Mature Jubaea Fruiting

[Banana Belt]

In an older post by NWpalms@206 in 2021 I noticed picture of our two Jubaea.  Today these two palms are reaching maturity as pictured in updated photo taken today.

2018 picture

Sep. 2024

The larger Palm on the right in above pictures is now starting to fruit for first time even though it has been flowering for 8 years or so.   The Jubaea Palms are over 40 years old and are now setting fruit.  In next couple years the fruiting Palm is expected to begin its final adult stage where the trunk begins to tapper down, but probably won't be noticed for another 6 years or more.  We are very excited to finally get the fruit an hope to collect nuts.

[kinzyjr]

Fantastic!  They look great!

[Scott W]

Simply gorgeous! 😍 

Are the infloresence accessible with a ladder?

[Banana Belt]

13 minutes ago, Scott W said:

Simply gorgeous! 😍 

Are the infloresence accessible with a ladder?

Yes the flowers are.  By the way our neighbors have an old 50 year old Butia C. which is and has been flowering.  Both the Jubaea and Butia inflorence at same time and are loaded with honey bees, so I wonder if some of the nuts might be hybrids?

[Scott W]

Definitely a possibility for natural cross pollination.   I'd certainly be interested in obtaining Jubaea pollen for hybrid experiments if you'd be interested and willing.  😁

[SailorBold]

11 hours ago, Scott W said:

Definitely a possibility for natural cross pollination.   I'd certainly be interested in obtaining Jubaea pollen for hybrid experiments if you'd be interested and willing.  😁

Ditto!

[SailorBold]

Totally awesome! 

[LeonardHolmes]

Beautiful palms!

[Chester B]

@Banana Belt I bet some of the nurseries in Portland and Seattle would love to get their hands on some seed if its viable.

[Banana Belt]

On 9/24/2024 at 9:28 PM, SailorBold said:

 I'd certainly be interested in obtaining Jubaea pollen

Sure.  The Palms are preparing for winter right now so they don't have any flowers buds coming.  After some rain and winter sun they might start flowering again, perhaps early part of next year.  Our Jubaea don't grow so much during the dry summer months when they flower.  It is during the dry summer that they drop their lower leaves leaving behind about 20-30 cm of bare trunk to conserve water.  When the rain comes they start growing and retain all leaves.  Around late winter they start flowering again.  Late winter to early spring flowers are not as viable as the summer flowers, depending on how much sun and warmer days occur. 

The Butia of our neighbors has the same cycle and it too is preparing for winter.  The above learned from observation.

[Las Palmas Norte]

6 hours ago, Banana Belt said:

...It is during the dry summer that they drop their lower leaves ...

Would it be fair to assume that you don't water these during the summer months?

[Banana Belt]

1 hour ago, Las Palmas Norte said:

Would it be fair to assume that you don't water these during the summer months?

We don't water the Palms anymore, however we have some blueberries and other fruit nearby that we do water, so the Palms do get some water from that.  Summer fog also drips off the leaves, but not much.  Our location, Brookings, is mostly dry from June to October.  Some rain but not much.  November to May is our wet season and all the Palms seem to like it.  The varieties of Palms that I know growing in our area are, Jubaea, CIDP's, Butia, Washingtonia, Queens, Kings, Trachie's, Neantha Bella and others I don't know what they are.  Any palm that is hardy in a 10a will probably survive and grow in our area. 

[SailorBold]

On 9/26/2024 at 6:46 AM, Banana Belt said:

Sure.  The Palms are preparing for winter right now so they don't have any flowers buds coming.  After some rain and winter sun they might start flowering again, perhaps early part of next year.  Our Jubaea don't grow so much during the dry summer months when they flower.  It is during the dry summer that they drop their lower leaves leaving behind about 20-30 cm of bare trunk to conserve water.  When the rain comes they start growing and retain all leaves.  Around late winter they start flowering again.  Late winter to early spring flowers are not as viable as the summer flowers, depending on how much sun and warmer days occur. 

The Butia of our neighbors has the same cycle and it too is preparing for winter.  The above learned from observation.

Do they flower every year??  

[Banana Belt]

2 hours ago, SailorBold said:

Do they flower every year??  

Yes.  About 6 or 7 flower stalks starting in late winter and finishing in early August.  After they stop flowering the lower leaves begin turning brown and fall off, about 8 leaves drop between July and October.

[tarnado]

Felicitations! Mazel tov!!!

[Banana Belt]

On 9/25/2024 at 8:54 AM, Chester B said:

@Banana Belt I bet some of the nurseries in Portland and Seattle would love to get their hands on some seed if its viable.

How long does it take for the fruit and their seeds to mature?

[Chester B]

10 hours ago, Banana Belt said:

How long does it take for the fruit and their seeds to mature?

I’m not sure to be honest. Maybe some of our Californian members can comment. I’d be surprised if there were any fruiting Jubaea outside of California and Oregon.  

[SailorBold]

Beautiful tree.. !!

[Banana Belt]

@SailorBold  and @Scott W:  I just noticed that at the top of the big palm two new flower stalks appear to be emerging.  I can see just the very tips and frankly it was a surprise following about 4 inches of rain early last month which apparently all was needed.  Opening up of the flowers is still a couple months out which would be near winter so difficult to know if the flowers will open with pollen.  It takes a week of warm sunny days to open the flowers when their ready, so it depends entirely what the weather is like late Nov to Dec.  If when the flowers are ready and the weather turns cold and wet, the flowers may not open at all, this can happen in winnter.  I will let you know if pollen is produced or not.

[Scott W]

4 hours ago, Banana Belt said:

I will let you know if pollen is produced or not.

Greatly appreciated!