Kaihoka Lakes nikau

[Bennz]

For anyone looking for a R. sapida with wind and drought tolerance this nikau provenance from the northernmost tip of NZ South Island has to be one of the best. Can grow on sand in a very summer-dry area in constant wind from the Tasman Sea, and still look great.

Check out these great (copyrighted) pictures;

http://www.40south.co.nz/search.htm?page=1&category=&keyword=nikau-palm-%28rhopalostylis-sapida%29

[wildpalm]

ICONIC!! So do you still want to plant Bangalows everywhere?

[Bennz]

ICONIC!! So do you still want to plant Bangalows everywhere?

Yes! bangalows in the forest cover and generally wind protected background, nikaus out front.

Very cool pictures, I doubt many nikaus would handle that site. This must be a population with genetic potential to exploit. Are you growing any A?

[peachy]

They are really nice looking rhopies. So many get ratty looking, but these are great.

Peachy

[Jonathan]

yes please.....yes please.....yes please.....yes please.....yes please.....etc.

Magnificent!

[PalmatierMeg]

Beautiful. Wish I could grow this palm.

[mcwolf]

Thanks for the cool pics. Looks like the most southern tropics

Who needs coconuts when Rhapis grow in the sand as well. Will save a lot of money for compost.

Cheers from 34 degrees south,

Wolfe

[peachy]

Thanks for the cool pics. Looks like the most southern tropics

Who needs coconuts when Rhapis grow in the sand as well. Will save a lot of money for compost.

Cheers from 34 degrees south,

Wolfe

Wolfe, New Zealand is temperate, (a nice word for bloody cold) not tropical at all. Nikaus might be okay for you as long as it doesnt get too hot. They are definately better for cool climate area.

Peachy

[mangolorry]

I suspect that those photos are not genuine. Wouldn't have been taken on April 1 would they?.

[Dundo]

Is this the same variety?

http://www.rarepalmseeds.com/shop/RhoSou.shtml

Edited April 22, 2010 by Dundo

[richnorm]

I suspect that those photos are not genuine. Wouldn't have been taken on April 1 would they?.

I can't vouch for the authenticity of those photos but I have seen Nikau growing in sand on the coast. Nikau are more drought tolerant than you might think in a humid climate. This summer has been very dry for us and whilst tree ferns are having a hard time of it you can find Nikau seedlings alive and looking fine in bone dry and rock hard clay at my place!

[Jonathan]

I suspect that those photos are not genuine. Wouldn't have been taken on April 1 would they?.

I suspect you are wrong.....Look Here

If you zoom in on the area in google earth you will find a link to these photo's.

I would say these palms are survivors of a forest thats been slowly consumed by the dunes - its a pretty common scenario in coastal areas.

Now do I deserve some of these palms Ben?

Cheers,

Jonathan

[Tyrone]

Looking at Jonathan's link they're real alright. Must be a sand dune consuming the forest. So you can add 15ft of sand to a base of a Nikau and it do OK. Not sure if I'll ever need to do that, but if ever I do, I'll know it's fine. I love Nikaus, all the different kinds. If I bought a couple of hectares on the south coast I'd plant about a thousand of them all over the place. They're really beautiful, and now I know they'll grow in sand. Although I kind of knew that from growing them here. Unusual to see them in that much sand though. They must cop some incredible winds there too, and i bet the pulp on the seeds gets sandblasted off while they hang on the tree.

Best regards

Tyrone

[niftinfiftin]

Very amazing photos! And yes, they are most definitely true palms. I haven't seen the ones right on the beach there, but the main palms at Kaihoka Lakes are magnificent, very large thick trunks, and open crown shafts. It's a very isolated area of New Zealand, there's only a single dirt road to that area, with most the the adjacent land held in some very large family farms. Hopefully I can make it over to do some seed collection this year, or early next.

Nathan

[Tyrone]

Very amazing photos! And yes, they are most definitely true palms. I haven't seen the ones right on the beach there, but the main palms at Kaihoka Lakes are magnificent, very large thick trunks, and open crown shafts. It's a very isolated area of New Zealand, there's only a single dirt road to that area, with most the the adjacent land held in some very large family farms. Hopefully I can make it over to do some seed collection this year, or early next.

Nathan

Sounds like my kind of place. I think this species would do very well in the sand plains of the Perth area and the South West.

Tyrone

[GTClover]

For anyone looking for a R. sapida with wind and drought tolerance this nikau provenance from the northernmost tip of NZ South Island has to be one of the best. Can grow on sand in a very summer-dry area in constant wind from the Tasman Sea, and still look great.

Check out these great (copyrighted) pictures;

http://www.40south.c...tylis-sapida%29

Hi Bennz, I finally went though all of these photos today. Great photos and a very beautiful place. New Zealand has long been in my top 10 of places I want to visit, spending time on this forum has added some new places to my list and my desire to see NZ hasn't decreased at all! I've got a lot of traveling to do; guess I better get started soon!

