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Arenga micrantha


FRITO

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Ive read the cold damage data and it seems that it may not be as hardy as it was thought to be when discovered.

where exactly are these palms native to? researching the native climate and weather patterns is always fun.

please post any info you have on this palm along with photos (even if it is small :rolleyes: ) groowth rates, sun exposure, etc.

is this just a larger version of Arenga engleri?

Luke

Tallahassee, FL - USDA zone 8b/9a

63" rain annually

January avg 65/40 - July avg 92/73

North Florida Palm Society - http://palmsociety.blogspot.com/

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According to the Kew site, it is native to;

SE. Tibet to E. Himalaya

We have had some planted for about 6 years now. They are slow growers, ours are in bright shade. So far they aren't thick clumpers, one main stem and 2-3 offshoots. They have tolerated 27-28F with no damage.

img_0761.jpg

Eric

Orlando, FL

zone 9b/10a

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How does tremula fare in the cold. I have seedling in the greenhouse and am not sure if they will survive outside in So-Cal.

Ed Mijares

Whittier, Ca

Psyco Palm Collector Wheeler Dealer

Zone 10a?

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How does tremula fare in the cold. I have seedling in the greenhouse and am not sure if they will survive outside in So-Cal.

Here Arenga tremula has shown damage at 27-28F.

Eric

Orlando, FL

zone 9b/10a

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The micrantha that I posted info about in the cold damage data is still kicking and was working on putting on its second (undamaged, normal looking) leaf of the year. The freeze definitely set it back. I have a similarly aged one in a pot that I bring in from the cold that is starting to push its 4 leaf of the year.

This plant basically stops growing for me when it cools down with lows in the 50s F and highs in the upper 70s.

Jason

Gainesville, Florida

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I planted one a number of years ago... freezes in 99 knocked it off. I am trying a second one. they grow so slow though much smaller than Leu gardens one and about 5 years olds.

Ed

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I have several Micrantha at home, Im in Oregon right now. One died at 23, other 2 suffered minor damage (almost none at all), in the open strangly enough and are prefectly fine now. Slow growers here. Some of the Micrantha live at high altitudes.

I have heard some reports that they take snow, and frost, but I dont know if they are correct.

Edited by Palmy

Meteorologist and PhD student in Climate Science

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This plant basically stops growing for me when it cools down with lows in the 50s F and highs in the upper 70s.

That would be my observation as well. This is a plant that needs a warm humid growing season in summer. If it grows vigorously and winter is relatively dry, it will stand a certain degree of cold. But it is not a palm for mild areas with coolish summers. Central Florida and southern Texas are probably the most likely areas for its success in the U.S. I had one that was satisfactory in the greenhouse, but stalled as soon as it was planted out.

Brookings, OR, Pacific Coast of USA at 42° N.  Temperate rainforest climate, USDA Zone 9b, juncture of Sunset Zones 5 and 17.

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Here is a small one in Gainesville, Florida. It hasn't gone through a winter yet, but it is planted in a very good microclimate. It opened one frond this summer that was substantially larger than the previous frond.

post-305-1226602360_thumb.jpg

I'm always up for learning new things!

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My growing experience is very different. I put a knee high specimen in-ground 2.5 years ago and it is now head height. It hates the wind but thrives in our cool humid climate and wet puggy clay. It grows through winter at a reasonable pace (opens a leaf mid-winter ). I have it in half day sun but it seems to be searching for more. I bought some seed last year but got very low germination rates.

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I have a few seedlings Of A.micrantha and want to plant them in the ground ,since my A. engleri´s only really grew after put in the ground. My engleris grow fine in the sun and I´m wondering were to plant my micranthas. In shade, sun, red clayish soil or wetter black soil.....?

Carambeí, 2nd tableland of the State Paraná , south Brazil.

Alt:1030m. Native palms: Queen, B. eriospatha, B. microspadix, Allagoptera leucocalyx , A.campestris, Geonoma schottiana, Trithrinax acanthocoma. Subtr. climate, some frosty nights. No dry season. August: driest month. Rain:1700mm

 

I am seeking for cold hardy palms!

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The micrantha is interesting. There are reports of it growing painfully slowly and some reports of it growing at a fast clip. Here in the bay area, I have not seen it grow very fast at all. It may push out one fond a year here, last summer it got out 2! I will get a pic up here when I get back to the bay. Very nice white underside.

