Socratea exorrhiza

[realarch]

My Socratea is finally starting to put out some new crazy looking stilt roots after being planted from a 5 gallon about 18 months ago. I can only guess that since the palm has already grown a couple of feet that maybe the need for stability triggers root growth. Or maybe the root system has just developed enough below ground to start producing new stilts. The leaves and crown shaft are beautiful, but the base looks like it was designed with a blindfold on. Anyone else have experience with this palm?

Tim

[ariscott]

My experience is not good . They didn't like our dry season and died. I will try again when I have deep shade so I can maintain the humidity better. I think Michael in Tully planted a few at his place... I wonder how they are all going...

I saw the best grown one in a nursery in Bogor, Indonesia...

This one is only a baby

Regards, Ari

[realarch]

Thanks Ari. Boy a trip to Bogor must be off the charts. Too bad your little guy went to palm heaven.

Socratea does well here and can be planted out in full sun. Always LOTS of humidity.

Mine has a great view too which might be why it's doing so well.

Tim

[Ryland]

I don't think I've ever seen such distinct aerial roots on a palm. I don't know anything about it, but thanks for sharing!

[PalmatierMeg]

Tim, cool palm. I hadn't intended to get one because they get tall and are very cold sensitive (zone 11). But last fall while in Homestead I bought several "mystery palms" that included a Calyptrocalyx albertsiana, a Licuala aurantica and one other. The other turned out to be a Socratea exorrhiza. So I have it in a 3g and have tied a styrofoam cup full of damp sphagnum moss around its tiny trunk to encourage stilt root development. It spent much of the winter indoors, esp. when temps fell below 55. I hope it doesn't grow too fast because if I plant it, it will surely be a casualty of winter.

[aussiearoids]

My one planted out is still alive , but not thriving , I can get some much larger ones but am unsure as to placement as the stilts get a little invasive . Bo has posted great pics . But check out this one I took at Flecker , with Mikeys crutch for scale .

There is a row of 3 there .

[Jeff in St Pete]

Nice palm Tim! Love the crownshaft color.

Here's a photo of Socratea roots from Dr Richardson's collection.

That's Iriartea on the left and two Socratea on the right.

[Jonathan]

Aliens are a comin' - run for tha hills boys!

Weird, but somehow alluring...

Cheers,

Jonathan

[peachy]

This is the last straw....I am moving to Costa Rica.

Peachy

[ariscott]

Don't have to move too far, Peachy... They do grow in Cairns quite well...

Regards, Ari

[peachy]

They might grow well in Cairns, but I am quite sure that Cairns would prove fatal for me.

Peachy

[realarch]

Jonathan, looks like that palm would follow you if you made a run for the hills.

Jeff, what great photos! I've started a stilt root palm section, Iriartea, Socaretea, Wettinia, and Crysophila. Interesting

looking stuff.

Tim

[brodklop]

Tim, throw in a pandanus and the Ents are definitely on the march.

My Socratea is still alive. I grew it from seed. But it struggles through winter.

[cobra2326]

Does anyone know if it's true that these palms will actually 'walk' if the canopy opens up nearby?

[garrin]

My Socratea is finally starting to put out some new crazy looking stilt roots after being planted from a 5 gallon about 18 months ago. I can only guess that since the palm has already grown a couple of feet that maybe the need for stability triggers root growth. Or maybe the root system has just developed enough below ground to start producing new stilts. The leaves and crown shaft are beautiful, but the base looks like it was designed with a blindfold on. Anyone else have experience with this palm?

Tim

Aloha Tim,

I notice in your photos that nice stilt roots are forming in a fairly sunny spot. For some reason my ones that get any sun at all on newly growing roots usually get the tips of the exposed new roots killed rather quickly by the sun.

But I have seen others around our area that do fine with roots in the sun. I have tree ferns growing over the bases of my socrateas or one shaded by a large tree gardenia. It's the only way I can get the root growth ccontinuing on into the ground. I think it is probably sunnier here than in Hilo. And Bo Lundkvist has beautiful socrateas putting out healthy roots in the sun, and my property is just about right in the middle of your two gardens.

But I know Bo's garden gets a little more cloud cover than here also. Just watch out for your stilt root tips if it gets hot and sunny!

[realarch]

So far so good Garrin, been in full sun for awhile now. This is the first time it's put out more than one stilt root at a time,

so we'll see if they make it to the ground. The little guy you gave me is looking healthier every day.

Tim

[peachy]

Does anyone know if it's true that these palms will actually 'walk' if the canopy opens up nearby?

Only when the light is green at the crossing.

Peachy

[Dewayne in Ticolandia]

As the old philosopher must have said, "The prettiest plants are often defaced by the lowliest insect".

My Socratea stilt roots are attacked presumably by insects that cause a lesion on one side of the root tip. The root growth is halted under the lesion,while the rest of the root continues to grow, resulting in the formation of a hook. This prevents the root from reaching the soil. I have been remiss in that I have not tried to protect the stilt root tips with insecticide.

Hooked stilt roots are also seen the Costa Rican rainforest where Socratea grows naturally.

[realarch]

Getting a kick out if this Socratea and wanted to post a follow up photo of the root system

taken today compared to the one from mid April. I didn't realize the stilt roots grew that

fast.

Dewayne, mine have a few 'hooks' as well and maybe that's just how some of them grow having

nothing to do with insect damage.

Tim

[hanapalms]

I don't doubt that those trees walk. But not for me, my whole batch of seedlings dropped off one at a time until there were none. Does it grow in Hilo? Did I mess up? We have lots of hala (pandanus) around, the largest forest in the state to be exact. They all have stilt roots. But no Socratea that I know of.

[peachy]

At least I can grow Pandanus with impunity !! I have decided that if any of the uninformed ask me what they are from now on I am going to say a rare form of Socratea. People have fibbed about Dypsis names for a decade and get away with it.

Peachy

[tjwalters]

Getting a kick out if this Socratea and wanted to post a follow up photo of the root system

taken today compared to the one from mid April. I didn't realize the stilt roots grew that

fast.

Dewayne, mine have a few 'hooks' as well and maybe that's just how some of them grow having

nothing to do with insect damage.

Tim

Those roots look like alien probes. There are some really great illustrative shots in this thread!

Tim - you might want to add Chamaedorea tepejilote to your stilt root palm section.

[ariscott]

I will try again... once I have more canopy. They are worth the effort...

Regards, Ari

[Dewayne in Ticolandia]

Tim

Regarding the hooks on Socratea stilt roots:

I treated 5 developing stilt roots with an insecticide spray ( Decis ) weekly during their 3 week rapid elongation phase. They went straight as an arrow into the soil.

I admit this doesn't prove hooked roots are caused by insect damage, but it tends to support the hypothesis.

[bayside mike]

Does anyone know if it's true that these palms will actually 'walk' if the canopy opens up nearby?

Only when the light is green at the crossing.

Peachy

That's what I was gonna say.

[amazondk]

My father in law brought me a bag of seeds that he said were Iriartella setigera of which there are a lot of in the forest on his land up the river. But, they turned out to be Socretea seeds instead. A lot of them are germinating in the plastic bag. I have others planted and they popping up in the pots. So, I guess I will have some to plant at our country place. They will grow real well in the secondary forest area. This palm is used for making walls and floors in the country. The stem is split open and the pith removed. The strips are then used.

dk