Cocos nucifera on Madeira Island

[Cluster]

Hey guys, I have a few updates coming, just need some time during this week to post them here. Will have images from summer 2024 and winter 2024/2025. I am also very disappointed  with the marina situation, I brought the issue to several people, years before they actually removed them.

On 9/15/2024 at 12:18 PM, Pargomad said:

I know they're going to build a new park by Formosa Beach in Funchal. Hopefully, they'll plant coconut trees and tropical species rather than phoenix or trachycarpus, as they always do.

So far they are still building the "inner park", otherwise along the promenade it is phoenix and banana trees, we will see when they get to the actual garden.

 

On 2/18/2025 at 9:21 PM, Pargomad said:

Hi everyone, it’s been a while since there’s been any updates in this thread, so I’m here to try and bring it back with a video of the Santa Cruz coconut tree (starting at 3:54) that looks like it's finally bearing fruit! 

Link: Cocos nucifera Santa Cruz

Indeed seems to be fruiting:) nice catch man.

 

[IlyaIvanov]

8 hours ago, Cluster said:

Hey guys, I have a few updates coming, just need some time during this week to post them here. Will have images from summer 2024 and winter 2024/2025. I am also very disappointed  with the marina situation, I brought the issue to several people, years before they actually removed them.

So far they are still building the "inner park", otherwise along the promenade it is phoenix and banana trees, we will see when they get to the actual garden.

 

Indeed seems to be fruiting:) nice catch man.

 

They didn't remove them. I saw them, they look a bit rough after transplantation. They're still in Marina, but now they're next to GIRO Ticket Minibus). So I guess they listened to you.

I'll try to find photos, and upload them here.

[Cluster]

19 hours ago, IlyaIvanov said:

They didn't remove them. I saw them, they look a bit rough after transplantation. They're still in Marina, but now they're next to GIRO Ticket Minibus). So I guess they listened to you.

I'll try to find photos, and upload them here.

Could you check if they spared the Green Dwarf one as well or only the talls remain?

Thank you.

[Pargomad]

On 5/4/2025 at 11:36 PM, IlyaIvanov said:

They didn't remove them. I saw them, they look a bit rough after transplantation. They're still in Marina, but now they're next to GIRO Ticket Minibus). So I guess they listened to you.

I'll try to find photos, and upload them here.

Thanks for the info! I did a little digging and actually spotted some freshly transplanted palm trees in a recent YouTube video, right next to the GIRO minibus. I can't tell if they're the same coconut palms, new ones, or even if they’re coconut palms at all, could be a different species. Either way, they were definitely planted this week, cause two weeks ago they weren’t there (you can see it in the pic below). Not sure if it’s because people started calling them out online, but hey… maybe it worked. 
 

[IlyaIvanov]

Here are the promised photos of newly replanted Marina Coconut’s. Sorry it took me so long. (Date of pictures: 15th of May)

 

And I also found a huge 3-meter tall Coffee Arabica growing in my location (São Vicente, Ginjas, 460m alt.) This is the biggest coffee I’ve seen on the island which is a pleasant surprise. Our climate seems perfect for it. Owner said he brought it from Venezuela.

[Cluster]

Thanks for the updates, the Coffee Arabica looks nice! How many cocos do they still have planted, did the dwarf survive?

 

 

[IlyaIvanov]

52 minutes ago, Cluster said:

Thanks for the updates, the Coffee Arabica looks nice! How many cocos do they still have planted, did the dwarf survive?

 

 

I’m positive there were 6 coconuts before the reconstruction. For some reason I didn’t think of counting them when I made the photos (I also couldn’t get any closer), and it’s quite hard to tell what’s the exact number from the images I posted, because of different perspectives. But I think there’s 4 of them, not sure where’s the rest. I think they just didn’t survive unfortunately.

[IlyaIvanov]

I also “found” another Coconut growing at Museu Quinta das Cruzes, not sure if it was mentioned/posted here yet. It looks very healthy, wish I had one like this in my garden!

+ another photo from new Marina coconuts, from March 22nd

 

+ Botanical photos from Quinta Jardins do Lago (one of the best gardens & plant collection I’ve seen on this island)

[Cluster]

I have shown the jackfruit before and I believe quinta das cruzes coconut many years ago:)

I agree with you that Quinta Jardins do Lago is one of the top gardens to visit if you can, amazing collection.

Another thing I have noticed is that the coconuts from 22 march compared to 15th may look a lot worse no?

