I planted these palms in June 2005 (but cant find the original pic).

They have grown well and fattened up nicely.  But, they obviously dont add height very quickly.  

The ropes around the Bottles in the January 2007 pic are Christmas decorations (which can easily double as some additional heat in case we get a bad freeze).

April 2006

January 2007

Larry,

They do look like they have put on good growth but not sure what is considered fast for this species as I have not tried them.  I imagine it would be faster there than here.  It's looks pretty nice the way that you have them grouped together, looks like you'll get a nice natural curve on those trunks.  By the way I like your avatar, Magnum P.I. was one of the best series of all time, I guess part of the reason is that it was filmed in paradise.

Don-

Its hard to see in the pics...but yes...they have already started to curve nicely (which is what I was hoping theyd do).  They have mainly added girth rather than height).

But, I do wish that I had planted them a bit closer together.  This might slow them down even more (and these are not fast palms by any means), but that wouldnt have bothered me much as I dont really want these to get too big anyway.

i'm viewing this on my phone but they look cool palms!

(Don_L @ Jan. 06 2007,15:34)

QUOTE

 By the way I like your avatar, Magnum P.I. was one of the best series of all time, I guess part of the reason is that it was filmed in paradise.

I am not a TV junkie by any mans (there are few shows I watch), but this was one of the best ever!  It was just a quality show with quality people in it.

I will admit I have also bought the DVDs as theyve come out as well  

nice bottles.

I think Bottles are slower growing palms but yours look like they're growing pretty fast.  The Bottle palm is next on my list.

Bottle Palms - way cool.    Those two look great.

This palm is on my list to get this springtime.    No more seedlings.  Gonna get the big one.

(oppalm @ Jan. 06 2007,17:42)

QUOTE

This palm is on my list to get this springtime.    No more seedlings.  Gonna get the big one.

Yes...Bottles are IMO one of the palms where it pays to get bigger ones as they are not super speedy.

If you can actually get them to live here, they are slow as molasses. Mine has been in the ground for 3 years and has done exceptionally well consistently holding 6 fronds which is about the max for a hyophorbe species. It has about 4 inches of trunk. When planted, it had about 1. That shows you how slowly they grow here. Mine has nowhere near the cool bottle shape that your does but mine is wedged into a very small space that might affect its growth shape.

(epicure3 @ Jan. 06 2007,23:17)

QUOTE

and has done exceptionally well consistently holding 6 fronds which is about the max for a hyophorbe species.

I agree with that....I dont think mine has ever held more than 5-6 at a time.  That seems to be about it for these palms.

Ditto that about slow...

Bottles are definitely slower that H. verschaffeltii and H. indica here in Florida.  However, they aren't the slowest palm in the world (like Pseudophoenix).

Jason

(Logolight @ Jan. 06 2007,17:37)

QUOTE

I think Bottles are slower growing palms but yours look like they're growing pretty fast.  The Bottle palm is next on my list.

Same here.  I've wanted a bottle for quite some time.  

Btw - on sale at HD for $17.00.

(SunnyFl @ Jan. 07 2007,00:06)

QUOTE

Same here.  I've wanted a bottle for quite some time.  

Btw - on sale at HD for $17.00.

I bought two of those the other day.  They are only 3 gallon (and I have no use for them really), but these were some fat looking ones and I had a Home Depot credit to use up, so what the heck.

I think I paid $125 each for the larger ones I planted as doubles in the frst pics I posted in this thread.

(Jason in Orlando @ Jan. 06 2007,23:30)

QUOTE

Ditto that about slow...

Bottles are definitely slower that H. verschaffeltii and H. indica here in Florida.  However, they aren't the slowest palm in the world (like Pseudophoenix).

Jason

I think overall I like H. vershaffeltii a little better than lagenicaulis.

I have a few of them around the yard, including two like this I got from Rob Pittman in Ruskin a few months ago.  These were the DEAL of the century at $100 a piece!

Dear Spockvr6  

the bottles & the spindles are terrefic.

and the spindle appears to have been decorated with

christmas & new-year eve lightings on it_great idea.

Love,

Kris.

(spockvr6 @ Jan. 07 2007,00:11)

QUOTE

I think I paid $125 each for the larger ones I planted as doubles in the frst pics I posted in this thread.

They are a pair of beauties - such stylish palms.  I don't know why I don't have one yet.  Gonna have to do something about that.

