Hardy Tropicals UK

Hi,

Recently spotted some very old Trachycarpus in a local park. A few of them look a bit different, with much less fibre on the trunks and a smaller crown of leaves. Is it just because they are old? or are they a different form of Trachycarpus or hybrid?

I very much doubt they would have been stripped, as they were pretty fibreless all the way up and the council wouldn't bother with that sort of thing. You can see more normal looking Fortunei trunks in the last 2 images.

They must be old.

Great height,

Tim, did you count the rings...

Yes very old!

It's Oldway mansion in Paignton. The house was built around 1870 for the family that owned Singer Sewing Machines. The tropical grotto gardens installed about the same time by famous French landscape architect Achille Duchene.

So could they in theory be 143 year old palms? Probably not, but might be the descendants because there are loads of seedlings sprouted all over the place, I may take a trowel next time!

How long can a Trachycarpus live?

I guess that they may well strip fibre naturally? Magpie's take a lot of fibre from mine in Spring for nesting. There are some in Heligan, growing in a more exposed situation where the trunks do appear to have stripped rather than having been stripped.

Apparently age is how smoth is the trunk,

Very old specimens of Trachycarpus fortunei near Elberton, Georgia. These have smooth trunks, which only happens with very mature trees

Another fine specimen from multim!

Thanks for sharing.