So hopefully the transplant will work out.

Thank you very much for these updates and keep updating us with your project in São Vicente:)

 

 

[Pargomad]

Hey guys, it’s been a while since I last commented on this thread. I haven’t been to Madeira since 2021, mainly because I prioritized other destinations like Spain and Gran Canaria (where you can still enjoy a wide variety of tropical and subtropical vegetation, including palm trees—unlike in most of Portugal).

In the meantime, I’ve been doing some research through YouTube and Google Street View, and I found out that out of the seven coconut trees that were growing in the marina before the renovation, five were replanted on the site (four together and one on its own as shown on the picture below). 

Unfortunately, in line with a very narrow-minded Portuguese approach, the entire area was rebuilt with concrete, leaving almost no greenery, just a few dwarf palms, some young flamboyants, and the surviving coconut palms.

On 6/7/2025 at 3:50 AM, IlyaIvanov said:

I also “found” another Coconut growing at Museu Quinta das Cruzes, not sure if it was mentioned/posted here yet. It looks very healthy, wish I had one like this in my garden!

+ another photo from new Marina coconuts, from March 22nd

 

+ Botanical photos from Quinta Jardins do Lago (one of the best gardens & plant collection I’ve seen on this island)

I loved all the photos of tropical plants and flowers above. Madeira really has huge potential for tropical species, just like the Canary Islands. Unfortunately, local authorities stick to a very boring and narrow-minded list of ornamental plants for public spaces, unlike in Spain. As a result, you’re more likely to enjoy this diversity in private gardens rather than in public areas. I’ve been to Gran Canaria twice and to Málaga a few times, and every time I’m amazed by the incredible variety of ornamental palms and trees.

Like I mentioned before, I’ve been doing some research online and came across this beautiful video where you can see the two coconut palms in Paúl do Mar, full of fairly large coconuts (at 41:40 and 52:03) and another one in Ponta do sol (min. 5:38). They actually don’t look that different from the ones I saw in Gran Canaria.

Here's the video: 

I took some screenshots, here you can see a bunch of them hanging (probably more than 10): 

I also have some news to share: they finally uploaded the 1991–2020 climate normals for Funchal (the old station) after almost half a decade of waiting. As you can see, the old station is still just 1 degree away from being classified as a tropical climate in the coolest months. Unfortunately, they haven’t released the data for the other stations yet. 

 

The only official climate normals I have for Lugar de Baixo and LIdo cover the years 2012 to 2024. Over this 13-year period, the average temperature in the coolest months reaches 18°C, suggesting the area may have a tropical microclimate.

[Hu Palmeras]

On 1/10/2014 at 1:46, Mr. Coconut Palm said:

Hi Cluster,

 

I am glad I could be of help to you with the information. I think if you could ever get any, that the pure Indian Tall variety of coconut palm from the area around Delhi, India is probably the most cold hardy variety in the world. I estimate this variety to be hardy down to 25F when it has some size and is established, since north central India I believe gets down into the upper 20'sF each winter, and they grow there. This is likely the variety that was spoken of in one of the above posts that is planted near the base of the Himalayan Mountains. The second most cold hardy variety I believe is the pure Mexican Tall variety from the Gulf Coast of Mexico. I estimate it to be cold hardy down to 26F when it is established and has some size to it. I know of two very large ones (about 45 - 50 feet tall in overall height with trunks about 25 -30 feet tall) growing in the lawn of a small motel in Brownsville, Texas in the Rio Grande Valley, about 3 hours south of me. These two palms made it through the Christmas snowstorm in Brownsville in 2004 ( the first time measurable snowfall was recorded in Brownsville in 105 years) and through at least two winters in the last 10 -15 years in which the lowest temperatures dropped down into the 27F -28F range, and yet they fully recovered and looked fine until they acquired Lethal Yellowing disease in the last few months.

 

Tall varieties are slightly more cold hardy than dwarfs and have a more robust growth pattern, as well as can grow in poor soils and even thrive in beach sand. Dwarf varieties on the other hand are slightly less cold hardy, but produce their first coconuts often when their trunks are only about 3 feet tall, and are more compact in their growth habits, making them more suitable for smaller yards. They are much more resistant to Lethal Yellowing than the talls, but need a more nutrient rich soil with organic matter and some fertilizer (preferably organic) to look their best. So, there are advantages to both varieties, depending on what you are looking for.

 

John

Very cool