What is the Ultimate palm?

[Mandrew968]

How many of you voted against Fallaensis after seeing an adult palm? I admit, I have not seen a mature Jubea, but the photos are impressive, if not always symetrical...

[TikiRick]

For me, I will never forget standing beneath a grove of tall, 60-80' swaying coconut palms on a black beach in Hawaii.

THE King of all kings is the Coconut. It's where the tropics begin and end...

[sarasota alex]

THE King of all kings is the Coconut. It's where the tropics begin and end...

Couldn't have said it better myself!

[Gileno Machado]

I'm still in the minimalist phase...

The most incredible palm is also the smallest...Syagrus liliputiana, once thought to be extinct forever and then re-discovered in habitat...

Here are seven adult individuals, 20 cm tall...oops, don't step on them please !!

[Mandrew968]

I'm still in the minimalist phase...

The most incredible palm is also the smallest...Syagrus liliputiana, once thought to be extinct forever and then re-discovered in habitat...

Here are seven adult individuals, 20 cm tall...oops, don't step on them please !!

Very cool!

[Mandrew968]

For me, I will never forget standing beneath a grove of tall, 60-80' swaying coconut palms on a black beach in Hawaii.

THE King of all kings is the Coconut. It's where the tropics begin and end...

You're lucky you came out of it alive--a bunch of adult coconuts in the breeze, UNDERNEATH them?! Sounds like a guantlet...

[Kumar]

For me, I will never forget standing beneath a grove of tall, 60-80' swaying coconut palms on a black beach in Hawaii.

THE King of all kings is the Coconut. It's where the tropics begin and end...

You're lucky you came out of it alive--a bunch of adult coconuts in the breeze, UNDERNEATH them?! Sounds like a guantlet...

Na - coconuts are very predictable and people familiar with them can tell easily when they are going to fall. Now if you want a gauntlet, go stand below a fruit laden borassus.

[TikiRick]

Yes, those of us who can 'read' a palm ready to drop seed (cocnuts) stand far enough away. My buddy is a personal injury attorney (I know, I know) who brings forth many cases of coconuts falling on unsuspecting tourists at beaches, cafes, and even driving along public streets.

Regardless, I keep my seeds trimmed, thank you.

[Mandrew968]

Kumar, my palms have no words

[Jimhardy]

The one you can keep happy in your zone!

[Palmzilla]

Dypsis decipiens for me, looks crazy cool and can take a heavy frost with no damage

[Ice Blue]

For me it's Phoenix canariensis for mediterranean climates and cocos nucifera for the tropics. The CIDP is just truly majestic, huge and gorgeous. Cocos nucifera is simply the universal emblem of palm trees and the tropics. Also just like true alpha dogs both can also seriously jack you up if you don't show respect. CIDPs can slice you fast if you prune carelessly or get too close and Cocos nucifera likewise can knock you out with a cocotazo to the head if you're not careful.

[Niu]

Cocos nucifera!

[PalmnutVN]

Nypa fruticans

[sonoranfans]

Nypa fruticans

gorgeous, great pic! I guessing these like water!

[olivier971]

The king ?

Of course, Dypsis decipiens !!

[sur4z]

Cocos of course, but C.fallaensis and Lemurophoenix are close seconds.

[tropicbreeze]

I was most awestruck when I first saw Joey magnifica. But standing under a canopy of Licuala ramsayi is just magic.

[Kris]

Hi,

Iam always fan of the Jurassic palms and giant palms,So Corypha Umbraculifera was my first choice in this poll.And they grow like crazy in our hot tropical climate !

And here is a visual of that,Just feast on it !

Love,

Kris

[Halekuma]

Dypsis Decipiens for me. Even being quite common for everybody, roystonea regia in second.

[Niu]

I was most awestruck when I first saw Joey magnifica. But standing under a canopy of Licuala ramsayi is just magic.

Wow! That's so beautiful... Thank you.

[Shirleypalmpaws]

Kris---that's just crazy! I vote for your crazy palm!

[_Keith]

Gee, which one of those will grow in Zone 9a? I guess that list would look a bit different in the Cold Hardy palms forum.

[_Keith]

For me it's Phoenix canariensis for mediterranean climates and cocos nucifera for the tropics. The CIDP is just truly majestic, huge and gorgeous. Cocos nucifera is simply the universal emblem of palm trees and the tropics. Also just like true alpha dogs both can also seriously jack you up if you don't show respect. CIDPs can slice you fast if you prune carelessly or get too close and Cocos nucifera likewise can knock you out with a cocotazo to the head if you're not careful.

Phoenix canariensis, yes, thank you.

[rprimbs]

Hi,

Iam always fan of the Jurassic palms and giant palms,So Corypha Umbraculifera was my first choice in this poll.And they grow like crazy in our hot tropical climate !

And here is a visual of that,Just feast on it !

Love,

Kris

I'm with you. The "ultimate" palm has to be the biggest! I also vote or Corypha umbraculifera

[Jose Maria]

The one palm most dear to my heart!

Here an Elaeis guineensis , african oilpalm or oilpalm, two years after transplant.

An amazing palm..... the whole area here lives from these palms.

A very fast grower compared to others .

[dan.vagnoni]

The one palm most dear to my heart!

Here an Elaeis guineensis , african oilpalm or oilpalm, two years after transplant.

An amazing palm..... the whole area here lives from these palms.

A very fast grower compared to others .

This might well could be the ultimate palm, simply by how many other palms and rainforest species are destroyed so these pos palms can be mass planted...

[Jeff Searle]

Lodoicea maldivica is pretty high up there for me.

Of course! How did I forget that one?!

