Finally have a Needle Palm

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sat Apr 14, 2012 10:29 am

and a nice sized one too.
Great packaging job from Montreal; thanks Mike!

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/7077095519/" title="004 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5199/7077 ... 5512_z.jpg" width="480" height="640" alt="004"></a>

It had to go into a pot unfortunately.
The area where it'll be planted has landscape cloth covered by rocks (lots of work!)

And the needles are exactly that...went right through my gloves. Ouch!

Barb

palmtreecod · Post by **palmtreecod** » Sat Apr 14, 2012 11:05 am

Congratulations, if you plan on putting it ouside-- then good luck!

Okanagan desert-palms · Sat Apr 14, 2012 11:23 am

Nice new addition to your collection Barb. Are you going to plant it next year.

John

Godfryd · Post by **Godfryd** » Sat Apr 14, 2012 11:24 am

wow, nice palm - wish you many years of enjoying it outside

TimMAz6 · Post by **TimMAz6** » Sat Apr 14, 2012 12:32 pm

congrats on your new needle..........8lbs 2oz.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sat Apr 14, 2012 1:14 pm

8lbs 2oz

Good one, Tim

Thanks folks...happy that it's a good size.

It'll be planted out next year.

Barb
PS--not kidding about those NEEDLES...finger still hurts a day later.

Cameron_z6a_N.S. · Post by **Cameron_z6a_N.S.** » Sat Apr 14, 2012 1:42 pm

Nice palm, Barb. I was recently able to see some large needle palms in person, and you definitely have to watch out when moving near them!

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sat Apr 14, 2012 1:50 pm

Thanks Cameron.

The ones you saw...were they trunking, with bottom growth trimmed?

Wonder if the needles can be cut off...

Barb

Paul Ont · Post by **Paul Ont** » Sat Apr 14, 2012 2:11 pm

Barb- treat it like a pet and use some nail clippers to trim the needles... Of course, if you do this you'll probably do more damage to yourself than the plant!

Beware, needles are really hardy, but they are very prone to spear pull and, unlike Trachys, this is generally fatal, at least for the stem that pulls... Have you any Sabal minor? If not, I will send you some seedlings.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sat Apr 14, 2012 2:51 pm

treat it like a pet and use some nail clippers

You mean the palm can run away?

No experience with spear pull, but understand that a really heavy mulch can prevent that.

I've got a Sabal mexicana and a S.riverside, nice long strap leaves.
Both spend winter in the cold building.
Now that they're outside, our strong winds are shredding their leaves into cole slaw...

Can S.minor survive a NORMAL Toronto winter?
Would never make it here, but thanks!

Barb

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Sat Apr 14, 2012 6:38 pm

Nice needle palm.

PS I would be wary about removing the sucker, I did this and mine died that winter. May have had nothing too do with it, but if I ever get another one I will wait until it gets older before removing the suckers.

TerdalFarm · Post by **TerdalFarm** » Sat Apr 14, 2012 8:31 pm

Yeah! Needle palms are not appreciated enough. They do well here in OK. The little one our KrisK has is even flowering now.
Yes, those needles are serious. Site it with care.

Paul Ont · Post by **Paul Ont** » Sun Apr 15, 2012 8:08 am

Barb- No palm can survive here unprotected (well, needles in Niagara region)...

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sun Apr 15, 2012 11:10 am

wary about removing the sucker

I was going to remove the needles, leaving the suckers in place.
Sorry yours died, Aaron.

No palm can survive here unprotected

Thought maybe it could, Paul, with your better latitude.
Definitely wouldn't make it in our Okanagan without protection.

Hey Erik, can KrisK post a pic of it flowering?

Barb

coconutmike · Post by **coconutmike** » Mon Apr 30, 2012 6:28 pm

Hey Barb -Glad to see the needle palm arrived in good shape it has gone through 3 winters in Montreal zone 5b with just a rose cone that actually has no R value -just keeps snow off it. At least 5 of those needles went into my skin when I dug it up LOL.
Happy palming
mike

KrisK · Post by **KrisK** » Tue May 01, 2012 11:41 am

Here's my big needle. The small needle doesn't have as many spathes. I think these are all male? There's an odd spathe below the big open one on the right that's different - its orange things inside. I'm hoping it's female.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sat May 05, 2012 2:12 pm

Thanks for the great pic KrisK.
So cool to see those spathes developing.

Wouldn't it be great to find a palm (any palm) that has both male and female flowers?
That'd be a sure thing, at least for seeds.

Barb

KrisK · Post by **KrisK** » Sat May 05, 2012 3:00 pm

I think the whole thing about needles always being dioecious isn't always true. I've read online accounts of only male, only female, female one year and male the next, and female+male the same time. I think mine has like 5 male spathes and the one odd spathe that must be female. I can clearly see the anthers and pollen when I shake them. The odd orange spathe has little balls all over it.

Some other cold hardy monecious palms are Sabals and Butias.

Kris

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sat May 05, 2012 3:04 pm

Great info Kris.
I don't think we've ever discussed that

So, any other palms that have both male and female?

Barb

KrisK · Post by **KrisK** » Sun May 06, 2012 6:28 am

From Tony Avent of PDN:

" Monecious palms include Butia, jubaea, Nannorrhops, Sabal, Serenoa, Trithrinax, and Washingtonia. Dioecious palms include Chamaerops, Guihaia, Rhapidophyllum (usually), and Trachycarpus (usually). "

I have heard of trachies that are monecious but far fewer than monecious needles.

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Sun May 06, 2012 7:57 am

Not as big/far along but I wil have to check mine

TerdalFarm · Post by **TerdalFarm** » Mon May 07, 2012 4:12 pm

Great photo, Jim! New camera?

PalmsNorth.com

Finally have a Needle Palm

Finally have a Needle Palm

Nice Needle Palm Barb