Caring for a young Euterpe edulis

[Foggy Paul]

I planted a double E. edulis in early November, when we were having a run of warm, dry weather. They are in a prominent spot in the garden, but don't get much sun this time of year. That will change as spring arrives. I figured that since the sun was so low in the sky and there were so few daylight hours, there was no way it could burn. I was wrong. The portions of the plants that did get sun immediately burned, so I took the little shade structure I'd had over @Darold Petty's Chambeyronia hookeri and put it over the Euterpes. I left it that way until last week, when a windstorm blew the shade structure across the yard (fortunately no plants were damaged). But the Euterpes look terrible. The leaves are spotted and streaked with burn, which I'm not sure is related to sun, of which we haven't had much lately. What should I do next? Both plants have spikes about to open and I don't want them to burn as well, but the shade structure doesn't seem to have helped. TIA for any suggestions.

[richnorm]

They do improve greatly with age so try to be patient with them for a few years as they establish.

[Patrick]

Crazy that they would burn in San Francisco sun. The ones I had in Hawaii could get blasted all day and it didn't mater. I would guess they will acclimate; and this is the perfect time for that with all the storm clouds and what have you. I bet once it warms up- is that a thing out there lol?!- that they will put out some new, hardier, leaves. All my palms that are indoor grown, I usually move them outside in the fall if I know they are cold hardy, and they acclimate to the sun really well through the spring...

 

Correction, mine were oleracea, but I would figure that climate requirements would be similar...

[happypalms]

Palms will sulk when planted. Don’t worry to much just add water. Most likely the palm was in some sort of shelter or in a shaded place growing well, you come along and plant it removing it form said environment and a few leaf edges crinkle or burn here and there is fine. What you don’t want is the new leaves burning then it’s to hot of a position for the palm chosen for that particular spot. Your palm should be fine in a couple of years looking like it has been there growing happily. Yes a couple of years you can’t grow a palm garden overnight it takes time. For now just add water. 

[gyuseppe]

I tried growing this species, but they don't make it through the winter here

[Than]

14 minutes ago, gyuseppe said:

I tried growing this species, but they don't make it through the winter here

...or here 😄

 

[gyuseppe]

What area of Greece do you live in? Here further south in Sicily they live

[Than]

2 hours ago, gyuseppe said:

What area of Greece do you live in? Here further south in Sicily they live

In the south Peloponnese but the microclimate of my town isn't very good because of a nearby creek; I had 0C last night for several hours.

[Foggy Paul]

It got to 39 F / 4 C last night and there is frost on all the roofs. That is quite cold for here. Hopefully none of the palms were affected, including the Geonoma undata and Hedyscepe, both of which opened up new leaves in the past week.

[BayAndroid]

13 hours ago, Foggy Paul said:

It got to 39 F / 4 C last night and there is frost on all the roofs. That is quite cold for here. Hopefully none of the palms were affected, including the Geonoma undata and Hedyscepe, both of which opened up new leaves in the past week.

Wish I could have those numbers, I live down the peninsula and had 29 last night. I will say, as my palms have gotten more mature, they're handling the cold better than they ever have before. 

[Than]

13 hours ago, Foggy Paul said:

It got to 39 F / 4 C last night and there is frost on all the roofs. That is quite cold for here. Hopefully none of the palms were affected, including the Geonoma undata and Hedyscepe, both of which opened up new leaves in the past week.

Quite warm for frost. What was the dew point? 

Personally I wouldn't bother with plants that can't even take 39F.. I mean, perhaps I would bother if I had the climatic luxury to do so 

[llevantinista]

19 hours ago, gyuseppe said:

I tried growing this species, but they don't make it through the winter here

 

19 hours ago, Than said:

...or here 😄

 

 

Hello! Where did you buy Euterpe Edulis in Europe? I have been looking for this palm for 1-2 years and I have never found any shop where they sell it 😐

[Than]

8 minutes ago, llevantinista said:

 

Hello! Where did you buy Euterpe Edulis in Europe? I have been looking for this palm for 1-2 years and I have never found any shop where they sell it 😐

A friend and neighbour sold it to me; it was an orange crownshaft one! I don't know where he got it from, perhaps he grew it from seed. I can ask him. 

[llevantinista]

16 minutes ago, Than said:

A friend and neighbour sold it to me; it was an orange crownshaft one! I don't know where he got it from, perhaps he grew it from seed. I can ask him. 

