Lundkvist Palm Garden - 2012

[mike in kurtistown]

I worked as semi-official photographer yesterday as Karolyn Lundkvist opened the Lundkvist Palm Garden for a tour by members of HIPS (Hawaii Island Palm Society). Karolyn has kept up the garden very well since she took it over from Bo, and she has added color and interest with the use of bromeliads, orchids, etc. My first pic just shows the group milling about the entrance before the tour as more people continued to arrive. In the right center, Karolyn (yellow shirt) confers with Jeff Marcus, one of the two tour group leaders.

The first palm right near the entrance area is described by Jeff as Dypsis leucomala, the name applied by John Dransfield to the species that has previously been known as Dypsis ceracea, Dypsis nauseosa, Dypsis tsaravoasira, and Dypsis ampasindavae.

Picture three shows Karolyn and HIPS president Tim Brian organizing the two tour groups. Tim led the other group with help from Bill Austin.

This Salacca magnifica looks a little ratty. The one next two it was in perfect shape, but it was difficult to get a good picture.

[DoomsDave]

MORE!

[richnorm]

The first palm right near the entrance area is described by Jeff as Dypsis leucomala, the name applied by John Dransfield to the species that has previously been known as Dypsis ceracea, Dypsis nauseosa, Dypsis tsaravoasira, and Dypsis ampasindavae.

You have got to be kidding, another name change?!

Edit: Or do you mean the official name of Sp White now that one has flowered?

Edited April 16, 2012 by richnorm

[mike in kurtistown]

Disregarding the overhanging frond in the upper foreground, the palm here is Heterospathe phillipsii (ID by Jeff).

The large leaves and clusters of bright red fruits in the background belong to Areca guppyana. In the foreground, Jeff confers with Dean and Karen Piercy over lists and a map provided by Karolyn.

One of the most beautiful venues in the garden takes one underneath huge fronds of Kerriodoxa elegans.

Beyond the colorful bromeliads added in this location, the two dainty, inconspicuous palms here are described by Jeff as one of the rarest items in the garden, Areca oxycarpa.

[mike in kurtistown]

The red new leaf belongs to Calyptrocalyx albertsianus.

There were several towering examples of this palm Hydriastele (Gulubia) macrospadix.

A look up at the canopy of Actinorhytis calapparia. To the back on the right is one laden with large fruits. The large fruits were lying all around on the ground in this area, and most had sprouted and rooted.

Entering the Seychelles section, the huge leaves belong to Phoenicophorium borsigianum.

[mike in kurtistown]

Two more before I go out to do some errands. Still in the Seychelles section, the huge stilt roots belong to a very tall Verschaffeltia splendida.

The huge, dark green mass of leaves in the background is Arenga undulatifolia.

There is twice as many more that I will add later.

[BS Man about Palms]

The first palm right near the entrance area is described by Jeff as Dypsis leucomala, the name applied by John Dransfield to the species that has previously been known as Dypsis ceracea, Dypsis nauseosa, Dypsis tsaravoasira, and Dypsis ampasindavae.

You have got to be kidding, another name change?!

Edit: Or do you mean the official name of Sp White now that one has flowered?

I'm guessing your latter response... but hopefully Bo or someone can clarify this.. As those look more like the Dypsis sp white than any ampansandavae I've seen

[bgl]

The first palm right near the entrance area is described by Jeff as Dypsis leucomala, the name applied by John Dransfield to the species that has previously been known as Dypsis ceracea, Dypsis nauseosa, Dypsis tsaravoasira, and Dypsis ampasindavae.

You have got to be kidding, another name change?!

Edit: Or do you mean the official name of Sp White now that one has flowered?

Right, a bit confusing. The palm in the second photo in the first post is the one that was sold incorrectly as Dypsis tsaratananensis in the late 1990s. I began referring to it as Dypsis sp. white quite a few years ago, because of the almost white petioles. This palm is very different from the ceracea/nauseosa/tsaravoasira, which hopefully will remain as D. ampasindavae. We surely don't need yet another name for this palm.

EDIT after posting - Bill, only just saw your post after I had added mine.

And Mike, thanks a lot for posting these photos. Looking forward to the rest!

[mike in kurtistown]

Concerning the Dypsis in the second photograph, I think I recall Jeff saying that the name "leucomala" is Latin for white wool, and that refers to the appearance of the flower bract, now seen for the first time in his garden.

Anyhow, for the next set of pictures. Next is Pigafetta, probably filaris, although the switching of names a few years ago still creates confusion. One of the fastest growing palms, this is silhouetted against the sky. I don't know what the intervening palm to the right is.

Here is a group of Hydriastele (Siphokentia) beguinii with a rather striking appearance.

The sign on this palm(s) said Wettinia praemorse, but Jeff thinks the name has been changed to W. augusta.

We started to move into the South American palms area with Wettinia. Here is a spectacular species from that continent, Attalea cohune.

[mike in kurtistown]

Here in the field of large SA palms is the most tropical Sabal, S. mauritiiformis. Although this one looks big, these can grow into canopy palms of great height.

A group of Mauritiella armatas behind palm nurseryman Jerry Anderson and HIPS board members Bob Ferazzi and Karen Piercy.

