Pritchardia species id - from Kauai

[Big Eye]

On 8/26/2021 at 12:21 PM, Tracy said:

I'm a little late responding to this, I guess I missed it at the time.  Palm Plus™ 13-5-8 with GAL-XeONE®

I came back to this string to post an updated photo of the last couple of leaves which have opened, in that they have an interesting hastula on the adaxial side (See three adaxial photos).  It is still quite fuzzy too as seen in the abaxial view and trunk photos.  I don't know if this formation on the hastula is a passing thing or something it will now continue producing.  I don't recall reading about an appendage like this in any of the Pritchardia descriptions.  Anyone else's P minor, hardyi, flynnii, kaale or any of the other suggested options showing an appendage like this at the hastula?

If I remember correctly, @Darold Petty and @Matt in OC observed that the "flap" at the bottom of the leaf is one that you would find on minor. Is that what you are calling the "appendage"? Either way, the color on yours is stunning, @Tracy!

[Matt in OC]

1 hour ago, Big Eye said:

If I remember correctly, @Darold Petty and @Matt in OC observed that the "flap" at the bottom of the leaf is one that you would find on minor. Is that what you are calling the "appendage"? Either way, the color on yours is stunning, @Tracy!

Yup, that’s correct but must credit Ron Lawyer (?) for that tidbit. Looks like Tracy’s has that. 

[Matt in OC]

Here’s mine today. As the leaves get bigger it looks like that appendage starts to point down or even behind the leaf. 

[Tracy]

2 hours ago, Matt in OC said:

Yup, that’s correct but must credit Ron Lawyer (?) for that tidbit. Looks like Tracy’s has that. 

So based on what I'm reading, mine is not Pritchardia flynnii as originally labeled, but Pritchardia minor?  I guess I can't be disappointed either way, just interesting to learn.  I always thought of Pritchardia minor as being more compact than mine is growing but that could be due to the heavily shaded spot mine is in.

[quaman58]

So, as my “flynii” gets a bit bigger, it’s pretty clear that it’s the same palm as Floribunda has been selling as “minor”. Nice palm regardless! I have now 3 distinct varieties of “minor”. Worse problems to have..

[LJG]

Tracy, your eye is good. This Ed Flynii we grow is the only Pritchardia I have seen where the hastula wraps around the petiole head. I grow this, Perlmanii from Floribunda, and the famous Ron Lawyer “Viscosa”. Pretty sure Ron’s Viscosa is Minor. I grow true Viscosa, and it is a much larger palm. This “Viscosa” plant of mine from Ron sets seed, and they don’t match true Viscosa, plus the flowers have never been viscous. Perlmanii most different from the three. It has a flat leaf blade, with slight tip droop. Plus the top of the leaf is a lighter green from the other two. “Flynii” has a noticeable undulate leaf blade. Not sure what all this means, but I have a funny feeling that when DNA is done on Pritchardia, the genus will shrink. It’s odd to me Minor was split but Martii clumped. 

[neoflora]

My Pritchardia was id by a friend of mine from Kauai. At the time i believe both of us lacked the expertise to debate its identify. My palm is still very small in stature. I have no idea of what it really might be. I have a fellow palm friend who lives in Leucadia who has both the pritchardia from me and something else he purchased from Phil Bergman as minor. The one from Phil is more robust and larger in overall stature. I have observed on several occasions a thick viscous like honey dripping from flowers. I have never seen this on my palm. I have since gotten a couple of what i believe true P. viscous. They are very different in appearance.They are both now in 15 gal. containers and fairly large flatter leaves. They also are turning silver on the underneath part of leaves.The palms which came around as flynnii seem to be another variation of whatever the palm in my garden is. As Len says they will probably all return to minor at some point. They are nice looking palms and a plus to any garden.

[Matt in OC]

Great discussion here. Hard to pick a favorite genus, but this is up there. Imagine Pritchardia as a ready replacement for Washingtonias in SoCal. It’s a wonderful palm.

[Big Eye]

On 10/28/2022 at 9:18 PM, LJG said:

Tracy, your eye is good. This Ed Flynii we grow is the only Pritchardia I have seen where the hastula wraps around the petiole head. I grow this, Perlmanii from Floribunda, and the famous Ron Lawyer “Viscosa”. Pretty sure Ron’s Viscosa is Minor. I grow true Viscosa, and it is a much larger palm. This “Viscosa” plant of mine from Ron sets seed, and they don’t match true Viscosa, plus the flowers have never been viscous. Perlmanii most different from the three. It has a flat leaf blade, with slight tip droop. Plus the top of the leaf is a lighter green from the other two. “Flynii” has a noticeable undulate leaf blade. Not sure what all this means, but I have a funny feeling that when DNA is done on Pritchardia, the genus will shrink. It’s odd to me Minor was split but Martii clumped. 

Very interesting @LJG. Mahalo for your input. I wonder if minor in the wild have this trait as well? As a guy that was born and raised on the Big Island, I've only been to Kaua'i once as a kid. Looks like it's time to island hop and check it out!

