AERIAL ROOTS

[gurugu]

Most Ph. Canariensis, and maybe all Phoenix species? develop some sort of aerial roots when mature.

In this picture one can see what I mean.

 

The one on the right has developed a standard height of aerial roots: about a meter tall (depending on the age of the palm. But the one on the left has got out of hand. Don´t you think? It´s over 2,5 mts tall and with a ficus carica growing out of it. Sorry for the picture, it  is blurred.

[Foxpalms]

The ones in the tresco abbey gardens are starting to do the same.

[Rivera]

I have no photos to add at this time, but there are many mature canaries in San Francisco and it seems that the older and taller they are, the greater the mass of aerial roots they grow. The oldest have bulging masses at their base as tall or taller than most people. I haven't observed any natural exceptions.

I don't want to derail your thread, but this other recent conversation may also be of interest to you:

 

[Joe The Palm]

Hello, the first two pictures don't look like root but rather some kind of grass growing from nooks in the trunk. However, the 3d picture shows exposed roots (not the green sprouts).

[gurugu]

23 minutes ago, Rivera said:

I have no photos to add at this time, but there are many mature canaries in San Francisco and it seems that the older and taller they are, the greater the mass of aerial roots they grow. The oldest have bulging masses at their base as tall or taller than most people. I haven't observed any natural exceptions.

I don't want to derail your thread, but this other recent conversation may also be of interest to you:

 

I read it just the other day and it came to my mind the mistake of cutting these roots for cosmetic reasons.

 

7 minutes ago, Joe The Palm said:

Hello, the first two pictures don't look like root but rather some kind of grass growing from nooks in the trunk. However, the 3d picture shows exposed roots (not the green sprouts).

Pictures aren´t good. Grass is growing on top of the aerial roots on the second palm (the one on the left and tallest). As I say, there´s even a ficus carica in there, but can´t be seen clearly. I´ll try to take a better picture some other day.

What I wanted to stand out was the height of these aerial roots.

[Tracy]

A different type of aerial roots from my Chrysalidocarpus decipiens.

[Rivera]

That's wild. 

Here's chamaedorea plumosa. 

[Patrick]

The roots on those canaries look normal. Some root higher, some root lower. It's all genetics and environment. There's one in town here locally where the roots effectively double the diameter of the trunk at the base, but only go up about 1 meter or so; maybe 1.5. Its a concerning amount of roots. The palm has been putting along for 40 or so years now; and I can personally account for the last 25. Yeah, that one tree is a bit high with the roots, but what can one do? I wonder if grass irrigation sprinklers contributed to the high root level? 

 

The palms in that other thread were mechanically manipulated at the base, it wasn't intentional,  and that is what led to the failure there. 

Edited January 18, 2023 by Patrick

[Merlyn]

@Rivera eh, that'll buff out. 

@guruguthere's a Sylvestris not too far from me that has an impressive set of aerial roots.  It is probably about 8 feet from ground level:

[Rivera]

That's massive.

Not a palm, but this cordyline has sent out a lot of stubby aerial roots with all the rain we've had in the bay area. This also happens when the summer fog is consistent enough to keep the stem wet. They go away when it gets dry again.

[iDesign]

2 hours ago, Merlyn said:

@Rivera eh, that'll buff out. 

@guruguthere's a Sylvestris not too far from me that has an impressive set of aerial roots.  It is probably about 8 feet from ground level:

Ahhh, my eyes!!! 🥺

If that was my tree I'd totally be blingin' it up with bromeliads...

[gurugu]

21 hours ago, Foxpalms said:

The ones in the tresco abbey gardens are starting to do the same.

That means thay are already pretty old. Although not all old, tall Canariensis show such roots.

19 hours ago, Tracy said:

A different type of aerial roots from my Chrysalidocarpus decipiens.

I didn´t know they did such things with roots. It´s really odd. Do all of them always do so?

How old is your decipiens btw? Looking at the base of the trunk, it must be pretty old already.

14 hours ago, Rivera said:

That's wild. 

Here's chamaedorea plumosa. 

Good picture there! Thanks

It looks like a Socratea. How old is it?

Mine are starting to do so after 10/15 years in the ground. In sandy soil at first (slow) and in loam now, performing much better

Plumosa

Klotzschiana

Ernesti augustii

4 hours ago, Merlyn said:

@Rivera eh, that'll buff out. 

@guruguthere's a Sylvestris not too far from me that has an impressive set of aerial roots.  It is probably about 8 feet from ground level:

That Sylvestris is just amazing! More or less, the same height as the Canariensis here. Sylvestris are very rare (unusual) here. I only know a mature one in Valencia botanical garden.

