Why do trachycarpus fortunei vary

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Adam r
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Joined: Fri Apr 20, 2012 7:05 pm
Location: Sunderland

Why do trachycarpus fortunei vary

Post by Adam r »

Hi

I bought 2 trachycarpus fortunei early in the year from a nursery and they both have brittle leaves. As soon as the leaves open the wind bends them and they look a mess, the leaves on them are light green and soft.

I bought another trachycarpus fortunei from asda and the leaves are dark green and a lot more rigid and the wind doesn't really affect it apart from the odd bent leaflet.
Today I bought a trachycarpus fortunei from b&q because they were half price, supposed to be £25 and this one has also got dark green leaves which are pretty rigid.
Both have a brown tinge to the leaves before they open but the former 2 don't.

All of them were sold as trachycarpus fortunei.

I read on the Internet ( http://www.plantapalm.com/vpe/palmkey/t ... chykey.htm ) that when takil was discovered in the 1850's that plants and seeds were sent to London which were distributed all around Britain to famous nurserymen of the time but no one knows what happened to them, whether the fortunei we buy today are descendants or if they are hybrids.
allangreenbean

Re: Why do trachycarpus fortunei vary

Post by allangreenbean »

Could just be mislabeled.

I bought what was labelled a musa basjoo the other week but it's looking more like a dwarf cavendish.

I find places that only sell plants as a sideline tend to be very hit and miss, at least they don't just label them all as palms :lol:
jezza

Re: Why do trachycarpus fortunei vary

Post by jezza »

Diy sheds are very good at mislabelling. Diy shed trachys (from my experience) are nowhere near as hardy as more specialist nursery palms. Grown in greenhouses and stretched.
grub

Re: Why do trachycarpus fortunei vary

Post by grub »

Trachycarpus as a genus is very variable...
kata

Re: Why do trachycarpus fortunei vary

Post by kata »

Agree, some difference,

I have what I call the normal Trachicarpus fortunei, I was dubious about one other which I can only describe like papery fronds. And I bought a Trachicarpus wagnerianus hybride

Whats the 'Hybride' about?

:mrgreen:
Adrian

Re: Why do trachycarpus fortunei vary

Post by Adrian »

A hybrid is a cross, in your case a cross between a fortunei and a wagnerianus, if labelled a waggie hybrid then I would expect the waggie to be the female palm crossed with fortunei pollen.
kata

Re: Why do trachycarpus fortunei vary

Post by kata »

Thanks Ade!!

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Conifers
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Re: Why do trachycarpus fortunei vary

Post by Conifers »

But since 'Wagnerianus' is just a cultivar group of Trachycarpus fortunei, it doesn't matter anyway icon_thumright
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Yorkshire Kris
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Re: Why do trachycarpus fortunei vary

Post by Yorkshire Kris »

They vary just like people vary. We are all the same species, some black some white. Some tall and some fat.
Conifers
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Re: Why do trachycarpus fortunei vary

Post by Conifers »

Yorkshire Kris wrote:They vary just like people vary. .... Some tall ....
Speak for yourself! :lol:
Adam r
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Joined: Fri Apr 20, 2012 7:05 pm
Location: Sunderland

Re: Why do trachycarpus fortunei vary

Post by Adam r »

Thanks for the replies
kata

Re: Why do trachycarpus fortunei vary

Post by kata »

They vary just like people vary. .... Some tall ....
Speak for yourself!
Fat dwarf then............ :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

To use your usual.....'Sorry, I could'nt resis'. :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
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Dave Brown
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Re: Why do trachycarpus fortunei vary

Post by Dave Brown »

Trachycarpus fortunei has been cultivated and bred by the Chinese and Japanese for many generations. so there are some quite distinctive forms ie Tesan, and Winsan for instance. Also it has a very wide distribution and localised traits may have occurred. Now the seed may be collected from anywhere.

My Trunky_Trachycarpus (male) was sold as fortunei but has all the characteristics of fortunei 'Tesan'. My Trudi_Trachycarpus (female) is a standard fortunei, and the seedlings from them are very variable. One looks, to all intents and purposes, a pure Wagnerianus. Others from the same female have full 360 degree leaves a characteristic of 'Winsan'.

when I bought trachies, I always looked for those with small robust leaves. They didn't always end up remaining small, but if it has big floppy leaves to start with, that is probably how it will remain. :wink:
Best regards
Dave
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jungle jas

Re: Why do trachycarpus fortunei vary

Post by jungle jas »

Conifers wrote:But since 'Wagnerianus' is just a cultivar group of Trachycarpus fortunei, it doesn't matter anyway icon_thumright
It does if you live in a windy coastal area. icon_thumright
Conifers
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Re: Why do trachycarpus fortunei vary

Post by Conifers »

jungle jas wrote:
Conifers wrote:But since 'Wagnerianus' is just a cultivar group of Trachycarpus fortunei, it doesn't matter anyway icon_thumright
It does if you live in a windy coastal area. icon_thumright
I don't :lol:

But you're right there, it's true icon_thumright
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