I have grown Beccariophoenix alfredii for nearly five years and madagascariensis for almost two. So far so good with them. Here is a pic of alfredii, taken a few days ago.

Saribus and Beccariophoenix battling it out. Just below them is a Pritchardia mitiaroana.

Pritchardia mitiaroana.

Alfredii looks great ! I planted one about 2 years ago and it, too, is becoming a real beauty ! They really are taking on a coconut palm look as they grow.

 

Yeah, that is one happy looking alfredii. Great score on the Pritchardia as well. I passed on those when I had the chance to get some seedlings, thinking that there was no way they'd grow here. (Like pacifica & thurstonii). But a friend has one growing that looks just fine. You just never know. Yours looks great.

49 minutes ago, quaman58 said:

Yeah, that is one happy looking alfredii. Great score on the Pritchardia as well. I passed on those when I had the chance to get some seedlings, thinking that there was no way they'd grow here. (Like pacifica & thurstonii). But a friend has one growing that looks just fine. You just never know. Yours looks great.

Bret.  How your windows these days? It's still one of my favorite so cal specimens. 

5 hours ago, Mandrew968 said:

I have grown Beccariophoenix alfredii for nearly five years and madagascariensis for almost two. So far so good with them. Here is a pic of alfredii, taken a few days ago.

looking real nice!!!

Amazing Palm, Andrew!

It will speed up growth even more.

You had any doubt about its viability in South Florida?

The Beccariophoenix Alfredii is certainly a great looking palm.  I planted one about 18 months ago and its grown quite quickly.  In fact, it grew that well it inspired me to plant another one a few weeks back.

 

Nice! Here's one from Central Florida. I got about 50 seeds back in March 2010, and this one was always the fastest grower. It saw 28 degrees that December as a small seedling with no damage. 

Thanks everybody for the kind words! In my garden, I rarely will ever cut a yellow leaf. Brown leaves are fairly common in the garden too-despite all that, my palmtalk friends know the difference in a sick palm, and a person who grows the natural look-I love the natural look; so trimming is way down the list on chores in my garden.

3 hours ago, Rafael said:

Amazing Palm, Andrew!

It will speed up growth even more.

You had any doubt about its viability in South Florida?

Rafael, when I planted this palm, we really didn't have much info on them and what they liked. Or at least I didn't... I remember reading the first encyclopedia of palms about the genus, after mine was planted, thinking how little information I had to go on... Knew I was never going to plant a coconut, but loved the idea of people coming over and mistaking it for one-love that kinda thing...

9 hours ago, Stevetoad said:

Bret.  How your windows these days? It's still one of my favorite so cal specimens. 

Hey Steve, still chugging along, putting out 4-5 fronds a year. Just about have the entire crown overhead. Feel free to stop by one weekend. I imagine your son is somewhat bigger than when I last saw him!

5 hours ago, Mandrew968 said:

Rafael, when I planted this palm, we really didn't have much info on them and what they liked. Or at least I didn't... I remember reading the first encyclopedia of palms about the genus, after mine was planted, thinking how little information I had to go on... Knew I was never going to plant a coconut, but loved the idea of people coming over and mistaking it for one-love that kinda thing...

Yes, i remember the time when i first read here about beccariophoenix, there was a lot of uncertainty.

I lost my first two to frost. But now i am sucessfully growing a couple in my sheltered yard 

It looks like they are well adapted to the S. FL marl soil and more acidic soil up here.  This is one palm that definitely likes full Sun, even from seedling.  Unfortunately, mine do not get it.  Here are 4 of them in the garden under Livistona canopy.

What a beautiful palm!

I am almost checking my Beccariophoenix seeds (delivered by mail end of November) everyday - I can`t wait to

get them germinated - and to put at least one of them (as a seedling) later in the ground.

Thank you for the nice pictures!

 

On ‎1‎/‎15‎/‎2016‎ ‎3‎:‎41‎:‎05‎, Mandrew968 said:

Pritchardia mitiaroana.

That's a rare Pritchardia that I've never seen available before.  Doesn't that species grow on coral soils in habitat?  If so it should do well for your S. Florida high pH conditions is my guess.  Where did you find one of those?

On ‎1‎/‎16‎/‎2016‎ ‎2‎:‎34‎:‎41‎, Mike Evans said:

It looks like they are well adapted to the S. FL marl soil and more acidic soil up here.  This is one palm that definitely likes full Sun, even from seedling.  Unfortunately, mine do not get it.  Here are 4 of them in the garden under Livistona canopy.

