I stopped at our local nursery to pick up some potting soil and was shocked to find a bunch of nice sized Areca vestiaria for sale. Some of them were singles and some were clumping so I picked out the fattest single I could find and carefully loaded it in the car. We have several small ones planted on the property, but nothing close to this size. I have to plant it soon since we are in the middle of the rainy season and I want to give it plenty of time to get established before the dry season starts in Dec.

Crownshaft

Beautiful. If only I could get one here.

Eee Gads it's happening worldwide !!!

see Daryl's find

Nice find Jeff, was it a good price ?

Mine are so dry at the moment, we need some rain bad now.

thats awesome jeff! we are gonna have to come down & see it in person...for a week or so!

again, Paul??? Now... you are just making me jealous, right?

Now I know where all the single stemmed species end up and why I only ever see the rotten old clumping variety. A plague upon you Jeff.

Peachy

Kumar, I originally couldn't find them here either, so I grew some from seed. Have you tried seeds? They are pretty easy to grow.

Wal, it was $11 US. I went back today and bought another one

Paul, You are welcome anytime, no excuses needed! You too Ari!

Peachy, I don't like clumping palms much, that's why I picked out the singles. If these start to clump, they're going in the compost pile!

Oh.... don't you encourage Peachy, Jeff!!! LOL. I will come one day.... when I can leave these kids at home.... one day...

Regards, Ari

Kumar, I originally couldn't find them here either, so I grew some from seed. Have you tried seeds? They are pretty easy to grow.

Wal, it was $11 US. I went back today and bought another one

Paul, You are welcome anytime, no excuses needed! You too Ari!

Peachy, I don't like clumping palms much, that's why I picked out the singles. If these start to clump, they're going in the compost pile!

$11 US ?, after conversion that'd be about $2-40 Australian .

Boy Jeff, I would have taken that one home too, what a beauty. I've got a maroon and an orange clumper, they are sensational. They will never even get close to the compost heap.

Jeff, do you think it'll grow at 15º to 20º C? Was it a CRican nursery?

Tim, we have maroon and orange clumpers already planted, that's why I was hoping for some singles.

Patricia, I think it should do fine with lows at 15-20 C. They were growing nicely at Wilson Botanical Garden at a high elevation. I imagine it gets a little lower than 15C at Wilson at times. And yes I got it from a CR nursery, I'll PM you the info. See you next weekend!

Great score there Jeff. I am seriously contemplating an entire grove of this palm. They seem unfazed by our weather, as long as you keep up the moisture. Your is good value too...what a bargain!

Daryl

Great score there Jeff. I am seriously contemplating an entire grove of this palm. They seem unfazed by our weather, as long as you keep up the moisture. Your is good value too...what a bargain!

Daryl

Hey Daryl, at the Caboolture markets Sunday mornings, there's a palm/plant seller that has orange vestys at very good prices.

Wal, what size and what price???

Daryl

Wal, what size and what price???

Daryl

200ml pot, about $10 from memory. I'll check it out next Sunday morn to confirm.

Thanks, Jeff. My lows actually are 10º C. The range I gave you is like the normal temperature night or day here. This year is been on the cold side. It'll probably grow much slower than usual, but will survive.

I could never compost a palm that lovely. I've decided Arecas are just too cold-sensitive for my winters. However, I think they can handle 10C as long as daytime temps rise significantly. But they succumb when temps near freezing.

Kumar, I originally couldn't find them here either, so I grew some from seed. Have you tried seeds? They are pretty easy to grow.

Wal, it was $11 US. I went back today and bought another one

Paul, You are welcome anytime, no excuses needed! You too Ari!

Peachy, I don't like clumping palms much, that's why I picked out the singles. If these start to clump, they're going in the compost pile!

Could'nt you just cut out the suckering growths/clumping growths when they pop up? That would keep it single.

Jeff, Those Areca vestraria are a beauty! They are one of my favorites. Picking the fattest was a smart move. Going back for another was even a smarter move. Sorry to hear about your dislike for clumping palms (if I got that right.) Did you see any photos or had the chance to visiit what was the Pauline Sullivan Garden, here in Hawaii? Well she had the most beautiful assortment of non clumping palms one could see. That was all by design. They worked really hard to get that look!

Anyway once again, congratulations on your new find. Karolyn

Patricia, they live at my place and we go below freezing some winter nights. (average night is about 4c) My problem is finding a single vestiara, the clumping things are so ugly. Jeff does the same as me.....if something starts clumping that I thought was a single, it goes straight on the compost heap. Having a hideous giant P. reclinata taking up half the backyard tends to put me off things that take up valuable space. Ooh just had a brainwave....Jeff and me could start a palmtalk singles club.

Peachy

Oh, dear [diety] why can't we grow Areca vestiara?

WHY? WHY?

Is it something I've done?

Is it? Yes? No?

If so, tell me what it is!

I'll undo it if I can!

Even bad karaoke . . .

Keep us apprized . . . .

Thanks a lot, Peachy. I tend not to like clumping palms either, though I have a few.

Daryl, you definitely should plant a grove of them!

Patricia, that surprises me, I thought the daytime temps were higher where you live. Are you colder than San Vito on average?

Meg, I could never compost such a lovely palm either. I was just kidding with Peachy because I laugh everytime she says that a plant is "off to the compost heap!"

I will keep it trimmed if it suckers.

Thanks Vince, that's exactly what I plan to do

Thanks KPL, I have never been to the Sullivan garden but I have seen photos and I know what you mean.

I'm not a big fan of clumping palms however, there are a few that I do like.

Peachy, Do you really think that a clumping A. vestiaria is ugly? With all that color, how could it be ugly? The same goes for Cyrtostachys renda. On the other hand, I agree with you about P. reclinata! That's a big palm for a backyard.

Sorry Dave!

Jeff, we are at 1500 m altitude, in the middle of the mountain system of Volcán Poás. During Easter time, it could get up to 28º C during the day, but normally it's between 15 to 22º. This year's been more 15's to 18's during the day than the 20's. So if you want some cooler weather, come over There are some warmth loving plants that's been suffering...

Jeff - its been two years. Lets see how gorgeous it is now !

I second that request its in my top 400 faves

Jeff - its been two years. Lets see how gorgeous it is now !

It's in a pot now on the Bali House deck and has several rings of trunk. I took this photo back in March at the end of the dry season. It looks much better now that the rainy season is underway. I'll get a new photo the next time I'm there.

Jeff - its been two years. Lets see how gorgeous it is now !

It's in a pot now on the Bali House deck and has several rings of trunk. I took this photo back in March at the end of the dry season. It looks much better now that the rainy season is underway. I'll get a new photo the next time I'm there.

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Very nice Jeff

So beautiful! Very lucky to have them, Jeff. Makes me want to buy some property in Costa Rica.

This is a perfectly well grown single stemmed Areca vestiaria.

A true Prima Donna.

¡Enhorabuena!

Jeff - its been two years. Lets see how gorgeous it is now !

It's in a pot now on the Bali House deck and has several rings of trunk. I took this photo back in March at the end of the dry season. It looks much better now that the rainy season is underway. I'll get a new photo the next time I'm there.

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Outstanding Jeff, and the two are a close match, Ed