Back in stock! Triangle Palms (Dypsis decaryi)

Dypsis decaryi

Triangle Palm

Very unique palm with a triangular shape; leaves grow from 3 distinct points of the trunk creating the triangle look. Spectacular grey-green leaves grow almost upright from the trunk and arch at the top. Originates in Madagascar and grows up to 15 m tall (although rarely seen at this size in cultivation). Very fast growing and very low maintenance. Extremely hardy, drought tolerant & handles light frost. For best results, this palm needs its own space to fully develop the shape which makes it so unique and special. Prefers full sun, but can be grown in semi-shade. Grows best with regular watering. Great container palm, will grow a nice thick trunk with minimal height in a pot.

Propagate from seed, usually germinates within a month.

VIEW OR BUY TRIANGLE PALMS (DYPSIS DECARYI) BY CLICKING HERE

New! Phoenix canariensis (Canary Island Date Palm)

The King of Palms!

About the Canary Island Date Palm

This palm, surprisingly, originates in the Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago just off the North West Coast of Africa. The Canary Island Date Palm is large & imposing, up to 20m tall. It provides a true feature in the garden with its huge, solid trunk, and long, arching feather leaves. Trunks are marked with old leaf scars. This palm bears yellow flowers, following by orange to dark red fruit with 1 large seed.

Phoenix canariensis would be great planted along streets or driveways, as a feature palm in the middle of a lawn, or even as a container palm while small. Although the fruit is edible, like other Date Palms, the size of the fruit is very small, making it hardly worth it.

Growing the Canary Island Date Palm

This palm is very hardy and is quite fast growing, especially once it starts forming a trunk. It gets large and will need to be given plenty of room. Petioles have spines on them, so keep these plants away from walkways. Choose a position in full sun, in well draining soil. The Canary Island Date Palm is frost tolerant to around -10 and also very drought tolerant. Fertilise with a slow release fertiliser in spring and summer. Mulch well, but keep mulch away from the trunk.

Coconut Palm Myths – True or False

• Coconut water contains growth hormones that can grow almost anything.

TRUE; coconut water contains 4 plant growth hormones or cytokinins and has 3 sets of chromosomes (triploid) it can donate genetic material and stimulate growth in many organisms. Coconut water is the father of our modern tissue culture science and is still widely used in orchid propagation. There is current research into hair loss prevention as well as wide acceptance in anti aging cosmetic products.

• Coconut oil is saturated fat and causes heart disease”

FALSE; unlike animal saturated fats which are long chain triglycerides, coconut oil contains MCT’s median chain triglycerides which metabolise easily, even without the need for bile from the gall bladder. Coconut oil provides ready energy and has an accelerating effect on metabolism. There is no credible link to heart disease but a mass of misinformation has been circulated by other edible oil lobbies in the quest for market share at the expense of lauric oils (palm and coconut), our health, and truth.

• Coconuts are more dangerous than shark attacks”

FALSE; some questionable research findings from coconut plantations, formally noted for scientific irrelevance have been broadcast by insurance interests to extract higher public liability premiums from wealthy coconut owners. Most insurance claims relate to vehicles being parked under coconut palms, which presents more of a planning and design issue than a life risk.

• Intravenous use of coconut water.

TRUE; coconut water is a suitable blood plasma extender (universal donor) it has traditionally been used when commercial IV solutions have run out. There are numerous reports of patients responding quickly to IV coconut water. There are also published findings of coconut water being used in kidney dialysis. It has been poured directly into dialysis machines and shown to dissolve kidney stones.

• Coconuts are weeds.

FALSE; although this attitude makes it easier, in some cases, to remove unwanted coconut palms, it is technically incorrect. The coconuts main method of seed dispersal is by water otherwise they are planted or sprout naturally around the parent tree.

• Coconut oil provides protection against the sun.

TRUE; the old coconut based tanning oils were largely made from highly processed copra grade coconut oil with additives and often just coconut fragrances. Many seasoned sun bakers owe their wrinkles to these products. Fresh virgin coconut oil is very nourishing if applied directly to the skin, especially just after a shower, while the skins’ pores are open. If applied in this manner, and adsorbed before going into the full sun, the skin is well protected. It is still wise to be moderate in any exposure and not allow dehydration.

