New Caledonia Palms, so what are you growing?

[realarch]

I noticed that the next biennial in 2024 is scheduled to be in New Caledonia, thus the inspiration.

Don’t have a lot of species, but the ones that are in the garden are doing well. I notice frequent posts of Chambeyronia and Burretiokentia on the board, so feel free to add to this post.

I’ll start with Basselinia eriostachys, which has become one beautiful little palm. The subtle color of the crown shaft, trunk, and inflorescence is always photo worthy.

Tim 

[realarch]

Basselinia glabrata. Planted this from a one gallon seven or eight years ago and boy, I never saw this as a winner until recently. It looked so mundane compared to it’s sister species, but now, as it’s matured, has become a handsome palm.

Tim

[realarch]

Basselinia humboltiana. These are picking up speed,but will be a few more years before that prominent white crown shaft makes an appearance. I saw a mature specimen at Floribunda and knew I wanted on a couple for the garden. The orange handled shovel for scale. 

Tim

 

[realarch]

Basselinia pancheri, the last of the species in the garden. Have had challenges with this one, trying to get the nutrient equation straightened out. The color and pattern of the little crown shaft is hard to beat. 

Tim

[realarch]

More to come, so stay tuned. 

Tim

[Billy]

Lookin' da kine! My jaw is still on the floor.....

[Billy]

Don't have many species either but so far in the garden I'm growing Cyphophoenix elegans, Burretiokentia koghiensis, Chambeyronia hookeri, and Chambeyronia macrocarpa. Looking to add more to the collection in the near future. 

[realarch]

Thanks Billy, you should post a couple of photos.

Tim

[Billy]

I need to take better and more recent photos to share but in the meantime here’s a couple. Burretiokentia koghiensis one month ago. The spear in the photo is opening up as we speak. 
 

 

 

[JohnAndSancho]

5 hours ago, realarch said:

Basselinia pancheri, the last of the species in the garden. Have had challenges with this one, trying to get the nutrient equation straightened out. The color and pattern of the little crown shaft is hard to beat. 

Tim

Woooooooow. This is amazing. 

[Billy]

Chambeyronia hookeri planted out as a 7g back in July if I remember correctly. The 2nd newest frond showing some sunburn. 

Edited November 2, 2022 by Billy

[Billy]

(Same Chambeyronia hookeri as previous photo) frond turned to green within about a week due to warmer temperatures I suppose. No sunburn whatsoever this time. Good signs for the future. 

Edited November 2, 2022 by Billy

[TropicalGardenSpain]

Wow! beautiful palms! That B. eriostachys Is a stunner! 

[Tracy]

Chambeyronia (formerly Kentiopsis) oliviformis

Cyphosperma balansae

Cyphophoenix nucele

Burretiokentia kogihensis

 

[Jadd Correia]

Ill add my small lot of palms to the thread. Everything has been planted this past year so very small compared to most folks here. 

Chambeyronia macrocarpa + Chambeyronia macrocarpa var hookeri + Chambeyronia macrocarpa var watermelon

Burretiokentia hapala

[realarch]

Nice, thanks Tracy. I’ve only got one of those four, a small C. balansae. That C. oliviformis has got some size to it.

Tim

[realarch]

Jade, hey, all of mine were the size of yours once. The joy of growing palms is watching them grow. 

Tim

[realarch]

So, to continue……..How bout a few more Chambeyronia.

Chambeyronia divaricarta, formally Actinokentia. Rather slow and sparse leaf habit. Nice colorful new leaf though. To me, better planted as a grouping than as a single. 

Tim

[realarch]

Chambeyronia macrocarpa.

This is one of the first palms I planted back in 2008. I picked it up at Bo Lunkquist’s nursery way back when. It’s so tall now I have to remind myself to look up to see the new red leaf. Look for the orange handled shovel at the base of the trunk.

Tim

[realarch]

Chambeyronia hookeri. Luckily I can look straight on at this one from the second story lanai, other wise it’s a neck breaker. Still throws spectacular red leaves though.

Tim  

[realarch]

Outside between downpours……..you don’t want to be reclining in a chaise lounge sipping a cold one under this thing. Might rearrange your lips. 

Crown shaft looks better once the old leaf is shed too.

Tim

[Kim]

It's dense dumping rain outside, so my photos will be older pics from sunnier days.

