Coconut queen

[trippc]

Does anyone have one of these "coconut queen palms" or know of someone that has one? They sound like they are rare and hard to find if at all. Would love to get my hands on one. Thanks in advance!

 

 

[Fusca]

17 minutes ago, trippc said:

Does anyone have one of these "coconut queen palms" or know of someone that has one? They sound like they are rare and hard to find if at all. Would love to get my hands on one. Thanks in advance!

 

 

I have a seedling that I planted in the ground this past spring - it's just going pinnate and starting to grow fast.  I got it from the hybridizer Erik Brown as a strap-leaf before he retired.  I'll get a photo of it tomorrow.  I believe @Ben in Norcal has a couple and @richtrav has one here close to me in Texas.  I have a couple of F2 seedlings from Richard's palm.  Seems to me that @Joe palma had a big one for sale awhile back but that's probably not going to help you in FL!

[WaianaeCrider]

I have a few of both w/in 75 feet of each other.  Really havenʻt tried sprouting seeds to see what nature has done.

 

[Scott W]

You'll find them more available in south Florida if you do find them.  Yes they are rare as due to the hybridization process, most large scale growers aren't putting in the time and effort to produce a low demand item.

Mike at MB Palms in Orlando at one time had them in smaller sizes but his current availability list on PlantANT doesn't show them.  Other wholesalers list larger or field grown sizes only, nothing shippable.

[SeanK]

Odd name, given it's a Syagrus x Syagrus. (per video)

[Jdash]

closest to you is probably going to be sunscape east. i believe they have some in stock 15/25G size. MB used to have some, those are probably from his stock.

[MikeB]

I have two growing in my yard in Northeast Florida.  You will hear that they are as cold hardy as a Queen Palm.  In my experience they are not even close.  At 25 degrees my exposed tree completely defoliated.  The crown smelled rotten but recovered completely with hydrogen peroxide treatments.  In my yard the seed parent of the hybrid,  Syagrus schizophylla had the same exact experience as the Coco Queen.  No queen palms were damaged anywhere around here  that same winter.  The other Coco Queen had partial overhead protection.  The leaves under canopy had minimal damage.  Exposed leaves were fried.  We have had mild winters since with one night at 30.  There was no damage.  For me there has been varying degrees of damage between 25 and 30 degrees. In drier climates they can probably take more cold.  I got my trees from MB Palms as 3 gallons.

[Scott W]

53 minutes ago, MikeB said:

I have two growing in my yard in Northeast Florida.  You will hear that they are as cold hardy as a Queen Palm.  In my experience they are not even close.  At 25 degrees my exposed tree completely defoliated.  The crown smelled rotten but recovered completely with hydrogen peroxide treatments.  In my yard the seed parent of the hybrid,  Syagrus schizophylla had the same exact experience as the Coco Queen.  No queen palms were damaged anywhere around here  that same winter.  The other Coco Queen had partial overhead protection.  The leaves under canopy had minimal damage.  Exposed leaves were fried.  We have had mild winters since with one night at 30.  There was no damage.  For me there has been varying degrees of damage between 25 and 30 degrees. In drier climates they can probably take more cold.  I got my trees from MB Palms as 3 gallons.

Looking good Mike!  I need pay a visit again when I am able!

[Fusca]

Here's my seedling.  @MikeB is right about the lack of cold hardiness.  Definitely zone 9b+.  I believe @OC2Texaspalmlvr lost one or two nice ones a few years ago in mid to lower 20's.  I guess they inherited their cold hardiness and fruit production from the schizophylla parent but not the petiole thorns!  They're also known as Syagrus x montgomeryana.

[Ben in Norcal]

16 hours ago, Fusca said:

I have a seedling that I planted in the ground this past spring - it's just going pinnate and starting to grow fast.  I got it from the hybridizer Erik Brown as a strap-leaf before he retired.  I'll get a photo of it tomorrow.  I believe @Ben in Norcal has a couple and @richtrav has one here close to me in Texas.  I have a couple of F2 seedlings from Richard's palm.  Seems to me that @Joe palma had a big one for sale awhile back but that's probably not going to help you in FL!

I have quite a few of them here, acquired from a variety of sources.  Planted some at my girlfriend's yard down in Alamo which is a total cold sink - those have seen sub-25 degrees with zero damage.  Maybe 23-24 degrees.  Anyway, Patrick Schafer is using my plants to create hybrids now, so the Butia x Coco Queen crosses he sells are made with pollen from my plants.

[Jim in Los Altos]

I have a big fifteen year old one. My only complaint is that I can’t seem give it enough potassium. Fronds are often deep green but with the telltale yellow spotting. Old leaf bases are persistent all the way to ground level. I’d love to see some clean trunk. 

[Fusca]

The photo didn't attach earlier for some reason!

 

[richtrav]

They’re a little more tender than a queen but more cold tolerant than pretty much any other Syagrus. This is mine in early May 2021

And a regular queen in the yard 

 

 

[richtrav]

Same coco queen a year later. What I like about it is it does not turn yellow if you water it with alkaline well water, unlike queens or mules.