Susan

[Mike in Nelson]

Hi everyone. My name is Mike and I'm new here. I live in Nelson New Zealand which is close to Kaihoka Lakes. Visited the area last summer a took a few pics. Bennz would like a few seeds (thousands in fact!) next time I visit Kaihoka. Only saw part fo the area on my first visit so another visit definitely on the cards.

Here's few pics for your viewing pleasure.

[John in Andalucia]

Hi Mike, Welcome to the forum!

[Jonathan]

Hi everyone. My name is Mike and I'm new here. I live in Nelson New Zealand which is close to Kaihoka Lakes. Visited the area last summer a took a few pics. Bennz would like a few seeds (thousands in fact!) next time I visit Kaihoka. Only saw part fo the area on my first visit so another visit definitely on the cards.

Here's few pics for your viewing pleasure.

Hi Mike,

Dont worry about Ben (he prefers fan palms) - send the seeds straight to Tasmania!

Nice to see another Far Southerner stepping up to the Palm Punishment Plate!

By the way - your South Island Nikaus are possibly the most beautiful palms in the world.

Cheers,

Jonathan

[peachy]

Welcome Mike, nice to see someone so clever that they can even load photos without years of experience. It's always a treat to know one more person living in a difficult climate is ready to jump into palm growing. Ignore that tasmanian person, any spare seeds should definately come my way .... ......They are a wicked and grasping lot down there. I look forward to seeing you participate further in the forums.

Peachy

[Jonathan]

Welcome Mike, nice to see someone so clever that they can even load photos without years of experience. It's always a treat to know one more person living in a difficult climate is ready to jump into palm growing. Ignore that tasmanian person, any spare seeds should definately come my way .... ......They are a wicked and grasping lot down there. I look forward to seeing you participate further in the forums.

Peachy

'Wicked and grasping' is a bit rich Peachy....but I admit that we do have a colourful heritage!

Cheers,

Jonathan

[Tyrone]

Hi everyone. My name is Mike and I'm new here. I live in Nelson New Zealand which is close to Kaihoka Lakes. Visited the area last summer a took a few pics. Bennz would like a few seeds (thousands in fact!) next time I visit Kaihoka. Only saw part fo the area on my first visit so another visit definitely on the cards.

Here's few pics for your viewing pleasure.

Welcome Mike. It's great to have a new southerner on board. I love the Rhopies. Any and all of them. They stay happy through our winters which they just love.

Best regards

Tyrone

[peachy]

Mike before sending poor innocent seeds to that wicked little island underneath us, google truganinni and see what awful fate could befall them.

Peachy

[GTClover]

Great palms photos!

Susan

Edited May 1, 2010 by GTClover

[niftinfiftin]

Some more photos of the area, and palms on this post...

My link

[Mike in Nelson]

Hi everyone. My name is Mike and I'm new here. I live in Nelson New Zealand which is close to Kaihoka Lakes. Visited the area last summer a took a few pics. Bennz would like a few seeds (thousands in fact!) next time I visit Kaihoka. Only saw part fo the area on my first visit so another visit definitely on the cards.

Here's few pics for your viewing pleasure.

Welcome Mike. It's great to have a new southerner on board. I love the Rhopies. Any and all of them. They stay happy through our winters which they just love.

Best regards

Tyrone

So they grow ok in Perth then? Thought the summers might be a bit severe. But they do well in Southern California apparently - much to my suprise.

[Tyrone]

Hi everyone. My name is Mike and I'm new here. I live in Nelson New Zealand which is close to Kaihoka Lakes. Visited the area last summer a took a few pics. Bennz would like a few seeds (thousands in fact!) next time I visit Kaihoka. Only saw part fo the area on my first visit so another visit definitely on the cards.

Here's few pics for your viewing pleasure.

Welcome Mike. It's great to have a new southerner on board. I love the Rhopies. Any and all of them. They stay happy through our winters which they just love.

Best regards

Tyrone

So they grow ok in Perth then? Thought the summers might be a bit severe. But they do well in Southern California apparently - much to my suprise.

They are more of a shade palm here. Some do grow OK in fullsun provided they are well irrigated, but in the shade they look fantastic.

Best regards

Tyrone

[Caryota_gigas]

There are more Kaihoka Lakes Nikau pics on the PACSONZ site.

West Coast Nikau.

[Jonathan]

There are more Kaihoka Lakes Nikau pics on the PACSONZ site.

West Coast Nikau.

Magic.

[Ken Johnson]

When I first started to study palms 28 years ago I thought these were the coolest (no pun intended) palms in the world! Now I am sure of it. They are extream in many ways and beautiful too.

Some of the other palms from isolated areas of the world are cool too like Pseudophoenix and Ceroxylon but I think the latitude makes these the most unique.

[nomolos]

Superb palms