms.

Although most of the palms still look pretty darn good for the blazing hot full sun they have them in.

But your palm market over in Miami is totally different than the market over here on the west coast. We do not have nearly the growers that you have. Much less any major exotic growers. Although Pine Island is mostly palm growers, its all coconut and common stuff.

PG

[Jeff Wilson]

Thought I'd chime in on the sun aspect of a juvenile Satenkentia less than 6' (2 meters) planted in full sun......this is not advisable.....they're just far too needy especially in regards to watering at this stage and will succomb to yellowing starting out on the outer fronds which works its way into the inner fronds....after the palm is completely yellow, either time to move it to a shadier area on your property in which it receives only morning sun or just keep your receipt from Home Depot and/or the container to dig up your palm's carcass for store credit as the Satakentia will soon be headed for the great compost bin in the sky. I made the mistake the most make with a small 3' (1 meter) Satakentia planting it out in full/partial sun initially only to watch it yellow to the point of almost no return even with copious amounts of water applied and adequate fertilization....keep in mind I did my best to acclimate the small Satakentia to full sun from September through December so the angle of the sun was much lower with the sun's rays being directed over the southern hemisphere with the daylight hours becoming shorter and shorter....still, it didn't matter.....the Satakentia would not acclimate to full sun, and it had to be moved to a shadier destination. Since its move over 2 years ago to a site that faces due east and within 2 meters of my house in which the Satakentia only receives morning sun, it has flourished. The palm quickly bust out of its yellowing funk and grew a new head (3-4 green fronds) soon after in early spring. The Satakentia is now 9'-10' to the tips of the tallest 2 fronds with the fronds beginning to slowly climb higher than the roof...so (3 meters +) overall. It has no trunk yet, but should have trunk within the next 1-2 years.

[JD in the OC]

I agree with Jeff. Mine is planted in filtered sun, (under a tree) and the 1 frond that is in direct sun turned yellow and . I could see the whole palm doing exactly what Jeff explained. My palm is about the same size as Jeff's also.

[MattyB]

Great, good to know.

[JEFF IN MODESTO]

All of this specialized care seems so peculiar.

My son is in the Navy, stationed in Okinawa.

There Satakentia are planted in the full ... and they are everywhere of varying sizes....

Look great and the weather seems very much like South FL most of the year... lots of High temps with crazy dewpoints... regular tropical storms. ( maybe a soil thing? )

My little one gets full dry 100f sun here in Modesto... but only part of the day... no discoloration, but SLOW growing!

Jeff

[Jeff Wilson]

My thoughts on growing a juvenile Satakentia in mostly shade with only morning sun to avoid necrotic yellowing are only applicable to those individuals growing Satakentias in central and south Florida. It's basically a method of "cheating" here in Florida per say in order to get them to a certain size in which the yellowing no longer is problematic. The reason why juvenile, pretrunking Satakentias in south Florida at <= (6' = 2 meters) yellow in full sun isn't well understood. I'm fairly sure it has something to do with our various sugarsand soils being very nutrient deficient, or completely lacking in staples such as Iron....etc. In any case, once they reach over the roof, they're big enough to hold their own, and the palm at the larger stage should adjust to increasing amounts of sun without significant yellowing. It's very much like a small palm busting through a canopy. What holds true for Florida may or may not hold true elsewhere.....and I'm guessing from your son's observations of Satakentias in Okinawa that the problem in Florida is simply a nutritional problem, particularly our Iron depleted sandy soils noted above in Florida.....To wrap it up, for small Satakentias in Florida, I'll restate: do not plant them in full blazing sun.

[Davidl]

I have had the same problem that Jeff is talking about and my soil has more nutrients then the sandy soil most of south fl has. I had one die on me that was a little smaller than the one in the picture. I have one now the size of the pic but it will stay in partial sun for at least another year.

[Okie]

Interesting. I am growing them in full sun AND they get hit by my salty irrigation well water.

I'm located on the East coast of Florida, in Merritt Island.

[JEFF IN MODESTO]

Anybody have any idea how much cold will take? Mine didn't miss a beat at around 25f next to my house.

It gets full on sun... no yellowing, maybe it likes pacific coast soil?

Jeff

[BS Man about Palms]

Anybody have any idea how much cold will take? Mine didn't miss a beat at around 25f next to my house.

It gets full on sun... no yellowing, maybe it likes pacific coast soil?

Jeff

Unless he's fibbing, Matty, did you see what Jeff wrote? I mean look at his avatar. I just don't know.

[JEFF IN MODESTO]

Fibbing?

Glenn from Modesto has been to my place and seen my palms.

It might have been even colder than 25f ( though the palm is in a protected area on my side yard very close to a towering Lychee tree ) .

I lost several trunking Kings and a Foxtail close by.. but not my Satakentia.... no damage.

As far as my Avatar... there should be zero questions about that. Its a real untouched photo ....

from a wax muesem.

Jeff

[BS Man about Palms]

As far as my Avatar... there should be zero questions about that. Its a real untouched photo ....

from a wax muesem.

Jeff

Its so tiny.....I can't see who it is.... I can think of a few I'd like it to be...

[PalmatierMeg]

Today Laura from HD called me to say two Satakentias had come in. So I roared over and plucked one off the shelf for $69. Wish I had room/$ for both. Now for the pics

[pg6922]

Today Laura from HD called me to say two Satakentias had come in. So I roared over and plucked one off the shelf for $69. Wish I had room/$ for both. Now for the pics

Hey Meg,

Keep me posted on how yours is doing since we are both planting them at the same time. When I planted mine, I mixed in a half bag of Black Kow manure with the sand/dirt I dug out of the hole. I also mixed in 1 lb of 8-10-10 palm fert with the soil. Heavy mulch also. So far everything I've gotten from Morningstar is thriving in my yard. Mine is planting in full blazing sun.

PG