Johannesteijsmannia magnifica -

one of the best looking palms in the world.

can i grow it or am I crazy ?

Edited September 1, 201114 yr by trioderob

Not outside--I can't comment on your sanity, but your avatar is a loon!

you know for a fact that they die off in the winter in southern cal or it just not humid enough for them ???

is this palm on the list of tropicals that for sure wont make it like lipstick or coco

"the best have all tried and failed" type palm ????

I know of no magnificas, but I think there is one altifrons that is in an apartment complex, that has lived long enough to report a positive comment... can anyone help me out? I don't live in Cali.

I think the problem is they are so slow, so sensitive to disturbances, and so needy of moist, high draining soil with high humidity and relatively low light exposure.

I've been growing one in my greenhouse, in a tall 1 gallon pot, for about 5 years. It's incredibly slow but always looked great holding at least 5 good leaves, . I finally decided to plant it out this Summer, and did so a few weeks ago. The palm had only 1 root where it attaches at the base! I couldn't belive it! Part of that root, which eventually branched out lower in the pot, broke while planting it. That broken root, coupled with some morning sun has forced the plant to quickly loose several lower leaves, and yellow out and brown spot the remaining leaves. I think it's growing in the spear though. I'm not that concerned about it looking good because I figured that it would need an acclimation period anyway, and even more importantly, would need to survive through this coming Winter before it really did anything next year. So, long story longer, we'll see.

Doesn't Louis Hooper have one in his couryard?

And I can confirm that this palm seems to need very low light. Part of the reason that I planted it out was because I had cleared out some palms that were helping to shade the Joey in the greenhouse and it was yellowing due to the increased light levels. Keep in mind that this was under 40% shade anyway. So I'm gonna say that this palm probably needs full shade, not filtered light.

Matt-

so I am not clear - you planted it outside in full shade or in partial ?

if you can get it to live thru winter I will try planting one next year.

I don't know this palm's 'cool' tolerance, but I know it's fairly cold tolerant--maybe around the same as a Copernicia fallaensis?

I don't know this palm's 'cool' tolerance, but I know it's fairly cold tolerant--maybe around the same as a Copernicia fallaensis?

if so thats good news

Matt-

so I am not clear - you planted it outside in full shade or in partial ?

if you can get it to live thru winter I will try planting one next year.

I planted it outside with 75% shade cloth erected over it (until the surrounding plants get bigger and create more shade), but the low angle of the early morning sun still hits it for an hour or two.

if you can get it to live I will try it also

look at this link to see a photo- this is one insane looking palm if you ask me- but I might just be nuts.

http://www.dbs.nus.edu.sg/lab/PSL/Current%20Students/sulee4.jpg

Edited September 1, 201114 yr by trioderob

Louie Hooper has one and Pauleen. Ralph has got to have one he's got everything else. Why not try?

any photos from the tropical brethren of the forum ?

looks like Cairns Flecker Botanic Gardens has quite the display of these gems.

maybe some of the guys from OZ have seen the display and have insight.

really nice looking park by the way..............

I believe there is one in San Clemente that if still alive has been there 10+ years. I also believe the PSSC did a tour of this garden not too long ago. And no, it's not Pogo's. It's possible that the one I am thinking of may be a J. altifrons, but I'm pretty sure it was J. magnifica.

The single photo posted so far is insane indeed! Joeys are going to be in my collection very soon.

I believe there is one in San Clemente that if still alive has been there 10+ years. I also believe the PSSC did a tour of this garden not too long ago. And no, it's not Pogo's. It's possible that the one I am thinking of may be a J. altifrons, but I'm pretty sure it was J. magnifica.

I was gonna mention that Dean as a reason to go on tours.... It is a joey, just not sure of the species...

Keep in mind that here in CA if you are able to grow it and you even get it to look good it's never going to have those huge leaves. Even after 20 years it's gonna have like 2 foot long strap leaves

oohhh Matty, don't spoil the dream!!!

I believe there is one in San Clemente that if still alive has been there 10+ years. I also believe the PSSC did a tour of this garden not too long ago. And no, it's not Pogo's. It's possible that the one I am thinking of may be a J. altifrons, but I'm pretty sure it was J. magnifica.

Rick Luna here in San Clemente has a nice Joey Altifrons planted in ground for approx 15 yrs. Looks happy!

I believe there is one in San Clemente that if still alive has been there 10+ years. I also believe the PSSC did a tour of this garden not too long ago. And no, it's not Pogo's. It's possible that the one I am thinking of may be a J. altifrons, but I'm pretty sure it was J. magnifica.

Rick Luna here in San Clemente has a nice Joey Altifrons planted in ground for approx 15 yrs. Looks happy!

It is Rick's that I was referring to. Too bad it isn't a J. magnifica. I have ten of each, and finding that the magnifica is the more "difficult/slower" of the two. So I would start with a J. altifrons.

It's still a nice palm.

I had 2 lovely Joeys growing a few years ago but their 12" pots were choked with weeds that were difficult to remove. I decided to repot them and remove all the soil and wash the roots clean prior to repotting. I did this without disturbing or breaking any roots but once repotted they went into immediate decline and I lost both of them........I was devasted as these palms were both quite a few years old........Lesson has been learned....do not disturb roots whatsoever.......I do intend to get another one in the future.

