lanikaiguy's Journal: Buri Palm Corypha utan

• Member: lanikaiguy
• Journal: Default
• Category: Palm Trimming and Appearance
• Status: ante2002 palm garden

Initial Notes:

Entries and Updates

Nov 9, 2004   Today I noticed slight changes to the canopy shape. What is going on is not clear. Instead of the typical domed shape of the canopy, a slight indentation is forming in the center over the new leaf spike. The canopy has not shown this characteristic before.

Nov 11, 2004   The indentation is more pronounced and noticeable. I get the idea that the new leaf is emerging early, or opening early, rather than extending as a spike and then opening as normal. The photograph shows the indentation, but I cannot get a good enough point of reference with the camera to show the new leaf which has opened too early and is buried down in the canopy. I suspect that the tree is beginning its flowering stage.

Nov 11, 2004   Here is the photo of the new canopy shape. This photograph was taken from the road intersection, approximately 200 feet from the tree.

Nov 11, 2004   Here is an image of a fully intact, split leaf base which has just fallen from the bottom of the canopy. The red reference stick is two feet long.

Nov 12, 2004   Updated image of C. utan canopy showing enlarged indentation in center.

Nov 13, 2004   Next day image of the Corypha canopy

Nov 16, 2004   After two full days of heavy winds, this shot was taken in the afternoon. The tip of the flower spike is clearly visible. The flowering stage has begun. The July, 1975 issue of "Principes" detailed a study of the flowering/fruiting stage of a C. utan specimen. If the same process holds true for this palm, the flowering will be short, but the seed stage will be much longer, maybe 15 months. The emergence of the spike or main axis of the flower was not detailed in the study. The study begins with the first order branches being well extended on the main axis. Six weeks later, the flowering had finished, and the canopy leaves were all hanging pendulous against the trunk. No first order branches have yet appeared on the main axis (spike). Judging from this study, this tree will be finished flowering by mid January.

Nov 17, 2004   Two shots from this date. The spike has grown since yesterday's photo, and very noticeably, too.

Nov 17, 2004   This shot is taken from the 2nd story roof top underneath the palm.

Nov 18, 2004   This morning I took an early rooftop shot of the flower spike.

Nov 18, 2004   An afternoon shot from same road intersection as earlier.

Nov 19, 2004   I first noticed a disturbance to the canopy shape on November 9. November 11 is the first photo of the canopy. Now the canopy has completely parted to allow the growth of the flower spike. The base of the spike can be seen clearly enough to estimate its size. It must be about 18 inches in diameter, and the spike about 8 feet high. This has happened all within ten days.

Nov 19, 2004   Here is a shot from the rooftop underneath the palm.

Nov 20, 2004   The flower spike continues to grow rapidly. No first order branches visible yet.

Nov 21, 2004   First order branches are just beginnning to appear.

Nov 22, 2004   The photo for today shows emerging first order branches on the main axis of the flower.

Nov 22, 2004   Another photo taken today from the rooftop shows a spiral configuration of emerging first order branches.

Nov 23, 2004   This afternoon's shot of the flower spike from the roadway intersection. Leaves which formed the domed canopy only two weeks ago are most definitely pending downward, with one or two showing strong brown color.

Nov 23, 2004   A rooftop shot of the flower spike showing more detail of the emerging first order branches.

Nov 24, 2004   The photograph for today shows much more extension of first order branches.

Nov 24, 2004   The first order branches at the base of the main axis are about 2 feet long.

Nov 25, 2004   Thanksgiving Day photo from the roadway intersection.

Nov 25, 2004   Thanksgiving Day photo from the roof.

Nov 26, 2004   A photograph taken early morning from the east. This is the first one from that vantage point.

Nov 26, 2004   Today's image from the rooftop.

Nov 26, 2004   Here is the today's image from the roadway intersection.

Nov 27, 2004   The photo from the east this morning.

Nov 27, 2004   Today's photo from the roadway in the afternooon.

Nov 27, 2004   Today's photo from the rooftop.

Nov 28, 2004   The shot from the east for early morning.

Nov 28, 2004   The shot from the rooftop.

Nov 29, 2004   The early morning image from the raodway.

Nov 29, 2004   The view from the rooftop. The first hints of second order branches.

Nov 30, 2004   The early morning shot from the east. The fronds have nearly all drooped to lie along the trunk. I spoke with the arborist this morning about the needs of the palm going forward. It was clear that the fronds will need to be pruned away in about two weeks. Spiking was discussed, and I decided that it was allowed given the circumstances. He pointed out that removing the palm after the fruiting was completed was definitely the way to go. He even stated that harvesting the fruit while half still remained unripe was even better because the trunk will be easier to cut up when still a little green. Since the harvest of fruit will yield 250,000 to 350,000 each, sacrificing 50% sounds reasonable.

Nov 30, 2004   The view from the rooftop. Even though it is a cloudy day, I can still see the emergening second order branches.

Dec 1, 2004   The shot from the roadway.

Dec 1, 2004   The image from the east, early morning.

Dec 1, 2004   And the rooftop shot for this date. Second order branches very noticeable, and first order branches thickening.

