The good old Arenga engleri

[happypalms]

What can you say about the tough old engleri nothing except there super tough die hard palm. Great for screening that neighbour out. Perfect for cold climates, dry tolerant pretty well much sun proof not full blazing sun but tough enough to take the sun and the heat that goes with it. There dotted throughout my garden creating a microclimate as they grow. Great easy to grow palms!

[Rubberboots]

@happypalms what heat and cold tolerance can they take ..I need privacy?

[happypalms]

7 minutes ago, Rubberboots said:

@happypalms what heat and cold tolerance can they take ..I need privacy?

Up too 43 degrees and dry low humidity for a few days at a time, and temperatures as low as 2 degrees and a mild frost. They look there best with ample water. 

[gyuseppe]

I like Arenga Engleri so much that I have 5 of them in my garden, I can say that it can withstand -6 degrees Celsius without problems.

 

[JohnAndSancho]

I had some seedlings that damped off, and some fresh seeds with lots of goo that I apparently didn't clean well enough. These seeds are gross when they're fresh and they rot quickly if you don't get all the goo off. 

[Harry’s Palms]

They are slow growing but very forgiving to adverse climate conditions . The last few years we have been getting heat waves that will sometimes burn the Howea that is planted right next to a very thick Arenga Engleri , both in sun . The Arenga shows no sign of leaf burn at all . It has been fruiting for the last few years and I have been pushing seeds around the garden so maybe some seedlings in my future. @Rubberboots It may be worth a try but with shade in your area . I got mine in 1993 as a large potted specimen that was hanging out in an orchard under some Avacado trees. I planted it in 1998 here and it had no shade at that time . It never flinched ….just got bigger to form a nice privacy screen . It is just recently starting getting shade from a couple of Kentia that I planted next to it . Harry

‘the yellow or older fronds are left on the palm as the fruiting stems start to die off. The new stems constantly growing for replacement.( much like Caryota Mitis). The Kentia are starting to trunk and now gaining height. This will be a benefit to the Arenga .

Last seasons fruit , more on the way ! Harry

[Robbertico18]

8 hours ago, Rubberboots said:

@happypalms what heat and cold tolerance can they take ..I need privacy?

My small engleri withstood 23 and snow this past year, I just covered it up under a 5 gallon bucket for a few days until the snow melted.  I had no visible damage and its still just plugging along slowly.

 

do these palms tend to pick up speed once they get a little more size to them?

[Harry’s Palms]

I believe they do speed up a bit as they get bigger. Mine was already past juvenile stage when I got it . Harry

[Rubberboots]

9 hours ago, happypalms said:

What can you say about the tough old engleri nothing except there super tough die hard palm. Great for screening that neighbour out. Perfect for cold climates, dry tolerant pretty well much sun proof not full blazing sun but tough enough to take the sun and the heat that goes with it. There dotted throughout my garden creating a microclimate as they grow. Great easy to grow palms!

@happypalms what are those things growing out the sides of these trunks...looks like cabbage?

[Rubberboots]

2 hours ago, Harry’s Palms said:

They are slow growing but very forgiving to adverse climate conditions . The last few years we have been getting heat waves that will sometimes burn the Howea that is planted right next to a very thick Arenga Engleri , both in sun . The Arenga shows no sign of leaf burn at all . It has been fruiting for the last few years and I have been pushing seeds around the garden so maybe some seedlings in my future. @Rubberboots It may be worth a try but with shade in your area . I got mine in 1993 as a large potted specimen that was hanging out in an orchard under some Avacado trees. I planted it in 1998 here and it had no shade at that time . It never flinched ….just got bigger to form a nice privacy screen . It is just recently starting getting shade from a couple of Kentia that I planted next to it . Harry

‘the yellow or older fronds are left on the palm as the fruiting stems start to die off. The new stems constantly growing for replacement.( much like Caryota Mitis). The Kentia are starting to trunk and now gaining height. This will be a benefit to the Arenga .

Last seasons fruit , more on the way ! Harry

@Harry’s Palms hopefully i can get one soon...

[Harry’s Palms]

@Rubberboots Check with @DoomsDave I bought one from him last year for my friend. Plus he knows way more about palms! He has some really cool stuff down there👍 Harry

[Rubberboots]

34 minutes ago, Harry’s Palms said:

@Rubberboots Check with @DoomsDave I bought one from him last year for my friend. Plus he knows way more about palms! He has some really cool stuff down there👍 Harry

@Harry’s Palms does moonlight nursery in Fillmore sell to the public?

[Central Floridave]

Diehard is correct. I hosted palm sales in my backyard 20 years ago and the ones that didn't sell I just left in a pot in the back corner sections of my backyard.  They are in full shade under big oaks.   Zero care from me as I forgot and didn't care about them.    The pots they were in have long decayed and broke apart.  They have survived on their own in East Central Florida. 

[DoomsDave]

@Rubberboots howdy! 
 

As @Harry’s Palms noted I have Arenga engleri in pots to buy and mature specimens in the ground to look at.

They’re hard to beat for a privacy screen and they’re pretty tough too. These are NOT fragile temperamental wimpy things; I think they’re well worth a shit in Bakersfield, though they’ll need agua.

See my PM (private message).

[Harry’s Palms]

8 hours ago, Rubberboots said:

@Harry’s Palms does moonlight nursery in Fillmore sell to the public?

I have no idea , I have never been there. Sorry. Harry

[dalmatiansoap]

Unbelievable slow here, full sun, full shade, don't know any more how to push them forward a bit. 

[Rubberboots]

24 minutes ago, dalmatiansoap said:

Unbelievable slow here, full sun, full shade, don't know any more how to push them forward a bit. 

