Nanaimo Airport Trachy
The following thread was started by Brad in Nanaimo on November 20, 2009 at 2:09 pm PST
If it is a flowering female I would consider travelling up that way with some male pollen in the Spring and dusting it. That is one hardy palm that will produce hardier offspring. Cheers, Joe
The above followup was added by Joe, SSI on November 20, 2009 at 5:26 pm PST.
I'm not sure if it is male or female I'm not positive on how to tell other than if seeds are hanging off them. Is there some other way to tell this time of year?
The above followup was added by Brad in Nanaimo on November 21, 2009 at 3:05 pm PST.
Joe,
I have 3 large trachy's that have been through hell and back. 2 male, 1 female. They have all been through -20 or so and zero/sub-zero daytime highs (for 2 months) straight. Also, yearly winter flooding and summer heat (40C). the palms are pretty hardy. they all defoliated from last year as well, but ended up puttng on 10-012 inches of trunk each by the end of the year. The female does produce seed, but the last 2 years, i haven't really bothered. if you're interested, you can have the seed from the next batch.
Jyoti
The above followup was added by Jyoti on November 21, 2009 at 4:36 pm PST.
Jyoti, those are the ones to harvest seeds from. Any palm that survives temps. that low is one tough specimen. Female blooms appear a little later than the male flowers and they are are also lighter in colour. The male flowers are also first to fall off. Cheers, Joe
The above followup was added by Joe, SSI on November 21, 2009 at 4:51 pm PST.
I'm always looking for the hariest strain so I can plant some palms on top of one of our mountains. I have many zone 7b Trachycarpus I grew from seed collected for me in Arkansas and they are all thriving in one gallon pots outside for the past few years. If I can get some seeds from your palm that would be good. Cheers, Joe
The above followup was added by Joe, SSI on November 21, 2009 at 4:53 pm PST.
The best thing about it all, the males that pollinate the female are all on the same lot and exposed to all the same conditions. I will keep you posted about the seeds. These palms are as hardy as it gets for our coast though. Port Alberni (and especially muc higher elevation where i am) means more snow (5-6ft for 2 months past winter), more cold (-19C 3 nites straight), major winter rains (henderson lake-rainiest spot in NA is only 30k away) and HEAT - we can be the hottest spot in Canada quite often on summer days.....These palms have seen it all and haven't been phazed.
The above followup was added by Joe on November 22, 2009 at 0:39 am PST.
....Jyoti...not Joe, ooops.
The above followup was added by Jyoti on November 22, 2009 at 12:42 am PST.