A jump back to the Auckland area now and a chance
to visit the large garden and fruit orchards of member Dick Endt.
Readers of Chamaerops will be familiar with articles that Dick has
kindly provided, the last featuring Jubaea in Chile. He has visited
the high Andes on a number of occasions, introducing new plants
both for our gardens and as potential fruit crops. Orchards of some
of these can be seen at his home in Oratia, there is even a large
banana plantation!
Again, red crownshaft Geonoma are cultivated here
along with wonderfully healthy, and sizeable Ceroxylon, those majestic
wax palms. Perhaps, however, his speciality is Parajubaea Cocoides
and this is well represented throughout the garden by many large
specimens complete with shaggy, hairy trunks!, one even sports two
trunks! Pride and joy is the tallest of his many plants, which has
been producing its curious long flower spikes for some time. These
emerge from various levels of the trunk and at least one of them
had successfully set fruit, so perhaps it won't belong before Dick
is producing seed of this interesting and graceful palm in small
quantities.
A new plant, not formally identified at the time
of my visit, was about to be introduced as an ornamental. Grown
from seed he collected, it is an attractive member of the aralia
family, with divided, puckered leaves resembling a Schefflera, a
very desirable plant.
Treasures of North Island: A Gardener's Paradise
