Livistona chinensis growth rate in Okinawa...

[palmfriend]

Hi,

 

just a short documentation about the growth rate of one of my L. chinensis. 

As you may know, one of our local (native) heros - so, completely bullet proof to grow - but why not

to have one or two in the garden. If everything else falls apart during a typhoon, these ones hold their ground 

mostly unharmed and are almost immune to beetle attacks and diseases. 

With these thoughts in mind I collected some seeds here and there on our island a couple years ago, I had no problems

to get them sprouted and this is where this story starts... Please be invited to join my little tour.

February 2015 - still potted - maybe a year old at that time.

October, same year - planted out and getting confronted with our *real* alcaline soil.

Excactly one year later - definitely got *connected* and started to grow significantly. (October 2016)

Now fasten your seat belts, please - the same one four years later...

and...

Filling out the space behind the house completely, obviously getting along very well... (September 2020)

Finally today's status (February 2023) and the reason for this report...

A bit difficult to get it into the frame - its top already reaching the roof line - while...

...the trunk is three/four feet max. (I had to cut some leaves from time to time to be able to get access the backside of the house...😅)

I glanced at the trunk for a moment to check for possible beetle attacks first, then I started to look up and... "What the ...??"

...

...

and

I counted six spathes but I am sure there are more. Now with being aware of this new development I will give this one a closer 

look from now on. Even if it is a very common palm over here, I am glad that it does so well!

Thank you for your time!

 

Lars

 

 

[Axel Amsterdam]

Thank you very much, a joy to see these pictures over the years. I have found them to be really slow around the mediterranean sea in France. Would you say they need high humidity and loads of rain to speed up in the heat?

Edited February 14, 2023 by Axel Amsterdam

[Patrick]

Wow, in 8 years that's pretty good growth! The only thing I have to compare it to is mine at my house in a zone 9 Mediterranean climate, and it took mine maybe 12 years to get that big; and I suspect even that's fast for my area. My plant found a french drain so it's been 'mainlining' water over the years. My neighbor around the corner has one that's been putting along for probably 8 years now with not much love, and it's not much bigger than your October '15 size.

 

You have a beautiful palm and it looks that you will have a pile of seeds soon as well! 

[Patrick]

43 minutes ago, Axel Amsterdam said:

Thank you very much, a joy to see these pictures over the years. I have found them to be really slow around the mediterranean sea in France. Would you say they need high humidity and loads of rain to speed up in the heat?

I think the biggest thing is water. Mine likes water, my neighbor doesn't take the time to let the water really soak down into the clay that his is growing in. it's been small for MANY years. Mine has grown fast, and the difference is the water availability to the roots..

[Jim in Los Altos]

They are definitely variable in growth speed. I have several and one is a rocket compared to the others and is 20 feet tall with massive leaves. The next closest one is about 14 feet tall and the third biggest is roughly 11 feet. All get exactly the same water, light, and fertilizer. The rest of mine are considerably smaller. 

[palmfriend]

Hi,

Thank you for your comments and sry for the late response -I was pretty busy during the last week.

I think @Jim in Los Altos's reply is correct when he states that their growth speed varies - sometimes enormously. Please forgive me for have shown only the 

fastest one - another one has almost the same size but is not maturing yet and a third one (in deep shade) has barely formed a trunk. 

There is a row of them along a coastal road I use almost every day when driving to my place of work and I am pretty sure that they haven't gained any 

size at all during the last ten years. I really do not kow what the reason is for their different speed of growth, my advice would be to try more than one

when purchasing a plant or buying/collecting seeds of this species. 

 

Lars

 

[Little Tex]

growth speed varies - sometimes enormously.

Yeah, I have one that grew from a fallen seed from a bigger plant, then in 2021 both the bigger ones died, so I cut them down, but this one is growing like crazy, its already trunking and throws up to 2-3 spears at a time, the crown always looks like its going to burst!