Trachycarpus princeps hybrids

[Drew N Carolina]

I have Trachycarpus wagnerianus x princeps and Trachycarpus wagnerianus x princeps New Form,

Both are 1 gallons $24 plus shipping US only. Please be patient and allow time for me to get back with you, I do have several of both hybrids.

 

[floridaPalmMan]

Message sent!

Btw, a note for everyone else, I've purchased palms from Drew off of eBay in the past and they're shipped nicely but more importantly they're very healthy palms.

Here's a picture of a Nova x Waggie trachy shortly after receiving it.

[Fusca]

22 hours ago, Drew N Carolina said:

I have Trachycarpus wagnerianus x princeps and Trachycarpus wagnerianus x princeps New Form

Drew, how do these hybrids compare to fortunei as far as speed?  I assume that there is some hybrid vigor.  Did you do the pollination yourself?  

[Chester B]

Another question - how many can you fit in one package?

[Drew N Carolina]

I purchased the seeds from the UK. They are much quicker than pure princeps and straight wagnerianus. They are still slower than most regular fortunei. They do maintain some of each of the parents when it comes to leaf form. I'm unsure of what the New Form hybrid will look like. I do have larger T. wagnerianus x princeps but not the New Form hybrid. They do seem hardy so far and similar in sensitivity to moisture of standard fortunei or wagnerianus. I do prefer to mound them up a bit and use courser potting mixes with them. However I'm not sure this is necessary as I've had some which seemed unbothered (no more than fortunei)  by being left out in cold and wet during winter.

[Drew N Carolina]

8 minutes ago, Chester B said:

Another question - how many can you fit in one package?

I have multiple box sizes. So it depends. How many are you thinking about? Probably 2 in a smaller box maybe 4 in a bit larger one. We can certainly find out for sure.

[Drew N Carolina]

Here's a few more pictures for comparison. As you can see the T. wagnerianus x princeps is the more blueish of the two hybrids. The T.wagnerianus x princeps NewForm does have some of that color but not as much. It does resemble a Nova and is faster growing but is something else. 

[Swolte]

PM was sent

[Pdmesa]

I would like one of these if available in ca. 92507

[Chester B]

I got mine on the weekend.  Don't hesitate on these if you want them,  as they are pretty rare outside the UK.   Big and healthy and very inexpensive.  

[bar]

Don't want to sound like a palm snob, but I'm wondering what is special about either of these, or the cross, as compared to T. fortunei.  Are they more attractive than fortunei? 

I'm in zone 9B+, with only occasional temps below 30 degrees, so T. fortunei is a super easy grower here, but I don't find it that exciting. (Sorry... but I plead guilty to plant snobbery!)

Bruce

[Gallop]

3 hours ago, bar said:

Don't want to sound like a palm snob, but I'm wondering what is special about either of these, or the cross, as compared to T. fortunei.  Are they more attractive than fortunei? 

I'm in zone 9B+, with only occasional temps below 30 degrees, so T. fortunei is a super easy grower here, but I don't find it that exciting. (Sorry... but I plead guilty to plant snobbery!)

Bruce

T princeps is a rare and beautiful palm. Unfortunately from my experience it can be difficult to grow. This hybrid is a nice bluish color. The whitish back side of leaf will stand out in the garden. I imagine with hybrid vigor it will be a robust grower. The contrasting color is what really gets my attention. An example that comes to mind is BXS witch is typically green. I have several in the garden, all more or less look the same except I have one that was crossed back to Butia Yatay. This one has a nice metalic sheen on leaves and the backside of leaf is silver. That makes the plam really stand out in the garden.   I get more compliments on this palm than any other, it’s also my personal favorite. My thought is T fortunei x princeps will be the similar. 

 

 

[Chester B]

11 hours ago, bar said:

Don't want to sound like a palm snob, but I'm wondering what is special about either of these, or the cross, as compared to T. fortunei.  Are they more attractive than fortunei? 

I'm in zone 9B+, with only occasional temps below 30 degrees, so T. fortunei is a super easy grower here, but I don't find it that exciting. (Sorry... but I plead guilty to plant snobbery!)

Bruce

Much better looking than fortunei.  Princeps are beautiful palms with their bluish leaves and silvery undersides.  Plus they don't get the messy look that a lot of fortunei do.  IMO princeps are the best looking Trachy and they tolerate heat better than other Trachy species.  With a bit of waggie thrown in you further increase their ability to be undamaged by wind.

[KPoff]

23 hours ago, Chester B said:

Much better looking than fortunei.  Princeps are beautiful palms with their bluish leaves and silvery undersides.  Plus they don't get the messy look that a lot of fortunei do.  IMO princeps are the best looking Trachy and they tolerate heat better than other Trachy species.  With a bit of waggie thrown in you further increase their ability to be undamaged by wind.

Do you think they would be equally cold hardy as fortunei?

[Chester B]

40 minutes ago, KPoff said:

Do you think they would be equally cold hardy as fortunei?

Very close but not quite.  Princeps are slightly less hardy than fortunei, and waggie is a variation of fortunei so it might help a little.  

[KPoff]

2 minutes ago, Chester B said:

Very close but not quite.  Princeps are slightly less hardy than fortunei, and waggie is a variation of fortunei so it might help a little.  

I realize this question is unrelated to this post but how does Nanital compare to furtunei on cold hardiness?

[Chester B]

2 minutes ago, KPoff said:

I realize this question is unrelated to this post but how does Nanital compare to furtunei on cold hardiness?

