Juania Australis in the British Isles

[UK_Palms]

I think we need a new updated thread for these palms...

Starting with the big one at Overcliffe Gardens near Dublin in Ireland. This is probably the largest Juania in the British Isles. 

 

The Earlscliffe Juania was planted very small back i 1995, so it has been in the ground for 30 years now. The earliest photos I can find are from 2002 and 2003. The third photo below shows it in 2009...

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Next up we have the Juania specimen at Overbeck's Garden in Salcome, Devon.

 

The Overbecks Juania was apparently planted in 1995 as well, but it was a very small seedling back then. the earliest photos I can find for it are from 2011 and 2013.

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Next up we have another legendary Juania at Glendurgan Gardens in Cornwall that has been in the ground about 25 years as well, alongside Dr Kevin Spence for scale...

 

Here is a grainy photo of the Glendurgan Juania from 2012 before it had properly started trunking...

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There are other decent specimens in southern England and Ireland, which I will update on in due course... 

[gyuseppe]

I don't want seeds!
but does it produce seeds in ireland  and uk?

[Banana Belt]

@UK_Palms  It is so difficult to get a Juania Australis here in the US and yet in the UK several places have them for sale.  Question, are any of the big Juinia you pictured setting fruit and seed?  If so are the seeds viable?  I have a couble leads on Juania seeds here in the US and expect one supplier to have some for me soon. 

[Banana Belt]

1 minute ago, gyuseppe said:

I don't want seeds!
but does it produce seeds in ireland  and uk?

I posted same question as you at same time, go figure.  P.S. I don't want to go through the issues of importing seeds into the US, much rather get them here.

[Darold Petty]

This palm will break your heart.  I have grown several, and they exhibit what I call "sudden death syndrome" even though I have a very good microclimate.  They grow well and then die suddenly without any sign of distress.  Any Ceroxylon has a similar look and is much easier to grow. 

Carpe emptor ! 

[UK_Palms]

26 minutes ago, gyuseppe said:

I don't want seeds!
but does it produce seeds in ireland  and uk?

So I believe all 3 of the ones shown have produced flowers as of 2024 now (some of these photos are from 2023) however you really need separate male and female specimens for pollination as they are dioecious. So someone would need to collect male pollen and hack the female plant at Earlscliffe with it, assuming either of those other two are male.

Those are definitely female flower sacks on the Earlscliffe Juania. Some are fresh and not opened up in the image below, but you can also see older, spent ones hanging down too. The first flower supposedly emerged way back in 2016, so I would have been flowering for about 7-8 years now. Hopefully some of the gardens and owners can lend some pollen. I think there are other large Juania’s in private gardens too.

[kinzyjr]

A few additional threads discussing Juania australis:

• https://www.palmtalk.org/forum/topic/24474-the-juania-australis-today-in-ireland
• https://www.palmtalk.org/forum/topic/76743-juania-australis-earlscliffe-garden-ireland
• https://www.palmtalk.org/forum/topic/52461-seed-grown-juania-australis
• https://www.palmtalk.org/forum/topic/56374-juania-australis-palm-possible-climates
• https://www.palmtalk.org/forum/topic/54117-sad-truth-about-juania-australismaybe
• https://www.palmtalk.org/forum/topic/16959-juania-australis
• https://www.palmtalk.org/forum/topic/17752-juania-australis-heat-tolerance
• https://www.palmtalk.org/forum/topic/35552-juania-australis-in-huntington
• https://www.palmtalk.org/forum/topic/24194-juania-australis
• https://www.palmtalk.org/forum/topic/31238-juania-australis-flowering-for-christmas

[Mazat]

On 3/9/2025 at 9:28 PM, Darold Petty said:

This palm will break your heart.  I have grown several, and they exhibit what I call "sudden death syndrome" even though I have a very good microclimate.  They grow well and then die suddenly without any sign of distress.  Any Ceroxylon has a similar look and is much easier to grow. 

