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Florida Gardening

White elephant palm

10 years ago

hi
Kerriodoxa elegans?? Saw one about half grown at a local nursery WOW lol Figured a good choice for a shady
pot in a protected area have been reseaching them but
can't believe what I read particularly the cold tolerance.
Any experiences?? Also a source ?? was a beauty but not as pretty as 800 dollars lol thanks gary

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Comments (10)

eric_9b
10 years ago
These are a great palm for a shady location in south FL and the warmer parts of central FL. Despite being native to a totally tropical habitat in Thailand they can tolerate down to about 25-26deg F. But they do need shade and moist soil. They also like a wind protected location as the big leaves can get shred by wind.
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Carol love_the_yard (Zone 9A Jacksonville, FL)
10 years ago
Gary, cool palm! There is a lot of discussion over on palmtalk.org. You may want to check it out.

Eric, constantly moist soil as in Australian-Tree-Fern-moist-soil? - pot has to sit in a pan of water type situation?

Carol in Jacksonville
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Well, I have heard Kerriodoxa are slow growing. Unfortunate that yours didn't travel so well. But you're probably right about keeping it. Once it settles in it should come good. Mine gets filtered sun through tree canopy and is pretty well protected from wind. I'd still love to be able to get a J. magnifica, but they're just never available. Back to the Anthurium, I've found a better ID, A. madisonianum. It matches virtually perfectly on the leaves. There was also a comment that it is closest to A. furcatum, but they then go on about the inflorescence. I don't have an inflorescence to check against. They say it's an epiphyte, "stems green, ca. 20 cm long, ca. 3.5 cm diam." Mine doesn't have a stem and another growing tip is emerging from the side. What's worrying me is that it's in heavy soil. The nursery I got it from seems to have a habit of putting heavy soil in pots. Probably I should repot it in something like an orchid mix. It's mid winter but it's growing reasonably well, despite the soil. They say it's "endemic to western Panama in premontane and lower montane rain forest at 450 to 2,200 m". So, until I get an inflorescence to check out, it's going to have to be A. madisonianum.
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Hi It was raining when the pic was taken the selaginella at the left normally appears bright blue Was rather disappointed with the plant due to the damage but also wrong species . it would go back loll If you look closely at the upper edge you can see a bit of the back which is very velvety white . All the fronds were that way. Actually much whiter than my silver Joey .J. magnifica. know of no pritchardia with that characteristic ?? Like I've actually seen all 30/40 species in every stage of growth lol I'm still a bit suspicious as it has grown another frond which is starting open already lol Very weird "slow growing understory palm " The magnifica produces less than 2 fronds per year !! Also ,obviosly grown from seed and I was unable to locate a source Besides we all know that nurseries NEVER have plants with wrong ID'S lol Time will tell I guess Thanks gary
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eric_9b
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Just evenly moist. It isn't very drought tolerant, the edges will brown. It comes from rainforest habitat.
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garyfla_gw
Original Author
10 years ago
hi
how fast does it grow?? have some other understory palms Noted it also said "slow" for the elephant.
I found a seedling for 22 bucks but have to mailorder but picked up a couple of oddball staghorns for under 8!!
Hopefully this will not only grow faster but be far less sensitive than the Joey and Geonomas!! I have mold patches that have outgrown them!! Thanks for the info gary
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eric_9b
10 years ago
They are slow but not horribly slow. As they grow and get larger they pick up pace a bit.
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sultry_jasmine_nights (Florida-9a-ish)
10 years ago
Gary did you order it from Eldon Tropicals? If so, let me know how their service and plants are. I am thinking about ordering some stuff from there that I liked.
~Lynn
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garyfla_gw
Original Author
10 years ago
Lynn
Local nursery wanted 250 bucks lol Was afraid of seeds for several reasons . The one i bought is in a 5 inch pot so obviously a seedling but with palms germinating can be really tough. The Joey and Geonomas took 18 and 9 months with "ideal" conditions !!
Dislike buying anything on line as I like seeing what I'm getting but was unable to find another source . The nursery has a very good rating . and it's located in florida .
Should arrive next week so will find out?? lol gary
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garyfla_gw
Original Author
10 years ago
Lynn
Order arrived last night Guess you'd say fast?? palm is a seedling with 5 fronds 3 of which were mangled 2 very badly. Note attached said "Rest of order deleted due to damage" lol Tempted to send it back gary
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sultry_jasmine_nights (Florida-9a-ish)
10 years ago
Hmmm that is very weird about the 'deleted due to damage' part. I would probably keep the seedling it will mostly likely straighten itself out. I always wonder about the quality on these mail order nurseries lol. I hope they returned your $ on the part they canceled!

I know what you mean about the palm seeds. They take sooo long to germinate that I end up losing track of them or something digs them up etc. I prefer to buy at least a small palm rather than try to sprout them.
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garyfla_gw
Original Author
10 years ago
Hi
decided to keep it as it had a great root system and the new frond has frost and is pinate and I'll never find another lol They didn't charge the credit card until shipped Had some pychosperma elegans germinate in early June (took 9 months for those lol) already taller than the elephant lol My silver Joey has just turned 16 and is still under 2 feet and the seeds took 19 months . Palmists are P A T I E N T lol gary
0

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