I know how I'd like to arrange them, and companion plantings - but don't know where I'd have room in my yard to put it!

Bottles make great pot specimens for us palm lovers in chillier winter areas. I bring mine inside by the end of November or early December. Inside with constant warmth, bright light, and plenty of water, it actually grows a bit faster for me than it does outside in the spring and summer! Probably because the soil stays warm constantly. When I brought it in Dec. 1st it had a two and a half inch new spear and today, just over a month later, that spear is nearly fully open. It's in a black plastic pot but will be transfered to a black or dark bronze ceramic pot next spring. I love these bottle palms...wish I could plant some out in in the garden though.

This is my first bottle, just planted in the ground, coming from a greenhouse and burning in January. The other palm is Coccothrinax crinita.

And then the same three years later.

Jan 2003 - Dec 2005

It was so rocky that last year (after 2 years in the ground), I decided to use a huge electric hammer to break some of the rock below the palm. Some roots were crashed too but the palm seemed to like the brutal treatment.

This has nothing to do with growth rate: they are some adults at the Palmetum in Santa Cruz, about 9 years in the ground and 20 years old from seed:

Larry,

Hyophorbe is one palm that does not slow down here in winter.  Barring a horrible freeze, these crank out the leaves no matter what the temperature.  I did (I swear) get 7 leaves on a Bottle once for about a week.  

Ray

Dear Carlo Morici  

those stills are terrefic & even wish to see that

palm from long shot(full view)of that lovely_Stud.

Thanks for sharing those stills.

Love,

Kris.

(Jim in Los Altos @ Jan. 07 2007,01:47)

QUOTE

Bottles make great pot specimens for us palm lovers in chillier winter areas. I bring mine inside by the end of November or early December. Inside with constant warmth, bright light, and plenty of water, it actually grows a bit faster for me than it does outside in the spring and summer! Probably because the soil stays warm constantly. When I brought it in Dec. 1st it had a two and a half inch new spear and today, just over a month later, that spear is nearly fully open. It's in a black plastic pot but will be transfered to a black or dark bronze ceramic pot next spring. I love these bottle palms...wish I could plant some out in in the garden though.

I wonder how long bottles can be kept in a container?  Because if I get one (today??) although I'd like to plant it out in the garden, I may keep it in the pot.  I'd hate to leave it behind if we move.  And if we do, it won't be to a place like this  - where bottles grow happily in the ground.  

If it can stay in a pot, I could take it with me.

Carlo, your Palmetum photos are amazing - wow!  Thanks for posting them.  And the growth of your first bottle is very impressive, what a showy palm it is.

HD had a ton of these earlier this year in 5 and 15 gallons.  I could kick my self for not getting any, hopefully they will get more in, they have had them for the last couple of years.

Kris, believe it or not, I can't find any decent full view of those palms. I will take more pictures when I will visit again.

In the meantime I have one more shot of the same palm:

And, for comparison, Hyophorbe verschaffeltii, which is very common here. It is "La Mascareña".

Ray,

My bottles here stop in winter for 2 or 3 months, with winter nights at 10-14 C and days at 18-24.  they even get a bit yellow when if they are young. They almost don't stop in the Palmetum, which is warmer, with winter nights of 14-17 C and warmer days.

It "likes it hot", in the sunny South of this island they literally break the pots, and if it is hot, then they can drink any quantity of fertilizer (which is not the case of my palms)

Carlo

Re:  Bottle Palm

This morning I wrote:  

I don't know why I don't have one yet.  Gonna have to do something about that.

UPDATE:  It is now sitting across from me in my living room.  Cute lil palm with red petioles.

Congrats Sunny!

I learned from Ray H. that you can keep Hyphorbes in a pot for a long long time with no ill effects and from the size of his, apparently no real gorwth rate penalty.  As such, I am planning on keeping my two smallest ones in pots for a long time.

(Carlo Morici @ Jan. 07 2007,14:32)

QUOTE

Kris, believe it or not, I can't find any decent full view of those palms. I will take more pictures when I will visit again.

In the meantime I have one more shot of the same

Thank you very much...

(krisachar @ Jan. 08 2007,02:33)

QUOTE

(Carlo Morici @ Jan. 07 2007,14:32)

QUOTE

Kris, believe it or not, I can't find any decent full view of those palms. I will take more pictures when I will visit again.

In the meantime I have one more shot of the same

Thank you very much...

