r72 PRINCIPES lVor. 31

Principes,3l(4),1987, pp.172 176

Parajubaea-An UnsurpassedPalm for Cool, Mild Areas

J. Gennw Furuncroll P.O. Box 1O411. Hilo. HI 96721

In the San Francisco area our winters failed to survive outside their habitat. But are sufficiently mild that we can have now with a growing number of palm enthu- as tender as bananas and flowering gingers siasts in our cool climate a concerted effort permanently in the ground where they nor- has been made to establish highland species mally suffer no cold damge, so that an with notable successes.Several species of interest in other tropicals and subtropicals Ceroxylon have been cultivated for nearly naturally develops in the adventurous gar- a decade now in the San Francisco area dener. But our summer temperatures gen- and all have shown an excellent response erally remain below B0o F. (below 70" F to our climate in the form of vigorous and near the coastl) and nights are nearly healthy growth into extremely attractive always below 60o F. This can be a chal- young palms. This is wonderful for large lenge to much of the life our winter areas such as parks, but who besides the mildness allows. The slowly emerging palm collector wants a 300 ft tall palm answers to our quests for adaptable plant next to his house? Without question the material other than some very good native one highland palm which answers the home species seem to lie in the tropical high- gardener's need for a long-lived, elegant, lands. There is no other area of our planet vigorous, and tough palm in our cool cli- at sea level outside of a few islands or mate is . I first fell similar coastal strips such as areas of New for this beautiful species upon seeing the Zealand.. Chile. or South Africa where win- photograph in Palms of the World simply ters are so mild and summers so cool. labelled as Parajubaeo sp. This was years Although tropical highland regions often ago when the biology library of my grad- do not have our dry summer season, tem- uate school obtained its copy of the book. peratures throughout the year in such loca- In I97 6 I saw the actual trees in the photo tions as the lower Himalayas, the moun- in one of the city squares in Quito, and tains of New Guinea, or the northern the love was not lessened. Warren Dolby are very much like those of coastal central was al lhal time cultivaling a young spec- and northern California. Perhaps a few imen of P. cocoides in his Oakland garden other areas such as Darjeeling, Kandy, with good result.With this encouragement Kenya, Tasmania, and highland areas in the first large collection of seeds for North- New Zealand also have similar climates. ern California was made there in Quito in What good fortune for us that these r976. regions provide the habitat for some of the The results of this collection of seedwill most beautiful and spectacular palm species be discussedshortly, but first somedescrip- known! Because most of the palm growing tion of the palm is in order. Among the regions of the earth are warm to hot, at terms used in Hortus Third to describe least in summer, most of these highland Parajubaea cocoides are the following: species have either not been tried or have solitary, unarmed, monoecious,leaves pin- I 9B7l FULLINGTON:PARAJUBAEA

The crown of Warren DolLry's Parajubaea cocoides emerging from his Oakland garden. Photo by G. Fullington.

nate, no crownshaft, leaves long petioled, Santa Barbara tree is quite old and has pinnae regularly arranged. A mention is been producing some seed for many years. made of 20 ft height, but many trees in It has survived years at a time with no Quito are closer to 30-40 ft. These terms water other than winter rains, and although depict a palm filling a gap in our material sickly looking through these times of stress for northern California. Other than S7a- it survived. Another notable specimen is grus romanzffiana we have no slender- in Ed Moore's garden in San Diego. Both trunked pinnate palms which perform well of these Dalms are in areas a little too warm in the cool areas. Even Arecastrum looks for theii best development, but they fruit best only in areas with some summer heat, and continue to grow. But when W'arren and although Archontophoenir specimens Dolby's palm is examined, the true beauty are occasionally seen in good form, they and vigor of Parajubaea cocoides in a must be protected from wind in the coastal cool climate begins to be appreciated. resions and from frost further inland. Our Warren's plant after only fourteen years experience to date with Parajubaeais rhat from seed has now almost ten feet of trunk it tolerates these conditions admirably, but topped by a magnificent crown of perhaps that story will now be told from its begin- thirty healthy fronds covering a spread of nins. over fitteen feet! It is now already in full ih" fi.rt Parajubaea to be grown in flower and seed produclion. our area, that belonging to Warren Dolby, The seedsfrom the I976 collecting trip was srown from a seed of the old tree at were gathered mostly along the streets in the Cilespie estate in Santa Barbara. The Quito. It was necessary to do this early in PRINCIPES [VoL. 31

2. Paraiubaea cocoides in Oakland's Lakeside Palmetum. Photo bv C. Fullineton the morning before the local people got to Upon germination the seed puts out a long them to crack and eat the -like root before any top growth commences. seed kernels. Some seeds were gathered When a sprout appears (sometimes two on private properties (with permission). One come from one seed) the seed should be notable source was the gror-rndsof the Hotel lifted and olaced in the surface soil of a Quito Intercontinental which the locals container at least one gallon in capacity. seem to avoid. The seeds need to be thor- The first leaf will emerge within about two oughly dried before germination is months. allempted. The Ecuadoreansgave instruc- Parajubaea cocoides is not a palm for tion to leave them in the fruit in a dry container growing. Even in a 15 gallon warm place for two months. Germination container growth soon stops at which time was carried out in a loose, airy planting a three foot plant will decide to remain mix with the seeds resting on the surface that size for years or until put into the of the mix beneath a thin layer of damp open ground. One reason for this is that sphagnum moss. They were placed in an Para.jubaea roots tend to grow straight area with warm days (80" F) and cool down unless stopped by rock or hardpan, nights (55-60" F) Sprouts began to appear and they are even fairly good at pene- within two months and continued sporad- trating that. Once the bottom of the con- ically for several years from the same batch tainer is reached the roots make a circle of seeds. About 90% of them grew within or two, then stop. This also means that the first several months, but one seed ger- you do not transplant this palm once it is minated after lying on the ground in leaf in the ground. Small specimens have been litter under a plum tree for eight years! lost in moves even by professional tree r9871 FULLINGTON:PARAJUBAEA