Not hard to do, you have only been into palms for less than a year or so. Your a newbie!

[Jimhardy]

This one!

Edited March 5, 2013 by Jimhardy

[Jose Maria]

:Answering dag.vagnoni:

I am well aware of this controversy:oilpalm against wildlife , etc...

In Costa Rica palm producers adhere to international protocols to protect as much as possible wildlife .Most of the land planted in oipalm was pasture and bananas.The rainforest was already gone.Can we blame the early( centuries ago) farmers who did this?

Besides around 25% of the country is already a national park or under some other protection. Should we protect more...50%, 75% or 100% ??

What are the alternatives to oilpam?? Soybeans ?Peanuts, etc..??...no easy solutions to these problems.

[amazondk]

:Answering dag.vagnoni:

I am well aware of this controversy:oilpalm against wildlife , etc...

In Costa Rica palm producers adhere to international protocols to protect as much as possible wildlife .Most of the land planted in oipalm was pasture and bananas.The rainforest was already gone.Can we blame the early( centuries ago) farmers who did this?

Besides around 25% of the country is already a national park or under some other protection. Should we protect more...50%, 75% or 100% ??

What are the alternatives to oilpam?? Soybeans ?Peanuts, etc..??...no easy solutions to these problems.

You forgot Cattle. Here in Brazil oil palms are grown on degraded land to a large degree former pasture land. Personally I see no problem in converting degraded forest land to a palm plantation. Indonesia is a much different animal from the Americas. There is more degraded forest in Amazonia than there is forest in Indonesia. And, that is about 18 percent of the total Brazilian region. And, it is likely that about 15 percent of Amazonia was deforested by the precolombian inhabitants 500 years ago. If properly managed oil palms can be a positive crop. And, they can help create income for many who have none. At least around these parts.

dk

[Jose Maria]

Thank you for your comments amazondk. Nice to know somebody thinks like me.

Like you wrote:And, they can help create income for many who have none.

Very important : about 20 years ago all farmers planted corn, this crop produced a very low income. In a village there was only one television black and white ,...

Now with oilpalm derived incomes have people driving cars, color tv, better education, ..a complete change due to oilpalm.

[PalmatierMeg]

I know a lot of hate is directed toward the oil palm so I generally don't mention this species. Nor do I want to engage in debates about the evil that men do. But I have two in the ground that I germinated from seeds I collected from a huge palm in a Fort Myers park. The park was created in 1955 and the mother palm may have been an original occupant. If people would set aside their bias, they would see that this is a beautiful palm in its own right. My juvenile oils have a "Jurassic Park" look I find fascinating. Their lime green fronds have long, feathery leaflets that catch the eye. This is a cold-sensitive palm but I hope mine continue to survive but they are on their own. As far as I'm concerned this palm merits space in my garden as much as any ipsy-pipsy Dypsis (and I have those too). I rather fancy a palm named Dypsis ipsypipsia.

[dan.vagnoni]

I didn't mean to come off rude, or bring up a huge debate. I also understand that these countries and there governments seek environmental conservation as much as the next guy, and whats done is done, and what pays the most, pays the most; this is universal. I also know that I can't point a finger at the tree directly for being so successful or useful rather, because I know the tree didn't cut down everything and plant itself... But when I can hold an industry like the oil palm directly responsible for never being able to see a Johannesteijsmannia magnifica in habitat every again, thats when I get upset. Because its not a distant threat, or about to happen. Its happening everyday, but like you said, what alternatives are there?

Edited March 7, 2013 by dan.vagnoni

[Jose Maria]

Hi Meg,

I am intrigued about your Dypsis ipspipsia....can´t find it in Google.... Is it a Triangular Dypsis?

And yes, here we have no way to know if a palm is cold sensitive, we simply never have "cold" here. Sometimes I find are oilpalms that were planted as ornamentals in colder areas of Costa Rica, but very little fruit and slow growing,

[Jose Maria]

Replying to dan.vagnoni:

Somehow all over the tropics , the oilpalm is seen as the "evil plant". Nobody cares if you cut down a forest for grazing land, coffe plantations, pineapple, banana, etc... you name it . The only "evil guy" in the picture is always the oilpalm.

Looking closely at oilpalm cultivation we can see that it uses as a crop far less chemicals( herbicide etc) than any other crop. Also it is a permanent cover for tropical soils, no erosion..

Markets now are also demanding that producers comply to international protocols to protect the environment.Other crops and cattle are never "questioned "in this way.

As far as Johannesteijsmannia magnifica, it is a famous palm, I have a small one, will plant it in the garden this year . Eventually we could plant some in the wild here and see them not " in habitat" , but in "something quite like it".No danger of it going extint.

[dan.vagnoni]

Cut first, plant later huh?

[LJG]

Hi,

Iam always fan of the Jurassic palms and giant palms,So Corypha Umbraculifera was my first choice in this poll.And they grow like crazy in our hot tropical climate !

And here is a visual of that,Just feast on it !

Love,

Kris

What? I don't believe it. We have a Kris sighting. Where have you been man?

[tropicbreeze]

Have to say, I my view African Oil Palms are quite ugly. I have 2 large (trunks about 12 - 14 metres), a smaller (near 3 metre trunk) and lots of seedlings. They're monstrous and messy, but good for epiphytes such as orchids and ferns. One has a Hoya growing up it as well, and some Ficus on a couple.

[Jose Maria]

Nice to know oilpalm does fine in NorthernTerritory.

And indeed, as far as beauty is concerned oilpalms cannot compete with Cyrtostachys renda, very popular in gardens around here.

The only reason they are being planted on thousands of hectares around here is because of the oil, not good looks.