Oncosperma tigillarium Anyone Familiar ?

[HorsesnPalms]

I recently aquired some Oncosperma tigillarium seeds. They are in a baggie with bottom heat at the moment, but thought they may need to be placed into warm water instead. I know pretty much nothing but what I found on Wiki about this palm. I know its known as a Nibung or Nibong palm which means mangrove palm. I live on the water and thought it may do well here. Can anyone tell me more about it? Germination methods, anything?

Thanks!!

[cfkingfish]

Robin-

I live just down the road from you, figuratively speaking, in Venice. I have grown some O. tigilliarum plants from seed, this is not an easy plant. A lot of heat and hoping that sphere will crack and germinate is just the beginning - they love to rot off. If the seed is not fresh you should soak them for a day or so. If you use a well drained soil but keep it moist you can get it out of the seedling stage where they are easier to keep alive.

The next part is keeping it alive up here. Port Charlotte has some pretty cold dry winds in the winter and they hate low humidity and frost. They grow so fast it is worth giving a try for kicks if nothing else. They do love their water though once established.

[Cedric]

Beautiful wild thorny thing, forms a massif towering clump. I've only seen it grown very well in Singapore and Malaysia Penang at their respective botanical gardens and these were controlled clumps. I can see it forming wonderful impenetrable thicket stretching forever. I imagine only constant humidity and heat will do, that means upwards of 80% humidity and +-30%c temps night and day almost all year, this is what its like in Penang almost continually. There is a slight shift between night and day temps and absolute record lows of something like 20%c but the humidity and heat generally chunders on through even the dry season.

Have wondered (a little hopelessly) if it will grow anywhere else with just slightly less than strict equatorial tropics so I will watch this space. Those hanging curtains of leaflets and skinny elegant bamboo like trunks streching into the sky are the very epitome of tropical no surprise you want to try. For me not even the coconut comes close to something like this in real tropical flavour.

[edric]

I haven't much info on it, but I've posted some great photos, if you haven't seen this already, Ed

http://www.palmpedia.net/wiki/Oncosperma_tigillarium

[HorsesnPalms]

Thank you so much. I am going to try like hell to get it to grow here.. It is absolutely gorgeous! Thanks for those photos!

[realarch]

Robin,

Here's a pic of O. tigillarium growing in the Singapore Botanic Garden. From a distance they look like Euterpe until you get up close. They have some serious spines.

Tim

[HorsesnPalms]

Robin,

Here's a pic of O. tigillarium growing in the Singapore Botanic Garden. From a distance they look like Euterpe until you get up close. They have some serious spines.

Tim

O.jpg

Oh wow that is a great shot. Its so spectacular that it has its own island! Thank you for posting that. I have saved it. :-)

[tropicbreeze]

This is one in the botanic gardens in Darwin. It's what prompted me to get some seeds. 3 months and still no germination.

[fan palm]

3months for me too and nothing....

[bikoro child]

The seeds are said to be difficult to germinate,the best is to use the fresh ones

[doranakandawatta]

In Singapore,

In Sri Lanka, I know where in the jungle are growing the endemic Oncosperma and we already have some seedlings. I'll try to get some pics in the next visit .

Is really O. filamentosum synonym with O. tigillarium? I think Bikoro Child know well about Oncosperma

[bikoro child]

yes O filamentosum is oned of the synonyms of O tigillarium...Here that palm is use for the wood wich is very strong for the constructions... the one growing in the mangrove (black stemmed) are stronger than these growing in the mountain (stem some times reddish that give the aspect of O Gracilipes)

[HorsesnPalms]

Well I was reading more about this in a book at my local library ( I couldn't believe they had one on palms) It was an older book, but it said to use brackish water to germinate them for the quickest results. Brackish water is a mixture of salt and fresh. So I am going to pick up a gallon of brackish water at a local boat ramp. Anything to help move it along. I know I am going to look silly, hopefully no one will be around lol

Thank you all for the beautiful photos. This palm is just beautiful,

yes O filamentosum is oned of the synonyms of O tigillarium...Here that palm is use for the wood wich is very strong for the constructions... the one growing in the mangrove (black stemmed) are stronger than these growing in the mountain (stem some times reddish that give the aspect of O Gracilipes)

Seeing as they are used for wood, then it sounds like they are fast growers in their native land. I hope that happens here as well.

I did find this photo of the spines, so cool! Spined and hairy palms are by far my favorites. So unique and dangerous.

[paulgila]

ive seen them at Bogor botanical garden in Indonesia & in habitat in Malaysia,they are indeed cool looking palms. I say give it a shot!

[Eric in Orlando]

There is a big clump at Fairchild Gardens in Miami. At least there was the last time I was there in 2007. I have had young specimens here killed by temperatures in the low 30sF (in containers).