my ravenea xerophila is the first year that is outside, frost resistant lighter?

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Not very silvery for a Ravenea xerophila? The leaflets are usually clustered closer together and are more "upright"?

Sorry for my English .

I mean resistant to -2 ° / 3 ° degrees Celsius?

Not very silvery for a Ravenea xerophila? The leaflets are usually clustered closer together and are more "upright"?

I have bought as Ravenea xerophila , from a seller serious enough

I have to change the title! id Ravenea?

I have to change the title! id Ravenea?

On this photo I see some silver starting on the petioles. It looks like you have a developing heel as well. Allowing for it being grown in a low light condition - I would say that it is a Ravenea xerophila. Gyuseppe - this species likes alot of sun and fast draining soil.

this species likes alot of sun - OK I'll do that

and fast draining soil- OK I'll do that

this species likes alot of sun - OK I'll do that

and fast draining soil- OK I'll do that

Gyuseppe - with time it should start looking like this:

Hi Gyuseppe,

No problem with the English or the ID.

They are very slow and won't be a landscape presence for many years. Frost shouldn't be an issue for you.

The best one I have seen here in chilly NZ was growing in total shade in sandy soil. I have one in full sun and it just continues to shrink away to nothing. One to stick in a forgotten corner of the garden whilst the years tick by!

cheers

Richard

ronald and the Ravenea your in photos?

richnorm the Ravenea xerophila and a palm newly introduced in Europe do not yet know its resistance to cold.

Here are photos of my Ravenea xerophila I got last summer. I don't know its frost-resistance, so I will cover it if temps go to 0C.

Ravenea xerophila

Top/crown

Trunk

Meg, xerophyllas are very hardy so I wouldnt' worry about protecting them from anything other than too much water.

.....just the odd cactus or two there Meg!

I might have to try to find a xerophylla - great looking palm, even when little.

Has anyone grown them from seed?

I found R. glauca germinated really fast and has been painfully slow ever since, R. dransfieldii has yet to germinate after 5 months.

How do these ones perform?

Cheers,

Jonathan

.....just the odd cactus or two there Meg!

I might have to try to find a xerophylla - great looking palm, even when little.

Has anyone grown them from seed?

I found R. glauca germinated really fast and has been painfully slow ever since, R. dransfieldii has yet to germinate after 5 months.

How do these ones perform?

Cheers,

Jonathan

Jonathan, I figured the Ravenea would feel at home with other xerophilic plants. I do worry about it getting too much water during the rainy season but it did all right. Now I don't worry until next summer. It does grow slowly though. Grab one if you get the chance. I've been told they will get really scarce - don't know why.

Yes Gysuseppe that is my palm. It is a misnomer that these palms do not like water. They need a very fast draining soil and are drought tolerant. They will grow at a better rate with regular irrigation. Mine is planted raised in a pile of rock aquired from other holes dug for palms. I have mulched over the rock and have not had any problems in the two years it has been in the ground. In habitat they grow in rocky areas of low rainfall - but when their roots tap a water source the growth rate accelerates. It is still a very slow grower for me - only 3 new fronds per year. Mine is about 4 ft. tall.

This is a very unusual and very rare in habitat palm. I think anyone who can provide for its cultural requirements should do so to preserve it's DNA for future generations.

Ron.

The photo in the original post is definitely a R xerophila probably grown in shade (that's why it's green), and by the looks of it is in much too heavy soil. Treat it like a cycad, letting the surface dry out between waterings in excellent draining soil. Normal potting mix with 25% perlite or coarse sand would do it fine and in full baking sun. This is probably one of those palms that puts its first years in the ground into growing deep roots, much like a Bismarck or Dypsis decipiens, then starts to pick up speed. It has big fat water storing roots which gets it through dry times. But heavy bad draining soil will rot the roots and the growing apex.

This species is exceedingly rare in the wild and from previous forum discussions the seeds for supply were all wild collected and came from 9 trees which have since been all cut down. I hope this isn't true.

