Trachycarpus princeps in habitat.

Nigel · Post by **Nigel** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 10:02 am

In late 2005 some french mountaineers visited the Stonegate Gorge in China and took photos of Trachycarpus princeps in habitat. Stunning !

http://fousdepalmiers.fr/html/forum/vie ... sc&start=0

Gaz · Post by **Gaz** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 10:10 am

Stunning photos Nigel - Thanks. Presumably the palms are at the top of the cliff and drop the seed down or would wildlife/birds etc distribute them?

Nigel · Post by **Nigel** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 12:31 pm

Gaz the palms are completely inaccessible which is why Gibbons and Spanner could not get seeds, in fact they doubted the palm would ever reach cultivation .
The seeds fall from the trees and if they dont lodge on a piece of cliffside with soil they fall into the Salween river and are swept away.

kentgardener · Post by **kentgardener** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 1:41 pm

Stunning pictures - very interesting to see. Thanks Nigel.

regards

John

Post by **Dave Brown** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 2:23 pm

Great pictures Nigel, shame about the words

French is not my best subject

I notice pic (no7) is the same pic as you added to the Nova topic, and it does seem more open then the princeps, and with a more slender trunk. I notice no-one has got up there to strip the trunks on the cliff hangers

Reminds me of my old UKO signature "Gardening on the edge"

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 2:46 pm

Nigal would none of the seeds that fall in the water wash to the edge and germinate down stream ?

Damian · Post by **Damian** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 2:47 pm

Does anyone know if princeps seed is at all available from golden lotus, have you had a reply Lucien from your e mail?

lucienc · Post by **lucienc** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 3:14 pm

No reply yet.

Nigel · Post by **Nigel** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 3:55 pm

Mark wrote:Nigal would none of the seeds that fall in the water wash to the edge and germinate down stream ?

The seed sinks , but I guess its conceivable , although the habitat would be quite alien, so I have no idea if thats possible.

MarkD · Post by **MarkD** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 3:58 pm

There are some T.princeps seedlings on sale at ebay at the moment.The seller has emphasized that he's selling the real thing and not 'green princeps (Nova)'.

I understand that it takes awhile for the blue colouration to develop so will have to wait and see if it is indeed the real thing

Koba Koba did sell their only remaining 3 year old seedling on ebay just before they closed, and I narrowly missed out on it, and it sold for butter all

AndyC · Post by **AndyC** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 4:26 pm

As someone wrote on the original thread, 'Magnifique'. Thanks Nigel.

darran · Post by **darran** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 6:06 pm

Thank You for posting the link Nigel.

The pictures clearly show what remote conditions the palms grow in. The cliff ledges that they are perched on look quite narrow, and makes one wonder how much soil they actually grow in

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 8:13 pm

And how little nutrients they need to survive.

Post by **Dave Brown** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 8:50 pm

They may get nutrients from leaf fall from above and water running off the rockface, but they must be marginally drought tolerant.

Alexander · Post by **Alexander** » Fri Nov 30, 2007 1:55 am

Stunning pictures! Amazing how they grow on those vertical cliffs! Maybe some kind of bird carry the seeds to other places when they are resting on the cliffs and leave there droppings with the seeds. I know from blackbirds in Zwitserland that the eat the fruit of Trachycarpus and dispears the seeds.

Its great that there are still those remote magnificent pristine places on our planet!

Alexander