• Coconuts are not native to Australia.

FALSE; there is much evidence to suggest that coconuts (native to our oceans and coastal strands) have been washing up for thousands of years. There is even fossil evidence of coconut type palms in New Zealand (20 million year ago). Indigenous peoples have prized the developing sprout as an easy food source, devouring the rich cream and haustorium inside, made available after the palm sprouts. Consequently, in areas of high habitation young palms had little chance to establish. To the eyes of Joseph Banks and our early explorers, our coastal coconuts looked very sparse by comparison to most Pacific islands which were well visited and explored by other mariners over the centuries. This distinction weighed heavily to emphasise the newness of their discovery.

• Coconut is the “tree of life” in the tropics.

TRUE; to this day, traditional techniques and patterns of use of this “tree of life” have driven the development, or not, of local coconut industries and led to patterns of discovery of the wealth of the coconut palm. These differ significantly around the globe, wherever and however, the coconut is appreciated. Now, with the aid of the internet, we are much better able to share recipes and explore the unrealised potential and try new coconut products.

New! Flamethrower Palms (Chambeyronia macrocarpa var. hookeri)

Chambeyronia macrocarpa var. hookeri is commonly called “Blonde Flamethrower Palm’. It is similar to the standard Chambeyronia macrocarpa, except for the cream to yellow crownshaft on the blonde version. New leaves emerge bright red, and fade to a shiny dark green after a few weeks. Some people believe new leaves on the Blonde Flamethrower Palm are redder than leaves on the standard Flamethrower Palm. This Palm is fairly small which makes it manageable for most gardens; it grows to 7-10m tall. The Blonde Flamethrower’s fronds arch very gracefully, and it is self cleaning as an added bonus! A well behaved palm in general... The Flamethrower Palm grows well in most parts of Australia, including Sydney and Melbourne, as long as the temperature does not go below 0 degrees. This palm is best grown in a shady position, as full sun does tend to burn the leaves. The Blonde Flamethrower Palm originates in New Caledonian rainforests, where it grows in very moist positions. To grow this palm well, keep it in a moist spot, in very fertile soil. Keep them well mulched, and fertilise regularly with a slow release fertiliser or palm & foliage fertiliser. Add lots of organic matter. Some people believe the Blonde Flamethrower Palm may be able to handle the sun better than the standard Flamethrower Palm, but make sure you adjust them slowly if you are going to attempt to grow it in a sunnier spot.

Cactus Island Nursery now has these beautiful palms available via mail order, or you can find them in the online nursery. Visit Online Nursery. Note the great discounts if you purchase multiple palms!

New! Wine Palm / Jelly Palm / Pindo Palm (Butia capitata)

Butia capitata – the hardiest feather palm in the world!

Butia capitata is commonly called Wine Palm, Pindo Palm or Jelly Palm. It is a beautiful, hardy feather palm from Brazil. Leaves are light green to bluish gray, and the palms are highly variable, every palm is different. It is a very manageable palm, growing slowly to 4-6m tall. They are also suitable as a very graceful indoor plant, in a bright spot. The Jelly Palm is not only very beautiful, it is useful too. One of the hardiest edible palms in the world; Jelly Palms bear delicious, edible fruits, which are sometimes called Pindo Dates.

Butia capitata palms are very cold hardy, making them suitable for gardens around Australia. These frost hardy palms can handle temperatures down to around -10! It is best grown in full sun to part shade, in a sandy, well draining soil. This palm tends to have longer, more graceful foliage in shady spots, but palms grown in full sun tend to be more compact.

The Jelly Palm is very adaptable and drought tolerant. A very good palm for South East Queensland where water restrictions are imminent and frosts common!

Butia capitata palms can be grown fairly close to the coast as well, but may need some protection from salt spray & winds by means of a fence / hedge or similar. Jelly Palms are fairly slow growing, but growth can be sped up by fertilising regularly, and providing adequate water.

