Beccariophoenix alfredii- a definite Coconut lookalike

[Eric in Orlando]

This has been discussed in the past. Beccariophoenix alfredii has excellent potential as a Coconut substitute in areas too cold to grow Cocos nucifera. Here is a Beccariophoenix alfredii growing at the entrance to Leu Gardens. Looks almost identical to a Coconut Palm, especially driving by at 30-40 MPH. This one was planted in 2007. It survived the 2009-10 winter with no damage. The coldest ight was at 28-29F. That night it was below freezing for almost 12 hours and very heavy frost. This specimen is in an open location and had a heavy layer of frost on it. Frost didn't melt off until about 10AM that day.

Here it is today looking coconutty;

[Mauna Kea Cloudforest]

Cool! (No pun intended)

This is definitely the most aswesome new cocoid palm to grow. I do think there is some sort of variation in cold hardiness amongst different specimens given all the various reports on differing degrees of hardiness. That's why it's good to try a few from different seed batches.

[mallenstp]

Here's mine in North St. Petersburg Fl. Took 26 with heavy frost totally exposed in 2010. Was maybe 2 feet tall max at that time and hardly had any damage. This was my smallest one that was root bound in pot a couple years until I found a place to put it. Has grown a lot in 3 years and outgrew the larger ones planted in partial shade. Shovel in front of palm for scale.

[Alicehunter2000]

Is there a lax leaf form of these? That would even look more coconutty.

[Eric in Orlando]

Wonder if this will hybridize with B. sp. "Windows" ?

[Mauna Kea Cloudforest]

Is there a lax leaf form of these? That would even look more coconutty.

You don't want the lax leaf form if you're looking for the coconut look. Take a close look at a coconut, you'll see it has very upright fronds. I noticed this when I went to Hawaii last Spring and tried to compare the look of parajubaea with coconuts. The torallyi is hands down much closer in appearance because it has less of a lax look than p. cocoides. The same is true for windows versus alfredii.

I bet a windows x alfredii would be quite a bit faster and even hardier as all hybrids seem to be.

[Alicehunter2000]

Really? I guess they are just held in a weird downward plane to give it this look. Never really looked closely I guess.

[Zeeth]

This is definitely one palm that I can't wait to see become more common in cultivation. I agree with Axel that there seems to be some cold hardiness variation, like there is with Bismarckia, but once B. alfredii has been in cultivation long enough I think it'll be easier to pick out the cold hardier ones and grow/propagate those like was done with Bismarckia. The palm at Leu really looks like it's coming along! I remember old threads you've posted with the progress and it seems like it's really hit a growth spurt.

[Mauna Kea Cloudforest]

Really? I guess they are just held in a weird downward plane to give it this look. Never really looked closely I guess.

Florida_Keys_Coconut_Palm_2008.jpg

If you look at a juvenile, you can see it better.

Here is a torallyi growing in Santa Cruz for comparison. It's much more coconutty looking than cocoides. I think the alfredii looks even more coconutty:

[Mike Evans]

Eric, great to see the alfredii growing so well in Orlando. I have many that went through the 2010 freeze very well, but were under canopy. I think this will be a palm many people will be interested in when there are larger ones available. I am currently growing 100's. I still find people that want a true coconut for the fruit, but don't seem to understand that it will probably die in this area before they harvest. Thanks for posting, great palm.

Mike in St Pete, how old is your alfredii that you posted.

[mallenstp]

Mike, it's probably 6-7 years. Would probably of been a lot bigger if I hadn't let it sit root bound in a pot for a couple of years. It seems like I got the seeds from Ortanique?? before they were named Alfredi. My timing might be off as time flies as you get older. I'm wondering if the first batch or two of these seeds might be more cold/ frost resistant than later batches just from reading other people's experiences with them as i've had no problems. For me full sun also is the best for these.

[John Case]

My experience since 2008 is to put them in the ground once you are forced to upsize them from a 5 to 15 pot. If they go into a 15, they tend (here, anyway) to grow roots rather than leaves and they do not transplant as well.

My 2 best in ground were plants from a 5 gallon. My worst is one that grew a 15 pot full of roots and transitioned poorly.

They all survive my episodes of 2mid 20's each year.

One thing that is especially encouraging, if the central spear pulls,..it is not necessarily the death knell for the plant...I have had 2 of them come back (of 4 that the spear pulled).

My 2 cents......

[Eric in Orlando]

Eric, great to see the alfredii growing so well in Orlando. I have many that went through the 2010 freeze very well, but were under canopy. I think this will be a palm many people will be interested in when there are larger ones available. I am currently growing 100's. I still find people that want a true coconut for the fruit, but don't seem to understand that it will probably die in this area before they harvest. Thanks for posting, great palm.