Thank you!

2 hours ago, iDesign said:

Ahhh, my eyes!!! 🥺

If that was my tree I'd totally be blingin' it up with bromeliads...

That´s a good idea! I´ll take good note for my bromeliads and tillandsias.

[Foxpalms]

@guruguThe oldest phoenix canariensis there were planted in the 1800s.

[gurugu]

1 hour ago, Foxpalms said:

@guruguThe oldest phoenix canariensis there were planted in the 1800s.

Then they are very old.

Like this one. This is one of the tallest in the area. The house was built in the 17th century but refurbished in 1914, so that palm is, at least, 108 years old, and has also got those aerial roots. I´ll take a picture tomorrow.

This other one is as tall, but with no aerial roots as you can see in the google

https://www.google.com/maps/@43.2667987,-2.9273008,3a,15y,358.27h,89.27t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sfvSsOYJ9tIHm8vw9DO1Kkw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

 

These two palms were planted in 1899, and they also have aerial roots.

But these ones, as old, haven´t got ??

[Rivera]

1 hour ago, gurugu said:

That means thay are already pretty old. Although not all old, tall Canariensis show such roots.

I didn´t know they did such things with roots. It´s really odd. Do all of them always do so?

How old is your decipiens btw? Looking at the base of the trunk, it must be pretty old already.

Good picture there! Thanks

It looks like a Socratea. How old is it?

Mine are starting to do so after 10/15 years in the ground. In sandy soil at first (slow) and in loam now, performing much better

Plumosa

Klotzschiana

Ernesti augustii

That Sylvestris is just amazing! More or less, the same height as the Canariensis here. Sylvestris are very rare (unusual) here. I only know a mature one in Valencia botanical garden.

Thank you!

That´s a good idea! I´ll take good note for my bromeliads and tillandsias.

 I don't how old the c plumosa (female) is, as I found it languishing in a corner at my local nursery in a 5g container a couple years ago. They don't sell many palms, and I bargained a bit because it looked a little rough. It already had 7 ft of trunk and most of the "prop" roots in the photo. I got one more c plumosa (male) of similar size later to keep the first company. Those are the only two trunking palms I brought into my garden. Some of my smaller plumosas show the beginnings of prop roots at a young age (no trunk when planted). One photo shows the large male. The second photo shows the base of a young female.

[Patrick]

8 hours ago, iDesign said:

Ahhh, my eyes!!! 🥺

If that was my tree I'd totally be blingin' it up with bromeliads...

Haha you could have worked for Stalin editing people in or out of photos as directed

[idontknowhatnametuse]

My Areca Catechu has aerial roots.

[Patrick]

1 hour ago, idontknowhatnametuse said:

My Areca Catechu has aerial roots.

Im in a mostly dry world here in California, but I swear that guy could benefit from having some moist, light soil a little higher. How the base tapers in on the bottom makes me think so. Not trying to be a jerk, just trying to give friendly  thoughts.

You would get more roots and a thicker base down there, and a healthier tree...

Edited January 19, 2023 by Patrick

[gurugu]

This morning I´ve been taking pictures and measuring those aerial roots. I was wrong (short) They are 2,90metres, almost 3. The one on the right is 1,50 mts, and another one behind them is 1,80 mts.

So, who can explain why some Phoenix do develop aerial roots and others don´t? regardless of the age, as I show in the pictures.

The Ficus carica I was talking about.

Grass is on top of it.

 

15 hours ago, Rivera said:

 I don't how old the c plumosa (female) is, as I found it languishing in a corner at my local nursery in a 5g container a couple years ago. They don't sell many palms, and I bargained a bit because it looked a little rough. It already had 7 ft of trunk and most of the "prop" roots in the photo. I got one more c plumosa (male) of similar size later to keep the first company. Those are the only two trunking palms I brought into my garden. Some of my smaller plumosas show the beginnings of prop roots at a young age (no trunk when planted). One photo shows the large male. The second photo shows the base of a young female.

I like the pattern on the first trunk. It looks like a drawing.

[UK_Palms]

I’ve got a couple to add from the UK that I photographed last summer. Firstly a big CIDP  on the island of St Mary’s (Scilly Isles) showing bizarre growth habit and aerial roots.

CIDP at Penzance showing some aerial roots.

CIDP aerial roots at Southsea, Portsmouth.

Washingtonia showing aerial roots at Southsea, Portsmouth.