Meteorologist and PhD student in Climate Science

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I'll post a pic of my Micrantha when I get a chance. It was thrashed by hurricane Ike in September.

It's opening a brand new frond right now, though. The overall height is around 10' from a seedling in

probably '03 - so it's not my fastest palm. And, the thing is suckering like crazy. I put it beside the

driveway just because I thought it wouldn't form a clump, but that's just what it's doing. I need to

give some pups away.

Steve

USDA Zone 9a/b, AHS Heat Zone 9, Sunset Zone 28

49'/14m above sea level, 25mi/40km to Galveston Bay

Long-term average rainfall 47.84"/1215mm

Near-term (7yr) average rainfall 55.44"/1410mm

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I have two A. micranthas, and it's the slowest growing palm I have with maybe 1 frond a year. With some protection overhead mine have taken 25F with no damage. This summer a new spear was about to open as we were having a heat wave. It got up to 113F and cooked the spear. Apparently they won't take extream heat either.

Dick

  • Upvote 1

Richard Douglas

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This is one of the few palms that is not extremely slow in my challenged growing conditions! This plant would not have seen much above 25C and never experienced frost. As you can see it does not take wind well at all (though this last winter just ended was exceptionally wet and windy) but once in-ground size increases rapidly with each new leaf. You can also see from the photo how threadbare the grass looks. That's because the ground is like a bowl of porridge for six months a year! I get about four leaves per year. No clumping yet.

cheers Richard

arenga.jpg

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  • 4 weeks later...

Thanks everyone for the comments. I got a few 1 gallons from JD anderson about a month ago. They transplanted fine bareroot as its been quite cool here.

Rich nice palm!

Luke

Tallahassee, FL - USDA zone 8b/9a

63" rain annually

January avg 65/40 - July avg 92/73

North Florida Palm Society - http://palmsociety.blogspot.com/

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A. micrantha is growing at a steady but slow rate for me...1 leaf a year although I think I had 2 this year. Its in bright shade, and is too close to another large palm so I think its a bit on the dry side. I havent noticed it growing during the 40F-60F highs we experience in the winter......

post-376-1229184436_thumb.jpg

Glenn

Modesto, California

 

Sunset Zone 14   USDA 9b

 

Low Temp. 19F/-7C 12-20-1990         

 

High Temp. 111F/43C 07-23-2006

 

Annual Average Precipitation 13.12 inches/yr.

 

             

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....but I am certain A engleri continues growth in cold temperatures because mine is currently opening a frond.

post-376-1229184604_thumb.jpg

post-376-1229184628_thumb.jpg

Glenn

Modesto, California

 

Sunset Zone 14   USDA 9b

 

Low Temp. 19F/-7C 12-20-1990         

 

High Temp. 111F/43C 07-23-2006

 

Annual Average Precipitation 13.12 inches/yr.

 

             

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I have given up trying to grow Arenga micrantha and A. engleri. They grow slowly for me in a container, but when I plant them they stop growing. My small A engleri justs sits, grows more clorotic and dares me to dig it up. I think they need more night time heat in the summer and they don't like my dense soil. Wallichia disticha is another palm that just sits and will not grow for me. All 3 take temps down to about 25F with no cold damage.

Dick

  • Upvote 1

Richard Douglas

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Have you tried Wallichia caryotoides or W. densiflora? Both are hardy into the mid 20sF maybe a little lower.

W. caryotoides

939a.jpg

W. densiflora, with unusual inflorescence

img_0872.jpg

img_0864.jpg

Eric

Orlando, FL

zone 9b/10a

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I love Arenga, but the only one I got growing is engleri which I have in my jungle garden and is in flower now..... I would love to try others but not sure which ones would do well... ( mostly take cold)..... I would like to try ambong, microcarpa, tremula....

below is a photo of a friend in my jungle next to my engleri

post-111-1229715093_thumb.jpg

Phoenix Area, Arizona USA

Low Desert...... Zone 9b

Jan ave 66 high and 40 low

July ave 105 high and 80 low

About 4 to 8 frost a year...ave yearly min temp about 27F

About 8 inches of rain a year.

Low Desert

Phoenix.gif

Cool Mtn climate at 7,000'

Parks.gif

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A. micrantha at my place took several nasty frosts this year with no damage. I live just down the road from Richard (Richnorm see posts above) and find these are fine in Auckland. I am currently measuring growth rates of palms for a magazine article and can tell you that A. micrantha is currently growing at between 6 and 14mm overnight, and nothing during the day. Temps here currently average approx 24°C day, and 13°C night.

