Cabbage Tree Palms

[otherwise]

Do you have "cabbage tree palms" in your area?
I love them, Sharron hates them, she doesn't like plants that are sharp when you brush past.
I figure with them slowly dissapearing in our area I'm going to get another lot growing for the next generation to appreciate.
First shot taken in 1971, Sharron and myself posing before going to some function in front of the same tree shown in photo two.
Third photo is one that's 4 years old and going into the ground this week and fourth shot is about 12 seedlings that I started 6 months ago.
The local council have agreed to deliver 6 young plants to go into the reserve behind our fence if I look after them.

 

[Gromit]

That looks like what we have called a Cocus Plumosa or Coco palm - do yours get big clusters of fleshy yellow fruit?

 

[DaveM]

Yeah it sure does look like that and we have all sorts of variations of palms growing around SA

 

[otherwise]

It's very different to the Cocus Plumosa or Coco palm, we have a mature one of those both here and a row of them at our other place. The cabbage palm or Livistona Australis has a saw like branch with the frond on the end. Also the trunk is much more wood like than the fibrous Coco Palm. Check the third photo and you can see the sawtooth branch.
BTW we just put that plant into the ground and I'm keen to see how high it gets before my time is up. I'm now keen to get a grove going partly on my block and partly on the reserve over the fence.

 

[DaveM]

Well I am off to buy plants this morning so I will have a look and see if they also sell these ones

 

[Gromit]

OK, I'll go ogle some info on it and see whether we get it here - coco is very fibrous and doesn't have an exceedingly long life-span.

 

[otherwise]

This a Cocus Palm on the opposite side of our property. They are fast growing and as Gromit said they don't have a long life-span. The previous owner who planted it didn't give it much of a chance by leaving it in the plastic pot, check the second photo, not the sharpest mind!
Back to the Cabbage Tree Palm, the mature one in the first post has grown at a rate of 1 mtr each 5 years, so I'm not going to see these new plantings mature but that's the game we play.CRY

 

[DaveM]

Had a look when I was out getting some roses and they did not seem to have them either

 

[otherwise]

Had a look when I was out getting some roses and they did not seem to have them either

I just had a poke about the net and it looks like they're native to Australia and very much a feature of this, the east coast. You may have noticed in the photo tag thread my town sign said "Thirroul, Valley of Cabbage Tree Palms". The attached link has a couple of photos of both juvenile and mature plants. Sorry to go on about them but I've always liked them and now I'm going to get a new grove happening.

http://www.oznativeplants.com/plantdetail/Cabbage-Palm/Livistona/australis/zz.html

 

[Gromit]

I thought it looked like the 'fan palm' I have but I've found that Livistona Chinesis is the one that grows here - they are very prickly and the leaves get long strands of fibre hanging on them - the stems of the leaves have spur-like barbs on them - I hate cutting the dead leaves off because of the barbs - ours isn't very big but has been here for years. I've taken pics but Liam has put the usb cable somewhere unknown!!!

 

[DaveM]

Wow they sure do grow tall

 

[otherwise]

I thought it looked like the 'fan palm' I have but I've found that Livistona Chinesis is the one that grows here - they are very prickly and the leaves get long strands of fibre hanging on them - the stems of the leaves have spur-like barbs on them - I hate cutting the dead leaves off because of the barbs - ours isn't very big but has been here for years. I've taken pics but Liam has put the usb cable somewhere unknown!!!

Look forward to seeing the photos and making a comparison.
This is a long way from Triumphs but it is the Lounge so I hope I'm not out of order.

 

[hemibee]

The cabbage palm is native to North America along the lower Atlantic and Gulf coasts. The state tree of South Carolina and Florida is the Cabbage Palm.


Posting with Tapatalk for iPhone.

 

[CarlS]

They grow like weeds here in Florida and will take over if fire does not keep them in check. We call them roach motels because there is about a bushel basket of cockroaches in each tree.

 

[Gromit]

Eeeeuuuuwwww - roaches in a tree?? I guess that good pickings for the birds though.

 

[CarlS]

And rats and mice are known to inhabit them.

 

[Gromit]

Urgh Carl - it's only 7am here - I can't do rats, mice and roaches so early in the morning

 

[Gromit]

Got the usb These are the 2 palms we have.

 

[otherwise]

And rats and mice are known to inhabit them.

These were taken at a previous home we had, second story up looking out at a neighbours Cocus Palm.

 

[otherwise]

Got the usb These are the 2 palms we have.

I don't know what it's called but we also have a couple like your first photo, Sharron has taken out about 3 since we moved to this house, she hates them. The latter photos sure look like the Cabbage Tree Palm. When they're young they are a bit of a hazzard but with a few years on them they're majestic IMHO.

Edit,
Just had a family of Kookaburras fly in, making a hell of a noise, just like they play in jungle movies. 7.30 PM and starting to get dark so the photo isn't very good but decided to share.