Is anyone growing Satranala decussilvae, the Forest Bismarckia from Madagascar? I got some seeds awhile back from RPS and 4 have germinated and put up their first leaf. I potted them up today in deep pots. Several other seeds were begining to set out a sinker root.

I am curious if they can take full sun as a juvenile. Also, any info on cold hardiness?

Eric-

They don't seem to have a problem with the cold. They do have a problem with full sun, however. They look ratty in full sun. I would treat it like a cold hardy understory rainforest palm, somewhat like Licuala spinosa or L. elegans.

Eric,

    I put a 3gal. size plant in the yard a couple of years ago but made it only about a year before it fizzled out. I still have not seen anyone here in South Florida grow one in the ground and have any luck. Good luck with yours.

Jeff

Well, I figured they needed shade so I planted all of mine under canopy, so I don't know how they would respond to full sun. But these are slow palms! This is the first one I planted. Bought it in April 1997 as a 1G plant from Floribunda ($10). Today, more than 10 years later it's just over 3 ft tall.

Mine just kind of gave up after a few years ,might have been to dry of an area .

(bgl @ Dec. 06 2007,21:02)

QUOTE

Well, I figured they needed shade so I planted all of mine under canopy, so I don't know how they would respond to full sun. But these are slow palms! This is the first one I planted. Bought it in April 1997 as a 1G plant from Floribunda ($10). Today, more than 10 years later it's just over 3 ft tall.

Bo,

  I guess your not hoping to see any seed anytime soon?

Jeff

And we saw these growing in Madagascar at near sea level elevation.

Wow! Now that is sloooooow...

Wow, what a poke.

Theres a perfect shady spot behind our big Bismarckia, shade canopy and moist soil. They will go in the ground next year.

Out of curiosity, what is the expected germination time for these?

Ray, mine were in a pot for about 3 months then they started germinating about 2 months ago. When I sperated them out yesterday a few other seeds were just putting out sinkers so give them some time.

If I remember right they were pretty quick . Soak first .Use a deep pot . One of the coolest looking seeds there is !

So if seed I got in June hasn't popped, dump 'em?

No hang on  for a while,  mine may have been set to pop when I put them down .

S. decussilvae seeds are the only seeds in the palm kingdom that split open at their equator to push out their tap-root (as opposed to having an "eye").  This is very similar to how most cycads sprout.

I germinated 11 out of 33 in a heat chamber.  I sold all but one, which now has a nice healthy 5" first leaf on it.  Soil has a lot of organics in it...

Bo, your collection makes most botanical gardens look like the garden section at Kmart!  Hopefully I can get mine up to that size someday.  (I guess I should ship it out here to Floriduh)

JD

(bgl @ Dec. 06 2007,21:02)

QUOTE

Well, I figured they needed shade so I planted all of mine under canopy, so I don't know how they would respond to full sun. But these are slow palms! This is the first one I planted. Bought it in April 1997 as a 1G plant from Floribunda ($10). Today, more than 10 years later it's just over 3 ft tall.

Hi Bo

That Satranala look great! I would say that that plant is from some of the first seed that came out in 1975, they do grow a little faster in full sun and would more than likely grow much better well looked after as I do not look after mine very well and one of mine is about 4 and a half feet tall growing in the full sun, but your looks much nicer planted in the shade.

Clayton.

Hi Eric,

If you  use the search, on this site, you'll see photo's of Claytons Plant in Question.

(type in Satranala decussilvae) Ray will remember this thread, I put in Guess this one, Prize 4 winner......

Plant pic's taken a few years ago, I'm looking for a couple of later shots

Taken earlier this year, Lot bigger now, I know Claytons flat out

at the moment, Has'nt even got time to scratch himself at this time.

Otherwise a pic would be with his reply for sure. This Beauty surprised the heck

out of me, Full Sun And growing strong, and what a looker, Wow for sure.

A jaw dropper.

