Trachycarpus trials and tribulations

[M@ximus]

(Nigel @ Sep. 28 2007,19:55)

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(M@ximus @ Sep. 28 2007,10:35)

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First  5  are  Ok, and  7  is  Wagnerianus!!

So  my  new  guess:

6)  Princeps green

8)  Takagii

9) Martianus  kh

10) wag  x fortunei

11) Manipur

Traky  are  my  favourite  palms,so ,

I  hope  one  is correct  or  I  will  pass  to  Phoenix   !

Ciao  M@x

Max, 8,9,11,correct, only 8 and 10 to find now.

I had hoped in this thread to show that even as small plants the genus is very different amongst species.

Takil,Oreophilus and Manipur are BIG trachys, slower growing, but fabulous plants.

Nigel  my  last   2guess:

n° 6  )  Martianus  Nepal

n° 10)  Fortunei

Ciao  M@x

[Nigel]

6 is fortunei and 10 is geminisectus , its not possible to have a bigger geminisectus as seed has only been around for 18 months !

[M@ximus]

(Nigel @ Sep. 29 2007,15:49)

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6 is fortunei and 10 is geminisectus , its not possible to have a bigger geminisectus as seed has only been around for 18 months !

Thank  you  Nigel!

M@x

[Alberto]

I´d like to paticipate ,but I only can see ´´red X´´....

[ghar41]

(Nigel @ Sep. 29 2007,03:04)

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Glen,

your photos highlight beautifully the characteristic leaf differences between martinus nepal and khasia forms, I dont think anybody could have done it better. Here martianus and latisectus are impossible to grow in that condition due to wind and winters which reach -6C, the point where they  fry, and summers lacking heat as martianus need more heat than the fortunei/takil group.

Thanks Nigel.  Ive always felt that Trachy is underrepresented in collections.  I didn't post a pic of the largest T martianus I have...I believe it's the Nepal form but...I am always surprised by the variability in the leaves of Trachys...so any suggestions are welcome.  Its planted next to a walkway so I recently trimmed a couple of leaves back.  I'd like to move it to a better spot....any recommendations on transplanting martianus?  Fortunei has always transplanted just fine for me.

[ghar41]

The leaf

[ghar41]

(Nigel @ Sep. 29 2007,03:04)

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All you need now is a latisectus to complete your martianus group.

Post #33 is oreophilus.  This is my pathetic runt of a latisectus.  I planted 3 of them at the same time I planted the "takil" (now T. sp)  and I am now down to one.  They just didn't do well for me.  I am going to keep this one going even though I have been tempted to yank it and try something else.

I noticed as I was taking the pic that it is opening a spear.  It has cooled off here in the last three weeks.  This MUST be a cool weather palm.

[ghar41]

(Nigel @ Sep. 29 2007,03:04)

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.I also have some bad news for you, your takil is not a takil, it is from one of the Naini Tal palms mistakenly sold as takil from which 99% of the seed has come. Yes its a big Trachy , very similar to fortunei but also distinct in its own form.  A beautiful big Trachy but not a takil.

This is fascinating.  I have never seen another Trachy like this anywhere.  The petiioles themselves are much bulkier as well as being larger.  This is not a "dainty" palm as martianus presents itself from a young age.  These petioles literally shoot straight out of the ground.

[ghar41]

I have small T nanus in about 5 different locations of my yard.  

I also have T "princeps" seedlings from 4 different sources ( ive heard there is lots of bogus seed)  Can anybody recognize the real McCoy's in this group?

[ghar41]

(Nigel @ Sep. 29 2007,03:04)

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I think you have the biggest waggie I ever saw !

It towers over the cold hardy palms in a section of my Very-Cold-North-Facing front yard.

[Alberto]

(Alberto @ Sep. 29 2007,12:10)

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I´d like to paticipate ,but I only can see ´´red X´´....

Strange,all the other pics on this thread pop up nicely. Only your pics Nigel, refuse to appear! Maybe because there are 3 attached to each ´post´....?

[Nigel]

Glen, princeps seedlings first leaf will have a slightly serated edge.

I transplanted a martianus without problem, big rootball lots of water. It does look like another nepal as the leaf is not rounded.

Alberto, I dont know why you are seeing red x,s ?

Here is a pic of my `takil` ,trunk stripped so not natural, I have 3 more out the back.