Carpe emptor ! 

i'm very surprised. we recently spoke to a gardener who visits his friends in san francisco every now and then and he was thrilled with the climate and everything that thrives in your area. it should almost grow and flourish. a mystery ...🤔

yes, then you'd better leave it 😒

[Mazat]

for comparison. of course there will be different microclimates in dublin and the surrounding area as well as in san francisco and everywhere else. it shows how many exotic plants grow in some areas of the british islands. amazing.

[Foggy Paul]

On 4/7/2025 at 11:24 AM, Mazat said:

i'm very surprised. we recently spoke to a gardener who visits his friends in san francisco every now and then and he was thrilled with the climate and everything that thrives in your area. it should almost grow and flourish. a mystery ...🤔

yes, then you'd better leave it 😒

There is one in Golden Gate Park which has flourished, but as Darold suggests, it may be an outlier. With our climate getting warmer, this is one I’d never try even if I could get one, which I can’t. 

[kylecawazafla]

beautiful thread! They look stunning and perfectly happy so far away from the equator! 

 

[Carlo Morici]

Hand Clapping! I am delighted to read the updates in this thread with those glorious pictures. 

The little trials in the Britsh Isles gave enormous specimens. Who would have said that 30 years ago ! I remember the Juania by the wall growing taller than the wall but its long-term success was more than in doubt. - We knew the wall was not going to grow

They are beautiful indeed - the green ringed trunk is fabulously exotic, reminiscent of Clinostigma, Ceroxylon and Howea.

It is so important for conservation, to have some trees in cultivation able to fruit, of an almost unaccessible species. And then it is even more tricky and fascinating because of dioecy:  You can't make seeds with one specimen!

So keep them well and observed as in their first days, check nutrients and competition with other plants:  Don't get distracted - adult palms can get sick when they start flowering.  Make seeds, make more and share to where they can live well.   

Of course I can't grow it here, but I still hope to plant a few one day in some palm-friend gardens in the highlands in Tenerife, which should not be a bad place for it, but not possibly the best.

And I wonder if Dublin is good for Juania, where else could it go better? Was it ever tried in the Azores?

 

Carlo

[UK_Palms]

Another Juania to add to the growing list in the UK… but this time in someone’s back garden in southern England! These photos were recently posted by Dr Kevin Spence. Hope he doesn’t mind me sharing them in this thread about the UK Juania! That thing must have been in the ground for at least 10-15 years. Maybe more…

[Mazat]

3 hours ago, UK_Palms said:

Another Juania to add to the growing list in the UK… but this time in someone’s back garden in southern England! These photos were recently posted by Dr Kevin Spence. Hope he doesn’t mind me sharing them in this thread about the UK Juania! That thing must have been in the ground for at least 10-15 years. Maybe more…

What do you think was the lowest temperature

she experienced, Ben ?

About ...

Wonderful 🌴

[Mazat]

On 4/16/2025 at 8:40 AM, Carlo Morici said:

Hand Clapping! I am delighted to read the updates in this thread with those glorious pictures. 

The little trials in the Britsh Isles gave enormous specimens. Who would have said that 30 years ago ! I remember the Juania by the wall growing taller than the wall but its long-term success was more than in doubt. - We knew the wall was not going to grow

They are beautiful indeed - the green ringed trunk is fabulously exotic, reminiscent of Clinostigma, Ceroxylon and Howea.

It is so important for conservation, to have some trees in cultivation able to fruit, of an almost unaccessible species. And then it is even more tricky and fascinating because of dioecy:  You can't make seeds with one specimen!

So keep them well and observed as in their first days, check nutrients and competition with other plants:  Don't get distracted - adult palms can get sick when they start flowering.  Make seeds, make more and share to where they can live well.   

Of course I can't grow it here, but I still hope to plant a few one day in some palm-friend gardens in the highlands in Tenerife, which should not be a bad place for it, but not possibly the best.

And I wonder if Dublin is good for Juania, where else could it go better? Was it ever tried in the Azores?

