Jubaea chilensis

[gurugu]

These two Jubaeas are well known in northern Spain. They are well over 100 years old. Maybe 120. Last week I went by that place, and I "had" to take some pictures. The two trachycarpus behind must also be over 100 years old.

The one on the right is fat, but the one on the left is tummy. It must be over 1 metre in diameter, over 3 metres girth. The first time I saw them was in the early 1990, so 30 years ago, and they weren´t so fat .

[swolf]

Two beautiful Jubaeas!  

One comment by gurugu was particularly interesting.  I wonder how long Jubaea trunks can continue thickening up?  Beyond when a truck has formed and growth is primarily vertical?

Here’s a pic of a JXB (F1) that I have — truck plenty thick already IMHO 😏  Boots starting to come off, so it should look more and more like momma Jubaea.

Steve

[gurugu]

That JxB is a monster and a beauty. I like that green colour.

How old is it? 

6 hours ago, swolf said:

I wonder how long Jubaea trunks can continue thickening up?  Beyond when a truck has formed and growth is primarily vertical?

All mature old Phoenix are the same girth, and I thought the same happened with Jubaea. Maybe I am wrong, but I could swear it has fattened with the age. 

[Banana Belt]

Looking at those two big Jubaea I noticed how the leaf scars or Leaf marks on the trunk have been stretched out to almost circles completely around or at least half way around.  This is similar to what a Queen Palm does, but younger Jubaea leaf marks don't extend around the trunk that far going only a quarter or so, I wonder how that can be?  I have never seen a Jubaea where the growing leaf is attached all the way around the trunk, so those two big Jubaea are mysteries to me.

Edited January 13 by Banana Belt

[gurugu]

1 hour ago, Banana Belt said:

Looking at those two big Jubaea I noticed how the leaf scars or Leaf marks on the trunk have been stretched out to almost circles completely around or at least half way around.  This is similar to what a Queen Palm does, but younger Jubaea leaf marks don't extend around the trunk that far going only a quarter or so, I wonder how that can be?  I have never seen a Jubaea where the growing leaf is attached all the way around the trunk, so those two big Jubaea are mysteries to me.

I hadn´t paid attention to what you say, but after watching yours, it´s true. Good remark!

Maybe it has to do with age?

[Banana Belt]

The two Spanish Jubaea are so tall I can't see the leaf scars just below the leaf canopy.   Perhaps the scars are not so stretched out at the top, because even in the younger jubaea the scars at the bottom do seem to have stretched out and are certainly closer together. 

Considering the mass of the Jubaea trunk regardless of age, one could calculate the compressive stress in the trunk tissues at the base and it must be considerable.  All that weight pushing down must push out the base of the trunk stretching any mark put there in its youth.  This would be like a squeezing a block of soft rubber with a felt tipped pen mark on it, the mark would stretch out and be much thinner.

Edited January 13 by Banana Belt

[Banana Belt]

I am keeping a log of the two Jubaea I have by measuring circumference, height and age each year after the trunks first formed.  Looking at my log it is obvious that the base circumference increases over 8 years.  Not enough data to plot a graph or make any conclusions, but the circumference at the base of the trunk does increase with age.

[gurugu]

1 hour ago, Banana Belt said:

The two Spanish Jubaea are so tall I can't see the leaf scars just below the leaf canopy.   Perhaps the scars are not so stretched out at the top, because even in the younger jubaea the scars at the bottom do seem to have stretched out and are certainly closer together. 

Considering the mass of the Jubaea trunk regardless of age, one could calculate the compressive stress in the trunk tissues at the base and it must be considerable.  All that weight pushing down must push out the base of the trunk stretching any mark put there in its youth.  This would be like a squeezing a block of soft rubber with a felt tipped pen mark on it, the mark would stretch out and be much thinner.

That makes sense.

At least the one on the left is fatter at medium height. That´s what took my eye.

8 years is what Ph. canariensis take to start growing height. I didn´t know jubaeas did the same.

Here you are two other jubaeas planted in a public garden in a different city in 2008, more or less. At that time they were like a cone. Very wide at the base and thinner at the top of the trunk. Like the one on the left side of the first picture. They looked like monsters. Completely out of shape. A pity I haven´t got pics from that year.

This picture is from 2014.

And here in 2018.

[SailorBold]

Wow!

Truly awesome.

[Banana Belt]

7 hours ago, SailorBold said:

Wow!

Truly awesome.

Jubaea are my favorite of all Palms.  They look not only tropical but pre-historic.  However some don't like the Jubaea including Charles Darwin who called them "A very ugly tree".