Mike in St Pete, how old is your alfredii that you posted.

We have 6 others planted out. There are 2, one on each side of the walk leading to an open air class room building. These 2 sprouted from 1 seed. Once they were older they split apart but I planted them so they were close to each other.

[spockvr6]

Mike, it's probably 6-7 years. Would probably of been a lot bigger if I hadn't let it sit root bound in a pot for a couple of years. It seems like I got the seeds from Ortanique?? before they were named Alfredi. My timing might be off as time flies as you get older. I'm wondering if the first batch or two of these seeds might be more cold/ frost resistant than later batches just from reading other people's experiences with them as i've had no problems. For me full sun also is the best for these.

Hey Mike! I have an alfredii that I got from you a few years back........which I also kept in a pot too long. But, I finally planted it out a month or two ago. Its definitely very coconutty and will be the centerpiece of one side of my yard in a few more years. So, I have to thank you again for this palm!

[spockvr6]

I still find people that want a true coconut for the fruit, but don't seem to understand that it will probably die in this area before they harvest. Thanks for posting, great palm.

Yes....still no substitute for the real thing MIke!

On that note.....I brought back about 14 Maypan nuts last week from one of my seeding coconuts on PI. I have no idea what Ill do with them, so if you want to try and germinate them to have some Coconuts to sell in a few years, you can have them.

[mallenstp]

Mike, it's probably 6-7 years. Would probably of been a lot bigger if I hadn't let it sit root bound in a pot for a couple of years. It seems like I got the seeds from Ortanique?? before they were named Alfredi. My timing might be off as time flies as you get older. I'm wondering if the first batch or two of these seeds might be more cold/ frost resistant than later batches just from reading other people's experiences with them as i've had no problems. For me full sun also is the best for these.

Hey Mike! I have an alfredii that I got from you a few years back........which I also kept in a pot too long. But, I finally planted it out a month or two ago. Its definitely very coconutty and will be the centerpiece of one side of my yard in a few more years. So, I have to thank you again for this palm!

[mallenstp]

Looking good, glad it's working out for you better than that spiny Acrocomia you dug up from my yard and took home. I'm sure you had some holes poked in you after that one.

[Keith N Tampa (ex SoJax)]

Really? I guess they are just held in a weird downward plane to give it this look. Never really looked closely I guess.

Florida_Keys_Coconut_Palm_2008.jpg

If you look at a juvenile, you can see it better.

Here is a torallyi growing in Santa Cruz for comparison. It's much more coconutty looking than cocoides. I think the alfredii looks even more coconutty:

Axel, your cocoides is prettier than the coconut, IMO.

[Mauna Kea Cloudforest]

Really? I guess they are just held in a weird downward plane to give it this look. Never really looked closely I guess.

Florida_Keys_Coconut_Palm_2008.jpg

If you look at a juvenile, you can see it better.

Here is a torallyi growing in Santa Cruz for comparison. It's much more coconutty looking than cocoides. I think the alfredii looks even more coconutty:

Axel, your cocoides is prettier than the coconut, IMO.

That's a torallyi in the picture above. But thanks, parajubaea are fabulous palms, I am grateful they grow in our refrigerator of a climate.

[buccaneers37]

Here are my 2 alfredii. The first picture was taken on 6/13/10, not too long after I planted them. The next picture was taken on 10/13/13. In 2011 they saw consecutive night of 23/24 and in 2012 consecutive 27/28. I chickened out and used a sheet to cover them both times. No damage. Last winter I only got down to 31 or 32 and obviously no protection from me. From now on, I think, they are on their own (unless we get another 2010 - 17 or 18 deg.) There is VERY slight cover from a pine tree.

That area has seen a few changes over 3 years; even a different hose!

[Eric in Orlando]

I wonder how far north in FL it is being tried ?

[Tyrone]

This is one species I'll be taking with me to try down in Albany when I get a place down there. I doubt that they've been tried on the south coast of Western Australia yet, and as they are a good coconut look alike, will make living down there much easier.

[tikitiki]

I have four. They are growing fast at the moment. I've tried the windows form but I keep killing them. this tho is a no brainer.

[Bill H2DB]

I wonder how far north in FL it is being tried ?

I'm certainly interested in trying it in the Daytona Beach area.

I have a pretty good microclimate .

[redant]

Love this palm, thinking of replacing any coconut that dies in my garden with these. Hope they don't get attacked buy some sort of bug like the bizzies and the palmetto weevils.

[Zeeth]

Love this palm, thinking of replacing any coconut that dies in my garden with these. Hope they don't get attacked buy some sort of bug like the bizzies and the palmetto weevils.

I wonder what it is that makes a palm susceptible to something like palmetto weevils whereas other palms aren't. The don't seem to be bothered by whitefly right?