I think orange crownshaft Euterpe Edulis are more cold sensitive than the standard Euterpe Edulis, so for our climate better the non orange crownshaft ones. How lucky you have a neighbour that grow exotic palms! Yes please if you see your neighbour ask him where did he get it from! Hahaha

[gyuseppe]

1 hour ago, llevantinista said:

I think orange crownshaft Euterpe Edulis are more cold sensitive than the standard Euterpe Edulis, so for our climate better the non orange crownshaft ones. How lucky you have a neighbour that grow exotic palms! Yes please if you see your neighbour ask him where did he get it from! Hahaha

please info/do you live in ibizia?, the climate is the same as mine!

[happypalms]

They struggle in my climate never looking good always suffering every winter. So they are a cold tender little fella to try and grow my conclusion is just pack up and go home with them in the cold winters don’t worry about trying to grow them. 

[llevantinista]

6 hours ago, gyuseppe said:

please info/do you live in ibizia?, the climate is the same as mine!

Yes I do live in Ibiza, the average temperature for the last 2 weeks has been 16ºC max 7ºC min. I've been growing for years Dypsis lutescens, Ptychosperma Elegans, Kentiopsis Oliviformis, Roystonea Regia, Wodyetia Bifurcata, Hyophorbe Verschafeltii, Ravenala madagascariensis.

 

However Carpoxylon dies here, and Veitchia Arecina I'm not sure if it can live, it was outside but was looking bad so now I have it inside the house until the spring comes. I also have a Carpentaria Acuminata but this one I grow it indoors.

[Foggy Paul]

10 hours ago, Than said:

Quite warm for frost. What was the dew point? 

Personally I wouldn't bother with plants that can't even take 39F.. I mean, perhaps I would bother if I had the climatic luxury to do so 

According to Perplexity, the last time temperatures in San Francisco dropped to 32°F or below was on December 23, 1990. I don’t know what the dew point was, but humidity is very low, maybe 15% or so after it warms up. 

[Than]

10 hours ago, llevantinista said:

I think orange crownshaft Euterpe Edulis are more cold sensitive than the standard Euterpe Edulis, so for our climate better the non orange crownshaft ones. How lucky you have a neighbour that grow exotic palms! Yes please if you see your neighbour ask him where did he get it from! Hahaha

He confirmed he grew it from seed.

[IPS Newsletter Editor]

In my Inner Sunset neighborhood of SF, radiation frost in the upper 30s F is a thing I've gotten used to. I would love to understand how it works! I guess the night at our latitude is long enough to allow objects to chill well below the air temperature, which may remain moderated by the maritime air.

[Foggy Paul]

Update: one of the plants croaked and the other is a sorry looking thing. There had been zero growth, and I’ve been plotting to take it out and replace it with something more suited to our climate. But apparently it wants to live, so I guess I’ll give it another winter/spring. 
 

[PlantMorePalms]

42 minutes ago, Foggy Paul said:

Update: one of the plants croaked and the other is a sorry looking thing. There had been zero growth, and I’ve been plotting to take it out and replace it with something more suited to our climate. But apparently it wants to live, so I guess I’ll give it another winter/spring. 
 

I'm in the sunnier/warmer side of the city, but I have two of these that I planted in full sun as 1 gallons which was a mistake I think. I was hoping to give them as much warmth as possible, but I don't think they can take any real direct sun as young plants. Mine are in rough looking shape, but still put out one frond per year, which I'm hoping will speed up once they can hold more healthy fronds. Mine did speed up a bit when I upped the amount of water I gave them, I think they like it pretty wet. 

[Darold Petty]

Paul,   don't waste any more time with this species,  I had difficulty to grow it even inside my greenhouse.  Fast forward to the compost bin !   

[Jim in Los Altos]

2 hours ago, Foggy Paul said:

Update: one of the plants croaked and the other is a sorry looking thing. There had been zero growth, and I’ve been plotting to take it out and replace it with something more suited to our climate. But apparently it wants to live, so I guess I’ll give it another winter/spring. 
 

Sometimes with these you get a dud or two and sometimes you luck out. I planted these two Orange Crown Shaft ones a year and a half ago at the exact same size and one is a snail and the otber is on steroids. The only time the taller one slowed way down was January/February whereas the small one only grows during the warmest/hottest days. 
 

[tim_brissy_13]

1 hour ago, Jim in Los Altos said:

Sometimes with these you get a dud or two and sometimes you luck out. I planted these two Orange Crown Shaft ones a year and a half ago at the exact same size and one is a snail and the otber is on steroids. The only time the taller one slowed way down was January/February whereas the small one only grows during the warmest/hottest days. 
 

Same experience for me. I’ve had a bunch of seedling die and no correlation to heat or cold. Then some others will thrive. My Orange Crownshaft in the ground looks great too but perhaps a year or 2 behind yours. Maybe the cooler areas of SF might be pushing it too much, but I’d recommend trying a few times before anyone completely gives up hope.