I agree, these make great potted palms. I have 5 in pots and they look great.

That's the stuff Larry.  These guys look better everytime you show them.  

BTW, what is that purplelish sword plant(not palm) in the picture?

(BigFrond @ Jan. 08 2007,12:50)

QUOTE

That's the stuff Larry.  These guys look better everytime you show them.  

Thanks!

They are due for a frond trim (I admit I am not one for letting nature take its full course with dangling dead fronds), but Ive held off on these as a little "game" to see how many fronds I can get each one to old at once!

One of them has 6 (5 good and one declining) and the other 5 (4 good and one declining).  If I wait a few more weeks, I might get 7 total on one of them!

(BigFrond @ Jan. 08 2007,12:50)

QUOTE

BTW, what is that purplelish sword plant(not palm) in the picture?

That is a Queen Emma Lilly.  I got this plant (and two more) as pups cut off of Walt Darnall's mother plant in Lake Placid, FL.  I planted them immediately after Walt gave them to me (late summer 2005) and theyve exploded.  One of them is over my head now and they make very striking landscape plants if well care for.

(spockvr6 @ Jan. 08 2007,13:19)

QUOTE

(BigFrond @ Jan. 08 2007,12:50)

QUOTE

BTW, what is that purplelish sword plant(not palm) in the picture?

That is a Queen Emma Lilly.  I got this plant (and two more) as pups cut off of Walt Darnall's mother plant in Lake Placid, FL.  I planted them immediately after Walt gave them to me (late summer 2005) and theyve exploded.  One of them is over my head now and they make very striking landscape plants if well care for.

Very nice!!!  I saw a similar lilly/size here in SoCal and it cost about $100.  I bought a green variety(pup) for $12.  I forgot then name but it will grow into a stout plant like yours.  To bad for me though, mine is not very fast and it's in the ground for over a year now.

(BigFrond @ Jan. 08 2007,13:29)

QUOTE

Very nice!!!  I saw a similar lilly/size here in SoCal and it cost about $100.  I bought a green variety(pup) for $12.  I forgot then name but it will grow into a stout plant like yours.  To bad for me though, mine is not very fast and it's in the ground for over a year now.

Yes...these things grow into expensive plants.  Im not really sure why as they dont seem to be very slow and seem to take well from cut off pups.

In any case, they make nice landscape companions and I am very happy I have these ones.

(SunnyFl @ Jan. 07 2007,00:06)

QUOTE

(Logolight @ Jan. 06 2007,17:37)

QUOTE

I think Bottles are slower growing palms but yours look like they're growing pretty fast.  The Bottle palm is next on my list.

Same here.  I've wanted a bottle for quite some time.  

Btw - on sale at HD for $17.00.

I haven't ever seen any at HD here in Jacksonville or I'd have one by now.  But I'll keep looking.

Here's some pic of my bottles.

Actually this belongs to my sister, babysitting here at my place. She's had this is a pot for many years. It holds it back but it lives happily enough.

Here's my biggest of two inground. At about 7 feet tall I would say to the tip of the top.

Here's a close up of the same, love the colouring petioles etc.

And here's one of two bottle x spindle palms. This is growing quite fast as most hybrids seem to do, one species is racing against the other, one of my many unfounded theories.

(Wal @ Jan. 08 2007,15:48)

QUOTE

And here's one of two bottle x spindle palms. This is growing quite fast as most hybrids seem to do, one species is racing against the other, one of my many unfounded theories.

Hot dang Wal....my Spindle looks exactly like that.

Here's my front yard struggler, nothing I've ever planted in this spot seems to grow well, no matter what type of plant. Must be something crook in the soil way down. Bottles are tough though, she'll stick it out.

(spockvr6 @ Jan. 08 2007,18:16)

QUOTE

They are due for a frond trim (I admit I am not one for letting nature take its full course with dangling dead fronds), but Ive held off on these...

Larry,

See how eyecatchy is the dying leaf. It has pinks and oranges.

SunnyFL,

Good luck with the new palm. Both species make a perfect palm for a large container. They are often used in large boxes on rooftops. They do love full sunlight and exposed locations.

Look at this picture from the last year . The palms are grown by Fernando Ascanio, a local IPS member in Northern Tenerife...  they have been maybe 10-12 years in the ground. They are on a windy terrace over the ocean and get a bit tip burned in winter.

The biggest has 6 leaves and at least a 7th one hidden!

Carlo