[Matt in OC]

Mine is flowering for the first time this year. Pretty confident it will end up as Minor.

 

[Tracy]

On 10/28/2024 at 10:38 AM, Matt in OC said:

Mine is flowering for the first time this year. Pretty confident it will end up as Minor.

 

Still no sign of flowers on mine acquired as Pritchardia flynnii, but it remains a very attractive palm

[Tracy]

I was just noticing how bowl shaped the new leaves open on this Pritchardia flynnii.   I absolutely love the look especially with the color of the abaxial leaf.

[Harry’s Palms]

I just have the more common Hilibrandi that I brought home from Maui years ago . It grows very well here . The only trouble I had from it is a bit of brown edges on the newly opened fronds after winter , but that stopped a year or so ago. It has been in the ground about 25 years , planted close to the house as a seedling . I was told , back then , they are a bit cold sensitive and I thought the placement would offer protection but I don’t think it needed it . I never fertilized or fussed over it , just lots of water . Harry

I had to trim it on the path side of the trunk because it was right in the way . That stopped earlier this year . The lowest frond on the path side is now well over 6’ up ( my height!) . The trunk is curved at the base , pushing its way out into open area. This was last year , it has really picked up speed in the last few years , very slow the first 5 years. A great palm for southern California , even inland . I don’t get frost here where it is planted and seems to cruise through heat waves. Harry

[Harry’s Palms]

On 9/1/2025 at 10:18 AM, Tracy said:

Still no sign of flowers on mine acquired as Pritchardia flynnii, but it remains a very attractive palm

That is a beauty ! I think SoCal needs way more Pritchardia🙂. Harry

[quaman58]

Beautiful palms! Tracy, I think my palm is the same as yours, although it was sourced from floribunda as P. minor. I actually have the same plant in a different part of my yard that was sold to me about a year prior to that as P. flynii. What I think is uniquely beautiful about the species is the ridges of the top portion of the leaf also have a beautiful white/silvery scaling running along the pleat. I was in Hawaii a month ago and what I thought was interesting is that the  Pritchardia’s were growing here generally look much lusher and robust then most of the ones on the islands. They seem perfectly happy in our climate, combined that with the fact that we apparently baby them to no end.

[Jim in Los Altos]

14 hours ago, Harry’s Palms said:

That is a beauty ! I think SoCal needs way more Pritchardia🙂. Harry

We need more Pritchardia up here in the better microclimates of Northern CA too! I’ve had five species of Pritchardia for a few years and they come out of winter looking just as good as they do in the summer. 

[xtazia]

On 10/7/2025 at 5:46 AM, Harry’s Palms said:

I just have the more common Hilibrandi that I brought home from Maui years ago . It grows very well here . The only trouble I had from it is a bit of brown edges on the newly opened fronds after winter , but that stopped a year or so ago. It has been in the ground about 25 years , planted close to the house as a seedling . I was told , back then , they are a bit cold sensitive and I thought the placement would offer protection but I don’t think it needed it . I never fertilized or fussed over it , just lots of water . Harry

I had to trim it on the path side of the trunk because it was right in the way . That stopped earlier this year . The lowest frond on the path side is now well over 6’ up ( my height!) . The trunk is curved at the base , pushing its way out into open area. This was last year , it has really picked up speed in the last few years , very slow the first 5 years. A great palm for southern California , even inland . I don’t get frost here where it is planted and seems to cruise through heat waves. Harry

Stop!!! now I NEED this palm for my garden 🤭

[Tracy]

On 10/7/2025 at 5:55 AM, Harry’s Palms said:

That is a beauty ! I think SoCal needs way more Pritchardia🙂. Harry

I have done my part.  I have 6 different Pritchardia in ground here in Leucadia and 3 more in Carlsbad.  My biggest concern at this point is the evil South American Palm weevil.  Bret has shared how he has lost at least a couple to the weevils here in San Diego County.

The fastest growing species I have is Pritchardia affinis which has been lumped into Pritcharedia maideniana.  I can't reach the old fronds to remove them from the one in Carlsbad with a 14' pole saw without also climbing up a ladder.  It is reluctant to drop dead fronds a bit like Washingtonias.  That said, I'm partial to the smaller or at least slower growing ones like the namesake for this thread  That said, it is fun to stand under the "umbrella" leaves of my Pritchardia beccariana with my granddaughter during a rain.  She likes Papa's umbrella's in the garden.

[Darold Petty]

It rains in Leucadia  ??   

[Harry’s Palms]

@Tracy , very nice ! I only have the one P. Hilibrandi , about the size of your last pic , 6’ to the lowest frond. I wish I would’ve brought more home from Maui. The guy had a few species but was doubting whether even the one I got would survive here. Rarely see them for sale here . I am supposed to be in one of the cooler climates of Ventura County….not so . I’ve never had frost in my garden (only the roof of my car once or twice)  in 28 years I’ve lived here. Micro climate? Who knows! Harry