Dec 1, 2004   This is a photo of the full tree after all the changes to date caused by the flowering stage. This photo is taken from the same spot as the 8-29 photograph. Nearly all the fronds are pending downward at this point. Many underneath the "skirt" are brown. Ray Baker at Lyon Arboretum has made the point that these fronds may be cut away without damaging the palm or interfering with the flowering process. On Tuesday, December 7, the arborist and his crews will do the job.

Dec 2, 2004   The early morning shot from the east. A vertical this time to show the extent of frond droop.

Dec 3, 2004   The early morning shot from the east.

Dec 3, 2004   The photo from the roadway.

Dec 3, 2004   The rooftop shot. More detail of second order branches.

Dec 3, 2004   A photograph from a position on the roof, but nearly directly below the collapsing canopy. I tried to capture as much of the branch detail as possible with this image.

Dec 4, 2004   An early morning shot from the east.

Dec 4, 2004   The image from the rooftop.

Dec 5, 2004   Today's shot from the roadway.

Dec 5, 2004   A shot from the rooftop.

Dec 5, 2004   The detail shot of the first order branches.

Dec 6, 2004   A photo from the roadway.

Dec 6, 2004   The shot from the rooftop.

Dec 6, 2004   Branch detail for today.

Dec 7, 2004   The fronds were removed today. This photo highlights the size of the tree in all its parts. Certain dimensions were closely estimated by the trimmer while next to the flower structure. The thickness of the flower's main axis at the base is 18 inches diameter. The first order branches of the flower are 8-9 feet long. Where these branches intersect the main axis of the flower, they are 8-9 inches in diameter. The tree is 75 feet + or- in height. The overall diameter of the flower structure is 17-19 feet.

Dec 7, 2004   The image from the rooftop after trimming completed.

Dec 7, 2004   The branch detail after trimming completed.

Dec 8, 2004   A shot from the east vanatage point in early morning.

Dec 8, 2004   A rooftop image for today.

Dec 9, 2004   A view from the roadway for today.

Dec 9, 2004   The image showing branch detail for today.

Dec 9, 2004   For comparison, a shot of the full tree to compare with shots of 8-29 and 11-30.

Dec 9, 2004   These are the last fronds produced by the tree. They decrease in size from the usual extension of the fan leaf (hastula to end of rachis) which at trimming was measured at 7 feet. The decrease is gradual, but dramatic. The final leaf is little bigger than the dollar bill placed in the shot for reference.

Dec 9, 2004   A shot from the east in early morning.

Dec 10, 2004   This is branch detail image for today.

Dec 10, 2004   A new image from the rooftop displaying as much trunk as possible.

Dec 10, 2004   The view from the roadway for today

Dec 11, 2004   The rooftop image for today.

Dec 11, 2004   A photo from the roadway for today.

Dec 12, 2004   The view from the roadway for today.

Dec 12, 2004   The rooftop shot for today. I noticed a bee or two busy in the flower structure today.

Dec 12, 2004   The photo showing branch detail for today.

Dec 14, 2004   This photo captures the thrust of the tree. I positioned myself on my back, on the lawn about 15-20 feet from the trunk. The tree trunk is distorted because I do not have a bellows camera to compensate.

Dec 14, 2004   The rooftop image for today.

Dec 14, 2004   Branch detail image for today. Though not clearly evident in this photo, there are numerous flowers situated along the wormlike ends of these branches. The flowers are about the size of a match head. They are white in color, and they have a strong, slightly unpleasant odor. Some are falling to the lawn below. With the help of a friend's binoculars, I have noticed these flowers as well as what appear to be beetles tending to the flowers. These bugs are numerous, and they seem to be doing the job of pollination. They have enemies, however. The red vented bulbo (?) shows up in the flower structure in some numbers, presumably taking advantage of a beetle harvest.

Dec 15, 2004   The rooftop shot for today.

Dec 16, 2004   The rooftop shot again. The color of the flower has shifted. It has taken on a mustard hue, presumably due to the increasing numbers of white flowers. I used the binoculars again today in the afternoon. The numbers of flowers on the flower bearing axes has increased dramatically from similar observations on Dec. 14. The same black bugs were evident, as well as a few honey bees, and some large black carpenter bees. The overall appearance of the flower branches is becoming more confused and convoluted. The second and third order branches twist and twine every whichaway, and it's very difficult to trace the branching as a result, as might be guessed from the images. I did find many fourth and fifth order branches, and what I thought were sixth order branches here and there. The flower bearing axes have become so thick that I can hardly pick out the stem of the first order branches in some cases. This might be due to the fact that I am viewing the flower from directly below, lying on my back on the second story rooftop which is no more than ten feet from the trunk. I think if I were looking at the flower from above, I would have a different, more penetrating and revealing view. While working in the front of the garden earlier today, with the wind blowing from the sea and me downwind of the palm, I was assaulted with a most unpleasant odor from time to time. It reminded me of the female ginkho tree. I am thinking that this is the result of the onset of so many flowers blooming at the same time on the Corypha. The Principes study mentioned that the Corypha flower structure produces 10 million flowers on flower bearing axes of a combined length of three miles.

