Weird Licuala roots

[Tomas]

I just dug out this Licuala peltata sumawongii and found these vertical roots growing up. Is that something usual?

[Tyrone]

That’s what Raphia and Ravenea rivularis do. Mangroves do it as well. This species must love water and growing in wet conditions. They pipe air into the root system from the surface. Way cool. 

[gyuseppe]

1 hour ago, Tomas said:

I just dug out this Licuala peltata sumawongii and found these vertical roots growing up. Is that something usual?

Hello Tomas, I don't understand anything about licuala, because I don't grow them, but I just wanted to say hello.👌

[Tomas]

1 hour ago, Tyrone said:

That’s what Raphia and Ravenea rivularis do. Mangroves do it as well. This species must love water and growing in wet conditions. They pipe air into the root system from the surface. Way cool. 

Very interesting, I have already killed a pair of this and some seedlings, but I thought the reason was the drainage, so at least now I know I was terribly wrong!

When I dug the plant out, it was bone dry!

[Merlyn]

2 hours ago, Tomas said:

Very interesting, I have already killed a pair of this and some seedlings, but I thought the reason was the drainage, so at least now I know I was terribly wrong!

When I dug the plant out, it was bone dry!

I've had good luck with most Licuala in reasonably dense organics and wet (but not mucky) soil.  The ones I've manage to kill have been in loose sandy soil with not enough water, or too much sun, or when a nursery sprayer got clogged and they dried out for several weeks.  I found that Sumawongii can't take full sun here in Central Florida, but are totally fine with a couple of hours of AM sun.  All the ones I tried with significant PM sun died.  The fastest growing one is about 1 meter downhill from a roof downspout...I think that's not a coincidence!

[Tomas]

26 minutes ago, Merlyn said:

I've had good luck with most Licuala in reasonably dense organics and wet (but not mucky) soil.  The ones I've manage to kill have been in loose sandy soil with not enough water, or too much sun, or when a nursery sprayer got clogged and they dried out for several weeks.  I found that Sumawongii can't take full sun here in Central Florida, but are totally fine with a couple of hours of AM sun.  All the ones I tried with significant PM sun died.  The fastest growing one is about 1 meter downhill from a roof downspout...I think that's not a coincidence!

I have also heard Licuala hate hard water, another weak point for me

[happypalms]

Johannesteijsmannia do the same, surface feeding roots and that almost instantly available water just under the soil surface if mulched correctly