[Zeeth]

Looks very coconutty to me

[spockvr6]

Love this palm, thinking of replacing any coconut that dies in my garden with these. Hope they don't get attacked buy some sort of bug like the bizzies and the palmetto weevils.

I agree. Barring any sort factors preventing their spread (economic or natural), of I think these may end up being the next "Foxtail" (i.e. the palm that starts out ultra-rare then ends up being ultra-common). Outside of actually seeing Coconuts hanging off the palm, these look close enough to the average eye. And, people, no matter where they are located, like the way Coconuts "look".

[Eric in Orlando]

I have really been promoting this palm in talks and presentations. I think this palm has excellent potential in 9b and south in FL.

It is also a good replacement for queen palms. Hopefully the Beccs aren't susceptible to the disease killing off the queen palms.

[John Case]

I have really been promoting this palm in talks and presentations. I think this palm has excellent potential in 9b and south in FL.

It is also a good replacement for queen palms. Hopefully the Beccs aren't susceptible to the disease killing off the queen palms.

Eric, the Queen Palm is the working mans landscape palm in CA. What disease is killing your off? Do we need to be concerned out here?

Thanks,

JC

[Eric in Orlando]

Its a Fusarium, here is a link from U of FL

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pp278

[KennyRE317]

Really? I guess they are just held in a weird downward plane to give it this look. Never really looked closely I guess.

Florida_Keys_Coconut_Palm_2008.jpg

If you look at a juvenile, you can see it better.

Here is a torallyi growing in Santa Cruz for comparison. It's much more coconutty looking than cocoides. I think the alfredii looks even more coconutty:

i still think alfredii looks more like a coconut just from how much neater the leaflets (if that's the term) are, similar to how grateful and neat a coconut looks

[John Case]

I have really been promoting this palm in talks and presentations. I think this palm has excellent potential in 9b and south in FL.

It is also a good replacement for queen palms. Hopefully the Beccs aren't susceptible to the disease killing off the queen palms.

Eric, the Queen Palm is the working mans landscape palm in CA. What disease is killing your off? Do we need to be concerned out here?

Thanks,

JC

Thanks...but still no clue about CA......I'll look around. Thanks again!

[redant]

Love this palm, thinking of replacing any coconut that dies in my garden with these. Hope they don't get attacked buy some sort of bug like the bizzies and the palmetto weevils.

I wonder what it is that makes a palm susceptible to something like palmetto weevils whereas other palms aren't. The don't seem to be bothered by whitefly right?

I have plenty of whitefly on my gumbo's and coconuts and even some on some other palms, but none on the alfredii

[spockvr6]

Love this palm, thinking of replacing any coconut that dies in my garden with these. Hope they don't get attacked buy some sort of bug like the bizzies and the palmetto weevils.

I wonder what it is that makes a palm susceptible to something like palmetto weevils whereas other palms aren't. The don't seem to be bothered by whitefly right?

I have plenty of whitefly on my gumbo's and coconuts and even some on some other palms, but none on the alfredii

I too am curious as to how the whitefly ascertains what species it would like to devour.

When I first got hit with whitefly on Pine Island, it of course was the worst on the Coconuts. But, the whitefly also, to a muchsmaller degree enjoyed the Adonidia, Hyophorbe, and Dypsis. But, they ignored everything else. Of course, I am not complianing about this, but one has to wonder why insects choose a certain plant over another.

[Danilopez89]

A grower gave me a free 2gallon beccariophoenix alfredii after buying several palms from him this past week. He sounded pretty excited about it and wanted me to try one. He thinks it will love my high heat like my bizzies do. He said the cool part about his b. alfredii's is that he got seeds from Madagascar

[Lou-StAugFL]

One of my Beccariophoenix alfredii keeps falling over. I have two of them that I planted at the same time in containers. This will be the third season I have had them. One stays up straight and the other has stretching roots that cause it to fall. Can I replant it with those roots under the ground to stabilize it or do you all have other suggestions? The rocks have not helped, when it gets windy it just knocks over the rocks.

[Zeeth]

It's planted waayy too high up. You have to plant it much deeper for it to recover.

[Lou-StAugFL]

Didn't plant it that high, it started growing that way. It got worse as the summer season went on last year. I was thinking the same as you that I should repot it. Not ready for an inground attempt yet. I want it to be a good bit larger before I try it in my area under some live oak canopy.

[Zeeth]

Didn't plant it that high, it started growing that way. It got worse as the summer season went on last year. I was thinking the same as you that I should repot it. Not ready for an inground attempt yet. I want it to be a good bit larger before I try it in my area under some live oak canopy.

I would go ahead and plant it in the ground. In my experience, they do best being planted at that size pot, any larger or smaller and they seem to stall for some reason.