Trachycarpus Fortunei?

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timj17
Posts: 27
Joined: Sun Jun 02, 2013 9:54 pm
Location: Totnes

Trachycarpus Fortunei?

Post by timj17 »

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.
photo5.jpg
photo3.jpg
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fern Rob

Re: Trachycarpus Fortunei?

Post by fern Rob »

They must be old.
kata

Re: Trachycarpus Fortunei?

Post by kata »

Great height,

Tim, did you count the rings... :lol:
timj17
Posts: 27
Joined: Sun Jun 02, 2013 9:54 pm
Location: Totnes

Re: Trachycarpus Fortunei?

Post by timj17 »

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?
multim

Re: Trachycarpus Fortunei?

Post by multim »

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.
Attachments
One example of stripped fibre - there were others.
One example of stripped fibre - there were others.
Just the bare trunk - rather nice!
Just the bare trunk - rather nice!
kata

Re: Trachycarpus Fortunei?

Post by kata »

Apparently age is how smoth is the trunk,
oldtrachicarpusf.jpg
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.

icon_sunny
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