Archontophoenix cunninghamiana in lowland coastal rainforest

[happypalms]

A short 15 minute drive from my property is rainforest pocket with an beautiful grove of bangalow palms well worth a visit with over 200mm of rain in the last weeks rainfall the drought certainly has been broken a very common palm all along the east coast of Australia with the bird dispersal of seed they are germinating in places all over the east coast 

[Harry’s Palms]

They really love water and this looks to be their happy place ! I have a couple on the side of my house and the more water I give them , the better they look. Is this a national park where they are protected?

[Jonathan Haycock]

So variable as a species too. We are lucky to have this palm in our neck of the woods. 

[happypalms]

11 hours ago, Harry’s Palms said:

They really love water and this looks to be their happy place ! I have a couple on the side of my house and the more water I give them , the better they look. Is this a national park where they are protected?

They do love water but odd as it is with my garden the the various species of palms I have in the dry they stand a better chance than the bangalows I have there first to get dry leaf burn from lack of water where as  the more exotic imported palms hold up better and yes they are in a protected reserve near Woolgoolga a town where the rainforest meets the sea 

[happypalms]

Very true we are lucky I see the palm growers overseas are absolutely crazy about growing them and a must have they do make a good pioneer palm planted first 

[KrisKupsch]

17 minutes ago, happypalms said:

They do love water but odd as it is with my garden the the various species of palms I have in the dry they stand a better chance than the bangalows I have there first to get dry leaf burn from lack of water where as  the more exotic imported palms hold up better and yes they are in a protected reserve near Woolgoolga a town where the rainforest meets the sea 

Absolutely agree. Bangalows suffered the most from the mini drought of 2023. I lost a dozen tall specimens. ps i worked out who the birdie was  lol

[Tyrone]

Thanks for posting. This species got me into palms. Seeing these in the wild at Mt Tambourine was an unforgettable experience. A well grown Bangalow is a sight to behold. I love growing them and they do so well here. But I do have some areas here that are too wet to grow them. An unusual problem as they love water. 

[Harry’s Palms]

2 hours ago, Tyrone said:

Thanks for posting. This species got me into palms. Seeing these in the wild at Mt Tambourine was an unforgettable experience. A well grown Bangalow is a sight to behold. I love growing them and they do so well here. But I do have some areas here that are too wet to grow them. An unusual problem as they love water. 

Where mine are planted , the water drains rather quickly . It is hardly an area where it puddles . It has been raining here , off and on , for a day and a half and there is no standing water . 

[Harry’s Palms]

Here in the US they are widely available in the big box stores and in the late nineties I bought two 10” pot “king” palms. There were two in one pot and a single in another. I planted the single in the courtyard and the double on the side next to a pathway. The single grew faster and looked different than the two on the side of the house. When I was cutting the brown fronds off the palms I noticed that the single had a much darker color even though it got more sun. The underside had a silvery look. I got my palm book out and realized it was an Alexandria , not Cumminghamiana. Now that they are adults , it is easy to see the difference . What was cool was how I inadvertently planted the two smaller trunk versions where i needed smaller trunk palms. The Alexander in the courtyard has a very swollen base and a much larger presence. Harry

Edited January 21, 2024 by Harry’s Palms

[palmnut-fry]

@Harrys Palms show us pictures!

Always loved Archontos but the photojournalism on this is as if we are there! 🤓, just stunning in habitat.

[Jim in Los Altos]

6 hours ago, Tyrone said:

Thanks for posting. This species got me into palms. Seeing these in the wild at Mt Tambourine was an unforgettable experience. A well grown Bangalow is a sight to behold. I love growing them and they do so well here. But I do have some areas here that are too wet to grow them. An unusual problem as they love water. 

I have several growing in constant stagnant water right up to their trunk bases. That’s fully emerged roots 365 days per year and they are flourishing. I’ve had seeds drop into my pond and germinate a foot down or more and grow right out of the water. It’s impossible to overwater the species. 
 

[happypalms]

7 hours ago, Tyrone said:

Thanks for posting. This species got me into palms. Seeing these in the wild at Mt Tambourine was an unforgettable experience. A well grown Bangalow is a sight to behold. I love growing them and they do so well here. But I do have some areas here that are too wet to grow them. An unusual problem as they love water. 

I was fortunate enough to grow up with them I originally collected wild seed for the palms in my garden now with hybridisation happening I only trust wild harvested seed as true to form still an absolute beautiful palm in habitat 

[happypalms]

5 hours ago, Harry’s Palms said:

Here in the US they are widely available in the big box stores and in the late nineties I bought two 10” pot “king” palms. There were two in one pot and a single in another. I planted the single in the courtyard and the double on the side next to a pathway. The single grew faster and looked different than the two on the side of the house. When I was cutting the brown fronds off the palms I noticed that the single had a much darker color even though it got more sun. The underside had a silvery look. I got my palm book out and realized it was an Alexandria , not Cumminghamiana. Now that they are adults , it is easy to see the difference . What was cool was how I inadvertently planted the two smaller trunk versions where i needed smaller trunk palms. The Alexander in the courtyard has a very swollen base and a much larger presence. Harry

I could only imagine how many are propagated in the us there an easy palm to grow a good nursery man’s palm fast growing actually to fast growing for my nursery I don’t grow them they out grow containers I think there a weed in Hawaii the Alexandria palm is much more elegant but bangalows have an appreciation of there own so common here most gardeners and retail stores go for Alexandria palms 

[happypalms]

2 hours ago, palmnut-fry said:

@Harrys Palms show us pictures!

