Rhopaloblaste augusta

[Dr. George]

There is a block on a commercial street in Hilo that has a line up of Rhopaloblaste augusta which we have always admired:

 

So when we started the garden we found a few in 5 gal size and planted them out in the fall of 2009. They have done well but over the last couple of years have been over taken by the canopy of some neighboring Kukui Nut trees.  Well, we recently had the trees trimmed back to liberate the Rhopaloblaste - gmp

 

 

 

[mike in kurtistown]

I have shopped there often over the past 15 years. I used to pick up piles of ripe fruits. However, I haven't seen any for years now. I suspect that the tree trimmers are whacking the inflors before they can turn into fruits.

[realarch]

Thanks for the post Dr. George. There was a threat a few yeas back that the Rhopalablaste might be cut down due to a new landscaping scheme. They were cutting down existing palms and replacing with coconut palms. When Hawai'i Island Palm Society, who was initially responsible for many of the rare palm planting at the center found out, we wrote the manager with a protest letter with the intent of a mass Society protest if they were to remove the Rhopaloblaste. The center replied that they thought the protest was unfair and had no more plans to remove the remaining plantings.

I don't know if HIPS had anything to do with their plans, but at least they knew the community was watching.

I did find a seedling many years ago and it's doing fine in the garden. I'll post a photo later.

Tim 

 

[Dr. George]

Thanks, Tim

Was not aware of the story. Good on HIPS !!!

Yes, I'm sure that coconuts would have been a lot easier to maintain and less dangerous to pedestrians and cars ...

gmp

[realarch]

I hear ya…….and a lot less maintenance for coconuts too. 

Tim

[John hovancsek]

I always thought they were creamica 

[mike in kurtistown]

John, I have always had a suspicious that they were the same species or different forms of the same species. I have seen a description of the two species somewhere where ceramica is described as augusta on steroids (larger fronds, fruits, etc.). Also, they come from different islands (different environmental conditions?).

[palmfriend]

On 6/26/2022 at 10:06 AM, Dr. George said:

Thank you for posting - they truly look spectacular - and thank you for the background story!

Replacing those beauties is not fair - I hope they are still many left at their original spot!

On 7/9/2022 at 3:03 AM, realarch said:

I did find a seedling many years ago and it's doing fine in the garden. I'll post a photo later.

I am looking forward your post!

 

Lars

 

 

[realarch]

Here are a couple of photos of the one R. augusta in the garden. I don’t recall seeing this palm in many local gardens either, nice palm but not all that remarkable as a single specimen. 

Tim

 

[Dr. George]

Tim - Although I prefer species in groupings, singles can be nice, and yours is a very nice specimen. Thanks for adding the pics. - gmp

[mike in kurtistown]

I collected seeds from local sources (incl. the trees along Maka'ala Street) in 2006 and 2008. Germination was good, but I had real difficulty in raising the seedlings. Perhaps there was a pathogen in my shadehouse that was particularly fond of attacking them. I got one in the ground in 2017. It had a vitamin deficiency for a couple years but then began growing. It now has fronds reaching to 8 feet.

[palmfriend]

On 7/15/2022 at 2:50 AM, realarch said:

Here are a couple of photos of the one R. augusta in the garden. I don’t recall seeing this palm in many local gardens either, nice palm but not all that remarkable as a single specimen. 

Tim

 

Oh, yes - this one looks nice! The arches with the dropping leaflets are beautiful!

Thank you for posting!

 

Lars

 

[JasonD]

This species is widely used to good effect in Singapore, where I believe it's considered native. 

Photo taken from bus just now. 

[realarch]

Thanks for the ‘bump’ Jason, I’ll have to snap a photo later on today of the one in the garden. 

Tim

[realarch]

Boy Jason, the fronds of R. augusta in your photo look so full and dense compared to the ones I see here in Hilo including the one in my garden. Hmmmm…..

Tim