 

Carlo

Good and funny example with the wall,

Carlo 🤗

Had to laugh and that's healthy

[Hillizard]

Juania australis in a North Berkeley palm garden, visited on Aug. 19th, 2018, by members of the NorCal Palm Society. 
https://www.palmtalk.org/forum/topic/57500-northern-ca-ps-meeting/#comment-861662

 

[flplantguy]

I love the look of all the cooler growers, so of course i cant grow them 🤣. Nice specimens here!

[happypalms]

That’s certainly a statement that palm, absolutely gorgeous. Thanks for posting the pictures. 

[Harry’s Palms]

On 3/9/2025 at 1:28 PM, Darold Petty said:

This palm will break your heart.  I have grown several, and they exhibit what I call "sudden death syndrome" even though I have a very good microclimate.  They grow well and then die suddenly without any sign of distress.  Any Ceroxylon has a similar look and is much easier to grow. 

Carpe emptor ! 

I had the same experience with a couple of palms that just decided to stop living. It sucks to grow a palm for 15 years or so and just have it die for no apparent reason. Harry

[gyuseppe]

3 hours ago, happypalms said:

That’s certainly a statement that palm, absolutely gorgeous. Thanks for posting the pictures. 

Richard, I think this palm is beautiful, but where I live it's impossible to grow, even though it would withstand the light frost in my city, I know someone who tried to grow it, but without success
This species requires a series of elements that combine between them to grow well
(I hope you understand what I said, I use translator)

[Josh76]

On 8/20/2025 at 2:42 PM, UK_Palms said:

Another Juania to add to the growing list in the UK… but this time in someone’s back garden in southern England! These photos were recently posted by Dr Kevin Spence. Hope he doesn’t mind me sharing them in this thread about the UK Juania! That thing must have been in the ground for at least 10-15 years. Maybe more…

 

Wow - I didn't see this posted anywhere else. That's incredible. Are you able to tell us who's garden that is? Was it posted on the EPS form?

[Tyrone]

I was overly optimistic to think they stood a chance here. They germinate well in winter in ambient outdoor temps, but despite anything I tried to keep them cool in summer it was an absolute failure. The averages for my place were not far different than habitat, but it gets way hotter here than habitat. I will stick to subtropical palms. They do much better. 

[UK_Palms]

On 8/22/2025 at 9:48 PM, Josh76 said:

Wow - I didn't see this posted anywhere else. That's incredible. Are you able to tell us who's garden that is? Was it posted on the EPS form?

I don't know exactly but from my understanding it is near Portsmouth in Hampshire on the south coast.

It seems there are a fair few more Juania in the British Isles than first thought. I saw another on google maps at Kells Bay Gardens in Ireland. I knew one was growing there, but I thought it was much smaller. This one has been there longer than I thought. The first image is from 7 years ago back in March 2018...

 

I believe these two Juania in Northern Ireland are the furthest ones from the equator...

 

The one at Tremenheere in Cornwall...

 

Glendurgan Juania in Cornwall last year...

 

Also I visited the Juania in Salcombe, Devon last month...

 

Just seen this private garden in Essex as well on the eastern coast of England... the amount of exotics growing there...

 

 

[Hu Palmeras]

2 hours ago, UK_Palms said:

No lo sé exactamente, pero según tengo entendido está cerca de Portsmouth, en Hampshire, en la costa sur.

Parece que hay bastantes más Juania en las Islas Británicas de lo que creía. Vi otra en Google Maps en los Jardines de Kells Bay, Irlanda. Sabía que había una allí, pero pensé que era mucho más pequeña. Esta lleva allí más tiempo del que pensaba. La primera imagen es de hace 7 años, en marzo de 2018...

 

Creo que estas dos Juania en Irlanda del Norte son las más alejadas del ecuador...

 

El de Tremenheere en Cornualles...

 

Glendurgan Juania en Cornwall el año pasado...

 

También visité el Juania en Salcombe, Devon el mes pasado...

 

Acabo de ver este jardín privado en Essex, así como en la costa este de Inglaterra... la cantidad de plantas exóticas que crecen allí...