Always loved Archontos but the photojournalism on this is as if we are there! 🤓, just stunning in habitat.

Thank you the camera is an extension of the eye they are an absolute beauty in habitat there are so many gullies in the rainforests just packed with them one palm that dominates for sure 

[Harry’s Palms]

Here are the pics. It stopped raining so I got out for some garden time!

Edited January 21, 2024 by Harry’s Palms

[Harry’s Palms]

2 hours ago, palmnut-fry said:

@Harrys Palms show us pictures!

Always loved Archontos but the photojournalism on this is as if we are there! 🤓, just stunning in habitat.

See above!

[Tyrone]

4 hours ago, Jim in Los Altos said:

I have several growing in constant stagnant water right up to their trunk bases. That’s fully emerged roots 365 days per year and they are flourishing. I’ve had seeds drop into my pond and germinate a foot down or more and grow right out of the water. It’s impossible to overwater the species. 
 

Yes, they love water provided the roots can still get oxygen. I have some areas where the soil can be so wet it doesn’t breathe any more. I’ve grown Archontophoenix in ponds before but the roots could still breathe. The area I’ve had trouble claimed some Rhopalostylis sapida which I thought could grow in wet muck. It’s an unusual problem which most Archontophoenix growers would never encounter. You certainly wouldn’t encounter it if you have any sand in your soil profile. Most issues with Archontophoenix stem from underwatering. 

[happypalms]

4 hours ago, Harry’s Palms said:

Here are the pics. It stopped raining so I got out for some garden time!

A couple of nice palms you got growing there they are a true water loving palm 

[happypalms]

6 hours ago, Jim in Los Altos said:

I have several growing in constant stagnant water right up to their trunk bases. That’s fully emerged roots 365 days per year and they are flourishing. I’ve had seeds drop into my pond and germinate a foot down or more and grow right out of the water. It’s impossible to overwater the species. 
 

The best thing about bangalows is you cannot overwater them that’s for sure you won’t see many bangalows growing on ridge tops in dry conditions the best thing is there super easy to grow i never stop loving them absolutely beautiful in there habitat you will see thousands growing in every direction especially in the gullies and around watercourses 

[peachy]

I see quite a few native palms on the rare occasions I leave home. For me it's always a treat to spot a Linospadix, they aren't quite so easy to find in habitat. I remember a few years ago that a person with a magnificent palm collection visited my house and all he did was admire and talk about my common old Bangalow.  Sadly now Bangalows have had a resurgence in popularity with supermarkets, nurseries and Bunnings etc cramming handfuls of seedlings into a pot and Joe Average takes them home and plants that way.

Peachy.

 

[Jim in Los Altos]

2 hours ago, Tyrone said:

Yes, they love water provided the roots can still get oxygen. I have some areas where the soil can be so wet it doesn’t breathe any more. I’ve grown Archontophoenix in ponds before but the roots could still breathe. The area I’ve had trouble claimed some Rhopalostylis sapida which I thought could grow in wet muck. It’s an unusual problem which most Archontophoenix growers would never encounter. You certainly wouldn’t encounter it if you have any sand in your soil profile. Most issues with Archontophoenix stem from underwatering. 

Mine in stagnant old non-oxygenated water are flourishing. Their roots are restricted to a 3’ deep fiberglass “pond” filled with rock and water. There's no movement at all in the water so no or very little oxygen at all. Surface is covered in gravel. The palm’s roots sit in still water and rock and nothing else.

 

[Tyrone]

3 hours ago, Jim in Los Altos said:

Mine in stagnant old non-oxygenated water are flourishing. Their roots are restricted to a 3’ deep fiberglass “pond” filled with rock and water. There's no movement at all in the water so no or very little oxygen at all. Surface is covered in gravel. The palm’s roots sit in still water and rock and nothing else.

 

Just out of interest, do you have fish in their or is it covered right to the top with gravel?

[Jim in Los Altos]

1 minute ago, Tyrone said:

Just out of interest, do you have fish in their or is it covered right to the top with gravel?

It was a koi pond for several years but no fish or animal could ever live in that “soup” and rocks. Water and rock/gravel are right up to the palm’s trunk bases. No soil at all but I have thrown fertilizer on the surface regularly over the years. 

[Tyrone]

21 minutes ago, Jim in Los Altos said:

It was a koi pond for several years but no fish or animal could ever live in that “soup” and rocks. Water and rock/gravel are right up to the palm’s trunk bases. No soil at all but I have thrown fertilizer on the surface regularly over the years. 

