Livistona rotundifolia or chinensis ?

[Mazat]

a friend of us brought us this, but it was only described as Livistona he said.

but what is it exactly?

 

[gyuseppe]

Hello Tom
is rotundifolia ,which is now called saribus rotundifolius

[Mazat]

10 minutes ago, gyuseppe said:

Hello Tom
is rotundifolia ,which is now called saribus rotundifolius

many thanks, Gyuseppe for the information and identification.

our friend has brought us a challenge in this case 🤗🤔😀

[Harry’s Palms]

Nice looking palm , it shows many of the Livistona traits , particularly the thorns on the petiole and the shiny light green color. @gyuseppe knows more about these . It is hard for me to differentiate. Harry

[gyuseppe]

I had it for 2 years, where in winter we never went down to minus zero degrees Celsius, but the third winter we went down to -2 degrees Celsius and they died together with the mango

[Mazat]

Just now, Harry’s Palms said:

Nice looking palm , it shows many of the Livistona traits , particularly the thorns on the petiole and the shiny light green color. @gyuseppe knows more about these . It is hard for me to differentiate. Harry

thank you, Harry. we were surprised that Ralf brought a palm tree, after we were recently surprised by the little CIDP.

We are grateful for this and will make sure that it thrives. 

he often brings Italian or even good Californian red wine with him, normally😀

It's no joke

[Mazat]

8 minutes ago, gyuseppe said:

I had it for 2 years, where in winter we never went down to minus zero degrees Celsius, but the third winter we went down to -2 degrees Celsius and they died together with the mango

that is a great pity, also for the mango ☹️

[gyuseppe]

5 minutes ago, Mazat said:

 

he often brings Italian or even good Californian red wine with him, normally😀

 

and which is the best? I would say Italian (just kidding)

[Mazat]

8 minutes ago, gyuseppe said:

and which is the best? I would say Italian (just kidding)

😁

my grandmother, Lucia was Italian from vicenza 😄. so we had often italian red wine and sometimes Californian merlot and others 

[peachy]

If rotundifolius is protected from frost I have had them survive nights of 0-3c without a problem.  

Peachy

 

[Mazat]

On 5/23/2025 at 3:03 AM, peachy said:

If rotundifolius is protected from frost I have had them survive nights of 0-3c without a problem.  

Peachy

 

thank you, Peachy. that is good news and a fact.

We will protect them and we are extremely pleased that we got them 🤗😃

[Janni]

I twice had L. Rotundifolia from IKEA. they look very nice and every time I am in a IKEA I am tempted to buy one. But I had very bad luck with those two palms. They died of masses of spider mites!!! In both occasions the mites came up so quickly and massively that I suspect the palms must have had them already before I bought them. Although they showed no sign of infection in the market…

Ich drück die Daumen, dass es bei dir besser läuft 😅
 

[Mazat]

1 hour ago, Janni said:

I twice had L. Rotundifolia from IKEA. they look very nice and every time I am in a IKEA I am tempted to buy one. But I had very bad luck with those two palms. They died of masses of spider mites!!! In both occasions the mites came up so quickly and massively that I suspect the palms must have had them already before I bought them. Although they showed no sign of infection in the market…

Ich drück die Daumen, dass es bei dir besser läuft 😅
 

that's a real shame. a good friend of ours experienced the same thing. i don't know exactly whether he also got the palm from ikea, but it's quite possible.
these pests weaken a palm or other plant quite a bit ...
herzlichen dank, Janni 😀

[Mazat]

a new leaf opens

[Merlyn]

I have a triple with two Saribus Rotundifolia and a Robinsoniana, planted next to a solo Livistona Speciosa.  I planted the Robinsoniana and Speciosa in the shade of a bigger Bismarck back in fall 2021, and added two Rotundifolia in 2023.  They made it through repeated cold fronts in the 24.4F-28F (-4C) range over several years.  With frost protection by the Bismarck they only took minor leaf damage.  In this photo you can see the old dead leaves from the winter, and new growth starting to speed up with the summer heat and rain.  I've avoided cutting off the old fronds until the plants completely dessicate them.  Saribus triple on the left and L. Speciosa on the right:

In general they are nowhere near as cold hardy as something like a Livistona Chinensis, but they also aren't complete wimps.  Good frost protection is probably key.

[Mazat]

17 hours ago, Merlyn said:

I have a triple with two Saribus Rotundifolia and a Robinsoniana, planted next to a solo Livistona Speciosa.  I planted the Robinsoniana and Speciosa in the shade of a bigger Bismarck back in fall 2021, and added two Rotundifolia in 2023.  They made it through repeated cold fronts in the 24.4F-28F (-4C) range over several years.  With frost protection by the Bismarck they only took minor leaf damage.  In this photo you can see the old dead leaves from the winter, and new growth starting to speed up with the summer heat and rain.  I've avoided cutting off the old fronds until the plants completely dessicate them.  Saribus triple on the left and L. Speciosa on the right:

In general they are nowhere near as cold hardy as something like a Livistona Chinensis, but they also aren't complete wimps.  Good frost protection is probably key.

beautiful specimens that you have. and with this natural protection they have survived well. we always ask ourselves in the forest or bush the plants also protect each other, at least that's how it seems.
i also think it's better not to cut the old leaves, especially with this species. but it was and is just a feeling with sabine and me 😃

[Harry’s Palms]

On 5/22/2025 at 6:35 AM, Mazat said:

😁

my grandmother, Lucia was Italian from vicenza 😄. so we had often italian red wine and sometimes Californian merlot and others 

A bit off topic but I digress. Tulio  Campagnolo was from there , or at least his shop was there . A legend in the cycling world! All my bikes are Campagnolo equiped . I don’t know anything about wine but my 50 year old bikes shift flawlessly, all are Campy equiped bikes. O K , back to our regular topic ♣️Harry

[Mazat]

3 hours ago, Harry’s Palms said:

A bit off topic but I digress. Tulio  Campagnolo was from there , or at least his shop was there . A legend in the cycling world! All my bikes are Campagnolo equiped . I don’t know anything about wine but my 50 year old bikes shift flawlessly, all are Campy equiped bikes. O K , back to our regular topic ♣️Harry

It's a good company that stands for quality. an uncle also had two bikes, or still has them, and raves about the quality. 

exciting Harry, that you both have these bikes from the same company 😄

[Mazat]

the leaf is opening more and more and a new one will soon sprout. there is great joy with me and sabine, the first time that it works with this palm species. yes, of course there is still a long way to go, or rather the way is the goal, otto said yesterday when i was away and he visited sabine with his girlfriend dani.

 

[Mazat]

grows steadily and faster than expected, even trunk 🤗

[JohnAndSancho]

Gorgeous. 

 

I bought one off of Etsy and I must have got the last one or something. It showed up looking really yellow and didn't live very long. I guess I paid $35 for a nursery pot or something. Anyway I need another one or 3. Yours is beautiful..

[Mazat]

10 minutes ago, JohnAndSancho said:

Gorgeous. 

 

I bought one off of Etsy and I must have got the last one or something. It showed up looking really yellow and didn't live very long. I guess I paid $35 for a nursery pot or something. Anyway I need another one or 3. Yours is beautiful..

thank you very much, John 🤗