The list:

Cyphophoenix alba x3; Cyphosperma balansae x3, Chambeyronia macrocarpa x7, Chambeyronia hookeri x7, Chambeyronia piersoniorum x3, Burretiokentia grandiflora x1. 

I also have a Cyphosperma naboutinense, but it's from Fiji and Viti Levu, so there is an expanse of ocean between the species. Right now it's small and looks like my small Burretokenia grandiflora, also quite small. (no photos)

First the Chambeyronia forest, then one of the Chambeyronia piersoniorum, lastly the Cyphophoenix alba:

I see I have really missed out on the Basselinia tribe! Hm, where can I squeeze them in? 😍

 

 

 

[Kim]

Okay, one more -- found a not-so-flattering photo of one of the Cyphosperma balansae. The dropping frond shows the dark chocolate inside of the frond, and as you see, this palm is doing everything it can to produce seed. Another C. balansae is just behind it to the right; the little Burretiokentia grandiflora on the left edge of the frame.

[John hovancsek]

A. Divorcicata and c. Macrocarpa. 

[John hovancsek]

On 11/1/2022 at 9:56 AM, realarch said:

Basselinia glabrata. Planted this from a one gallon seven or eight years ago and boy, I never saw this as a winner until recently. It looked so mundane compared to it’s sister species, but now, as it’s matured, has become a handsome palm.

Tim

This is an underrated palm. Fast growing and beautiful 

[Foxpalms]

Some nice new Cal's growing in the botanical gardens on the canary Islands.

[Than]

On 11/3/2022 at 5:00 AM, Jadd Correia said:

Ill add my small lot of palms to the thread. Everything has been planted this past year so very small compared to most folks here. 

Chambeyronia macrocarpa + Chambeyronia macrocarpa var hookeri + Chambeyronia macrocarpa var watermelon

Burretiokentia hapala

What temperatures has this Chambeyronea seen in Oakland?

[gurugu]

I´ve been growing outdoors some N.C. palms at 43ºN, for some 10 years now. The only ones left are:

Cyphophoenix nucele.

C. Elegans. Very small yet.

 

Kentiopsis oliviformis.

And Chambeyronia macrocarpa (the one on the left, the one on the right is a Kentia belmoreana). I´ve got 3 more thet I´llplant next spring.

I had a few more for same years, but they died: Actinikentia divaricata, Burretiokentia hapala, C. Hoailou and watermelon.

As you see, they are painfully slow here. I´ve transplanted all of them this last spring to a loam-clayish soil in full sun, and they are growing much better than before in sandy soil and in heavy shade.

[gurugu]

6 hours ago, ego said:

What temperatures has this Chambeyronea seen in Oakland?

 

13 hours ago, Foxpalms said:

Some nice new Cal's growing in the botanical gardens on the canary Islands.

Santa Cruz Palmetum maybe?

[Foxpalms]

31 minutes ago, gurugu said:

 

Santa Cruz Palmetum maybe?

Yes I will make a post when I get back. I'm in the south currently but I unfortunately don't have time to see the coconuts

[realarch]

Kim, quite the collection and many of those I don’t have. That C. macrocarpa forest is impressive especially with all the concurrent red leaves. Your C. balansae are looking good as well. I was late to the party on this one and mine are still small and lost in the jungle.  Oh, and those C. alba’s, wow, that red crown shaft. I can’t get the leaf sheaths to cleanly absciss on the one I have, so there is a red crown shaft lurking somewhere in there. 

Julio, kudos for your perseverance trying to keep your New Cal stuff growing. 

John, looking good!

Tim

[realarch]

So, moving on……Burretiokentia.

Burretiokentia grandiflora. A fast grower and a wide spreading crown like others in the genus. Still young and hasn’t fully developed the prominent crown shaft. Shouldn’t be long though.

Tim

[realarch]

Burretiokentia vieillardii. Killer palm, one of my favorites. Just an elegant habit and relatively fast growing. Happy on it’s rocky slope.

Tim

[realarch]

I know many others are growing Burretiokentia, you should post them.

Tim

[Navarro]

5 hours ago, gurugu said:

He estado cultivando en exterior algunas palmeras NC a 43ºN, desde hace unos 10 años. Los únicos que quedan son:

Núcleo de Cyphophoenix.

C. Elegans. Muy pequeño todavía.

 

Kentiopsis oliviformis.