--l

Parajubaea cocoides at the USDA Western Regional Research Center in Albany, CA, with the author scale. Photo by E. Adalsteins

movers with large equipment. Ideally a one watered are now almost fifteen feet in to five gallon size plant should be put into height. Some which have remained in con- its permanent site in the ground and never tainers are still eighteen inches tall! There again disturbed. With ample water and are specimens at all sizesin between in the cool nights growth will soon be rapid and San Francisco area from this batch of seeds, vigorous. Cool night requirement for this depending on how long they have been in palm cannot be over-emphasized. In its the ground and the exposure to sun. This habitat 10,000 feet high in the Andes nights is a sun loving palm and should always be are in the range of 40-50" F. In areas planted in full sun. Its habitat does have where nights are consistently over 55- a short (one or two month) drier season, 60" F Parajubaea cocoid.esloses its vigor but the palm seems to thrive on ample and health and even if it survives it will water. not look as good as more suitable species. Notable specimens can now be seen in Temperatures of 25" F have been expe- the Palm Society chapter's Lakeside rienced where P. cocoides grows in Ecua- Palmetum in Oakland, at the University dor. Small specimens have had some leaf of California Berkeley botanic garden, at 'Western damage at about thal temperatrrle in our the USDA Reeional Research inland areas of California, but cold toler- Center in Albany, CA. anJ in many of our ance seems quite adequate for most of the members' own gardens. And don't miss the San Francisco region. Plants from the 1976 outstanding Pa,rajubaea cocoides in War- seed collection which went into the ground ren Dolby's garden-it looks far better as small specimens and have been well even than similar size plants in their native 176 PRINCIPES [Vor. 31

EcuadoreanAndes. Another large collec- Northern and Central California. We can- tion of Parajubaea seeds was made by not grow , but we can grow a palm your author along with Dale and Cindy remarkably similar which has no hope of Motiska in 1983. Plantsfrom this second ever growing outside our cool summer cli- collection are now almost ready for per- mate zones. Thus we shall forever be blessed manent planting. And now with the first with a unique and beautiful palm which local tree to begin fruiting we are well on collectors throughout the rest of the world the way to establishing Parajubaea will have to see in the Andes or in coastal cocoides as a new landscapefeature in Califopia.

GardenClub of Americaand which allowedhim collectingtrips in south- WorldWildlife Fund ScholarshiPs east Asia. In 1987, the Garden Club of in TropicalBotany America awardeda specialthird scholar- ship to Stephen Siebert of Cornell Uni- contain roughly 60 percent The tropics versity for his work on the ecology and species, yet we have of the world's plant ethnobotany of wild rattans in forest pre- information on the biology relatively little servesof Sumalra,Indonesia. of these plants. Since and ecology of many These scholarshipswill be offered again Club of America and 1982 the Garden this year and it is hoped that they will Fund-U.S. have awarded World Wildlife becomea permanent program of the Gar- scholarshipseach year at least two, $5,000 den Club of America and World Wildlife botany. The purpose for work in tropical Fund. is Loencourage students oIthe scholarships To apply for the scholarshipsstudents work on the systematics, reproductive to shouldsubmit the following information: I ) and ultimately, the con- biology, ecology a curriculum vitae, including graduateand of tropical plants and ecosys- servation undergraduate transcripts; 2) evidence of all students enrolled in tems. Available to foreignlanguage capability; 3) a two-page and working on their a U.S. university outline of the proposedresearch; 4) a letter the scholarship is doctoral dissertation, stating his or her plans for the future, with fund field research expenses. intended to a statementon their commitmentto con- of a long-term commitment An indication servation; and 5) a letter of recommen- to conservation of tropical by the student dation from the advisor, which should factor in awarding ecosystems is a deciding include an evaluationof the student'sprog- the scholarship. ress to date. U.S. citizenship is not a of the thirteen recipients haYe Three requirement, however, students must be on questions of palm tax- been working enrolled in a U.S. university. The awards conservation' In 1983, onomy, ecology and will be made on a one-timebasis, and appli- of the New York Andrew Henderson cationsare due by December31, 1987. an award for Botanical Garden received Recipients will be announced by March systematic relationships his work on the 15, 1988. Pleasemail applicationsto: and reproductive biology of three Iriar- teoid genera, Iriartea, Socratea and Dic- JeNu C. MecKNIcnr tyocaryum. The grant enabled him to con- Carden Club of America duct collecting trips to Costa Rica' Panarna Scholarshipsin Tropical BotanY and . In 1986, Bill Hahn of Cor- World Wildlife Fund nell University was awarded a scholarship 1250 Twenty-fourthStreet, NW for his study of the Asian gertrs Caryota, Washington,D.C. 20037