The palm is Colpothrinax cookii. Although not clearly shown, the trunk is wrapped with a brown fibrous mat.

We're getting close to the Madagascar section. Here is Ravenea dransfieldii.

[mike in kurtistown]

This is Neoveitchia storckii, native to the Fiji Islands. I'm not sure whether this photo does justice to its distinctive appearance.

Here is a grove of Burretiokentias on the other side of the power lines. The one toward the left with the white woolly inflorescence is B. hapala. The two in front on the right are B. viellardii.

Now we are entering the Madagascar section. Jeff identified this one as Dypsis tokoravina.

In the background here (light green leaves, orangish crownshafts) is a glimpse of a grove of Dypsis pilulifera ("orange crush").

[redant]

Great pictures of a place that is just amazing. One day I hope to see in person.

[mike in kurtistown]

The last photo in the previous message was the Neoveitchia storckii. The first one here (hopefully, if the grey cells keep working and the digital gods are friendly), was identified by Jeff as Dypsis perrieri.

Here is just one palm in a huge grove of Marojejya dariani.

Here, I focus on one tree in a huge grove of Dypsis bejofo, assuming that there are no name changes impending. Other trees are in the background. The colorful trunks are remarkable.

I have another group of pictures, but I will take a break for a while.

[Pedro 65]

Thanks for the pics so far Mike, great shots. This garden is packed with 'Inspiration", but the most "Inspiring" thing now is Bo doing it all again..GO Bo. I look fwd to the rest of the pics, thanks again. Pete

[realarch]

Thanks for posting Mike, it was a great day and a good crowd. Never tire of this garden and I always see something new every time. Thanks for your help too.

[mike in kurtistown]

I appreciate all the encouragement, thanks. Now, I'll post the concluding third, which includes some of the most stunning palms. First up is Dypsis decipiens. The garden has a large group of well-grown specimens, and here is one of them.

There is a large grove of Dypsis carlsmithii, named after a late former president of the IPS who owned a large estate on the east coast of Hawaii Island near Onomea Bay.

Dypsis saintelucei is a tall, somewhat glaucous member of the genus.

One of the memorable parts of the 2004 garden tour of this garden as part of the Hawaii Biennial was an area planted with small Lemurophoenix halleuxii. It was already clear that some of the plants weren't making it, but others seemed to be doing well. Here is part of the outcome, a tall plant with a remarkable tall new red leaf. Other Lemuros in the area are as large or larger and some are smaller but healthy looking.

[mike in kurtistown]

Wandering beyond the Madagascar section, we found Bentinckia condapanna, a really attractive and fast-growing palm from India.

Next, we passed Metroxylon amicarum, the only Metroxylon that blooms and seeds normally, surviving to do so again later.It is from the Caroline Islands in the Pacific.

Here is a New Caledonia collector's item, Kentiopsis piersoniorum.

How could the Lundkvist Palm Garden be complete without Tahina spectabilis? But these only became available as seeds a few years ago, so we can only imagine the form of the mature palm.

[mike in kurtistown]

Let's return to Madagascar briefly. Here's a photo I took a week or two ago while preparing for the tour. It is Masoala madagascariensis. There are several planted near the Marojejyas and the Dypsis bejofos. When I took pictures in 2007 and 2008, none were taller than 3 or 4 feet, reinforcing my then-impression of a glacially-slow growing palm. But today, every one of these is 8 to 10 ft tall, as the photo shows. Apparently, they do take off when large enough.

Back to the Sunday tour, we find two species of fast-growing Dypsis, D. lanceolata (wide-leaflet clumpers on the left) and D. pembana (narrow leaflet plant on the right).

Here is the main grove of Dypsis pilulifera ("orange crush"). According to the information presented to me, the orange crownshaft is most evident when the old leaf sheath drops off, then becomes greener as time passes. The palms are also notable for their emerald-green color, and the regular arrangement of their long narrow leaflets in a plane, an attractive feature shared with the "teddy bear", Dypsis leptocheilos.

There were many clumps of the small clustering palm Dypsis baronii. I was surprised that they all had pale orange crownshafts, as shown in this picture.

[mike in kurtistown]

Approaching the climax of the tour. Here, we looked at a grove of Pelagodoxa henryana, a palm of the Pacific Islands whose exact origin is unknown.

And the final tour-de-force, a grove of Lodoicea maldivica, the famous coco-de-mer palm. Native to the Seychelles Islands, despite the name.

Following the tour, we gathered in the pavilion for remarks from Karolyn and Tim closing the meeting.

Afterwards, we went to some nearby tables to sample the potluck meal. In a period of almost rainfall, the weather gods were kind once again to HIPS, and the skies were only partly cloudy with no rain until after the meeting.

[KPL]

Mike,

Thank you for all you continue to do for HIPS. Taking the time to take photos and post same is very much appreciated. Feel free to call and come by anytime!

Hugs,

Karolyn

[Tassie_Troy1971]

Beautiful photos

The Kentiopsis piersoniorum. is !!!! stunning in every way !

[Daryl]

Nice reporting and great photos Mike!

Daryl

[Peter]

Thanks for the photos! Love that Ravenea dransfieldii.

[Hilo Jason]

I never get tired of seeing photos of this garden! So amazing!!! Thanks for posting them Mike.