Will this be her final display of beauty before I loose my little girl? Last growing season she put out one inflorescence (the remains can be seen atop of the new ones) in which the seed never matured into a viable state…some grew to about the size of a dried out chick pea with an angular shape. Knowing that Arenga engleri is a monocarpic palm, I thought she was going to die as soon as the seed ripened. I researched from my palm encyclopedia that these palms can flower for several years before they die. So now early in this season….she has now produced two inflorescence and with the hopes it can produce a good batch of seed. I have two clusters of Arenga engleri this one is in my front garden which is more sun exposed and grows a tight compact frond formation…the one I have growing in my back garden which gets more shade is very robust and elongated looking…I’m wondering if they are even the same species.

It being a clustering species guarantees it many years of life. One I planted for a client a few years ago "exploded" in growth, producing dozens of lush stems up to fifteen feet in height or more and only one stem has gone into bloom. A. engleri are really showoffs. Only the stem in bloom will die leaving the others to continue growing.

Only the stem with the blooms will decline.You still have many years left to enjoy this palm...

aztropic

Mesa,Arizona

Stems of mine have been blooming constantly for 4 years and still produce new inflorescences!

And you will end up with many seedlings popping up near the fruiting clumps, just like weeds. If some seeds can germinate naturally in my temperate climate, go figure out, what's gonna happen in your subtropical one!

It being a clustering species guarantees it many years of life. One I planted for a client a few years ago "exploded" in growth, producing dozens of lush stems up to fifteen feet in height or more and only one stem has gone into bloom. A. engleri are really showoffs. Only the stem in bloom will die leaving the others to continue growing.

Hi Jim,

They sure are showboats...the one in my back garden looks awsome...some day in the future I'll post a photo...the garden is just not ready to showcase yet.

Thanks,

John

And you will end up with many seedlings popping up near the fruiting clumps, just like weeds. If some seeds can germinate naturally in my temperate climate, go figure out, what's gonna happen in your subtropical one!

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Hi Phoenikakias,

I’ll be looking forward to the day when they start sprouting like weeds, because that will be money “$$$” popping up from the ground…These palms aren’t cheap and hardly any nurseries carry them in my area. Hmm…and if it continues to flower for the next couple of years…I think this Agrenga could out performed some of the stocks in my retirement fund.

Thanks,

John

Frond:

Don't be afraid to trim your engie; otherwise it will look like mine. Just take a sawzall or narrow pruning saw and cut the dead stuff out.

Mr DD,  this is entirely natural, nothing to ashamed of. Also mine looks like yours.

Hey DoomsDave!!...There is no need to prune any of my Arenga E. at this time because just as forum member Phoenikakias posted previously that these palms can flower for years before they die, and mine are doing just that. In fact they are beginning to flower again and now…I can’t wait for that sweet smell to hit the air. I have collected some seed from last seasons run that I will try to germinate, and any left over I will offer for free to those who would like to have them…I will post some photos soon.