Fortunei is the hardiest, everything else is less.  Nainital is a pretty hardy one though.  Martianus and Latisectus are the more tender Trachys.

[mnorell]

On 10/2/2024 at 10:40 PM, Gallop said:

T princeps is a rare and beautiful palm. Unfortunately from my experience it can be difficult to grow. This hybrid is a nice bluish color. The whitish back side of leaf will stand out in the garden. I imagine with hybrid vigor it will be a robust grower. The contrasting color is what really gets my attention. An example that comes to mind is BXS witch is typically green. I have several in the garden, all more or less look the same except I have one that was crossed back to Butia Yatay. This one has a nice metalic sheen on leaves and the backside of leaf is silver. That makes the plam really stand out in the garden.   I get more compliments on this palm than any other, it’s also my personal favorite. My thought is T fortunei x princeps will be the similar. 

 

 

When I lived in Natchez (9a zone) I planted several Trachycarpus species: T. fortunei (which was amazingly fast-growing); T. wagnerianus; a small T. martianus 'Khasia Hills' and T. ukhrulensis 'Manipur'; and a small (one-gallon size or so) T. princeps. The T. princeps died after the 13F jab in early 2018; and I had the palm in a very protected area for perhaps ten years under dense canopy and often wondered if it just wanted/needed more sun, as it never seemed very thrifty, and only carried a few leaves at a time, though it looked healthy otherwise. I was mostly in Florida for the years it was in the ground so I wasn't keeping a tight eye on its condition...and I don't know whether to chalk it up to slow decline from too much shade, or to cold injury, or just a dislike of the Deep South subtropical climate. More likely I suspect it was a combination of at least a couple of factors. Considering your comment above re growing it in the similar climate of Ocean Springs...do you have any further ideas re sun/shade/cold/heat etc. as possible factors? It was a very pretty palm and I was sorry to see it decline. Meanwhile I never had any problems with the other Trachycarpus palms I grew, although the T. martianus and T. ukhrulensis were quite slow to turn into anything over about a dozen years in the ground from their original one-gallon and 4in. sizes, respectively.

[Gallop]

18 hours ago, mnorell said:

When I lived in Natchez (9a zone) I planted several Trachycarpus species: T. fortunei (which was amazingly fast-growing); T. wagnerianus; a small T. martianus 'Khasia Hills' and T. ukhrulensis 'Manipur'; and a small (one-gallon size or so) T. princeps. The T. princeps died after the 13F jab in early 2018; and I had the palm in a very protected area for perhaps ten years under dense canopy and often wondered if it just wanted/needed more sun, as it never seemed very thrifty, and only carried a few leaves at a time, though it looked healthy otherwise. I was mostly in Florida for the years it was in the ground so I wasn't keeping a tight eye on its condition...and I don't know whether to chalk it up to slow decline from too much shade, or to cold injury, or just a dislike of the Deep South subtropical climate. More likely I suspect it was a combination of at least a couple of factors. Considering your comment above re growing it in the similar climate of Ocean Springs...do you have any further ideas re sun/shade/cold/heat etc. as possible factors? It was a very pretty palm and I was sorry to see it decline. Meanwhile I never had any problems with the other Trachycarpus palms I grew, although the T. martianus and T. ukhrulensis were quite slow to turn into anything over about a dozen years in the ground from their original one-gallon and 4in. sizes, respectively.

I believe in general T priceps is a sensitive plant. From my experience they should be acclimated to their new growing area over a period of time. They like fast draining soil. They are native to the Stonegate region growing on marble cliffs. The one I was able to keep alive awhile was growing in pure rock. They do not like to be disturbed, I dug one and it instantly died. Half day sun is ideal here. I’ve killed a fair share of them. If I’m lucky enough to get another one I’ll try mound planting. 

[John C]

They look great! Arrived and potted up today. I'll likely plant one of each next spring once I decide on a spot for them. Haha! Thanks so much!

[Gallop]

3 hours ago, John C said:

They look great! Arrived and potted up today. I'll likely plant one of each next spring once I decide on a spot for them. Haha! Thanks so much!

Good looking plants.

[sako]

Hi.   Just saw your post for T. wagnerianus x princeps - do you have any left?   I have a 6' T. takil here along the coast in Rhode Island - seed planted in 2015, bought by me and planted in the ground in 2022 - sure needs company !    Have photos of the takil if you'd like to see...

[Drew N Carolina]

Yes I have the Trachycarpus wagnerianus x princeps NewForm still available. I packed all my potted palms into a greenhouse for winter. I'll have to check and refresh my memory as if I had any regular wagnerianus x princeps left. I know I have a couple but it seems like they were quite small. Anyway I'm planning to begin unpacking my palms this weekend. 

[sako]

thanks for the reply.   I can only afford one but I'd go for either, bigger is better.   The leaves on your cross appear to have some heft.  Takil is a beauty but all the wind we get here at this time of year makes a mess of it.   I'll stay tuned or I can give you my cell # as to how to purchase from you.   

see below, T. takil, photo Oct 2023, its third year with me, seed had been planted 2015.  Leaf reverse has a lot of white..   Trunk grew ~ 10" last year.

 

[Fusca]

On 3/6/2025 at 9:27 PM, Drew N Carolina said:

Yes I have the Trachycarpus wagnerianus x princeps NewForm still available. I packed all my potted palms into a greenhouse for winter. I'll have to check and refresh my memory as if I had any regular wagnerianus x princeps left. I know I have a couple but it seems like they were quite small. Anyway I'm planning to begin unpacking my palms this weekend. 

Message sent.

[NWpalms@206]

Message sent also... lemme know!