 

 

This palm tree is native to Chile. Robinson Crusoe Island (Juán Fernandez). Here in Chile, my friend and I are germinating Juania Australis (Chonta) seeds. I hope to germinate many more, and a new batch. I'm sharing some photos.

[Josh76]

4 hours ago, Hugopalmeras said:

This palm tree is native to Chile. Robinson Crusoe Island (Juán Fernandez). Here in Chile, my friend and I are germinating Juania Australis (Chonta) seeds. I hope to germinate many more, and a new batch. I'm sharing some photos.

 

 

 

¿Dónde obtuviste semillas, Hugo?

[Hu Palmeras]

From the island's park ranger. I hope to get even more. But don't you know this palm tree is the last link in the palm tree world? They want to clone palm trees. If palm trees already exist, the palm tree kingdom already exists. You just have to go after them.

[Hu Palmeras]

8 hours ago, UK_Palms said:

No lo sé exactamente, pero según tengo entendido está cerca de Portsmouth, en Hampshire, en la costa sur.

Parece que hay bastantes más Juania en las Islas Británicas de lo que creía. Vi otra en Google Maps en los Jardines de Kells Bay, Irlanda. Sabía que había una allí, pero pensé que era mucho más pequeña. Esta lleva allí más tiempo del que pensaba. La primera imagen es de hace 7 años, en marzo de 2018...

 

Creo que estas dos Juania en Irlanda del Norte son las más alejadas del ecuador...

 

El de Tremenheere en Cornualles...

 

Glendurgan Juania en Cornwall el año pasado...

 

También visité el Juania en Salcombe, Devon el mes pasado...

 

Acabo de ver este jardín privado en Essex, así como en la costa este de Inglaterra... la cantidad de plantas exóticas que crecen allí...

 

 

You're all geniuses. I never thought so many people liked palm trees. Palm trees are a wonderful kingdom. It's a world within a world. And I encourage you to keep exploring it.

[Hu Palmeras]

Look, my great lord and friends. Look at the little Juania Australis. They are like your beautiful palm trees too. But just look at them. You know that every palm tree gladdens the heart of us all. This one, of course, gladdens my heart. The more I search, the louder I will applaud it, the more shouts of joy I will raise, and the more trust I will place in it. This other unique kingdom has been added to my collection.

[DoomsDave]

On 8/23/2025 at 7:13 PM, UK_Palms said:

I don't know exactly but from my understanding it is near Portsmouth in Hampshire on the south coast.

It seems there are a fair few more Juania in the British Isles than first thought. I saw another on google maps at Kells Bay Gardens in Ireland. I knew one was growing there, but I thought it was much smaller. This one has been there longer than I thought. The first image is from 7 years ago back in March 2018...

 

I believe these two Juania in Northern Ireland are the furthest ones from the equator...

 

The one at Tremenheere in Cornwall...

 

Glendurgan Juania in Cornwall last year...

 

Also I visited the Juania in Salcombe, Devon last month...

 

Just seen this private garden in Essex as well on the eastern coast of England... the amount of exotics growing there...

 

 

BLOODY EXPLETIVE OBSCENITIES SCREAMED MATE!

[Mazat]

On 20.4.2026 at 04:43, Hu Palmeras said:

Seht her, mein Herr und meine Freunde! Seht die kleinen Juania Australis! Sie gleichen euren wunderschönen Palmen. Seht sie euch nur an! Ihr wisst doch, dass jede Palme unser aller Herz erfreut. Diese hier erfreut natürlich mein Herz. Je mehr ich sie betrachte, desto lauter werde ich ihr applaudieren, desto lauter werde ich jubeln und desto mehr Vertrauen werde ich ihr schenken. Dieses weitere einzigartige Reich hat meine Sammlung bereichert.

Hugo 🤗 🌴 

[alzo]

On 4/20/2026 at 3:43 AM, Hu Palmeras said:

Look, my great lord and friends. Look at the little Juania Australis. They are like your beautiful palm trees too. But just look at them. You know that every palm tree gladdens the heart of us all. This one, of course, gladdens my heart. The more I search, the louder I will applaud it, the more shouts of joy I will raise, and the more trust I will place in it. This other unique kingdom has been added to my collection.