Cheers Mikey

Clayton,

Thanks! And I'm sure you mean 1995!  (1975 would mean this is the slowest palm ever from germination to 1G size...!).

Decided to go out and have a look at some of my other Satranalas. This one is in a very unique location. I've planted it inside a vertical lavatree hole (where a tree once grew, when the most recent lava flow came thru), that's only about a foot wide. As I'm taking the photo I'm standing higher up and looking straight down on the palm. And about a foot away from the palm (upper part of the photo) there's a vertical drop of about 25 ft. Almost impossible to get a good shot showing all of this.

Bo-Göran

And I found the one that's actually the largest one. The one closest to the camera is about 5 ft tall. Another one in the background.

(bgl @ Dec. 10 2007,01:45)

QUOTE

Clayton,

Thanks! And I'm sure you mean 1995!  (1975 would mean this is the slowest palm ever from germination to 1G size...!).

Decided to go out and have a look at some of my other Satranalas. This one is in a very unique location. I've planted it inside a vertical lavatree hole (where a tree once grew, when the most recent lava flow came thru), that's only about a foot wide. As I'm taking the photo I'm standing higher up and looking straight down on the palm. And about a foot away from the palm (upper part of the photo) there's a vertical drop of about 25 ft. Almost impossible to get a good shot showing all of this.

Bo-Göran

Hi Bo

Yes I must check my listing before I list them so quick, but ive come home to a mountain of work and had just a few minutes to do a few listings, you are correct the Date was 1995, Maybe Dean might edit this if he see this for me?, ive also seen a few mistakes in a few of my other listing that I rushed to list the other day.

Anyway you have a fine little group of Satranala there and one day there going to look fantastic!! they already look great there just going to get better and better I think that’s one of the great things with palms how they just keep looking better and better every time you look at them!

All the best

Clayton.

• Holy crap is this a slow palm. Oops, didn't mean to bump this thread... 

We saw lots of Satranalas on our hikes in Masoala National Park a couple of months ago. This was by far the tallest one. With Mike G and our two guides for size.

On ‎12‎/‎6‎/‎2007‎ ‎4‎:‎55‎:‎01‎, cfkingfish said:

Eric-

 

They don't seem to have a problem with the cold. They do have a problem with full sun, however. They look ratty in full sun. I would treat it like a cold hardy understory rainforest palm, somewhat like Licuala spinosa or L. elegans.

How cold hardy are they?

23 hours ago, bgl said:

We saw lots of Satranalas on our hikes in Masoala National Park a couple of months ago. This was by far the tallest one. With Mike G and our two guides for size.

Wow Bo, thank you so much for the picture. That palm must be very, very old. Care to speculate (guesstimate) its possible age?

UPDATE...

We have 2 of these palms still alive and they are SLLLOOOWWW. They were germinated in 2007. This one was planted in July 2011 from a 5 gal. pot. It is still 1.5ft tall.

 

 

 

Thanks guys, Ed

Anyone else in Florida growing this palm? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On 1/29/2016, 8:58:27, Eric in Orlando said:

Anyone else in Florida growing this palm?

I was thinking about it if I could find a seedling available, but now that I see how slow they are...

On ‎1‎/‎8‎/‎2016‎ ‎3‎:‎46‎:‎50‎, Eric in Orlando said:

UPDATE...

We have 2 of these palms still alive and they are SLLLOOOWWW. They were germinated in 2007. This one was planted in July 2011 from a 5 gal. pot. It is still 1.5ft tall.

 

 

 

 

On ‎1‎/‎29‎/‎2016‎ ‎8‎:‎58‎:‎27‎, Eric in Orlando said:

Anyone else in Florida growing this palm? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It appears that only Eric has had any kind of success with this palm in Florida. 

 

They are still alive, just slow as all. Both survived being buried in Hurricane Irma tree debris.

sorry everyone, computer was hacked didnt mean to send that haha

Edited August 9, 20232 yr by SalacZalacrrr
didnt mean to send