Why aren't people growing trachycarpus martianus?

[Mauna Kea Cloudforest]

Why is trachycarpus martianus so rare in California? It's got to be one of the most beautiful trachycarpus that can grow almost anywhere in California, yet it's almost non-existent in street plantings or in rare palm gardens. It's far more beautiful than trachycarpus fortunei.

Below is Geoff Stein's famous photo from the Huntington, I've drooled over this picture for many years. I am planting a lot of these in my garden, but none of mine are trunking yet.

Here is my oldest specimen, a bit slow because I have dry farmed this specimen. it has never gotten any irrigation whatsoever, so it grows mostly from the first rains in November through about July.

[Jeff Searle]

Personally, it doesn't do anything for me in looks. No bells or whistles. So if I lived out in Cali, it would probably be a no go....

[paulgila]

i think they are a desireable palm for socal. they are an attractive palm & fall into that medium height category that can be troublesome to fill.

[ghar41]

I have a few of both the "Nepal" and the "Khasa Hills" types. I like the KH best when they are small, about eye level, to view the circular fans. The flowers are attractive when they are larger tho, also.

[Alicehunter2000]

I got a little "Nepal" form....nothing to speak of yet. Starting to try and grow a lot more Trachy's. I have had poor luck with them in pots in the past. In the ground they seem to be holding in there....maybe they detest warm/hot roots in a pot.

[Mauna Kea Cloudforest]

  On 7/11/2014 at 4:36 PM, Jeff Searle said:

Personally, it doesn't do anything for me in looks. No bells or whistles. So if I lived out in Cali, it would probably be a no go....

For me this has a lot of bells and whistles. Large circular fans, long unarmed petioles, smooth self cleaning trunk, bright orange fruit. Maybe no crownshaft, but for us coccothrinax deprived folks out West, this is as good as it gets in that dept.

[Jim in Los Altos]

I have two and love them for many reasons. As Axel noted, they are carefree growers. To me they're easily the most tropical looking of the Trachycarpus family and very easy on the eyes. They grow well in full shade and full sun and don't get tatty looking in dry heat or wind the way fortunei do. They aren't as cold hardy as the other Trachies but at 20F hardiness they will grow in plenty of CA gardens as well as in many other areas. I wish these were available back in the early 80s when I planted several fortunei.

[Cikas]

My favorite specie of trachycarpus.

[DoomsDave]

I love my "Ear Hair Palms" with fuzz on the petioles like ear hair.

And easy to grow. Axel yours rock. I've got more to put in the ground.

[quaman58]

Mine also has the fuzz up the sides lf the petiole. Is that a particular variety?

[Ben in Norcal]

Got a few in the ground up here Clayton way

[Patrick]

I've always liked them and have tried to grow several, but the excess heat and wind over where I live creates too harsh a climate. They were always unhappy and eventually succumbed to stress from, I believe, the heat. Plus, the winters are a tad cold as well. so it was stress all year long

Wags have proven to be a far hardier species for me.

[Ben in Norcal]

  On 7/12/2014 at 8:26 PM, Patrick said:

I've always liked them and have tried to grow several, but the excess heat and wind over where I live creates too harsh a climate. They were always unhappy and eventually succumbed to stress from, I believe, the heat. Plus, the winters are a tad cold as well. so it was stress all year long

Wags have proven to be a far hardier species for me.

I'm not far from you. Give them a bit of shelter, keep them well irrigated, and they seem pretty bulletproof.

[Alberto]

I like them too! One of my favourite palms...maybe because it was one of the first I germinated .

[David in Berkeley]

I've been planting quite a few of these in design jobs, and have a couple in my own garden as well. I also find them refined and elegant looking, and have always enjoyed the large ones up at the Botanic Garden here in Berkeley.

[Patrick]

Thanks for the tip Benr, maybe I'll give them another shot in the future. I have a good amount of canopy and western protection developing. Your microclimate is a little less harsh, believe it or not, though you get a degree or two colder. Those hills just to the east of you really make a good breeze on our side of the hill. I have some good size Caryotas I'd like to plant, but I know they will get cooked by the wind.

[Ben in Norcal]

  On 7/13/2014 at 4:49 PM, Patrick said:

Thanks for the tip Benr, maybe I'll give them another shot in the future. I have a good amount of canopy and western protection developing. Your microclimate is a little less harsh, believe it or not, though you get a degree or two colder. Those hills just to the east of you really make a good breeze on our side of the hill. I have some good size Caryotas I'd like to plant, but I know they will get cooked by the wind.

Not to take this OT, but PM me if I could interest you in parting with one of those Caryotas. I have been looking for a decent sized plant to start with.

[JT in Japan]

I'd never heard of this one, but have been starting to take a real liking to trachy's in general, mainly because they're the most prominent palm throughout Tokyo (last year I had a different opinion,...). You've convinced me to look for some seeds and start some! Do you have any recos on which seed house will have fresh ones, and the timing for fresh ones?

Thanks,
JT

[Tassie_Troy1971]

Because i can't source any plants in Australia and none of the seeds from RPS germinated .

I really like the look of this Trachycarpus though !

[Tropicdoc]

Looking good Axel. I Am growing one of these up in a large pot with hopes it can live under live oak canopy in the future. It is leaps and bounds above fortunei in looks IMO.

[Matthew92]

Agreed, maybe the most tropical looking of the Trachy's. Unfortunately doesn't seem like it would survive for us in zone 8, although I bet it would make a nice cross with regular fortunei. 

[EastCanadaTropicals]

  On 7/11/2014 at 4:29 PM, Brahea Axel said:

Why is trachycarpus martianus so rare in California? It's got to be one of the most beautiful trachycarpus that can grow almost anywhere in California, yet it's almost non-existent in street plantings or in rare palm gardens. It's far more beautiful than trachycarpus fortunei.

 

Below is Geoff Stein's famous photo from the Huntington, I've drooled over this picture for many years. I am planting a lot of these in my garden, but none of mine are trunking yet.

 

 

Here is my oldest specimen, a bit slow because I have dry farmed this specimen. it has never gotten any irrigation whatsoever, so it grows mostly from the first rains in November through about July.

 

Expand  

I think any Trachy is nicer than trachycarpus fourtunei.

Edited February 7, 2021 by EastCanadaTropicals