Heterospathe palms

[Walter John]

I did have a H.phillipensis some time ago, but lost her due to drought and inexperienced plant management. Today I acquired my first palms for 2009, Heterospathe minor and Heterospathe elata.

I would love to read your experience and thoughts on this genus. Pictures would be nice too. Do you own any and which ones ?

Looking down on mine which are still in pots, bottom of picture, H.minor on left, H.elata on right.

I had to move old man croc

[ariscott]

I have H. elata. I think I have 4 planted. None of them likes full sun while young. Well, partly my fault as they were grown in shade and I just plonked them in the full sun... so the first 2 went backwards for a year. They start to take off now though. The other 2, I planted in part sun and they are doing much better...

Regards, Ari

[Walter John]

Whilst the weather is suited to planting tropical palms, I planted these today, let's go to the video.

It's amazing how quickly the croc adapts to his new surrounds.

The elata on the left and the minor on the right

low ground photography

And lastly looking down from the back deck again after the planting.

[Ntheastpalms]

Heterospathe is a genus that I have not yet aquired for my collection ahh well one day.

[palmtreesforpleasure]

Hi Wal

planted a Heterospathe elata some years ago, grown 30cm, maybe pushing the boundaries to much

regards

Colin

[brodklop]

Both of these do well in Brisbane with well grown ones at Mt Cootha BG.

I have H. elata at my place and is doing well. Has a reddish brown new leaf and is reasonably fast. Can have a little problem with dry cold wind but only at young stage. The tall one at Mt Cootha is flowering and seem healthy all year round. When it was first planted as a juvenile it produced small winter leaves in spring for the first year but then it took of like a rocket and has been hardy to cold, storm and drought.

So mate plant them with confidence in a little shade.

[Neofolis]

I love this genus, however I am fantastically good at killing them. I have tried minor, scitula and negrosensis all with the same degree of complete ineptitude.

[rthink]

Heterospathe is also my favorite genus. My H. elata is probably the fastest growing palm in my house. Planted from 1ft tall in 2007, now it's more than 3 metre from the base to the top of the leaf.

This is H. sticula. Very difficult and slow growing.

[rthink]

This is H. mirantha. Very nice palm when it matures.

[TikiRick]

I have many species of Heterospathe. I will post some pictures later today....I planted many as seedlings and Heterospathe elata is now about 25 feet overall! I have two H. elata and a few others as well.

[Ken Johnson]

My experience with hetero has me growing no more.

I would like to sell what I have though. Thats why I looked at this thread but then at the last second I saw Wal's name on thought oooopppppsss. But here I am so this is what I know.

The fact that they don't have a crownshaft realy takes away from the nice arrangment of their leaves. Not good for sales.

They (elata is most common here) grow real fast, although not at first, and get real tall. Too tall, bad for sales.

They are hard to transplant when young, say 15' Overall, because they have a "heel" and the root mass is one sided. Bad for sales.

Fruiting plants can drop thousands of small seeds. bad for sales.

Any questions Wal?

[Walter John]

why me ?

[John in Andalucia]

[TikiRick]

Maybe bad for sales, Ken.

Good for wind...therefore, good for me.

[amazon exotics]

I like the way Ken sums things up !

[brodklop]

Ken, maybe you need to look on the bright side of life.

Many great looking palms have no crownsharf.

Most palms grow real tall, and quite a few of the crownshafted variety grow taller.

As for the mess of many thousands of seed, I quess its better than many thousands of large seed that can mess up things. At leased they wont kill you if they hit you like Coconuts, Borassus etc.

I transplanted my H Elata with no problems.

So I think an all round great palm for the sub tropical- tropical garden

[Walter John]

All you have to do Ken is whack a sign on your Heterospathes, "As recommended by Wal of Australia", then watch them go walking out the door.

[gsn]

Wal,

Maybe you could let him list them on your retail web site "Wal's Palms in Pots"

You seem to have about a 50/50 following there!

Edited January 4, 2009 by gsn

[Tyrone]

I once had a H schitula. I kept it for many years in the hothouse, and it even went a couple of winters in the garden in a pot. Anyway it was so small and easy to forget that I didn't notice that the sprayers in my hothouse didn't get it too well and it just died from drought in the hothouse. It was suckering and pushed out pretty new red leaves.

One day I might try an elata or even deliculata which grows fine at Mt Cootha BG.

Best regards

Tyrone

[BobSDCA]

I understand that Heterspathe woodfordiana is one of the hardiest of the genus. It is suggested that it can even grow on the coast of southern California. This is one that I would like to grow this year! I assume they all like lots of water, part sun to shade and high humidity.

[Tyrone]

I understand that Heterspathe woodfordiana is one of the hardiest of the genus. It is suggested that it can even grow on the coast of southern California. This is one that I would like to grow this year! I assume they all like lots of water, part sun to shade and high humidity.

I didn't know that. I'll have to keep my eye out for one. I think my eye will be out for a long time though.

Have to grow it from seed.

Best regards

Tyrone

[palmislandRandy]

My biggest elata I have 2 others, a 1 gallon & another in ground w/no trunk yet, but 7 ft tall! I'm with Rick as to the wind resistance.

[palmislandRandy]

Here's a 1gal showing the heel.