Hardy Tropicals UK

Hi everyone, i was just reading the thread on Triple trunk fortunei now i have always thought i have a "triple trunk" fortunei but after reading the thread i am not quite sure now, On mine the main trunk is around 7 foot, then one is about 3 foot and another 2 foot, and i have also a very small one forming at the base, i planted this palm around 10 years ago (quite small and from a pot) and indeed had 3 trunks when planted, The thread does say that fortunei do not clump form so any ideas what mine is ?, the growth at the base is all in one and not individual trunks.
Thanks Mark

Hi, I'm no expert, but yours looks a bit small for being in the ground for a decade. Maybe it's some kind of crossbreed?

Eddie I don't think its that small if it is growing 3 trunks, however is it actually growing 3 trunks or is it separate Trachys planted close together? I am assuming a tree that size is flowering the very small trunk could be a seedling.
Mark, have you actually had a poke about at the base to see if the trunks are conjoined, or just growing close together? Any way whatever, I wish it were mine.

No its not actually that small it must be 10 foot high with the leaves, the trunk is very fat and healthy, I've not actually had a poke about at the base to see if its joined up or not, the palm is a male so doesn't drop seeds but flowers every year, ill have to have a poke around

thanks mark

Want to offer a suggestion for finding out 'the identity' of the young palm.....

If you're going to poke around the roots of the young plant may I suggest you use a jet of water from a hose and carefully scoop out the surrounding mud to expose the small palm's root system. It might take repeated efforts allowing the water to drain away but this exercise should expose enough of the young palm's root setup without damaging it so you can identify it as a separate palm or an attached sucker. You can work in new compost and/or soil around the roots again afterward.

so following on from this old thread i found a bunch of seeds on one of the smaller palms where as the main palm is male the smaller palm is female so i do not have a triple trunk fortunei just 3 the were indeed planted in one pot together.