Howdyall:

I'm perusing the price lists of various palm sellers and note the large number of Pinanga species listed. I also note that many are from tropical appearing areas.

I now have P. javana and P. coronata, both doing well so far.

Anyone have any other thoughts as to other species that at least have a fighting chance of not turning into one-season compost?

Thanks . . .

dave

Gee, everyone, hasn't anyone tried to grow pinangas?

In so cal?

Dave, any photos of your Pinangas? Do you keep them indoors? I didn't think they flourished in Mediterranean climates.

Pinangas are tough to grow in South Florida, Dave! I have a coronata blunt form and also gave one to my father. I don't know much about javana(or any Pinangas, for that matter). I know speciosa seems to make it through our winters, year after year... Dicksonii, I heard is hardy(from Tyrone), but it's a coronata look-a-like. I started a thread on cold tolerant pinangas a while back, but only got crickets, for the most part.

I am going to pick up a 5 gallon P. coronata this weekend. I was told they do the best in Southern California. Dene in San Clemente has one in front of his yard for several years and it is doing very well but direct sun it seems to burn the leaves a bit. I plan on planting mine part shade and sun.

Edited August 3, 201115 yr by Palmlover

Dave,

So far, P. javana is my favorite. As noted, coronata does well & phillipinensis is doing okay. I haven't really committed a spot yet to the latter, so it's been in a pot a couple years running.

polymorpha and gracilis would be less heat demanding than coronata.

cheers

Richard

Pinangas are awesome.

My Pinanga elmeri's(known previously a P.phillipenesis to many) have been doing well for me in my low, clay ridden area. Getting the right spot for them has been the trick for me. I planted a 5gal and a 15 gal on the SE side of my house. The 5gal is now as big as the 15 and way happier and the only difference is that I planted it in a corner. Could be genetics but I suspect it traps more moisture in that area.

My P.coronatas are rad but did not take a liking to the many frosts we had last winter. The P.elmeri's were way hardier. RLF says in his book that they come from a high elevation in the mountians. Good match for SoCal.

Have not got my hands on P.javana yet but that day is coming!

Dave, any photos of your Pinangas? Do you keep them indoors? I didn't think they flourished in Mediterranean climates.

P. coronoata seems to. I've got about three in the ground, and they took the cool of winter well. They just seem to need shade and plenty of water.

Javana i've had a short while, the test will be this coming winter.

Thanks to all of you who replied.

And, a big recitation of the Sacred Word . . . .

Pinanga dicksonii has been a flawless grow for me and quicker than coronata. I've got P adangensis going through winter as 2 leafers in the tunnel house at the moment. P javana are just sprouts for me at the moment so can't say yet how they go. P scortechinii is meant to be good too, but, mine were a no germination. I'm going to keep a look out for the others mentioned in this thread. P coronata is unstoppable for me. When I first joined the local palm society, at the first meeting I went too, one of the older members almost straight away said to me "don't bother with Hydriastele and Pinangas- they don't grow here" Well the Pinanga bit I've proved wrong. Still working on the Hydriastele bit. Had a wendlandianna last for two years. Just too marginal. Maybe the location was wrong.

Also I doubt any Pinanga will take actual frost on the leaves. You've got to protect them from that, and hot sun. In my area they suit a dappled light situation that takes the sting out of the summer sun, but lets the winter sun in to warm everything up. Direct hot 40C sun will destroy a Pinanga leaf.

Best regards

Tyrone

I have a large P. coronata in the shade garden. It got slapped around the past 2 winters but comes back. However, I've lost all my other Pinangas planted in the garden, including P. blue seed, javana, speciosa and a couple others. I love them but future palms will stay in pots.

Dave, the javana will appreciate partial day sun, or better yet, filtered sun. It'll just look prettier. Good irrigation as well, even to the point of soggy. I think we're too arid in SoCal to plunk these down in the middle of the yard exposed to all the harsh elements. My 2 cents..

Here are the Pinanga Coronata I am going to plant in my garden. The larger one is a 5 gallon and the smaller one is the 1 gallon.

