I always thought my oldest and largest Trachycarpus Fortunei is male, as it never produced any seeds and because it had all the traits of male infructesence. But this year it’s as if it discovered its female side. Obviously it struggles with this new task and so the fruits/seeds it produces look very odd. Only very few seeds look like regular Trachycarpus seeds.

Can anyone tell me what this is?

I think it’s time to call in @tim_brissy_13 to give us an answer on this one. He’s a bit of a trackycarpus fan.

Do you have any photos from previous seasons when you thought it was a male? Definitely appears female now.

Thanks for your replies.

Sorry, I couldn‘t find any picture of a previous inflorescence. All I can say is, that it behaved and always looked like a male to me.

For example the inflorescences had a very bright yellow/orange colour, where very bushy and always went dry and crispy very quickly after the bloom. And above all: It has never made any seeds, until this year.

57 minutes ago, Janni said:

Thanks for your replies.

Sorry, I couldn‘t find any picture of a previous inflorescence. All I can say is, that it behaved and always looked like a male to me.

For example the inflorescences had a very bright yellow/orange colour, where very bushy and always went dry and crispy very quickly after the bloom. And above all: It has never made any seeds, until this year.

That certainly sounds like how I’d describe male Trachycarpus inflorescences. I’ve heard of some palms changing sex but can’t recall if that was Trachycarpus.

The other question is, why do those seeds look so strange? Only few have a normal shape.

1 hour ago, Janni said:

The other question is, why do those seeds look so strange? Only few have a normal shape.

I think I’ve heard that if female flowers are unpollinated, they can develop into those 3 loved fruits. There won’t be any seed inside.

6 hours ago, tim_brissy_13 said:

That certainly sounds like how I’d describe male Trachycarpus inflorescences. I’ve heard of some palms changing sex but can’t recall if that was Trachycarpus.

I can confirm this observation 100%. Such spp are called polygamous. One year they can produce inflorescences of exclusively one sex. Sex may alternate from year to year. In other years or specimens can be produced within same year inflorescences of both sexes, frequently in a strict sequence depending on season. In other years or other specimens hermaphrodite flowers are produced. Nature finds a way...