Déjame uno po 🥺🙏

Worth a try😅

[Hu Palmeras]

It's a shame Chile is so strict about selling seeds. Otherwise, I would have already given them some Juania Australis seeds. Furthermore, since October 25th, all purchases entering the country will be subject to VAT. Before, the tax was paid, but now VAT will be added. Imagine, the CITES regulations for Jubaea chilensis now prohibit all sales of this palm. I'm only now exchanging seeds of Parajubaea and Jubaea with Marco Antonio, my friend from Bolivia. It's a shame that each palm kingdom, being more numerous than others, is difficult to acquire. Even more so since the Americas are full of palms, especially Latin America. Imagine Chile, a very cold country, and it has palm trees—palms on its islands and on the mainland. Even if they are unique, that's their kingdom.

Cachai po que te dejare una. 

Hugo🌴🌴🌴🦜🦜

[alzo]

Que pena, but I understand why they are protected. Una bendición tenerlas en tu propio país. 

Atleast with jubaea plenty exist in other countries.

[Hu Palmeras]

Hey friend, are you from England?

I see you know Chilean Spanish. Juania australis is even more of a forbidden palm. Even I had trouble getting them. I'll be receiving another batch of seeds from the island soon. I hope to put them to good use.

[alzo]

I'm from England yeah. I don't really know Chilean Spanish. Solo sé que dicen po un poco como los mexicanos dicen wey.

Maybe we'll get British Jaunia seeds one day if the botanical gardens collaborate, I doubt they'll be made public though. 

Estuve una vez a la frontera entre Bolivia y Chile, cerca de dos volcanes. No me acuerdo sus nombres.

[Hu Palmeras]

Coincidentally, "po" is a Celtic word, as is the one who writes it.

In the United Kingdom, there are Juania australis palms. They are very clever to already have large, mature palms. It's a shame they lack a female to produce seeds. A distinguished Irish gentleman contacted me. I suggested he try to obtain a female palm from Chile. If it went well, the United Kingdom will one day supply the world with Juania australis seeds.

[alzo]

I thought that Juania was on the cites appendices but apparently it's not, so you maybe right 👍.

[Hu Palmeras]

I'll receive seeds now. But you must come and pick them up. You know it's forbidden to sell seeds abroad. This palm tree is rare. It's a palm tree planted in a remote place. Imagine that, my friend. This palm tree doesn't even appear in the books.

🌴🌴🌴🦜🦜

[Hu Palmeras]

On 9/3/2025 at 15:47, UK_Palms said:

Creo que necesitamos un nuevo hilo actualizado para estas palmeras...

Empecemos con la más grande, la de Overcliffe Gardens, cerca de Dublín, en Irlanda. Probablemente sea la Juania más grande de las Islas Británicas. 

 

La Juania de Earlscliffe se plantó cuando era muy pequeña en 1995, así que lleva 30 años en la tierra. Las fotos más antiguas que he podido encontrar son de 2002 y 2003. La tercera foto de abajo la muestra en 2009...

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A continuación, tenemos el ejemplar de Juania en el jardín de Overbeck en Salcombe, Devon.

 

La Juania Overbecks también se plantó aparentemente en 1995, pero en aquel entonces era una plántula muy pequeña. Las fotos más antiguas que he podido encontrar son de 2011 y 2013.

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A continuación, tenemos otra Juania legendaria en  los jardines de Glendurgan en Cornualles, que también lleva plantada unos 25 años, junto al Dr. Kevin Spence para tener una referencia de tamaño...

 

Aquí tenéis una foto granulada del Glendurgan Juania de 2012, antes de que comenzara a instalarse el sistema de troncales...

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Existen otros ejemplares interesantes en el sur de Inglaterra e Irlanda, sobre los que informaré más adelante... 

Magnifico señor🌴🌴🌴🦜🦜