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janm46

Caryota gigas flowering

Janm46
10 years ago

I have a Caryota gigas that is just now flowering - palm seed about 25 ft long - palm is about 45ft tall and 8 years old. Any idea of how long after flowering is complete the palm will die?

Comments (11)

  • lzrddr
    10 years ago

    when the last flower is done making seed. Usually about 1 year or so after start of flowering

  • tropicalzone7
    10 years ago

    Wow, 45 feet tall in 8 years is an incredible growth rate! Unfortunately once the plant sets seed, your palm will die and you'll have to eventually remove it.
    -Alex

  • tropicbreezent
    10 years ago

    That's one of the things people have against growing that one. There's an awful lot of palm above ground to dispose of. But they're a beautiful tree.

  • User
    10 years ago

    I have one in a container, maybe I can delay the inevitable.

  • andyandy
    10 years ago

    Is this something unique to this palm? it Flowers once and dies?

  • User
    10 years ago

    Andyandy, it would seem that they there are in the minority but other genera of palms can have this 'monocarpic' trait. I think though, that reason you really notice it with this species (unlike with the common Caryoa mitis--also monocarpic), is that Caryota gigas (for example), is a solitary palm--not suckering, like mitis!

  • lzrddr
    10 years ago

    Caryotas are among the most difficult palms to remove, too... wood is exceptionally hard for a palm- some so hard a chain saw won't go through them.

  • tropicbreezent
    10 years ago

    Some of the most impressive monocarpic palms are Corypha. The inflorescence is the largest in the plant world, and then they die.

    I've got the Caryota mitis but keep them small. The taller they get the more straggly they look, So as they start to trunk up a bit I cut them off. The wood is still reasonably soft then. Being a clumper there's always a lot of better looking short plants left.

  • stanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
    10 years ago

    Sounds like around a $2,000 dollar removal. And I know that here,the local dumps has signs saying they don't take palm tree refuse. I have no idea why a landfill wont take palms. I can imagine that adds to the cost of cut and removal.

  • lzrddr
    10 years ago

    According to our local (Los Angeles) waste department, palms gum up plant shredding machines (palms are so fibrous they don't shred well and can really be annoying not to mention expensive to cut up). They still take them if we chop them up small enough (though perhaps because they don't notice there are palm parts in the trash). Cant shred Caryota trunks at all. Have to buried in large chunks... on top of that the seeds are very irritating to the touch if mushed up are attempting shredding them. Fortunatley most waste departments cant recognize a caryota as a palm so they tend to take them anyway.

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