As for cold tolerance I know of many growing in South East Queensland (similar climate to South Florida) and at least one there has matured and fruited.

Edited September 2, 201114 yr by Tropicgardener

Johannesteijsmannia magnifica -

one of the best looking palms in the world.

can i grow it or am I crazy ?

Robert,

Go over to the " for sale " section of our site. One of the local nurserymen offered some of his J. Altifrons for sale and the thread evolved into something more.......

Some great info and a great article that I found extremely helpful on the species.

Check it out !

Manny

Rick Luna here in San Clemente has a nice Joey Altifrons planted in ground for approx 15 yrs. Looks happy!

Yep, and it's never looked back, even growing under the canopy of his neighbor's Pepper tree.

Keep in mind that here in CA if you are able to grow it and you even get it to look good it's never going to have those huge leaves. Even after 20 years it's gonna have like 2 foot long strap leaves

I hate this about lots of marginal palms--we see a photo like the one with Jeff Marcus next to that HUGE joey and imagine that's what we will, one day, get but it just doesn't happen that way. A prime example is the Double Coconut in South Florida; you can keep them alive with a lot of work but when you see a native photo, it's just not the same palm...

I can attest only to their dislike of root disturbance. As you can see from these photos, this silver Joey is losing all of its leaves, BUT happily seems to be slowly growing new ones. It also has a healthy looking new spear and has been in the ground about 1 and 1/2 years.. The J. altifrons nearby planted from a 4" pot didn't lose any leaves and grows more quickly for me. I'd like more silver joeys, but if I had the choice would opt for smaller ones to be potentially easier on the plant. I still think this lovely palm will make it and am delighted to have one.

Here's the pic of mine that I was talking about earlier. As you can see it's in shock from the roots breaking during planting. Just imaging all of those leaves a nice green. It really was looking great, I swear. I hope it pulls through.

check out this thread- if you scroll down you will see where the natives made huts out of this palm - its insane !

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/tropical/msg0709244525359.html

matt-

hope that palm pulls thru the winter - I may give this one a shot next year.

got to rate it in the top 10 of all the worlds palms................

Edited September 2, 201114 yr by trioderob

Ouch, Matty. Hope it pulls through.

OK, for those needing a bit more to look at, here's some shots:

Here is shot of Pauleen's Joey magnifica in Hawaii

and here is her Joey altifrons in the Ventura apartment... note, this palm was shipped from Hawaii this size... it did not grow up here in So Cal

Here's Louis Hooper's Joey magnifica in his courtyard (wind protected, partial day sun)

and here's another shot showing the leaf undersides

and a few shots from Singapore.

J altifrons

Joey garden

Joey lanceolata

and some from Thailand

so many Joey palms that they actually built this roof from Joey fronds.

Here are two last shots from city street in Singapore where Joeys are being used as a landscaping plant in full sun all day long

Thank you very much, Geoff--you really churched up this thread! It's pretty obvious from the photos that the Cali palms are less than robust... lets hope MattyB can get his looking like the cream of the Cali crop, if it survives the initial root disturbance.

Oh, and I thought I might mention this genus cannot take any amount of salt exposure.

its a nice genus...........

Here is a picture of J. altifrons in Huntington's conservatory from 2007. It came from Hawaii as a big specimen in exchange for major $$$. Last time I saw it (2010), the vines were starting to cover it up. Hopefully they are cutting back on the competition now.

Is this palm considered pinnate or palmate? It sort of look like pinnate with the heavy midrib, but was stated as palmate in RLR's book.

Hi guys,just planted J.altifons and J.magnifica in the garden just before last wet season and they made it through our chilly winter intact.They were planted out of 100mm pots into loamy soil high in organic matter in full shade and seem to be doing ok.Also added dolimite chips as Clayton York said they like it slightly alkaline as well....Cheers Mike Green(Newcal) ps Sorry no pics yet...will wait to see if they get through the next wet season first!

Heres a shot of my altifrons, this is growing in a protected spot, in the garden which is located about one hundred meters from the beach.It has been in the ground for one year now and is just starting to take off.I also have magnifica in a pot which should be planted soon.

Regards Craig.

Here's a couple J. altifrons.

Sweet Jeezus in heaven. How do you explain those Joeys in full sun ?? I think in Thailand they have them out there as well. All we hear about is how they have to be in full SHADE and then I see those pictures.

Absolutely CRAZY.

You see those and you get mesmerized by them and then you buy them and you try and try and try.............and you get a dead palm in two years

Manny

Sweet Jeezus in heaven. How do you explain those Joeys in full sun ?? I think in Thailand they have them out there as well. All we hear about is how they have to be in full SHADE and then I see those pictures.

Absolutely CRAZY.

You see those and you get mesmerized by them and then you buy them and you try and try and try.............and you get a dead palm in two years

Manny

I hear you, on this palm being a tough grow! I think they can be grown in the sun, there, because they have everything else going for them(exact habitat, climate, and soil). Even still, they look a bit yellow and the leaves will never be as grandoise as one with the same situation, but in shade.

Wow Dean that pic of J. Marcus looks like something from the Sci-Fi channel. Had no

idea that they got that large. Something to be said about perfect habitat conditions.

Aloha