Michael

Auckland

New Zealand

www.nznikau.com

http://nzpalmandcycad.com

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Eric,

I misspoke when I said A disticha. I meant to say Wallichia densiflora. I don't think A. disticha would have a chance here. There are a lot palms that will take my minimum temps. but just not enough night heat to grow. My nights are usually upper 50's to mid 60's in the summer time.

Dick

  • Upvote 1

Richard Douglas

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  • 5 years later...

This is one of the few palms that is not extremely slow in my challenged growing conditions! This plant would not have seen much above 25C and never experienced frost. As you can see it does not take wind well at all (though this last winter just ended was exceptionally wet and windy) but once in-ground size increases rapidly with each new leaf. You can also see from the photo how threadbare the grass looks. That's because the ground is like a bowl of porridge for six months a year! I get about four leaves per year. No clumping yet.

cheers Richard

arenga.jpg

very nice

Coral Gables, FL 8 miles North of Fairchild USDA Zone 10B

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The micrantha that I posted info about in the cold damage data is still kicking and was working on putting on its second (undamaged, normal looking) leaf of the year. The freeze definitely set it back. I have a similarly aged one in a pot that I bring in from the cold that is starting to push its 4 leaf of the year.

This plant basically stops growing for me when it cools down with lows in the 50s F and highs in the upper 70s.

If Yours doesn't grow with highs in the upper 70s and lows in the 50s then it's guaranteed not a micrantha. Those are my usual growing conditions and mine really grows well even with lows in the 40's and highs that barely make it into the 60's in the Winter.

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Planted a couple of one gallons a few years ago. One died that was exposed to afternoon sun. The other by south side of house is growing very slowly.

One very small arenga sort of tucked under a redwood survived winter just fine.

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Wow only five years ago. The suckers are now bigger than that plant.

Please post a picture.

Jason

Gainesville, Florida

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Took this one 12 months ago -raining and windy out there so best I can do - quite a lot of growth since. Trunk is about six feet tall and a 2 feet across at the base. Must be a dozen suckers, some with about 8 foot leaves.

post-264-0-87215000-1397677486_thumb.jpg

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Great growth Rich

I have one in my shade house that is about 15 m tall and is extremely slow . My best bet would be to get it into the ground !

Old Beach ,Hobart
Tasmania ,Australia. 42 " south
Cool Maritime climate

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Great growth Rich

I have one in my shade house that is about 15 m tall and is extremely slow . My best bet would be to get it into the ground !

15 meters? Wow, must be one hell of a shade house.

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Great growth Rich

I have one in my shade house that is about 15 m tall and is extremely slow . My best bet would be to get it into the ground !

15 meters? Wow, must be one hell of a shade house.

LOL I meant 15 cm ! My tallest palm is only 4 m ! typo Axel !

Old Beach ,Hobart
Tasmania ,Australia. 42 " south
Cool Maritime climate

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Come on Axel, He probably just missed a decimal point, and you know it's not .15m

Of course it's a typo, now I was actually thinking he meant 1.5m but as it turns out it's more like 15cm.

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The micrantha that I posted info about in the cold damage data is still kicking and was working on putting on its second (undamaged, normal looking) leaf of the year. The freeze definitely set it back. I have a similarly aged one in a pot that I bring in from the cold that is starting to push its 4 leaf of the year.

This plant basically stops growing for me when it cools down with lows in the 50s F and highs in the upper 70s.

If Yours doesn't grow with highs in the upper 70s and lows in the 50s then it's guaranteed not a micrantha. Those are my usual growing conditions and mine really grows well even with lows in the 40's and highs that barely make it into the 60's in the Winter.

Micrantha grows slowly but keeps its color and gains size at the San Francisco Botanical Garden, where we're lucky if we get 45 days a year over 70F. They're all in shade, I think.

Arenga engleri, on the other hand, has never survived more than five years there, after stalling out and slowly losing color.

Jason Dewees

Inner Sunset District

San Francisco, California

Sunset zone 17

USDA zone 10a

21 inches / 530mm annual rainfall, mostly October to April

Humidity averages 60 to 85 percent year-round.

Summer: 67F/55F | 19C/12C

Winter: 56F/44F | 13C/6C

40-year extremes: 96F/26F | 35.5C/-3.8C

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