Regular watering will improve the yield, just in case the 25kg or so of fruit isn’t enough to keep you satisfied. Fruits are very versatile, and can be eaten straight of the tree when ripe, or made into jelly or jam, or used in pies and cakes. The fruits tends to be fairly stringy (fibrous flesh), which is why it is usually made into a jelly. This is a shame as it would be a fruit which could rival your apples, pears & bananas! Fruits are orangey yellow, and vary in size from cherry to much bigger. Butia capitata fruit is delicious, very tropical, and is described as very strong, apple, pineapple, vanilla and apricot. All mixed into 1 fruit. Seeds contain almost 50% of edible oil, which is used to create margarine.

Butia capitata is sometimes crossed with the Queen Palm or Cocos Palm (Syagrus romanzoffiana) to produce the Mule Palm. The Mule Palm is very beautiful, but unfortunately sterile.

Cactus Island Nursery now has Butia capitata for sale, as always we offer discount for quantity as well. Contact us for mail order plants, or visit our online nursery

Online & Mail Order Nursery - Behind the Scenes

Have you ever thought about owning your own online mail order nursery? Funny really, I never did, until I was already up to my neck into it.... Like many other plant people out there, I started out on eBay, selling some left over plants from my cacti & succulent collection. As I sold more and more, I started to: 1. wear myself out due to the fact that I was trying to work both a full time job, and a full time nursery, and 2. run out of cacti & succulents! My name is El, I'm the owner of Cactus Island Nursery, together with my husband Dan. Our nursery is fairly small (a two-person operation), and we focus on growing plants that no one else grows. (here's where the problem starts!) People ask me what it's like to run an online nursery, and well, I would describe it as a 'juggle'.... Juggling time around computers, plants, family, admin.... It's a juggle in the best form of juggle though, I absolutely love what I do. Hopefully this will give you some insight into my world, the world of running an online and mail order nursery.

Wednesday 15.07.09

Dan & I investigated new payment integration option for our online nursery website (http://www.cactusisland.com.au/), and unfortunately this took all day. We found ourselves in limbo between unhelpful banks (I can't help naming ANZ & Commonwealth Bank), uninteresting websites & unreasonably high fees and charges! Ten cups of coffees later, we decided PayPal will remain our payment gateway provider on the website. Even though it takes customers from our site to PayPal's site to checkout which can be confusing, this does allow us to accept all major payment options including PayPal, bank deposit, and credit cards. At the moment, there are still a couple of glitches in the online nursery website, but we hope to have these fixed soon.

Saturday 11.07.09

Our website is brand new, and all our products need to be uploaded into the new inventory. I tackled the Hibiscus this morning, even though they aren't quite ready yet. We have a lot of stuff growing at the moment, which isn't quite ready yet, but will be by the time spring starts. We sold off some tractor implements, and the phone rang all day with prospect buyers. We had great hopes of using these implements around our block, but the ground is rock hard, literally. We have instead decided to go for the heavy artillery, with the purchase of a 1940's Case Loader. She's huge, old, and not going - Dan has rebuilt the motor and we hope to have her going soon. I also printed all the invoices, ready for packing tomorrow. We usually package the plants on Saturday, and box them on Sunday, but in winter thing's tend to be quiet - we can do it in 1 day. Our new website also incorporates our new logo, which I included in a brand new invoice lay out.