Mike, this palm like it's cousins, do best in a more acidic soil like I have here in west Broward. Mine is getting large, I expect it to flower soon!

15 hours ago, Al in Kona said:

That's a rare Pritchardia that I've never seen available before.  Doesn't that species grow on coral soils in habitat?  If so it should do well for your S. Florida high pH conditions is my guess.  Where did you find one of those?

 

Yes they grow in coral rock-very little soil from the pics I have seen-very fat trunk; I would bet they are the biggest girth in the genus. 

I got a couple several years back at a SFPS auction (from MBC). I sold the other one to Manolitus-he loves Pritchardia and I was happy to pick one up for him. I planted the other one. His should be bigger than mine, as I give very little care to mine.

Ok. Back on track with this genus.

 

This is Beccariophoenix madagascariensis. It has been in the ground for almost 2 years from a 7 gallon. This palm represents my second attempt at this species. Second time looks to be the charm... Pardon the mess of pots all over-in the process of moving all potted material out. Longer process than anticipated!

These pics were taken a few days ago. The palm has almost replaced the entire crown from when it was planted; not a fast palm. Better to start out as big as you can with these.

I had resisted growing D. alfredii because I had read it looks a lot like Cocos. I have so many "real" Coconuts everywhere!

However I certainly could not resist when given seeds by its namesake Alfred in Madagascar in October! All 7 have sprouted so eventually I look forward to planting some out.

The ones in photos here do look nice! 

 

11 hours ago, Cindy Adair said:

I had resisted growing D. alfredii because I had read it looks a lot like Cocos. I have so many "real" Coconuts everywhere!

However I certainly could not resist when given seeds by its namesake Alfred in Madagascar in October! All 7 have sprouted so eventually I look forward to planting some out.

The ones in photos here do look nice! 

 

And best of all, they will never drop a coconut on your head! 

The best way to look at these palms are as Madagascan Attaleas...

This is going to be the first time my Beccariophoenix alfredii is going to go through a freeze unprotected here in St. Augustine, Florida.  Looks like we are going to have about 3-4 hours in the 32-30 degree range tonight.  Shouldn't have any frost due to the wind, Anyone had any experience with them at those temps.  Just curious.

2 hours ago, Lou-StAugFL said:

This is going to be the first time my Beccariophoenix alfredii is going to go through a freeze unprotected here in St. Augustine, Florida.  Looks like we are going to have about 3-4 hours in the 32-30 degree range tonight.  Shouldn't have any frost due to the wind, Anyone had any experience with them at those temps.  Just curious.

Yes, I have.  Won't bat an eyelid.

3 hours ago, Lou-StAugFL said:

This is going to be the first time my Beccariophoenix alfredii is going to go through a freeze unprotected here in St. Augustine, Florida.  Looks like we are going to have about 3-4 hours in the 32-30 degree range tonight.  Shouldn't have any frost due to the wind, Anyone had any experience with them at those temps.  Just curious.

Mine saw 28 F in 2010 as small seedlings and they didn't mind it too much. A few miles inland of me (so maybe 1 or 2˚ colder) they were defoliated during that winter, so that's probably about their limit. 

Just some updates on a super carefree palm. Love it, glad it is in my rainforest.

4 hours ago, Mandrew968 said:

Just some updates on a super carefree palm. Love it, glad it is in my rainforest.

Looks awesome. Is that a jacaranda or a mimosa tree behind it?

Delonix regia. It will be removed one day. Wife's orders...

Update from a few minutes ago.

Very Butia-like at the base, in my opinion.

Very much like a Cocos at the top...

Update from today on Beccariophoenix madagascariensis. Doing very well...

Photos like these are invaluable to me as I figure out where to put mine still in pots! 

Yes, I have changed my original opinion and see that even surrounded by Cocos nuciferas, these are worth growing too.

2 hours ago, Cindy Adair said:

Photos like these are invaluable to me as I figure out where to put mine still in pots! 

Yes, I have changed my original opinion and see that even surrounded by Cocos nuciferas, these are worth growing too.

I too have fallen in love with these. I have B. madagacariensis and B. fenestralis. The B. madagascariensis are really slow ,even at the beach. Cant wait to have one with some trunk.

To me they look like super full,very robust Cocos.

This is my Beccariophoenix alfredii that I planted 4 – 5 years ago from an 1 to 3 gal pot.

And one more with a size 12 shoe for scale.

Looking good.

I saw this one at kopsick yesterday which looks to be flowering for the first time. I counted 3 spathes without walking around the back side of it.