My problem area is what I thought was just perfect for Archontophoenix alongside the seasonal stream that runs in winter and spring. The soil is deep black humus that tends to compact and when you dig it smells like rotten eggs a bit. The palms did well until the flood of 2021 that saw them sitting in probably 500mm of water for a while and standing water for months. We had about 1200mm of rain that year. Some of them started browning off the old leaves prematurely and looked sad. Come summer when it warmed up I with held irrigation and many started growing again but developed cracks in the trunk as they started growing again. The soil never dries out even in summer. Some of the alexandrae have died, as have some cunninghamiana. However the winners have been myolensis which don’t seem to care. Its the last area I ever irrigate now, and unless the soil surface dries out a bit I may not even irrigate this summer at all. I don’t really know what’s going on, except it seems to present symptoms of root damage. I was totally surprised that I had found the soil moisture limit for Archontophoenix, but I reckon it’s more the oxygen level limit I have reached. The soil is likely highly acidic too. Other parts of the property are not a problem for Archontophoenix. 

[happypalms]

18 hours ago, peachy said:

I see quite a few native palms on the rare occasions I leave home. For me it's always a treat to spot a Linospadix, they aren't quite so easy to find in habitat. I remember a few years ago that a person with a magnificent palm collection visited my house and all he did was admire and talk about my common old Bangalow.  Sadly now Bangalows have had a resurgence in popularity with supermarkets, nurseries and Bunnings etc cramming handfuls of seedlings into a pot and Joe Average takes them home and plants that way.

Peachy.

 

Hi peachy I cant believe overseas they go nuts over a bangalow if only they knew you won’t see a linospadix around here in any gardens a few special nurseries that’s it chain stores have a lot to answer for killing of small nurseries making it even harder to find exotic plants but I did hear Bunnings in cairns had Joey palms for sale but that’s because a million growers in the tropics and no market 

Richard 

[happypalms]

A few more photos the seedlings living underwater 

[Tyrone]

2 hours ago, happypalms said:

A few more photos the seedlings living underwater 

Great shots Richard. A picture tells a thousand words too. 
The stream there looks gravel based, and it’s flowing. In your mind would that stream reduce to a trickle or even stop in winter. Would it fluctuate in flow through the summer, getting wider quickly then shrinking quickly once the dry spells return. 
 

Im just trying to relate it to my own experience. I’ve been able to grow bangalows in a fishpond before but it was oxygenated. My water course and land is not gravel based but peat based. (It’s a swamp really) In June the stream can start flowing and we can get more than 250mm of rain in June sometimes, but the stream may not stop until December. I can get 6 months of extremely wet ground in the cool time of year. I’m thinking that is longer than an east coast wet spell. 
 

Today is the 26th of January 2024 and I moved in exactly 10 years ago today. It’s been a steep learning curve trying to garden here and I’m still learning. 

[johnnymak]

Awesome photos, fantastic to have the opportunity to get out and see such beautiful palms in habitat.

[happypalms]

On 1/26/2024 at 10:34 AM, Tyrone said:

Great shots Richard. A picture tells a thousand words too. 
The stream there looks gravel based, and it’s flowing. In your mind would that stream reduce to a trickle or even stop in winter. Would it fluctuate in flow through the summer, getting wider quickly then shrinking quickly once the dry spells return. 
 

Im just trying to relate it to my own experience. I’ve been able to grow bangalows in a fishpond before but it was oxygenated. My water course and land is not gravel based but peat based. (It’s a swamp really) In June the stream can start flowing and we can get more than 250mm of rain in June sometimes, but the stream may not stop until December. I can get 6 months of extremely wet ground in the cool time of year. I’m thinking that is longer than an east coast wet spell. 
 

Today is the 26th of January 2024 and I moved in exactly 10 years ago today. It’s been a steep learning curve trying to garden here and I’m still learning. 

The camera is an extension of the eye with your water situation I think you have it correct oxygen is the answer try placing them a bit further away from the watercourse but close enough for the roots to get what they need as they grow the creek in the photos does run seasonally dry and floods when I established my garden I had hundreds of palms to plant so if one died I was not to worried I just planted them on mass what lived lived and what didn’t make didn’t make with no loss in my mind but if i only had one sabinara magnifica a different story then I would dig a million dollar planting hole and monitor like a new born baby if I had 2000 joeys (which I do have) I plant them everywhere not to worried I even have some I planted 8 months ago I have not even seen yet with not a worry but that said if I only had one Joey same story as the sabinara your up against availability of plants and seeds in one of the most isolated places in the world if you had 50 bangalows you would plant them anywhere and see who lives not to worried about the loses palms are funny you plant 50 of the same varietie all healthy and some grow really strong and some grow poorly yet they are  all equal at the start  of planting you never stop learning with plants always something to earn every day if draining is that much of a situation raised mounds 

[happypalms]

Thank you they are a lovely palm in habitat never boring that’s for sure 

[happypalms]

2 hours ago, johnnymak said:

Awesome photos, fantastic to have the opportunity to get out and see such beautiful palms in habitat.

Thank you they are a lovely palm in habitat never boring that’s for sure