TRACHYCARPUS RAVENII

 

I have recently placed an order for 200 seeds of Trachycarpus ravenii from Rarepalmseeds. This marks the first known commercial availability of seeds for this species. T. ravenii was formally described in 2014 and is recognized as an accepted species by the Plants of the World Online database maintained by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 

 

Trachycarpus ravenii is restricted to a very small limestone habitat in central Laos. According to the 2014 field report, the species occupies less than 100 km², with an estimated population of fewer than 100 mature individuals. The habitat is both limited in size and undergoing significant degradation, leading to the species being regarded as Critically Endangered. The scarcity of reproductive individuals and the extremely localized distribution contribute to the very limited seed availability and correspondingly high cost. 

 

No verified cultivated specimens, no horticultural cultivars, and no live plants are known to be in circulation. Photographic documentation is also very limited, with nearly all existing images coming from the 2014 field report. 

 

One of the morphological traits highlighted in the original description is the distinctive foliar coloration. The leaves exhibit a subtle blue-green tone. 

 

Because so few biological and horticultural data exist, this project will focus on generating baseline observations once the seeds arrive. Planned documentation includes germination behaviour, early developmental morphology, growth rates, and potential cold tolerance, as well as any noteworthy foliar or structural characteristics that emerge during cultivation. Given the species’ extreme rarity in the wild, even small-scale cultivation trials may provide useful insights into its ecological adaptations and long-term viability outside its native habitat.

 

Further documentation will follow as the research progresses. I will post some on my instagram page "norwaypalmtrees" and I will also follow up on this thread.

Laos. Not exactly known for it's challenging winters.

4 hours ago, Las Palmas Norte said:

Laos. Not exactly known for it's challenging winters.

Isn't that where Khan from King of the Hill was from? 

4 hours ago, JohnAndSancho said:

Isn't that where Khan from King of the Hill was from? 

Hahaha. That was the story line for King of the Hill. My neighbor has a son, & when he was a kid he looked like Bobby Hill.

5 hours ago, Las Palmas Norte said:

Hahaha. That was the story line for King of the Hill. My neighbor has a son, & when he was a kid he looked like Bobby Hill.

I've shaved my head a few times and decided I like my hair super short now. Last time I went to Sport Clips I told her to give me the Bobby Hill. If only there was a Whataburger close by and I was a blonde... 

 

Anyway to get back on topic this is a cool looking palm and the rarity and saving such an endangered species is awesome @Norwaypalmtrees - it these ever make it to the US it'd be interesting to see what they can handle. Here, our summers are hot and humid with little rain (temps often over 100°F) and winters are cold and wet, the last couple winters we've hit lows of 12 and 9°F respectively. I don't think I'm the right person to experiment with such a rare specimen being that I'm kind of an idiot and impatient, but seeing something so rare and so endangered coming back to life is notable. 

Trachycarpus Ravenii from 2025 

Hey @ThomasNRW where did you get your ravenii seeds from? How old is the plant?

 

Can you tell me more about the germination rate, how long it took and how you germinated the seeds? 

And by the way, I will try to document the project through my instagram page "norwaypalmtrees", my youtube and this newly created webpage:

https://sites.google.com/view/trachycarpusravenii

5 minutes ago, Norwaypalmtrees said:

Hey @ThomasNRW where did you get your ravenii seeds from? How old is the plant?

 

Can you tell me more about the germination rate, how long it took and how you germinated the seeds? 

The seeds are from RPS. Out of 10, only 1 germinated.

Germination took approximately 3 months. The remaining seeds are germinating!

A new batch of 100 seeds has been in the germination box for about a week.

The plant is now about 6 months old after germination!

Although with RPS you never know for sure what exactly you are growing, it is an interesting experiment with a previously unknown species, and I will follow it with great interest!

FYI for everyone on a bit of a tighter budget, T ‘Moc Chau’ is available on RPS from N Vietnam. Images and description similar to T ravenii. There must be so much to discover in that part of the world, new discoveries popping up frequently lately. Looking forward to going with IPS soon!

@ThomasNRW Please tell me what the germination rate will be for these 100 Trachycarpyus ravenii seeds. I'm very curious.

I will do that @dominik. Seeds are underway now in the mail according to RPS. :)

After 42 long days, the Trachycarpus ravenii seeds from Rare Palm Seeds finally arrived at my address 🌱

A total of 200 seeds, of which 50 belong to my friend. I soaked my 150 seeds in water just now.

It will be fascinating to follow their development and observe which characteristics they express over time — growth rate, cold tolerance, phenotypic variation, and more.

The journey begins now.

Good luck and best wishes