@dalmatiansoap soil type...are you fertilizing...photos could help please?

[happypalms]

19 hours ago, Rubberboots said:

@happypalms what are those things growing out the sides of these trunks...looks like cabbage?

Ptatycerum the ones on the rocks? Or the draceana derimensis? 

[happypalms]

20 hours ago, Robbertico18 said:

My small engleri withstood 23 and snow this past year, I just covered it up under a 5 gallon bucket for a few days until the snow melted.  I had no visible damage and its still just plugging along slowly.

 

do these palms tend to pick up speed once they get a little more size to them?

They do a bit but not rocket ships, I recommend a good watering schedule for faster growth. 

[happypalms]

6 hours ago, dalmatiansoap said:

Unbelievable slow here, full sun, full shade, don't know any more how to push them forward a bit. 

More water perhaps? 

[happypalms]

14 hours ago, Central Floridave said:

Diehard is correct. I hosted palm sales in my backyard 20 years ago and the ones that didn't sell I just left in a pot in the back corner sections of my backyard.  They are in full shade under big oaks.   Zero care from me as I forgot and didn't care about them.    The pots they were in have long decayed and broke apart.  They have survived on their own in East Central Florida. 

Kick em as you go past they love it! 

[happypalms]

22 hours ago, Harry’s Palms said:

They are slow growing but very forgiving to adverse climate conditions . The last few years we have been getting heat waves that will sometimes burn the Howea that is planted right next to a very thick Arenga Engleri , both in sun . The Arenga shows no sign of leaf burn at all . It has been fruiting for the last few years and I have been pushing seeds around the garden so maybe some seedlings in my future. @Rubberboots It may be worth a try but with shade in your area . I got mine in 1993 as a large potted specimen that was hanging out in an orchard under some Avacado trees. I planted it in 1998 here and it had no shade at that time . It never flinched ….just got bigger to form a nice privacy screen . It is just recently starting getting shade from a couple of Kentia that I planted next to it . Harry

‘the yellow or older fronds are left on the palm as the fruiting stems start to die off. The new stems constantly growing for replacement.( much like Caryota Mitis). The Kentia are starting to trunk and now gaining height. This will be a benefit to the Arenga .

Last seasons fruit , more on the way ! Harry

That’s a nice palm growing well. Mine flower but no fruit! They are easy to maintain as you know you dont get many dying stems, and a great screening palm you gotta love em.

Richa

On 7/11/2025 at 6:34 PM, gyuseppe said:

I like Arenga Engleri so much that I have 5 of them in my garden, I can say that it can withstand -6 degrees Celsius without problems.

 

Deep green one that one, they like Italian spaghetti sauce for sure! 

[happypalms]

On 7/11/2025 at 8:56 PM, JohnAndSancho said:

I had some seedlings that damped off, and some fresh seeds with lots of goo that I apparently didn't clean well enough. These seeds are gross when they're fresh and they rot quickly if you don't get all the goo off. 

Ok lesson in palm growing to John, though shall not overwater thy seedlings 🌱 

[JohnAndSancho]

1 hour ago, happypalms said:

Ok lesson in palm growing to John, though shall not overwater thy seedlings 🌱 

I'm still trying to find that delicate balance with fresh seedlings. If you underwater them, they dry out and die. If you overwater them, they damp off and die. Those were in garbage soil, too, but lesson learned. I also put a lot more drainage holes in my plastic cup planters now, and I put holes in the sides too. 

When I ran out of saucers, I started reusing old aluminum and plastic containers and I've also learned that even if my planter has drain holes in it, I need to lift them up because hey, when the water starts to puddle that doesn't mean there's not still standing water in the bottom of the planter. 

[Harry’s Palms]

I use a soil with a sandy loam similar to what you use for succulents . Then you mix in a couple of scoops of perlite or vermiculite. When the top and edges of the pot start to dry , then water. I’ve got some Archontophoenix sprouting right now in that mix and they are all doing well. Harry

[JohnAndSancho]

 Awesomeness in a bag

 

I found this stuff and it's wonderful. Before I was mixing whatever palm/cactus soil I could find with perlite or pumice, and Repti Bark. I did the math and it cost me just as much to mix everything as it does to buy this stuff. All of my indoor plantings go into this stuff now. 

 

Outdoor stuff I mix orchid bark into garden soil. The sun does a pretty good job of making sure stuff doesn't stay too soggy, but I still go and aerate all of the pots with a stick every few days.

 

 

[happypalms]

14 hours ago, JohnAndSancho said:

I'm still trying to find that delicate balance with fresh seedlings. If you underwater them, they dry out and die. If you overwater them, they damp off and die. Those were in garbage soil, too, but lesson learned. I also put a lot more drainage holes in my plastic cup planters now, and I put holes in the sides too. 

When I ran out of saucers, I started reusing old aluminum and plastic containers and I've also learned that even if my planter has drain holes in it, I need to lift them up because hey, when the water starts to puddle that doesn't mean there's not still standing water in the bottom of the planter. 

More air flow especially with indoor growing! Try growing your seedlings in coco coir perlite mix. Many a carpet ruined indoors from growers! 

[happypalms]

9 hours ago, Harry’s Palms said:

I use a soil with a sandy loam similar to what you use for succulents . Then you mix in a couple of scoops of perlite or vermiculite. When the top and edges of the pot start to dry , then water. I’ve got some Archontophoenix sprouting right now in that mix and they are all doing well. Harry

My old style mix that I use to use was almost a succulent mix just more quality potting mix but very similar! 
Richard