Burretikentia koghiensis and dumasii in Northern CA

[Jim in Los Altos]

Would love to see pics of Southern CA and Northern CA Burretiokentia koghiensis and dumasii at any stage of development. Mine are in the ground two and a half years from tiny liner sized seedlings. First year was difficult since they were getting way too much straight sun but are growing fast after planting a 15 gallon Archontophoenix cunninghamiana nearby that shades them in the afternoon. Winter growth has been surprisingly fast. 
 

First two pictures are B. koghiensis and below them, the B. dumasii. Can’t wait to see summer growth. 
 

 

 

[Tracy]

3 hours ago, Jim in Los Altos said:

Would love to see pics of Southern CA and Northern CA Burretiokentia koghiensis and dumasii at any stage of development. Mine are in the ground two and a half years from tiny liner sized seedlings. First year was difficult since they were getting way too much straight sun but are growing fast after planting a 15 gallon Archontophoenix cunninghamiana nearby that shades them in the afternoon. Winter growth has been surprisingly fast. 
 

First two pictures are B. koghiensis and below them, the B. dumasii. Can’t wait to see summer growth. 
 

 

 

Looking good Jim.  I will share my surviving Burretiokentia koghiensis.  I had 2 or 3 prior to getting this one to survive.   The survivor is in partial shade most of the time as were my prior plantings.  I lost specimens in both clay soil and fast draining sandy soil.  Bottom line,  I don't know why this one survived and the others didn't.   Maybe it is simply a numbers game. 

[Jim in Los Altos]

12 minutes ago, Tracy said:

Looking good Jim.  I will share my surviving Burretiokentia koghiensis.  I had 2 or 3 prior to getting this one to survive.   The survivor is in partial shade most of the time as were my prior plantings.  I lost specimens in both clay soil and fast draining sandy soil.  Bottom line,  I don't know why this one survived and the others didn't.   Maybe it is simply a numbers game. 

Looks great, Tracy! How long have you had that one in the ground? 

[The Gerg]

Jim,  I don’t have a Burretiokentia koghiensis in the ground to use for progress comparison , but I do have this one waiting in the bullpen saying “put me in coach”. Hope to get this one in the ground this spring. 

Tracy, looks really nice. I do have two in case I have troubles. You mentioned losing two of three.

Sorry, hard to make out detail. It’s the only pic I have right now.

[Darold Petty]

Jim, do you grow B. hapala ?  Two SoCal people told me it is the easiest to grow.  Thanks 

[quaman58]

Looking really good Jim. I'm sure I've mentioned this somewhere before, but for two palms that look near identical, my experience is they are vastly different to grow. I've killed every Kogi I've had once I put them in the ground. Dumasii, on the other hand has been a quick and easy grow. Next door neighbor has had the same experience. I believe my dumasii went in the ground as a Floribunda 1 gallon in 2011 or thereabouts. It's been seeding for at least 5 years, so it's been quick.

[Jim in Los Altos]

3 hours ago, Darold Petty said:

Jim, do you grow B. hapala ?  Two SoCal people told me it is the easiest to grow.  Thanks 

Yes Darold. I have three of them. They are easy growers but with some sensitivity to afternoon sun in hot weather. The one I have in full shade looks and grows the best. 

[Darold Petty]

Thanks !  

[TomJ]

In Vista I grow Burretikentia Koghiensis and Hapala. I have no experience with Dumasi.

Hapala and Koghiensis have been easy grows.

I have tried  Vieillardi, which hung around for several years before eventually dying.

Here's my BK planted from a 5gl roughly 4 or 5 years in the ground.  (complete guess)

It is on the verge of trunking.

  

 

 

[Billeb]

@Jim in Los Altos, here’s my greatest Koghiensis success story. As @quaman58 & @Tracy said, I can’t keep these alive either. This one was actually the baby of a double that I killed. No exaggeration, I literally cut it off the mother plant with a saw, threw it in the ground in heavy shade and forgot about it. 
 

It lived!! No clue how, but it did. Long story short……complete neglect worked. It’s about 2yrs from a small 1G. 
 

-dale 

 

[Jim in Los Altos]

15 minutes ago, Billeb said:

@Jim in Los Altos, here’s my greatest Koghiensis success story. As @quaman58 & @Tracy said, I can’t keep these alive either. This one was actually the baby of a double that I killed. No exaggeration, I literally cut it off the mother plant with a saw, threw it in the ground in heavy shade and forgot about it. 
 

It lived!! No clue how, but it did. Long story short……complete neglect worked. It’s about 2yrs from a small 1G. 
 

-dale 

 

Looks great! I keep mine on the wet side at all times but it is in free draining fertile soil. 

[pogobob]

Koghiensis 2nd generation from my former garden in San Clemente flowering and setting seed. 
second palm is Dumasii 

[pogobob]

Grandiflora flowering and setting seed

[pogobob]

Hapala flowering. 
I am located in the hills of North county San Diego 8 miles from the ocean and 600 ft elevation 

[Jim in Los Altos]

1 hour ago, pogobob said:

Koghiensis 2nd generation from my former garden in San Clemente flowering and setting seed. 
second palm is Dumasii 

Stupendous, Robert! 

[pogobob]

Here’s a couple pictures of my former garden with mature Koghiensis from 2012

[richnorm]

2 hours ago, pogobob said:

Hapala flowering. 
I am located in the hills of North county San Diego 8 miles from the ocean and 600 ft elevation 

I haven't seen them branch like that.  Is this normal?

[pogobob]

It is for this palm apparently. It does that every year. 

[Tracy]

On 4/15/2025 at 6:52 PM, Jim in Los Altos said:

Looks great, Tracy! How long have you had that one in the ground? 

Jim, I cheated and started with a larger specimen with this one.  I don't recall if it was a 7 or 10 gallon size when acquired.   I planted it in 2015 or 2016 I believe. 

[Tracy]

9 hours ago, pogobob said:

It is for this palm apparently. It does that every year. 

Interesting that you have a Burretiokentia hapala with the branching further out.  I posted on this a while back as I have one that consistently does it as well but three others that don't.   My largest here in Leucadia doesn't but the other one, same age but much smaller does branch near the tips.  The smaller one fell victim to being the washout spot for painters, grout and concrete finishing tools when we did our remodel in 2013/14.