To hybridize or not

[Tracy]

My Ravenea glauca has an inflorescence about to open female flowers.   Meanwhile,  I have not found a female companion for my Ravenea julietiae male.  Should I try using the julietiae pollen on the glauca?  What say you?

[happypalms]

Hybrid palms is a good ethical debate.

Myself personally iam against the hybridisation of palms or any other plant. 
It’s a debate that has the for and against it, Mother Nature does create hybrids but that’s for her to do and who are we to muck with Mother Nature. 
We know what happens when we do. 
With land clearing at an alarming rate and forest destruction of native palm habitats we are losing a battle we can all see what’s happening. 
We all know if it’s lost in habitat we can rely on botanical gardens and gardens around the globe to save a species of palm from extinction. 
Humankind has a lot to answer for in the destruction of the planet 300 to 500 years what will we leave. 
This is just my personal view on the subject and I will say iam against hybrids. 
Let others disagree, everyone has a right to be heard and have a say in this world 🌎 

[tim_brissy_13]

I’ve had the same decision to make. 
 

In general my thinking has been that if I only have a male of one species and a female of another, then why not try. Essentially it will be hybrids palms produced or nothing. There’s not really any cost to doing it if it doesn’t replace pure species. 
 

For example, I have a lonely Chamaedorea woodsoniana male. I have a Chamaedorea costaricana, oblongata and hooperiana females but no males of those species. I’ve been hand pollinating just to learn what works with what. I have 3 male Chamaedorea klotzschiana and a female so I don’t include these in any experiments and instead focus on isolating to produce pure seed.
 

Perhaps if any of the species in consideration were critically endangered then maybe there’s a deeper debate, especially if the endangered palm is female and it’s worth trying to source male pollen somehow even internationally to continue the pure genetics. But in this case R glauca Isalo are spread around the globe fairly well and in no immediate danger so I don’t see what harm its doing by trying. Ravenea have been known to hybridise so you might end up with something interesting that inspires new collectors who ultimately contribute to palm conservation. I’m thinking of Tribears, Mules etc being introductory palms for people who then go on to become serious collectors and conservationists. 
 

That’s just my 2 cents on the topic but I’m happy to hear everyone else thought as it is a controversial topic for which I’ve heard arguments on both sides.  

[tim_brissy_13]

Added note to the above - the other negative side of hybridisation is perhaps the case of Chrysalidocarpus. We have a genus with many palms endangered in habitat or even extinct in the wild unable to be found again. Then we have many mystery species and/or hybrids in cultivation. It kind of blurs the lines with some of the hybrids out there and makes everything that bit more confusing. On the flip side, most of the hybrids in that genus are pretty interesting and some, if not most, end up sterile so often the genetic line ends with them (unless cross pollinated with another…and the confusion continues 🤣).