Friday, 10.07.09
For simplicity's sake, and structure in my working days, I will now strictly do 'outside' in the mornings and 'inside' after lunch. Outside time is my favourite time. There's always something to do, something to see. Today, I found this magnificient little frog under an old polystyrene box. I checked the Frogs of Australia website (http://frogs.org.au/), and believe this to be 'Litoria nasuta' or Rocket Frog, but feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. I'm planning on sharing more of our nursery companions with you here shortly. Being an online nursery definitely has its advantages. Not having nursery visitors keeps the nursery, and the area around it, very quiet and peaceful, and we are seeing the most wonderful animals around us. Yesterday I was observed by a Kookaburra all morning whilst potting up my Madagascar Jasmine (Stephanotis floribunda). He must have been checking up on me! I start every morning with a healthy dose of emails, the most interesting one this morning being from Gaye, who runs the Queensland Gardening Pages (http://www.calyx.com.au/). We have been discussing the possibility of growing edible palms in backyards around Australia. Visit the edible palms page. I also re-potted our Cycas media. These cycads have been sitting in the same pot for the last 3 years, and I'm afraid to see they have been badly neglected. Before re-potting they took up around 6m2 in space.... now there's only 50 plants left, taking up less than 1m2! I took cuttings of our Mandevilla Red Riding Hood, using a new method with Esi-Root this time. Esi-Root worked well with Mandevilla Pink Petite, and I have high hopes for Red Riding Hood.

Golden Cane Palm (Dypsis lutescens) - Golden Green

The Golden Cane Palm is one of the most popular and attractive of all palms. It is very easy to grow, and especially attractive due to its bamboo look. Golden Canes are clustering palms, with up to a dozen ringed, bamboo-like golden coloured trunks.
Golden Canes are very adaptable plants, and they are best grown in full sun, in a well draining but moist position.
Golden Cane Palms are drought tolerant, but not frost tolerant. Foliage is evergreen, of fine texture and yellow-green in colour. The root system is non-invasive and can provide some good shade around the pool or home.
These Palms are excellent for screening, they are fast growing, and are very bushy, creating a screen quickly and efficiently. Golden Canes can be pruned to shape & size to form a tidy, dense hedge.
Golden Cane Palms are suitable for container growing, as an indoor palm or out on the patio. Just make sure you use well draining potting mix, fertilise regurly, and prepare to buy a large tub as it gets bigger.
It will reach a height of around 4 meters in the ground. If you are planting these palms in the ground, prepare a spot with fairly rich soil, and water moderately during dry periods. Very easy to grow and great for landscaping!
To purchase mail order Golden Cane Palm plants, please consider visiting Cactus Island Online Nursery

