Two ravenea rivularis growth differences

[happypalms]

I have two rivularis both growing in pretty well much the same place only three meters apart, yet the difference in both palms is amazing one with a 8 foot trunk and the other with no trunk at all it makes you wonder. 

[Tyrone]

There will likely be something different going on underground and it will most likely be moisture related. 
 

I find mine like growing in wet muck but in full blazing sun. I’ve recently planted more of mine out in a wet soak area that gets my shadehouse runoff. I think there’s 19 in total. I love group planting. 

[happypalms]

4 minutes ago, Tyrone said:

There will likely be something different going on underground and it will most likely be moisture related. 
 

I find mine like growing in wet muck but in full blazing sun. I’ve recently planted more of mine out in a wet soak area that gets my shadehouse runoff. I think there’s 19 in total. I love group planting. 

Not a bad avenue palm either. Moisture is about the same for both I predict a runt of the litter but gosh knows what it really is. I have seen one sitting on the edge of dam basically in the water. So they will sit in water alright. But one  tough palm tolerant of all conditions you throw at it. Sun shade heat dry wet cold a palm for those in not so subtropical ares with more of a  harsh climate. 

[Harry’s Palms]

Very good garden palm here. I’ve seen a few around looking very healthy. I have one large one , the trunk is huge but tapers drastically towards the crown . The wind here in the fall tears it up pretty good but the fronds keep coming. Harry

[Tyrone]

My avenue is planted on what is white quartz clay about 600-700mm down and they just love it. On the sand on the Swan coastal plain up in Perth they were almost impossible to keep green without heroic efforts of tons of nutrient and water. So most up in Perth were stunted and yellow. I had a big one with about 8m of trunk when I left my Perth place, but it got watered every time the bore came on for any station, and I almost weekly gave it handfuls of npk, magnesium, micronutrients etc. On heavier soils they get none of those deficiencies. In the Perth hills on the red gravels especially near creeks they look awesome. 

[Tyrone]

Here is my developing Ravenea rivularis grove. The big ones were around the size of the little ones about 7 years ago. My biggest one had a pine tree land on it a year ago. I was worried that the crown and growing point may have cracked. A few damaged leaves but it just kept growing. I love this genus and species. 

[peachy]

I had a neighbour plant a row of them between the concrete driveway and the fence, only about 50 cms wide for the length of the drive. Any water just runs off and yet although crammed in they have been growing steadily for many many years with little or no care. I have tried them 3 times, plenty of space, lots of sun and all the water they can handle but the cark it within 12 months every time. R krokiana survived but grew a leaf per year for many years so I just gave up.

Peachy

[happypalms]

On 5/3/2025 at 12:51 PM, Harry’s Palms said:

Very good garden palm here. I’ve seen a few around looking very healthy. I have one large one , the trunk is huge but tapers drastically towards the crown . The wind here in the fall tears it up pretty good but the fronds keep coming. Harry

They seem to like a protected spot in the garden, the ones I see out in the open in public gardens are always tatty looking and leaves on the yellow side. 
Richard 

[happypalms]

2 hours ago, Tyrone said:

Here is my developing Ravenea rivularis grove. The big ones were around the size of the little ones about 7 years ago. My biggest one had a pine tree land on it a year ago. I was worried that the crown and growing point may have cracked. A few damaged leaves but it just kept growing. I love this genus and species. 

 Nice looking grove, there tough palms but do enjoy a nice microclimate in a protected spot. They love being fed organic matter one palm you can feed all day long.

[happypalms]

2 hours ago, peachy said:

I had a neighbour plant a row of them between the concrete driveway and the fence, only about 50 cms wide for the length of the drive. Any water just runs off and yet although crammed in they have been growing steadily for many many years with little or no care. I have tried them 3 times, plenty of space, lots of sun and all the water they can handle but the cark it within 12 months every time. R krokiana survived but grew a leaf per year for many years so I just gave up.

Peachy

Peachy how can you kill a ravenea there super tough easy palms. Try a bit of shade next time they seem to like some shade. You used to see  a lot of them for sale in nursery nurseries but now the chain stores have that market sown up.

Richard 

[Harry’s Palms]

9 hours ago, happypalms said:

They seem to like a protected spot in the garden, the ones I see out in the open in public gardens are always tatty looking and leaves on the yellow side. 
Richard 

For years I was not giving it the water it wanted so , even though it was very large and grew rapidly it looked , as you say tattered and yellow. After learning a bit on PT I started drenching it nearly every day and I gave it some organic fertilizer (magic dust 😂) . The fronds are larger and dark green but still get stripped by the wind . The difference in leaf texture between the Ravenea and the Howea is night and day . The Howea just cruises through the 90mph wind , the Ravenea looks like a bad hair day afterwards. Heartbreaking! Harry

[happypalms]

4 hours ago, Harry’s Palms said:

For years I was not giving it the water it wanted so , even though it was very large and grew rapidly it looked , as you say tattered and yellow. After learning a bit on PT I started drenching it nearly every day and I gave it some organic fertilizer (magic dust 😂) . The fronds are larger and dark green but still get stripped by the wind . The difference in leaf texture between the Ravenea and the Howea is night and day . The Howea just cruises through the 90mph wind , the Ravenea looks like a bad hair day afterwards. Heartbreaking! Harry

My two are in a protected spot, most the one’s you see in gardens around my area are planted out the front yards by a letterbox or something doing it tough and never look as good as a protected spot ones. Some people that have no idea just want a palm and buy ravenea or are sold by the sales assistant who has no idea oh this one is super tough take# the sun likes the dry, at least when i started out in the retail nurseries, we had the brains to at least say just keep the water up too the.

Richard