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Naturally clumping pygmy date?


Palmtreedude69

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One of my neighbors got this pigmy from a local garden center in 2009 planted it as a single it has been a very slow grower but it recently in the past 3-4 years started naturally clumping my neighbor asked me why it is doing that and I have no idea I have had many of pigmy dates and none of them ever did that?

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Probably a hybrid with another Phoenix clumping palm. It looks like it to me but I am not that familiar with Phoenix hybrids.

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@Palmtreedude69 Most of the time, it is one of two cases:

  • They were separate plants that grew together.
  • They were hybridized with a clumping Phoenix as @Jeff zone 8 N.C. mentioned.

There is a clumping variant of this palm from Laos that I saw at a private garden in Cape Coral, but it is not usually found unless you're a collector specifically looking for it.  If it was bought from a typical nursery at a big box store or that only sells common palms, 99.9% it was one of the first two options.

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Lakeland, FL

USDA Zone 1990: 9a  2012: 9b  2023: 10a | Sunset Zone: 26 | Record Low: 20F/-6.67C (Jan. 1985, Dec.1962) | Record Low USDA Zone: 9a

30-Year Avg. Low: 30F | 30-year Min: 24F

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I bought a couple of pygmy dates from the local box stores, maybe 5 years ago.  One of them turned out to be clustering.  Initially there were three visible trunks, but then a year later I noticed offshoots growing out from underneath the center.  I thought it was "old seeds" that just decided to sprout, but after cutting a couple off it was obvious that they were offshoots and growing directly from the RIZ of one of the three original palms.  I ended up giving it to a friend because I got tired of getting stabbed by Phoenix palms...I'll have to check and see if he planted it somewhere.

There are a few photos of clustering Phoenix on here:

 

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There are variations that I have seen in cultivation. I posted this in another thread today , a double headed Phoenix Roebelini . I have seen others that have multiple “ clumping ‘ heads after trunking as a single for many years. I know it is different than the topic of clumping at the base , but just to demonstrate variability in the species. HarryIMG_4180.thumb.jpeg.eccad3cc0fa1a6a59a224179194e02a9.jpeg

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On 10/30/2024 at 7:26 PM, kinzyjr said:

@Palmtreedude69 Most of the time, it is one of two cases:

  • They were separate plants that grew together.
  • They were hybridized with a clumping Phoenix as @Jeff zone 8 N.C. mentioned.

There is a clumping variant of this palm from Laos that I saw at a private garden in Cape Coral, but it is not usually found unless you're a collector specifically looking for it.  If it was bought from a typical nursery at a big box store or that only sells common palms, 99.9% it was one of the first two options.

Yeah this one is located in just outside of Fort Myers it was purchased from a local garden center called driftwood garden center that is interesting I have never thought of a hybrid until now!

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On 10/30/2024 at 8:01 PM, Merlyn said:

I bought a couple of pygmy dates from the local box stores, maybe 5 years ago.  One of them turned out to be clustering.  Initially there were three visible trunks, but then a year later I noticed offshoots growing out from underneath the center.  I thought it was "old seeds" that just decided to sprout, but after cutting a couple off it was obvious that they were offshoots and growing directly from the RIZ of one of the three original palms.  I ended up giving it to a friend because I got tired of getting stabbed by Phoenix palms...I'll have to check and see if he planted it somewhere.

There are a few photos of clustering Phoenix on here:

 

Oh wow this one was a single the tallest one is the original one it never started doing this until the last 3 years interesting to hear you had one just like it

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I thought I read once that these are naturally clustering palms, but that trait had been all but lost through cultivation. 

Bret

 

Coastal canyon area of San Diego

 

"In the shadow of the Cross"

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I have a naturally clumping Phoenix roebelenii seedling from Laos that looks like this.  Interestingly enough though, mine is clumping despite being only like 6" worth of trunk.

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5 hours ago, Scott W said:

This document from Palms.org  mentions naturally clumping Phoenix roebelenii growing along the Mekong River.  I know RPS had seeds of this some 20+ years ago, which I bought and germinated some but don't think any ever survived...

Phoenix roebelenii on the Mekong River

it’s a shame because sooner rather than later these will be gone if not preserved by cultivation

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If these were more widely available they'd be good for climates with sporadic cold fronts (i.e. Houston) where they die back every few years.  Presumably they'd come back from the base.

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2 hours ago, ahosey01 said:

If these were more widely available they'd be good for climates with sporadic cold fronts (i.e. Houston) where they die back every few years.  Presumably they'd come back from the base.

Interesting comment about regrowth....my neighbor has a pygmy that was planted as a double and had one trunk die several years ago.  I noted recently it has what looks like new trunk growing from the base.  Guess I'll have to take a closer look...

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