Trade mark names and palms.

[ErikSJI]

I recently came across a nursery selling what they call the Piru Queen palm. Basically is is a queen palm grown in Piru California that they claim to be more cold hardy. So what does everyone thing of trademark names that people slap on plants and what have you guys come across personally at certain nurseries of far out names of common plants.

[palmislandRandy]

Crotons

[Jeff Searle]

He can call it what he wants. It's still a Queen palm. Sounds like a false way to promote a palm and enhance his sales.

[PANGEA EXPRESS]

unless there is proof its completely bogus.

This reminded me of the "Inge Hoffman" king refereed to in other posts. Common plant, trademark name, claimed to be more cold tolerant, but the Inge King seems credible since people have some proof of its hardiness.

[Jerry@TreeZoo]

There is a grower that sells Bismarckia "Silver Select". They are very silver, but a trademarked cultivar? I doubt it.

Always best to be an informed consumer.

[Mandrew968]

There actually is a trademarked 'Silver select' Bizmarckia. But doesn't California do this better than anyone? Bonsal queen, abreu queen, Dypsis sp. cuesta linda, Dypsis sp. lanceonada, Dypsis you name it!

[Jeff Searle]

There is a grower that sells Bismarckia "Silver Select". They are very silver, but a trademarked cultivar? I doubt it.

Always best to be an informed consumer.

Your right. The palms he sells is no different than what most growers have to sell. Just a way to enhance his sales.

[TheMadScientist]

Erik, Eric, Jeff, Mandrew.....you've outted this story and all are correct. If you google earth Piru, it is on Hwy. 126 between I-5 and Ventura where I understand Paulene Sullivan residence is. Piru is about 30 miles from the ocean and I am about another 15 miles east of that. There is 1 "wholesaler" that has higher prices than any of you reputable growers or hobbiest on this site. There is another company that appears to not be open to the public that has all of his palms fenced in along Hwy. 126. This little valley is best known like Florida for it's orange tree varieties and avacado's. Each orchard has the large wind machines and smudge pots for the RARE high 20's that don't happen every year. I might be 2-3 degrees colder than they are because I am further up a mountain and more inland. If these were called "Juneau Queens", might be something to the story. Scott....The Mad Informer

[Walter John]

I've seen a few of these names over the years at various outlets, once you get into palms seriously, it doesn't matter what labels are on them, once you know what you're looking at, who cares what they name them ? It used to irritate at first, people on PT would recall me getting all fussed up over nursery names but I don't have a problem any more, if it gets palm trees from retailers/wholesalers into peoples gardens and public places, I say name away. It's all a bit of fun really, like "Orange Crush", "Ivory Cane", "American Redneck", and the like.

[DoomsDave]

I could see a trade name developing if someone manages to, say, tissue culture a particularly pretty "Mule" of some kind that won't reproduce from seed. But, otherwise, watch out. Trade names for purported cultivars are usually bogus.

[Walter John]

I could see a trade name developing if someone manages to, say, tissue culture a particularly pretty "Mule" of some kind that won't reproduce from seed. But, otherwise, watch out. Trade names for purported cultivars are usually bogus.

concur..

[Gonzer]

Syagrus romanzoffianum..... period.

Edited February 14, 2013 by Gonzer

[Nigel]

Syagrus romanzoffianum..... period.

I cant agree with that statement. Syagrus rom grows across a huge swathe of Brazil, Argetina and Uruguay. From Tropical down to sub tropical. In some areas they see frost to -8C , in most areas they never see frost.

It is a fact that Syagrus rom hardiness is related to provenance, so when talking about hardiness the provenance is vital.

I dont know about the company selling those queens, and I know the name `silver queen` has been abused in europe to falsely promote hardly syagrus , but provenance IS a factor in Syagrus rom hardiness.

[ErikSJI]

Syagrus romanzoffianum..... period.

I agree. Same Dna regardless of what country it comes from. It may be more acclimated but not hardier.

[Kailua_Krish]

Syagrus romanzoffianum..... period.

I agree. Same Dna regardless of what country it comes from. It may be more acclimated but not hardier.

Disagree, just like all humans are the same species they don't all have the same DNA or gene expression. Some of us can tolerate quite a bit more sun than others for one example, there are numerous others but that's the easiest one to see.

-Krishna

[sonoranfans]

Syagrus romanzoffianum..... period.

I agree. Same Dna regardless of what country it comes from. It may be more acclimated but not hardier.

Disagree, just like all humans are the same species they don't all have the same DNA or gene expression. Some of us can tolerate quite a bit more sun than others for one example, there are numerous others but that's the easiest one to see.

-Krishna

Sound argument, but how to identify or prove the more favorable genetics of your trademark species is complicated... Not sure I would trust that claim on a queen...

[Kailua_Krish]

Oh, 100 agree. There are really only 3 ways: collect the seed from habitat, collect directly from a tree that has a known exposure to a tremendous amount of cold, or plant a bunch from different sources and let nature weed them out. Anytime a middleman is there you can't really have any certainty. I did buy some queens from Ellis at Redlands called Uruguay queens or something like that and they have proven to be rather hardy from a young age, they also went pinnate very early but don't grow vertically very quickly. Something is interesting about them (for people who like queen palms at least).

-Krishna

[pptn]

I know this topic has come up everywhere about these queen palms. Hopefully this will help. Here is a article that I wrote that may shed a little light on what a piru queen palm actually is  according to its botanical name and the difference between it and the silver queen palm cold tolerance. 

http://palmprofessionalstropicalnursery.com/Piru-Palm-Tree-Verses-Silver-Queen-Palm-Tree.htm

[Brad Mondel]

Patented and trade marked names are supposed to be for royalties paid to the original grower, hybridyzer, or finder of the plant.  It's my understanding that you can't patent a plant unless it can be asexually reproduced. Seed grown plants aren't exact copies because the mix of genes involved so, you can't trade mark something unless it's an exact copy. That rules out palms unless somehow you can tissue culture a suckering species.