Y Chambeyronia macrocarpa (la de la izquierda, la de la derecha es una Kentia belmoreana). Tengo 3 más que plantaré la próxima primavera.

Tuve unas cuantas más para los mismos años, pero se murieron: Actinikentia divaricata, Burretiokentia hapala, C. Hoailou y sandía.

Como puede ver, son terriblemente lentos aquí. Las he trasplantado todas esta última primavera a un suelo franco-arcilloso a pleno sol, y están creciendo mucho mejor que antes en suelo arenoso y con mucha sombra.

Hola gurú ,vivo en murcia y tengo muchas de nueva Caledonia aún en maceta ,pero me desanimado al ver tu post ...cual crees que es el problema de ese lento crecimiento? El frió del invierno o las temperaturas bajas que tienes del verano ? 

[richnorm]

Chambeyronia lepidota (High altitude form) is getting away now.  A very clever palm that managed to knot a leaflet around a stake for support all by itself!

[gurugu]

1 hour ago, Navarro said:

Hola gurú ,vivo en murcia y tengo muchas de nueva Caledonia aún en maceta ,pero me desanimado al ver tu post ...cual crees que es el problema de ese lento crecimiento? El frió del invierno o las temperaturas bajas que tienes del verano ? 

Hola, Navarro. 

Lo del crecimiento lento no sólo me sucede con las que me han sobrevivido de NC, sino con otras muchas más. Las únicas que crecen a ritmo  son las que no necesitan mucho calor y no les importa la lluvia en invierno. Como Washingtonias, Phoenix, Syagrus,  Archontophoenix, etc. 

A las de NC se supone que les gusta la humedad y no excesivo calor, y poco frío, como las de Lord Howe (kentia, hedyscepe y Lepidorrhachis Mooreana), con lo que mi clima aquí les viene bien. Aquí no hace frío en invierno. Yo creo que el problema era el estar plantadas en arena, aunque la mezclé con marga y con turba. Además, la arena es muy drenante y tiene pocos nutrientes. Hay que darles de comer y beber mucho a las palmeras para que crezcan bien. 

Al trasplantarlas a tierra con marga y arcilla, han mejorado mucho, aunque reciban sol todo el día. Sólo 1.800 horas de sol al año. 

En Murcia creo que deberías protegerlas del sol, regarlas mucho con buena agua (sin cal) y utilizar buena tierra. 

También plantarlas cuando tengan ya cierta altura, no como yo que las planté muy pequeñas. 

¡Suerte!

HI, Navarro. 

Slow growth doesn't only happen with my NC survivors but to many others. 

The only ones that grow relatively fast are those which don't care about heat and being wet in winter. 

Such as Washingtonias Phoenix, Syagrus and Archontophoenix, et. 

NC palms are supposed to like humidity, not too much heat and  little cold. Like those from Lord Howe Island (kentia, hedyscepe and Lepidorrachis). 

So my climate here suits them fine. Winters aren't cold here. 

I think the problem was to have them planted in sandy soil, although I mixed it with peat and loam. 

Besides, sand drains too quickly and has few nutrients. You must feed and water your palms a lot to grow them properly. 

After transplanting them into loam and clay, they have improved a lot, despite being in the sun all day long (when it is sunny). We only enjoy 1.800 hours of sunshine a year. 

In Murcia, you should protect them from your scorching sun in summer, water them a lot (no lime) and use good soil. 

Also planting them when they are not just seedlings, not like me that planted them too tiny. 

Good luck! 

 

 

[realarch]

2 hours ago, richnorm said:

Chambeyronia lepidota (High altitude form) is getting away now.  A very clever palm that managed to knot a leaflet around a stake for support all by itself!

Rich, I wasn’t aware of a ‘high altitude’ form, but it makes sense given the topography of the island. I really need to invest in that palms of New Caledonia book.

Tim

[Matt in OC]

Hard to compete with Tim and others here. NewCal palms grow steady but slow for me. The fastest growers have been Kentiopsis Oliviformis, C. Elegans, Chambeyronias, B. Hapala (pictured) and Cyphosperma Balansae (pictured). C. Nucele, B. Viellardii and several Basselinias are growing more slowly. 

[richnorm]

You spurred me on to clean up a young veillardii. I was expecting a pattern but this one is a furball, at this stage at least.