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lemonsforchams

seeking id for new palm

lemonsforchams
17 years ago

I bought this palm as a houseplant and am usually familiar withwhat I am buying already,but this palm's name eludes me.It is a single stem/trunked palm that really does not have a trunk and is made up of ruffle,fan shaped leaves,that are wrapped around the trunk,almost like a bromeliad,nut not a tight funnel.It is very similar to the 'potato chip palm'.I wish my camera was working so I could post a pic,but since it's not,could someone kindly post a pic of what they think I may have.Thanks and happy Holidays.

Comments (16)

  • birdinthepalm
    17 years ago

    Though I looked up the "potato chip" one once, I'd forgotten what it looks like, and I'd add that many young fan type plams seem to be "trunkless" when they're young but as the older fronds are shed later on they do develope noticeable trunks, as is the case with my "mystery" palm. I must say the potato chip one reminds me of mine a bit, though mine has whats called "bifid" fronds with there being one division right in the center of each frond which runs about half the length of the frond. After looking through hundreds of photos of various plams I've only found some similar to mine, so it's real identity is still up in the air, though someone told me it's a panama hat palm. I question that? Some of the various Licualas do sound similar when young so you might try looking at those photos!!

  • lemonsforchams
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    I also looked at many photos in hopes of an id,but the true identity still eludes me.I am sure it is a smaller,slow growing fan type palm,probably in the chamaedorea clan.I just can't find a photo that lets me know what it is for sure.I bought it at LOWES and it is infrequentlyt available at these type of stores.Thanks for the reply.

  • Dave in NoVA • N. Virginia • zone 7A
    17 years ago

    Are you positive it's a palm? There's an aroid that matches your description, and it's sort of a fan palm look-alike. But it's not a palm. But I can't for the life of me remember what it's called. Seems like the 'common name' had the word 'drum' in it, like African Drum or something like that. Photo would help a lot.

  • lemonsforchams
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    Birdinthepalm...I looked throught the forum and the palm you have posted with the hail damage post is VERY close if not identicle to what I have also.I have done some image searches for the hat palms and found it does not seem to match.

    dave_in_nova
    Thanks for the suggestion,but it most certainly is a palm.I am still leaning to the chamaedorea clan on this one.

  • topher2006
    17 years ago

    i think a ruffle palm is what your referring to
    look at this link..

    Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.junglemusic.net/palms/

  • birdinthepalm
    17 years ago

    I have a feeling , since there's so much hybridzing of palms going on nowdays evidently , it might be a new hybrid perhaps. I notice many have leaves similar to mine as well in overall shape , but they seem to lack the deep pleating of the leaves and appear to have very flat unpleated fronds perhaps. I was thinking the liculas or one of them , since those do have the numerous narrow pleats or folds in the fronds, and I see few other fan types with the fine folds.
    I also quickly noted with mine that there were some adventitious roots above ground level on the trunk , and I encouraged those to root as well, but adding an inch or so more soil around the base of mine. Looking at it again, I may again add a tad more to encourage even more rooting perhaps, though for most plams it's not advised to plant them any deeper as they age as that could encourage rotting near the base?? It sure would be nice to know for sure what palms we have as we try to get some idea how big they'll get ultimately perhaps. Mine has grown considerably and has been one of the fastest growing palms I've ever bought, if indeed it's even a palm? That's still somewhat in question despite the growth habit and appearance! From many hours of cruising various palm photo sites, its surprising how many palms out there don't even look typically palm like to me, with oddly shaped fronds etc.

  • topher2006
    17 years ago

    Yeah bird
    It realy is amazing why some are even named palm ..

  • galveston1602
    17 years ago

    I think outside the phoenix and washigntonia species its still pretty rare to see a hybrid. especially one for sale at a big box. If you had a picture Id bet that it could be id'd relatively fast...

  • birdinthepalm
    17 years ago

    If her's is indeed the same variety as my "mystery" one, I did post a photo under that title, but I'm having problems posting lately, so I'll not try right now. Having looked at hundreds literally of various palm photos, I have yet to find one that looks exactly like mine, though some seem somewhat similar form various genera!!

  • cfkingfish
    17 years ago

    Licuala grandis is sometimes referred to by this name - would that be it?

  • dbrya1
    17 years ago

    Dave,Jungle Drum,carludovica

  • lemonsforchams
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    dbryal...That's it..you got it!!! Thanks
    Now after doing some searching on the web,I am confused.This is indeed a palm and becomes a mature plant that more resembles a chines fan palm..correct?Any growing tips?Thanks so much.

  • birdinthepalm
    17 years ago

    Yes indeed that's it, and technically they're not really palms though they look like them, but I'd guess that's a special cultivar, which I've not found a photo of before, and I guess that makes it a Panama Hat Palm. Those don't get really big from what I understand at maturity, but I do wonder if the fronds become more divided as the plants age, as most of the photos I've seen of older and larger ones do look like they have divided leaves? I see though , even after seeing it listed by that name on a couple of sites , one site said "may" be a species of Carludovica, and that source wasn't positive, and it also seems there are more than just the one best known species , the "palmata"!

  • Dave in NoVA • N. Virginia • zone 7A
    17 years ago

    Thanks dbrya1 for the great photo. Carludovica is often found at Home Depot. And it is not a palm.

  • subtropix
    17 years ago

    Glad these are not true palms because I hate them. They seem to die as soon as you bring them into the house, I have never seen a true palm go into decline so quickly. I'll never try one of these guys again. Oh, who am I kidding, I love the challenge (which explains the coconuts growing in the basement).

  • birdinthepalm
    17 years ago

    I've had exactly the opposite experience where mine has been concerned and none of my true palms was as healthy or fast growing as my Carludovica, or at least thus far and it's going on two years since I bought it. I think sometimes without even being aware of it, or perhaps trying that much , we may have the perfect conditions for certain plants , without intentionally trying to provide them , so perhaps, they just like my house for some reason.