Dwarf Coconut Palms - Backyard Dwarves

Solomon varieties of dwarf coconuts open up possibilities for the backyarder

A recent global survey found 780 described coconut varieties. Many have been developed specifically for certain commercially important traits. Tall varieties represent the majority in commercial production due to a higher copra yield and longer productive lifespan, but the merits of the dwarf varieties are well worth considering, especially for the backyard or small scale production.
There were eight dwarf varieties selected from the Solomon Islands and imported by the Townsville council in the early 1980’s. The original plan was to replace some of the tall palms along The Strand with these impressive compact varieties for foreshore stability and tourism appeal. I won’t elaborate on the perceived danger issue but it is said “coconuts have eyes of their own and have long served mankind”.
The original Solomon collection has been well maintained and one of the originals, the Malay Golden Dwarf found its way to the far north, with thanks to the old Kamerunga research station in Cairns. There are also a number of the shorter palms, known as village dwarfs, growing around the Cape York Peninsula. They are very compact palms – small enough to grow in containers and bear numerous, small, golden orange fruits, with thin husks and great flavour. Others are the Red Spicata Dwarf, which has a stalk-less fruit attached directly to the main stem of the bunch, a Malay Yellow dwarf which is also very thin husked with medium sized light flavoured fruits, and a Giant Green dwarf, which has a full size crown but extremely compact trunk.
In general, dwarf coconuts are self pollinating, precocious, high yielding, easy to harvest, and tolerant of diseases such as ‘Lethal Yellowing’ and poor soils. Many will fruit within four years in a moist tropical climate and reach full output by 6 years, often with coconuts touching the ground. The productive life is considerably less for the dwarf palm varieties which have life spans of approximately 40-60 years, as opposed to 80-120 years for talls. Dwarfs reach heights from 5m to 12m, depending on variety, although at a much slower pace than talls, as generally all the palm proportions are smaller.
Plantation production of dwarf coconuts has been most successful in Brazil where the market is for drinking coconuts rather than oil production. It is estimated three billion coconuts are consumed by Brazilians annually and there is a growing demand for tetra-pak coco juice export products from USA and European markets. They are the wealthiest coconut farmers in the world and their product is easily harvested at only 8 months maturity, for peak sugar and electrolyte concentration, and at 12-14 months being fully mature and oil ready.
A coconut palm produces a new inflorescence every month, beginning the long ‘pregnancy’ for each fruit. Some dwarf coconuts can bear up to 250 fruits per year, though 160 is common with good conditions. When a coconut palm self pollinates; a recessive gene is able to produce very high sugar content. This is why dwarf coconuts tend to be sweeter. Regardless of the conditions of pollination, in all coconuts, sugar levels peak around day 220. This is considered the ideal time to harvest a bunch of coconuts for drinking. Once picked, a fresh semi-mature coconut will remain sterile inside and continue to deposit flesh for up to 8 weeks, if not bruised or allowed to dry out.
Another major product from the dwarf coconut is toddy, or coconut sugar, extracted directly from the unopened inflorescence. Coco sugar has an extremely low glycemic index, with a GI of 35. The end of the inflorescence is cut with a very sharp blade, morning and evening, removing a minimum of crystallized sap, which encourages and maintains the sap flow. Usually a litre per day can be collected and boiled down for sugar, or drunk directly as toddy or later, arak. Fresh, it is considered an elixir in many island villages, and this has been attributed to very high vitamin C content (263% of daily requirement). This is considered especially valuable among elderly villagers, hence the practice of breeding very compact dwarf varieties and planting them at the base of composting pits to ensure easy reach and strong output in ones latter years.
The wisdom of planting dwarf coconuts below ground level is manyfold. There is a tendency for a short palm to become top heavy and not withstand strong winds as well as a more flexible tall palm. Lowering the root ball in a pit which can collect water and hold plenty of mulch gives the best results as well as nice low coconuts for more years to come and not to forget, tsunami proofing.
If you would like to help spread this collection for our future, or perhaps it’s time to replace some of your tall coconuts with shorties, please be in touch.
Dwarf Coconut Sales – Cactus Island Nursery
Written by Paul Richardson - COCOTAP® (The nifty little tool to open & drink your coconuts easily)
Article originally published in the Australian Rare Fruit Review 2008

Lipstick Palm / Red Sealing Wax Palm (Cyrtostachys renda)

Small, Medium & Large Lipstick Palms are now available at National Tropical Plants.  


 
Cyrtostachys renda, originally uploaded by tanetahi.

It wouldn't be right to start this blog with any other plant than the Lipstick Palm. This truly is our favourite!
The Lipstick palm (or Red Sealing Wax Palm) is a stunning feather palm with a brilliantly, almost unbelievably vivid red trunk & crown shaft, found in lowland coastal swamps in SE Asia.
(It is also known as 'Cyrtostachys lakka', which has now been included under 'Cyrtostachys renda'.)
It’s a medium sized, to about 6m, clumping palm. One of the most spectacular and colourful tropical palms and extremely popular as garden and landscaping plant.
Cyrtotachys renda is very cold sensitive and should not be grown in the garden outside the tropics, but I still recommend you give it a go if you aren't in the tropics. Find a nice warm place inside your home, or in a conservatory or glass house. Take it outside in summer & love it like it deserves. It makes for a wonderful and spectacular potted specimen for the house and patio (on warm days). It should not be exposed to temperatures under aprox 10 degrees, preferable above 20 degrees.
In the tropics it’s very easy to grow, provided it gets lots of water and sun/overhead light. Soil should be rich, moist and loamy, and plants should be fed monthly with a tropical plant or palm fertilizer.
Definitely worth the effort and a must for every palm lover/collector! Red Sealing Wax Palm recommendations: I recommend you soak them in some seaweed solution on arrival, for up to a couple of hours right before potting up. Water in with some Fungicide like Fongarid & leave to dry out for a couple of days, then water regularly.
Keep in high humidity in bright light, but no full sun. Add some slow release fertiliser for tropical plants or palms, and keep up regular foliar sprays with seaweed solution.

Small, Medium & Large Lipstick Palms are now available at National Tropical Plants.