I have two specimens and when I do my front garden which will be much sunnier than my rear rainforest garden I will get another one and plant all 3 near each other for prosperity. All Ravenea are dioecous so you need a male and female plant to produce fertile seed. If you're lucky 2 may get you both sexes, 3 increases your chances a great deal, but if you want to save a plant from total extinction plant a minimum of three, look after them, and maybe one day in a few decades you'll have seed that even Madagascar will want and need for reintroduction to the wild.

Jonathan, your R dransfieldii haven't come up either? I got some in probably from the same batch and nothing yet either. R glauca germinated quite quickly, but most seed rotted due to short viability. I got 2 R krociana out of 100 to come up, but again painfully slow. I think if the seed is losing viability, some will come up, but be stunted little things because the food in the seed has gotten old. I may start seasol and powerfeeding my baby Raveneas to give them some nutrient for root growth.

Best regards

Tyrone

I agree with Ron, there is a misnomer that these palms do not like water. Mine gets tons of water, as much as my King palm on the same watering station. It loves it. Just need to make sure to have good draining soil.

Jonathan, your R dransfieldii haven't come up either? I got some in probably from the same batch and nothing yet either. R glauca germinated quite quickly, but most seed rotted due to short viability. I got 2 R krociana out of 100 to come up, but again painfully slow. I think if the seed is losing viability, some will come up, but be stunted little things because the food in the seed has gotten old. I may start seasol and powerfeeding my baby Raveneas to give them some nutrient for root growth.

Best regards

Tyrone

Hmm...interesting Tyrone - we might need to ask the seed supplier if there have been problems with that batch of R. dransfieldii.

Your observation about feeding seedlings that emerge from old seed is something I'd never considered before.

Thanks,

Jonathan

in full sun, and be careful to water with good drainage.

jonathan I bought the plant, in Europe there is a lot availability.

This species is exceedingly rare in the wild and from previous forum discussions the seeds for supply were all wild collected and came from 9 trees which have since been all cut down. I hope this isn't true.

Tyrone our hope that is not true.

All Ravenea are dioecous so you need a male and female plant to produce fertile seed.

I did not know, as I said before in Europe there are many plants at a good price,

let's see how this winter goes well then I take additional

meg congratulations for yours collection cactus !

Jonathan, your R dransfieldii haven't come up either? I got some in probably from the same batch and nothing yet either. R glauca germinated quite quickly, but most seed rotted due to short viability. I got 2 R krociana out of 100 to come up, but again painfully slow. I think if the seed is losing viability, some will come up, but be stunted little things because the food in the seed has gotten old. I may start seasol and powerfeeding my baby Raveneas to give them some nutrient for root growth.

Best regards

Tyrone

Hmm...interesting Tyrone - we might need to ask the seed supplier if there have been problems with that batch of R. dransfieldii.

Your observation about feeding seedlings that emerge from old seed is something I'd never considered before.

Thanks,

Jonathan

I don't think Ravenea seed has good long term viability, however that being said some of my Raveneas have taken many months to come up. I haven't dug down to find out if the R dransfieldii's are finished,but I don't think there is much that can be done from the seed suppliers point of view to improve it. It kind of goes with the territory. Way down here in Oz, with AQIS etc time can tick by and there's nothing we can do about it. I think if we picked these off the tree, put them in a pot instantly, we'd get 100% germination within a month. That's why people like Bo in the tropics can just throw fresh seed into a pot uncleaned and away they go. If we did that they'd all rot.

Best regards

Tyrone

Jonathan, your R dransfieldii haven't come up either? I got some in probably from the same batch and nothing yet either. R glauca germinated quite quickly, but most seed rotted due to short viability. I got 2 R krociana out of 100 to come up, but again painfully slow. I think if the seed is losing viability, some will come up, but be stunted little things because the food in the seed has gotten old. I may start seasol and powerfeeding my baby Raveneas to give them some nutrient for root growth.

