Help choosing a slow growing coconut?

[TheVeggieProfessor]

Hi all. I'm in south Florida - a great spot for growing coconuts. I recently planted a dwarf fiji. I'd like another coconut palm, but the problem with another dwarf fiji is that it casts pretty dense shade. I'd like to be able to put a trellis up near the next coconut I plant and run passion fruit, yams, and other delights on it. I'm trying to identify a cultivar that is slow growing like the fiji, but lets in more light. I am growing coconuts principally for the meat, not the water. Thanks in advance for any insights.

[mnorell]

Niu Leka/Fiji Dwarf can cast dense shade, but only to whatever insects and other small critters can fit under it! LOL...I hope you are young, because you will be waiting a decade or so (out of a 3- or 7-gallon) until you have even a few inches of trunk, and, if you're lucky, your first fruit. If you are wanting to plant a Cocos and have it gain enough height to accommodate a trellis with the vines you mention, I think one would have to assume that you want something that is not slow, but rather that is fast "enough" to give some height and fruit in a relatively modest timeframe. Most people in residential settings plant Green Malays (sometimes Golden Malays) if they want a more modest but trunking size in a timespan of, say, 5-10 years. The Gold Malay perhaps has a more open and slightly smaller crown, but is certainly much slower than the green in my own personal experience in the Florida Keys. Some Malay Green seedlings may be extraordinarily robust and have larger than usual crowns (this may be due to open-pollinated cross-breeding with other types in the vicinity of the mother tree). The Panama Tall will be a rocketship of fairly large proportions, and provide you with ample trunk, beautiful form, and some nice shade, as well as fruit, in short order. But none of these Cocos are actually "dwarf," except in a narrow sense from moderate (Red Spicata) to tall (Jamaican and Panama)...all coconuts eventually get a fair amount of height, it just may take them longer to get there; or the "dwarf" may refer to the fact that some may fruit more quickly than, say, a Jamaican Tall.

And all coconuts go through both a "water" (young) and a "meat" (mature) phase. However, some cultivars/varieties are grown for the quality of either, and that may be what you mean. You'll need to bother your neighbors and friends and ask for samples so you can test for yourself before you plant. Taste can also vary from year to year, from seedling to seedling, and depending on the exact age of the fruit you're consuming. So that judgment becomes a little complicated!

Keith Zimmerman ( @Zeeth) knows a lot about coconuts in Florida and perhaps will chime in with some additional ideas for you, as well as many other experienced and knowledgeable South Florida folks on this forum. Good luck and enjoy your coconuts!

[Zeeth]

Check out the Red Spicata Dwarf coconuts at Fairchild and see if that's the kind of thing you're looking for. They're more gracile than the Fiji and their canopy isn't as dense. The coconuts aren't very large though, about the size of a softball. There are some hybrids floating around which carry the RSD color trait in a more robust tree, so keep that in mind. 

[mnorell]

43 minutes ago, Zeeth said:

Check out the Red Spicata Dwarf coconuts at Fairchild and see if that's the kind of thing you're looking for. They're more gracile than the Fiji and their canopy isn't as dense. The coconuts aren't very large though, about the size of a softball. There are some hybrids floating around which carry the RSD color trait in a more robust tree, so keep that in mind. 

Keith, do you know if Carol Romney is still operating the farm in Homestead? I remember Dave and his wife and Carol showing me their row of red spicatas when I was there buying my Fiji Dwarf and other varieties from them a dozen years ago. I remember how tiny those coconuts were on the red spicatas, and how gracile the trees were, if only somewhat dwarfed in height. They impressed on me that they were very, very careful to segregate varieties to avoid cross-pollination, and therefore one of the few sources that could be counted on for accuracy in what you were buying. But it strikes me that somebody mentioned casually to me in the last few years that Carol might be finally giving it up. If she closed up shop and didn't pass it on to another serious owner, I imagine there are not many options to get the pure thing and that larger hybrid spicata you mention might become rather common in the trade, with the "original" possibly fading into obscurity.

[chukfluk]

I've seen this coconut for about 7 years and I still don't know what type of coconut this is.Any help identifying this coconut tree?

[TheVeggieProfessor]

Thanks for the insight. I'm young enough to wait for my nuts

You mentioned spicata as a moderate growing option. I can find those locally. Green malays are easy to find. I suppose either of those will meet my needs based on what you stated. I have no problem planting a succession and taking down trees once they get too tall. My city doesn't allow tree removals but it's in the backyard, so they won't be the wiser.

[Zeeth]

On 6/23/2023 at 3:32 AM, mnorell said:

Keith, do you know if Carol Romney is still operating the farm in Homestead? I remember Dave and his wife and Carol showing me their row of red spicatas when I was there buying my Fiji Dwarf and other varieties from them a dozen years ago. I remember how tiny those coconuts were on the red spicatas, and how gracile the trees were, if only somewhat dwarfed in height. They impressed on me that they were very, very careful to segregate varieties to avoid cross-pollination, and therefore one of the few sources that could be counted on for accuracy in what you were buying. But it strikes me that somebody mentioned casually to me in the last few years that Carol might be finally giving it up. If she closed up shop and didn't pass it on to another serious owner, I imagine there are not many options to get the pure thing and that larger hybrid spicata you mention might become rather common in the trade, with the "original" possibly fading into obscurity.

Their property went for sale a few years back so I don't think they're operating the farm anymore. I have gotten mine from Fairchild and the USDA in the past, both of whom carry the pure form. Otherwise it's definitely very difficult to source. There's a similar, but still uncommon, variety present in Hawaii called the Tahitian Red Dwarf, also Rangiroa Red Dwarf, also Haari Papua. To me, the biggest difference is the inflorescence is not spicate. 

[TheVeggieProfessor]

https://www.vendio.com/stores/Polynesian_Produce_Stand/item/yard-garden-outdoor-living-oth/-red-tahiti-rangiroa-rare-dwar/lid=48395962

Tahitian Red Dwarf is (apparently) for sale here. How would this variety suit my needs? It seems from what was noted that the spicata has some flaws. I don't personally mind the nuts being a bit smaller, but if tahitian red or a malayan dwarf has similar favorable characteristics (in terms of moderate growth rate and dappled light), I would prefer larger harvests (in terms of the relationship between number and size of nuts).

[Zeeth]

19 hours ago, TheVeggieProfessor said:

https://www.vendio.com/stores/Polynesian_Produce_Stand/item/yard-garden-outdoor-living-oth/-red-tahiti-rangiroa-rare-dwar/lid=48395962

Tahitian Red Dwarf is (apparently) for sale here. How would this variety suit my needs? It seems from what was noted that the spicata has some flaws. I don't personally mind the nuts being a bit smaller, but if tahitian red or a malayan dwarf has similar favorable characteristics (in terms of moderate growth rate and dappled light), I would prefer larger harvests (in terms of the relationship between number and size of nuts).

So in my experience, the TRD coconuts are the same size as Red Spicata. Red Malayan has larger coconuts with better harvests, but isn't quite as gracile or slow growing as the other two.

[TheVeggieProfessor]

Thanks for the insight, Keith!