[palmtreesforpleasure]

Thanks Nigel for the pictures, bought an advanced Takil, after seeing your pictures mine is not a takil, have a few of the other that are only seedlings, nice to know what they will look like in 5 years time

regards

colin

[PalmGuyWC]

Glenn,

Don't give up on your T. latisectus yet. I had one about the same size as the one you have pictured. It was a pale sickley one gallon size, and no matter what I did, fish emulsion, micro nutrients, it remained pale and would not grow. I finally put it in the ground and it slowly perked up, greened up, and started to grow, but slowly.  Only two fronds this growing season.

I have another that is about chest high to the tip of the fonds, and it too, is very slow, only 3 fronds this growing season, but the new fronds look nice, no brown tipping. I don't know what the secret is to growing these things, but I suspect they like warmer temps. than we get in N. Calif. I suspect they would grow better in S. Calif, but those guys don't seem very interested in Trachs, because they can grow more exotic palms.

Like most palms, they seem to speed up when a trunk is formed and I think they like a lot of water. My T. martianus grows slowly too, and it doesn't hold many fronds, but I was told by an expert that's the nature of the beast. Right now, my T. martianus has 5 spheres of vearing sizes waiting to open. I can't draw any conclusions of what these darn palms like.

Dick

[Exotic Life]

Nigel,

Again a great collection, and a lot bigger then the mine. I have see this treath today, so i can't guess, but great pics and species.

I have only got, Trachycarpus fortunei, Trachycarpus wagnerianus, Trachycarpus takil "Nepal", Trachycarpus nanus, Trachycarpus princeps (but i think the green forum because he stills seen green)

Robbin

[PalmGuyWC]

I have a question: Are there two or more different "lines" of Trachycarpus, or some that are more closely related?  I've seen references made to this before but nothing definitive. For instance, T. fortunei, wagnerianus, takil seem to be closely related, while T. martianus and latisectus and others look more closely related. Is there a chart somewhere that shows a relationship of these palms?

Dick

[ghar41]

(PalmGuyWC @ Sep. 30 2007,12:59)

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Glenn,

Don't give up on your T. latisectus yet. I had one about the same size as the one you have pictured. It was a pale sickley one gallon size, and no matter what I did, fish emulsion, micro nutrients, it remained pale and would not grow. I finally put it in the ground and it slowly perked up, greened up, and started to grow, but slowly.  Only two fronds this growing season.

Dick

Ok...I looked at it again yesterday and it is definitely opening a new frond.  

Geez...it has taken an act of Congress to get this far, and apparently they werent even in session last year.

[PalmGuyWC]

Glenn,

Actually, congress was in session last year, but they would rather argue and posture than get anything done.

Dick

[Nigel]

(PalmGuyWC @ Oct. 03 2007,06:59)

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I have a question: Are there two or more different "lines" of Trachycarpus, or some that are more closely related?  I've seen references made to this before but nothing definitive. For instance, T. fortunei, wagnerianus, takil seem to be closely related, while T. martianus and latisectus and others look more closely related. Is there a chart somewhere that shows a relationship of these palms?

Dick

Dick, martianus and latisectus have a coffee bean type seed ,and the palms are hardy to about -6C ,needing more heat and water to grow well.

All the rest have reniform seed and are hardy to around -14 to -18C.

[PalmGuyWC]

Thanks Nigel.  I'm debating about whether to put a small (4 compound fronds) T. princeps in the ground now or wait until spring.  I have about 5 weeks left of growing time before cold weather sets in. I guess T. princeps falls into the hardy catigory.

Dick

[Exotic Life]

This is my highest Trachycarpus last July.

[Kris]

Dear Friends  

lovely stills but what iam gona say don't get mad at me..to my

eyes they all appear like another fan palm slightly stout or slightly tall or slender..

this thread had made me realise where i stand in palm identification !    So god help me...

love,

Kris  

[PalmGuyWC]

Kris,

Don't feel bad as there are many genera that look very similar, and it would take an expert to tell them apart. It's only us palm nuts that can see the differences, and that's one of the reasons most of our "non palm friends" think we are crazy.

Dick

[Nigel]

Dick, last year I visited a palm nut in Holland , he had a princeps in a fully exposed position to the front of his house, and almost every palm was fried including Jubaea and fortunei.

The princeps despite being of the size you describe was untouched and perfect.

It had seen off -17C no problem. Possibly the hardiest Trachy.

[Steve]

Great topic.  Very interesting reading.  Where I live, even Trachycarpus are rare.  I have a T. Fortunei.  It's interesting to see the different varieties of Trachy's.