Edited August 8, 201114 yr by Palmlover

I may pick up a Javana next depending on how these grow. Please post pictures of your Pinangas.

Edited August 8, 201114 yr by Palmlover

PL:

Coronatas are easier than falling off a log to grow, here in so-cal, if you have shade

I've got Javanas, etc., and will order more in, and will see

The final frontier!

This is voyage of the Star Ship, Pinanga!

TO grow where they ain't been growed before . . .

[cue to music]

P.glaucifolia seems to be quite hardy, as does P.disticha. Both hardier than the P.coronata 'kuhlii' form. P.adangensis, dicksonii, speciosa, phillipinensis, javana, 'sumatrana', caesia and P.coronata all do OK as well. most of mine have seen sub freezing temperatures, but were under canopy. All survived the cold, many without any leaf spotting at all. The worst damage was on P.kuhlii as it is not so leaf hardy as the others I mentioned. As long as they are kept moist they appear to tolerate cool and dry weather, as well as hot and dry weather. However, if you let the soil dry out, game over!

Daryl

Thanks, Daryl!

P.glaucifolia seems to be quite hardy, as does P.disticha. Both hardier than the P.coronata 'kuhlii' form. P.adangensis, dicksonii, speciosa, phillipinensis, javana, 'sumatrana', caesia and P.coronata all do OK as well. most of mine have seen sub freezing temperatures, but were under canopy. All survived the cold, many without any leaf spotting at all. The worst damage was on P.kuhlii as it is not so leaf hardy as the others I mentioned. As long as they are kept moist they appear to tolerate cool and dry weather, as well as hot and dry weather. However, if you let the soil dry out, game over!

Daryl

Great list there Daryl. More for me to try out. P caesia is awesome.

Best regards

Tyrone

A few not mentioned but worth a try Dave is the following

Pinanga Sinni

Pinanga Densiflora

Pinanga Scortechinii

I love those palms. Great looker!

A few not mentioned but worth a try Dave is the following

Pinanga Sinni

Pinanga Densiflora

Pinanga Scortechinii

More to write down.

Tyrone

I just picked up Pinanga disticha and maculata. Now there are three...

Bump! Would love to see some updates and hear more experiences on growing Pinangas in SoCal.

Far from any success story but have a couple of small Insignis seedlings really, that seem to be doing well for me inside the house.

I'll pat myself on the back a year from now if they continue to grow and be happy.

Edited October 29, 201411 yr by sashaeffer

I have Pinanga coronata and P. philippinensis, both in 5g pots. These will go in the ground next spring. So far they are doing great, the coronata is getting so large it really wants to be in a 15g container.

Dave, any photos of your Pinangas? Do you keep them indoors? I didn't think they flourished in Mediterranean climates.

P. coronoata seems to. I've got about three in the ground, and they took the cool of winter well. They just seem to need shade and plenty of water.

Javana i've had a short while, the test will be this coming winter.

my coronata's are starting to take on about 3 hours of direct sunlight and starting to really go. Javana i'll buy this coming spring so i can't comment on that yet

Here's a javana that has really grown well, with a few rings of trunk. The leaf burn is from the dry Santa Ana conditions of a few weeks back:

Also wataniana is entering it's 2nd winter. I think it's one of the only cold tolerant "mottled" ones.

One more time..

Javana have been just fine for me in the ground after a year. Caesia isn't happy but has survived in the ground under dense canopy and continued to grow. Blue seed has been fine in pots so far but small. Coronata of course is a no brainer. I'm hoping I can get speciosa going here from seed.

Hey all, I thought I would dredge up this ancient thread to see what has been learned in all these years. I often see some really neat species available, but I am afraid to try them in a Mediterranean climate. So,without a doubt, P. javana, phillipinensis and coronata grow well here in the right spot. The wataniana I had did not make it, nor did the Floribunda offering of phillpinensis “compact”. Are there any other suggestions for temperate tolerating members of this genus?