Best regards

Tyrone

Hmm...interesting Tyrone - we might need to ask the seed supplier if there have been problems with that batch of R. dransfieldii.

Your observation about feeding seedlings that emerge from old seed is something I'd never considered before.

Thanks,

Jonathan

I don't think Ravenea seed has good long term viability, however that being said some of my Raveneas have taken many months to come up. I haven't dug down to find out if the R dransfieldii's are finished,but I don't think there is much that can be done from the seed suppliers point of view to improve it. It kind of goes with the territory. Way down here in Oz, with AQIS etc time can tick by and there's nothing we can do about it. I think if we picked these off the tree, put them in a pot instantly, we'd get 100% germination within a month. That's why people like Bo in the tropics can just throw fresh seed into a pot uncleaned and away they go. If we did that they'd all rot.

Best regards

Tyrone

Yes, those evil tropical people are just poking fun at us......

You're right about seed supply, although Toby once replaced an order of E. edulis seeds for me which he said were from a bad lot....but I wouldn't expect it on a regular basis - its a hard business in which to gaurantee satisfaction!

Might have a close look at those seeds tomorrow.

Cheers,

Jonathan

gyuseppe - I currently have 4 Ravenea xerophila planted in the ground, however one is still a small seedling. The other three are growing well but slowly in full sun. The 3- larger ones are about this size . . .

Cool cactus garden Meg!

I read someplace that R. xerophila seeds will no longer be available unless the seeds come from cultivated plants which will be several years down the road. It has become extinct in Madagascar, or near extenction.

I have two growing in containers, and one year they were subjected to 25F. with a lathe cover. One had the emerging frond damaged, but the following frond was normal. They should do well in any climate with hot summers and light frosts in the winter. I water mine like any other palm, but excellent drainage is required. I keep mine on the dry side in the colder months. They are SLOW!

Dick

I would say that they're perfect for Mediteranean type climates through to the dry subtropics and dry tropics.

Dick, that confirms what I heard. The alarms bells are well and truly ringing for this species then. I think I should buy a few more that are still around in the nurseries and plant a grove of them. They are perfect for my climate, but I need to put mine in the ground. This could be another situation like Hyophorbe americaulis. Everyone thought it was still around in collections and botanic gardens until they realised that the plants in collections were misidentified. By then it was too late and only one was in existence and it was sterile.

Best regards

Tyrone

Tyrone,

I would imagine that Perth has the perfect climate to grow R. xerophila. If I were you I'd be out looking for some right now as they are not going to be available for many years to come once the ones presently available are sold out.

Dick

True Dick. I know a couple of places that have a few, and they don't really sell because no one really knows what they are. I'm going to definitely plant a few of these around the place now. They're not going to go extinct if I can do anything about it.

Best regards

Tyrone

gyuseppe - I currently have 4 Ravenea xerophila planted in the ground, however one is still a small seedling. The other three are growing well but slowly in full sun. The 3- larger ones are about this size . . .

Al - that is a very nice specimen you got growing there!

Ron.

This species also does very well in full blistering sun in the deserts of Arizona.Finding something different from the old standbys that will tolerate our extreme climate has always been a challenge.This one comes through with flying colors although it is as slow growing for me as a Pseudophoenix - usually 1 new frond per year.I've noticed that the ones I have in a shadier location are bluer than the ones in full sun.Tallest 2 plants are now both at 54 inches.

aztropic

mesa,Arizona

in full sun, and be careful to water with good drainage.

jonathan I bought the plant, in Europe there is a lot availability.

gyuseppe, will you please send me a PM with your suplier to have a look the prices. I am becoming interested on that palm.

thanks to all for info.

canelgat ->no problem I have sent you to mail privately,( sorry ,not send palms this nursery).

but I know others 2 in germany have this plant.

No cold damage on mne.