Dec 16, 2004   The image from the roadway for today.

Dec 18, 2004   Here is the image from the rooftop for today. The flowers are beginning to drop more frequently.

Dec 18, 2004   This is the shot showing branch detail.

Dec 18, 2004   Here is the shot from the raodway for today. It appears that the lower branches are drooping more. Ray Baker from Lion Arboretum visited today with his wife. We had a very nice luncheon on the porch. Ray's reaction to the blooming Corypha was positive and reinforcing. He had brought his Nikkon camera with a macro attachment, and he took close-up photos of both the flowers and rachillae.

Dec 22, 2004   Here is the result of Ray Baker's efforts with his macro camera. These photographs are his property, but he has allowed me to post them with acknowledgement. The first one is the rachilla containing flower buds.

Dec 22, 2004   This is the first of the flower photos. They are quite small with male and female characteristics.

Dec 22, 2004   This is the photo of one flower in which the reproductive components are clearly visible.

Dec 23, 2004   This is the photograph from the rooftop for this date. The flower is right at its apex.

Dec 23, 2004   Here is the branch detail for this date. Although it's not evident from this image, the flowers are so thick and profuse that they are falling like rain. The odor is very strong at this point. The neighbors are remarking on the matter.

Dec 23, 2004   The view from the roadway from this date highlights the mustard coloring from the profusion of flowers in the inflorescence. This is the full trunk view.

Dec 23, 2004   This is the view from the corner of the road. Notice the birds at the top of the flower structure.

Sep 13, 2008   The previous entries have chronicled the flowering and blooming process for C. utan. What follows is a recap of the fruiting and removal process of the same palm. Dates are indicated where known for certain actions taken during this period of the palm's life. The fruit setting/maturation period extends from January 2005 through September, 2006 when I removed the palm.

Sep 13, 2008   The flowers continued to fall from the bloom for another three weeks. They fell continuously, without stop during this period. It was just like a rain. Though very small each, the flowers piled up and I had to remove them in large bags from time to time to keep the lawn underneath the tree from choking. The fruit set began in earnest in mid January, 2005. It wasn't until April that the fruits were large enough to show a gelatinous interior--prior to that the interiors were plain liquid. Small fruit began to fall from the infructescence from the beginning, and continued unceasingly as time went on. This falling of fruit was due to other factors besides ripeness. This fall began with very small fruit sizes, and continued through the fruit setting process until ripe fruit began to fall. The first true germinating seed from the fruit fall arrived on the ground around February 1, 2006. I had set out many fruit around this time for germination, not knowing if they would take. The one which took first and germinated was set out on February 6, 2006. Cleaning up the fallen fruit during this time was an ongoing process. The attached photograph is dated July 13, 2006.

Sep 13, 2008   On July 15 I had a tree specialist remove the bottom ten branches of the infructescence. There were good reasons for this removal, the main one for safety purposes. Since the tree is located in a residential setting with houses surrounding the garden in which this tree is growing, I felt it wise to lighten the load at the top of the tree so that winter storm winds would not as readily topple it in the months to come. It was a good decision. The removal of these branches offered an opportunity to photograph the branches and fruit closely. The photograph with this journal entry is a good example. The photograph shows the branching of the flower structure. There are five stages of branching shown. The photo also shows just how densely arranged the fruit set is. The tree specialist removed all the branches and fruit from the property and dumped it at the local green recycler. The load had to be weighed prior to dumping. The branches ranged in length from 9-12 feet. The weight of the ten branches was 3.6 tons or 7200 pounds. Since this trimming was designed to lighten the fruit load at the top of the tree, much of the fruit mass was left to ripen.

Sep 13, 2008   On September 13, 2006, I had the tree removed. A small amount of fruit still clung to the infructescence. Over time, many of the fallen fruit had lodged in the rootbed of the lawn grass under the tree. Or, the action of raking up piles of fruit actually pushed some sees deep into the lawn surface. What has happened is that many of those fruit have germinated. They are still growing in the lawn. They continue to germinate today. The lawn is mowed on a regular basis, of course, and these Corypha sprouts embedded in the grass are mowed as well. It seems not the trouble them in the least as they continue to grow, faster than the surrounding grass, just to be mowed once again. I have a number of baby Corypha trees now in containers. The essence of this remarkable tree lives on.

Sep 13, 2008   This photograph dates to 2003, showing the palm in its prime, a year before the start of the blooming process.

Sep 14, 2008   Statistics on this specimen of Corypha utan are as follows: Overall height 75 feet Height of Inflorescence 15.5 feet Diameter at trunk base 40 inches Inflorescence width at maximum 22 feet First order branch diameter at intersection 9 inches (oval crossection) Diameter below inflorescence 1.5 feet Growth time of inflorescence structure 29 days Flower set duration 38 days Fruit set duration (some fruit clusters remaining) 21 months Fruit mass in tons 10.8 tons Inflorescence branching 5 orders Canopy diameter at maturity with 50 feet trunk 24-27 feet Canopy diameter at maximum 35 feet Age of Tree, seed to flowering 29 years Age of Tree, seed to removal 31 years